Page 65 of No Turning Back
God, the pain of that moment. The way it gutted me. They replaced me.
“We didn’t.”
I flinch, realizing I must’ve said that last part out loud. I wipe quickly at my cheeks, catching the tears that betrayed me. “Go away, Sam.”
He doesn’t.
Instead, he steps closer and drapes his coat over my shoulders. His warmth envelops me, soft where I want it to be harsh.
I snuggle into it despite myself, sniffling as he sinks down beside me.
“We fought back,” he says quietly. “Hard. None of us wanted your spot to be filled. We threatened to walk. They said we didn’t have a choice. That they’d court-martial us if we pushed it.”
My throat tightens. “So, you let him take it.”
“No.” His jaw flexes. “So, we decided to be petty. If we couldn’t leave, we’d makehimleave. We froze him out. Made his life miserable. Until he cracked.”
I turn, studying him through burning eyes.
Sam looks away, his voice low. “I guess not sleeping for three days will do that. He… uh. He snapped. Held a gun to his head. Said he’d make it even. That he never wanted to hurt you. That it was an accident. He tried to refuse the slot, Quinn. But they gave him the same answer they gave us: no choice.”
“Jesus,” I whisper.
Sam exhales, eyes fixed on the dark water. “We felt so bad. We nearly pushed him to…” He shakes his head, like he can’t bring himself to say it out loud. “The worst was Parker. He tormented him the most. We all thought it was guilt that made him stick to Martinez like glue.” Sam runs a hand through his hair, a small chuckle escaping. “He told us they were sleeping in the same bed so he could keep an eye on him.”
A laugh bursts out of me, sharp and unwilling. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Sam grimaces, pressing a hand over his mouth. “It never even occurred to me. To any of us, really. That it might be more than that. I mean, come on.”
The absurdity of it twists in my chest, half tragedy, half comedy, all the years of pain tangled up in one unbelievable story.
I look out at the stars. “Now that I think about it, it was kinda obvious, though. Even when I was there, they were always at each other’s throats.”
Sam leans back beside me. “I thought Parker was just being protective of you.”
I chuckle. “You know there’s a whole trope about this.”
He tilts his head. “What’s it called?”
“Enemies to lovers,” I say, impressed when his eyes light in recognition.
“Right,” he chuckles. “The thin line between love and hate.”
I blink at him. “Wait. Have you actually read that genre?”
Sam looks away, sheepish. “Maybe. Needed something to do at stakeouts.”
My mouth drops open. “You’veactuallyread romance?”
He scratches his jaw, avoiding eye contact. “Maybe.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “Then you must’ve readfriends to lovers, too.”
He turns his head then, eyes locking on mine. Our faces are suddenly closer than I realized.
“What happens in that one?” he asks, voice low.
