Page 60 of The Lovers
“He didn’t want to marry me,” Quinn confessed sadly. She couldn’t bear to tell Jill that Luke had been cheating on her. It was too humiliating.
“He didn’t want to marry anyone. Luke is ruthlessly ambitious and terrified of growing old and irrelevant,” Jill said as she punctuated her statement with her half-eaten croissant.
“Are you suggesting that he’s shagging his students to feel young?” Quinn chuckled, amazed by how close Jill had come to the truth.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. There’s a reason that’s such a cliché. It happens more often than you think. Maybe it’s time you shagged someone.”
“Really, like who? And don’t sayGabe.”
Jill shook her head. “I would never suggest that. You can only shag Gabe if you’re serious about him. Anything else would be unfair. What about this Rhys guy? Do you fancy him?”
Quinn shrugged. “He’s nice.”
Jill rolled her eyes dramatically, making Quinn laugh. “Nice? Is that the best you can say about him?”
“He intrigues me. I barely know him, but there’s a connection between us that I can’t explain. It’s like he understands me.”
Jill rolled her eyes dramatically. “I bet he’d like to understand you all the way to bed. Has he tried it on with you yet?”
“No. He’s just been—what is the word I’m looking for—solicitous.”
“Oh, what a knight in shining armor. I hate men like that. They kill you with kindness.”
“And baked goods.” Quinn giggled. “Oh, Jill, you are no help whatsoever,” Quinn complained, but her dark mood had dissipated, and she felt much lighter.
“Sure I am. You came in here looking like a thundercloud and now you’re laughing. Now, pass us another croissant.”
Quinn slid the box across the counter and considered what Jill had said. Jill was right, as usual. She did feel happier. Both women looked up as two potential customers came into the shop.
“Time to work my magic,” Jill whispered, giving Quinn a meaningful wink. “Be right back.”
Jill went to help the customers while Quinn considered Jill’s advice. She’d never been one for mincing words, and the things she said about Luke were hurtful but true. Luke was a self-centered, ambitious, selfish tosser. Quinn supposed that she alwaysknew that on some level, but love is blind, and so is faith. She’d believed in him, believed that he loved her enough to include her in his plans. Well, now she knew different. And she also knew that once Gabe finally settled down with one woman and surrendered his heart, he would love her until the end of his days, which was exactly the reason she was so terrified to give him any encouragement. To give him hope and then yank it away would be unforgivable, so she had to be sure.
Jill rang up the purchases and wished the two women a good day before turning back to Quinn. “I actually have a new bloke,” she suddenly announced, her mouth stretching into a ridiculously wide grin.
“Oh, do tell. I’m tired of talking about my toxic love life.”
“He’s one of the suppliers I work with. We’ve stepped out a few times,” Jill confided.
“You really like him, don’t you?”
Jill nodded as a rosy blush spread across her porcelain cheeks. “I do. We’re going out again tonight. Would you like to come? I can ask Brian to bring a friend.”
“I actually already have plans, but thank you all the same,” Quinn lied. She’d just go home and catch up on some reading or watch a film. She simply wasn’t ready to go on a blind date, but the thought of spending another Saturday night alone left her feeling more out of sorts than before.
FORTY-THREE
Quinn walked toward Hyde Park and plopped herself onto a bench by the Serpentine. The day was sunny and bright, if a bit chilly. The river sparkled as it lazily flowed by, its waters reflecting the fluffy clouds above. A canopy of russet and gold whispered overhead, leaves twirling and settling on the ground to form a thick carpet of vivid color. Another few weeks and these leaves would be nothing more than brown sludge decaying into the earth, but at the moment, they were beautiful.
The walk to the park restored her spirits, and Quinn felt more philosophical than upset, especially after speaking with Jill. On some level, she was grateful to Monica for telling her the truth about Luke, painful though it was. Knowing about the affair shed new light on his behavior and gave new meaning to Luke’s abrupt exit. What struck Quinn the most was that Luke had apparently been flaunting his new girlfriend in front of their mutual friends. He’d wanted people to know, and he’d hoped Quinn would find out. He’d had no desire for an amicable split; he had wished to hurt her—badly. That realization hurt worst of all. He hadn’t just betrayed and humiliated her, but he’d also made her question her own judgment. She’d trusted him, relied on him, and thought that he genuinely cared for her. But now she had no idea what to believe. How long had he felt this way? Was this woman the first or the last in a string of many? Had there been signs that Quinn missed, trusting Luke wholeheartedly as she had?
Quinn was startled out of her reverie by the trilling of her mobile. She pulled it out of her purse and pressed the answer button, disappointed that the call wasn’t from Gabe. He was theonly person she would have liked to talk to at that moment. It was Rhys, who was not someone she expected to call on a Saturday. And so Quinn put on a cheerful voice, desperate to hide her pain.
“Quinn, I hope I didn’t wake you,” he said.
“Are you joking? I’ve been up for hours. I’m not one of those people who sleep till noon.”
“Neither am I.”
