Page 94 of More than Paper

“How do you know that?” Noah replies.

“I had a not-so-friendly encounter with him.”

“What happened?” Chase asks.

“I can’t get into it now. I’ll come over and talk to you tonight when I get back,” I reply.

“Just going into surgery. I’ll call you later, Jamison,” Xander texts.

I arrive at the airport, check in, and get through security as boarding begins. Since I’m in business class, I’m one of the first people on the plane, and I settle into my seat, quickly getting lost in thought.

Quinn dated Matt. She slept with him.The thought of him touching her makes my stomach churn. She didn’t tell me she slept with him, but I could see it on both their faces.

Matt is friends with Quinn’s brother.How he could let that douchebag touch his sister and then stand in the restaurant looking smug is beyond me.

Matt knows V and my history.He went to Colombia and was in the wedding party. He was part of V’s and my life for almost eight years.What is he going to tell Quinn’s brother?

Steven.He has so many notions of me, I don’t know if he’s ever going to give me a fair shot. And now he knows I’m married and hates me more.Rightly so.

I can’t say I blame him. If Quinn were my sister, I wouldn’t want her with a married guy, either.

But he doesn’t know the entire story.I can only imagine how Matt is going to spin this.

My flight is quick, and after it lands I hurry through the airport. My private driver is waiting for me, and I text Chase. “You home?”

“Yeah, come over.”

“On my way.”

During the drive, I call Quinn.

“Did you get back safely?” she answers instead of saying hello.

“Yeah, doll. Hey, do you want me to fly back this weekend and go to your mom’s birthday with you? Then you don’t have to fight the firing squad alone?”

“You have things going on in New York—”

“Those aren’t as important as you. I can come back and go with you.”

She doesn’t say anything for a moment. “That’s nice of you to offer, but I think it will make things worse right now. My brother already sent me a text message.”

“What did it say?”

“It was just a picture of Valeria. I responded that he needs to not be sharing that information and doesn’t know the real story.”

I close my eyes. That asshole Matt. “Quinn, I haven’t seen Matt in eight years, but he’s not a good guy.”

“I know that,” she says quietly.

Something in her voice tells me that she isn’t referring to him banging Chase’s girlfriend. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” she quickly says.

“Quinn, don’t tell me nothing.”

“Matt was just an asshole when I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. He called me a bunch of names.”

“And your brother is still friends with him?”

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