He looked as good as Nick, despite the bare feet and cutoff sweatpants. He was all unruly hair and dark eyes and caramel skin. A maroon long-sleeved tee did little to hide his build.
Her hair was a windblown mess, and if she took her sweatshirt off, there was probably a roll of pudge hanging over the waistband of her spandex capris. God only knew what state her makeup was in, after nearly crying in the car.
Adam glanced up, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. One kind word and she’d go to pieces.
Nick hadn’t followed her.
She wanted to cry for all the wrong reasons.
Adam set the clipboard down, and she could hear it in his in-drawn breath, that he was going to pry. His hands were already reaching out to touch her.
Just what she needed. Another guy who had no interest in her.
Quinn swiped at her eyes and grabbed her bag. “I can’t do it tonight, Adam. I’m sorry.”
“You—wait. Stop, Quinn—what’s wrong?”
“Not tonight,” she called back. She walked through the back door to the studio, bursting into the cold night air.
Nick’s truck was on the other side of the building—if he’d bothered to wait at all. Quinn hunched her shoulders and headed for the road.
What a dick. Everyone else got everything they wanted.
Becca had Chris. Nick had Adam. Quinn had nothing. She had a fake boyfriend who gave her a raft of shit the first time someone else was nice to her.
The thought rang false inside her head, and she told her subconscious to stick it.
A metro bus was rolling up to the curb. The brakes squealed into the darkness and the door creaked open. Adam took the bus all the time, but Quinn had never tried. At least it was a surefire escape from Nick.
She climbed the steps and sniffed back the last of her tears.
“How much?”
“One sixty, one way. Three fifty, ride all day.”
All day. Quinn wondered who would spend the entire day on a bus. Then she realized it was warm in here, and empty aside from the driver. No one to bother her.
“Ride all night, too?” she asked.
“We stop running at two.”
Well, there went that. She counted out a dollar sixty and crammed her money into the slot.
Once the vehicle started moving, she realized she had no idea where she was going.
Wasn’t that always the case?
Her phone chimed. Nick.
Where did you go?
Quinn deleted it.
Then she started a new text.
Playing sentry again tonight?
The response text took less than three seconds.
Why? Need rescuing, baby girl?
Quinn smiled.
Now that you mention it, yeah. I do.
Her phone vibrated almost immediately.
What’s up?
I’m on a bus, bound for nowhere.
Sweetheart, it’s a TRAIN bound for nowhere.
Her heart gave a little squee at the endearment. It meant nothing and everything all at once. She smiled over her phone while she texted back.
Well, I’m on a bus with no destination in mind.
Want me to come get you?
Quinn stopped and stared at the phone. Was this dangerous?
It didn’t feel dangerous. Tyler had had ample opportunity to hurt her last night and he hadn’t.
When Becca had first told her about finding Chris in the middle of a fight with Tyler and Seth in the parking lot, Quinn’s first question had been, “Why?”
She’d never gotten a good answer.
She slid her thumbs across the face of her phone.
Are more taquitos in my future?
Play your cards right and there might be a soda, too.
His texts were teasing, so she wasn’t sure if his offer to come get her was genuine. She didn’t want to get off the bus until she knew for sure.
Then her phone lit up with a new message.
Don’t make me ride the bus all night. Where should I pick you up?
“Excuse me,” she called to the driver. “What’s the next stop?”
“Annapolis Mall. West side.”
Next stop is Annapolis Mall. West side.
Well look at that. You just got upgraded to a soft pretzel. See you in 10.
CHAPTER 12
Nick swore at his cell phone for the third time. Or maybe the tenth. He’d lost track.
“Enough.” Adam reached across his tiny kitchen table and took the phone. He put it behind him on the counter, next to where the coffeemaker was choking out a pot.
“I’m sorry,” Nick said.
“It’s all right. I care about her, too.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to rehearse.”
Adam shrugged. “I’ll make do.”
But it bothered him. Nick could tell. Adam had less than two weeks until his audition, and Quinn’s temper tantrum might not be for tonight only. “I shouldn’t have set her off in the truck.”
Adam frowned. “That’s not your fault.”
Nick blew out a long rush of breath and ran a hand through his hair. He glanced at his phone on the counter. “I just wish she’d answer.”
“She did answer.”
Nick gave him a look—but he was right. Quinn had answered.
She’d told him she was fine. Then she’d told him to f**k off.
“I’m worried she’s going to hang out with Tyler, just to piss me off.”
The coffeemaker beeped, signaling it was done, and Adam stood. “And would that piss you off?”
His tone was easy, but there was the tiniest bit of an edge hiding there. Nick blinked and realized he was being an idiot.
Her hair was a windblown mess, and if she took her sweatshirt off, there was probably a roll of pudge hanging over the waistband of her spandex capris. God only knew what state her makeup was in, after nearly crying in the car.
Adam glanced up, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. One kind word and she’d go to pieces.
Nick hadn’t followed her.
She wanted to cry for all the wrong reasons.
Adam set the clipboard down, and she could hear it in his in-drawn breath, that he was going to pry. His hands were already reaching out to touch her.
Just what she needed. Another guy who had no interest in her.
Quinn swiped at her eyes and grabbed her bag. “I can’t do it tonight, Adam. I’m sorry.”
“You—wait. Stop, Quinn—what’s wrong?”
“Not tonight,” she called back. She walked through the back door to the studio, bursting into the cold night air.
Nick’s truck was on the other side of the building—if he’d bothered to wait at all. Quinn hunched her shoulders and headed for the road.
What a dick. Everyone else got everything they wanted.
Becca had Chris. Nick had Adam. Quinn had nothing. She had a fake boyfriend who gave her a raft of shit the first time someone else was nice to her.
The thought rang false inside her head, and she told her subconscious to stick it.
A metro bus was rolling up to the curb. The brakes squealed into the darkness and the door creaked open. Adam took the bus all the time, but Quinn had never tried. At least it was a surefire escape from Nick.
She climbed the steps and sniffed back the last of her tears.
“How much?”
“One sixty, one way. Three fifty, ride all day.”
All day. Quinn wondered who would spend the entire day on a bus. Then she realized it was warm in here, and empty aside from the driver. No one to bother her.
“Ride all night, too?” she asked.
“We stop running at two.”
Well, there went that. She counted out a dollar sixty and crammed her money into the slot.
Once the vehicle started moving, she realized she had no idea where she was going.
Wasn’t that always the case?
Her phone chimed. Nick.
Where did you go?
Quinn deleted it.
Then she started a new text.
Playing sentry again tonight?
The response text took less than three seconds.
Why? Need rescuing, baby girl?
Quinn smiled.
Now that you mention it, yeah. I do.
Her phone vibrated almost immediately.
What’s up?
I’m on a bus, bound for nowhere.
Sweetheart, it’s a TRAIN bound for nowhere.
Her heart gave a little squee at the endearment. It meant nothing and everything all at once. She smiled over her phone while she texted back.
Well, I’m on a bus with no destination in mind.
Want me to come get you?
Quinn stopped and stared at the phone. Was this dangerous?
It didn’t feel dangerous. Tyler had had ample opportunity to hurt her last night and he hadn’t.
When Becca had first told her about finding Chris in the middle of a fight with Tyler and Seth in the parking lot, Quinn’s first question had been, “Why?”
She’d never gotten a good answer.
She slid her thumbs across the face of her phone.
Are more taquitos in my future?
Play your cards right and there might be a soda, too.
His texts were teasing, so she wasn’t sure if his offer to come get her was genuine. She didn’t want to get off the bus until she knew for sure.
Then her phone lit up with a new message.
Don’t make me ride the bus all night. Where should I pick you up?
“Excuse me,” she called to the driver. “What’s the next stop?”
“Annapolis Mall. West side.”
Next stop is Annapolis Mall. West side.
Well look at that. You just got upgraded to a soft pretzel. See you in 10.
CHAPTER 12
Nick swore at his cell phone for the third time. Or maybe the tenth. He’d lost track.
“Enough.” Adam reached across his tiny kitchen table and took the phone. He put it behind him on the counter, next to where the coffeemaker was choking out a pot.
“I’m sorry,” Nick said.
“It’s all right. I care about her, too.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to rehearse.”
Adam shrugged. “I’ll make do.”
But it bothered him. Nick could tell. Adam had less than two weeks until his audition, and Quinn’s temper tantrum might not be for tonight only. “I shouldn’t have set her off in the truck.”
Adam frowned. “That’s not your fault.”
Nick blew out a long rush of breath and ran a hand through his hair. He glanced at his phone on the counter. “I just wish she’d answer.”
“She did answer.”
Nick gave him a look—but he was right. Quinn had answered.
She’d told him she was fine. Then she’d told him to f**k off.
“I’m worried she’s going to hang out with Tyler, just to piss me off.”
The coffeemaker beeped, signaling it was done, and Adam stood. “And would that piss you off?”
His tone was easy, but there was the tiniest bit of an edge hiding there. Nick blinked and realized he was being an idiot.
