Page 140 of We Belong Together

“A least I managed to coax Quinn in.” Bailey jumped off the stage to talk to them. She looked nice too, in black trousers and fitted pink sweater.

“What? Quinn’s doing this?”

“I begged her.”

“Why? She hates the limelight.” He felt angry on her behalf. Luke knew she was a good person and that a few words from Bailey would have guilted Quinn into being here, but he also knew it wouldn’t be comfortable for her.

“She can handle it. In fact, I’ve never seen her anything but calm, even when she took that blow to the nose,” Rory said.

“That’s just her way, she hides behind that closed off expression.”

“I’m guessing in her career she had to learn how to do that,” Bailey said.

“This will be good for her. The girl is hot but determined to hide that,” Rory said. “We made sure she’s going to make a shit ton of money.”

He didn’t want her up there, Luke realized. Didn’t want men looking at the body he knew intimately. Didn’t want anyone but him anywhere near her.

But you pushed her away and said you didn’t want more.

“She’s happy as she is” was all he said instead of what he actually wanted to say, which was “leave Quinn alone.”

He’d hurt Quinn from fear. Mrs. L was right. He’d let his mother leaving dictate his actions for too long. He’d held on to the past when he should have left it behind years ago.

“She’ll hate this,” he muttered.

“She’s an adult; she’ll cope. And someone with her qualifications has probably learned to deal with a lot more than this,” Pip said.

He was surrounded by them, Rory, Bailey, and Pip, all looking at him.

“But she shouldn’t have to do something she doesn’t want to do.”

“You’re awful worried about Quinn,” Pip said.

“Because they have a connection,” Bailey said, making him sweat.

“Your girl will be fine, Luke,” Dylan said. “She’s tough.”

“She’s not my girl.” The words were automatic. The hell of it was, as he said them, he wanted to retract them.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. She’s not your usual sort of girl.”

“What?” He shot Rory a look.

“Quinn. She’s serious, a bit socially awkward, and really cool. Plus, she’s nice,” she added. “But my money is on her not having dated much.”

“I’m nice,” Luke protested. He didn’t like the punch of jealousy at the thought of Quinn dating.

“Sure you are. But you’re also experienced. She’s not.”

“And what? You think I’d hurt her?” He was feeling unreasonably pissed off right in that moment. Was this how Quinn had felt when he’d said he didn’t want to be hurt again by a woman?

“You don’t want commitment. I think she’d be the kind of girl that would.” Rory’s face was calm.

“What?” He sent out a general glare, as they were all focused on him now. The men too.

“You don’t like women to get too close, Luke. You think we haven’t noticed?” Bailey said with her trademark gentle smile. What was this, open season on Luke? First Mrs. L, and now them.

“What?” was all he could come up with.

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