“Why won’t you let me see what I’m wearing?” I whined at Kai.
She and Kerri were at my place, having a traditional girls getting ready together pre-party. Kai insisted on the pre-party, since I wasn’t actually going with them to Jason’s party. Instead, I was going out with Beau again. We had spent almost the entire past couple weeks together. He had even stayed over for the first time, and then stayed again the next night. For the most part, it had been good. He didn’t ever once bring Quinn up. I started to think he was just trying to intimidate me the night he made the threat against Quinn. I doubted he would really make a scene if the three of us were ever in a room together. At least I hoped that would be the case.
Not that there was a chance Quinn was going to look at me ever again anyway. I had just left him like he left me. I walked away due to a bad decision without a real explanation. I doubted I would even be able to talk to him if I got the chance. I didn’t think I could look him in the eyes. I didn’t want to see how he would be looking back at me. He had called and texted. The calls were harder than the texts to avoid. I wanted to hear his voice and know how he sounded. If he was pissed, it would be easier to avoid him. But if he was hurt, how could I keep myself from running to him? I deleted them unheard. The texts I answered because I wanted him to know he needed to stop. I wasn’t ready for whatever he had to say to me. After the last couple weeks, I had started to have a good idea of what I would need to say to him.
“I don’t have it yet. Sloane had to go pick it up. You’ll love it. I promise.” Kai had the ‘you’ll wear it because I say you will, bitch’ glint in her eye even though she had the smile of an angel on her face. And most of the time she would be absolutely right. I would wear it if she told me to, especially if she and Kerri were going to be with me. I always felt that when I was with the two of them, they both way outshone me. No one would look twice at me in the tight or barely there clothes Kai would convince me to wear as long as she and Kerri were dressed similarly. To be fair to Kai, the clothes she picked out for me were in decent taste. They didn’t scream “skank.”
But I wasn’t going to be with them. I didn’t know what the exact plan was with Beau yet. When he’d left that morning, he wasn’t sure what time he would be back. He said we’d figure it out when he got here. He said he just wanted to be with me. He really had been sweet lately. He was starting to open up to me, too. He said he felt like I was the first person he could really talk to. He told me about how hard it had been to start over at so many different schools. One night, he got all quiet and talked about how he had always missed his dad even though he really didn’t know him.
My heart wrenched that night. We had been kissing on the couch when my phone rang. It was my dad, just checking in on me. We talked a bit, just sharing some of the events of the past few days. We talked briefly about my upcoming trip home for Thanksgiving. We said our ‘love yous’ and hung up. I looked over at Beau often during the call. He just watched me with a curious look, tilting his head from one side to the other as he visibly thought through things. I set the phone down on the table in front of me. I pulled my legs up under me as I sat in the corner of my worn couch. He moved closer to me and started asking questions about my dad.
He asked what growing up with a cop as a father was like. I told him that I guessed it was like any other father-daughter relationship would be like. Don’t ask, don’t tell, and don’t ever get caught. Dad and I got along well, as long as I didn’t cause any trouble, which I never would have dreamed of doing in the first place. He asked about the type of hours my father worked and how much longer he planned to work. I asked him why he was suddenly so interested in my dad. He replied that he was always fascinated with what it would have been like to have a dad around. He laid his head in my lap and closed his eyes as he told me about how he would pretend that his mom’s various boyfriends were his dad. How he hated it when they would leave.
I brushed his hair off his head as he bemoaned a childhood bereft of a father. I waited for his blue eyes to open. I wanted him to see that he could trust me with his feelings. When he finally did open them, he looked so empty for a couple heartbeats that my heart just broke for him. He blinked, and then asked me a few more questions about my dad. I asked him again about coming home for Thanksgiving with me. He said he thought it might be a good idea.
That night I felt so close to him. I knew what it was like to only have one parent. Just like him I had pretended that Marie was my mom too. It made me feel sick to long for her and ultimately Quinn as I held and comforted Beau.
I looked back at Kerri and said, “Why does she have hers?” Kerri was the perfect Alice in Wonderland. Her dark hair was covered with a golden wig held back by a blue band and fell softly down her back. She was wearing a short pale blue silk dress with a white apron on the front. I had expected something straight out of an adult costume shop, but hers wasn’t bad. It was on the short side of course but covered way more than I had thought it would. Hopefully that was a good sign for me. She was wearing striped blue and white thigh high stockings and heels that made my feet hurt just looking at them.
“Kerri picked hers up yesterday. Yours wasn’t ready yet,” she said nonchalantly with a shrug, as she walked past me to the bathroom.
I looked over at Kerri, but she was just looking at Kai walk away from us. When she didn’t look back at me I followed Kai down the hall.
Kerri stopped in the kitchen. She had brought a bottle of pre-mixed lemon drop martinis. She met up with us with three cups in hand. In the bathroom, Kai rummaged through my stuff.
“You must have a clear hair band here somewhere. Aha! I knew you would. Now let’s go out to the table and we can get started on your hair.” I groaned. If we were going to the chairs, it meant it was going to take a long time. I took a big drink for my patience and my sanity and sat down to let the Jack Bauer of makeovers get to work.
“So Sylvia, how are things going?” Kai prodded as she brushed through my hair while spraying it with water. “We’ve barely seen you lately. And did Beau stay here the last couple nights?”
Of course she would know that. “Yes, so...” I dreaded her asking about sleeping with him. I didn’t want to talk about the fact that I hadn’t wanted to sleep with him since... well, since Quinn. And that I had been lying to him to hold him off. At first I told him I was afraid I was getting a urinary tract infection, and the next day said that I went to the doctor and he confirmed it. Then I told him I got a yeast infection from the antibiotic. Thankfully, I got my period then and it gave me some more time to figure things out.
“Just wondered how that was,” she answered vaguely.
“About like you’d expect it would be with a penis-wrinkle,” Kerri added dryly.
I just glared at her. I know she didn’t get on with him at first, but she could have given it a second chance. Kai, of course, giggled and asked what that was.
“A man is a penis-wrinkle when calling him a dickhead would be a compliment.” Kai giggled harder, and even I let out a bit of a smile. It was a pretty good term, even if I didn’t agree with her.
“Kerri, really he’s not that bad.” I knew it would be useless to defend him to her. She had her mind made up and Kerri was nothing if not stubborn.
“Sure, he keeps you locked up in here when he’s here. But do you really know what he’s doing when he says he’s ‘on a job’?” she even used air quotes. “Maybe he’s married or has another girlfriend.”
“Kerri, you said you wouldn’t do this,” Kai hissed at her.
I glared over at Kerri. She just looked back at me, her violet eyes issuing a challenge. I wasn’t going to let her provoke me. I wanted to enjoy this time with them and not argue about stuff she didn’t understand. “I know because I’ve gone out with him a few times and met some of his friends. I even met his boss.”
“Oh, what were they like?” Thankfully Kai jumped on that to change the conversation. I was sure Kerri would find a way to bring it up again. Her expression told me this wasn’t over.
I described Beau’s friends to her and how I met them.
After the last time Quinn showed up unannounced, I had been worried about him coming over to talk and Beau being there. So every time Beau was over I suggested we go out. At first Beau was against it. He said he was tired or he just wanted to spend some time with me. I wouldn’t admit it to Kerri but after a few days I had started wondering the same thing. When I asked him straight out if he had someone else he was hiding from me, he laughed louder than I had ever heard him.
“Sylvia, why would I want to deal with two of you when you give me enough trouble?” I was relieved and hurt at the same time. Was I trouble? I was going to ask him, but he surprised me by offering to take me to his boss’s upcoming birthday party. He had planned to just skip it, because he didn’t think I would want to go. I assured him I did. So when Tuesday night rolled around, I reminded him and we took off for the same little dive bar he had taken me to on our first date. Now that it was colder, he took his truck instead of his motorcycle. He had a nice extended-cab pickup. He said he needed the extra room when he came back with his cargo, and then he laughed again.
I told Kai about how he’d stayed with me all night, even when some drop-dead gorgeous woman slinked up to him and attempted to flirt with him. It was pretty clear from the start that they knew each other well. I wondered how long it would take him to look over at me and realize that I couldn’t compare to her. I was amazed when he pushed her hands off his chest and reached over to me. He pulled me in front of him and introduced me to the woman. It was clear that he was telling her I was with him and he wasn’t interested.
I didn’t tell Kai how later she stopped me in the bathroom and told me to watch out. She said she knew Beau well, and he wasn’t someone who stuck around long or got involved with anyone he wasn’t getting something from in return. She sneered at me as she examined me head to toe, and then turned to the mirror as if I wasn’t worth her scrutiny. Looking at me through the mirror she said she wondered what that could be since I wasn’t his normal type. I walked out and chalked it up to a jealous ex and tried to not let her words hurt me.
That wasn’t the only thing I left out about that night. I didn’t tell her about the fight he got into. He and his buddies had played pool most of the night. I was getting tired and had class in the morning, so I asked Beau if we could leave soon. He told me after the game we would go. I went to stand over by the wall and chat with his boss Curtis. He was a cross between the character of a bounty hunter and a pimp. Curtis was a huge African American with a penchant for heavy gold chains. I liked him though. He spoke quietly and was fairly easy going. As I walked over to stand by him a guy playing on the neighboring table called out, “I’ll take ya home, baby.” I ignored him but Beau sent him a frightening look.
The guy continued to make crude comments to those around him. Beau finally threw his stick down and stalked over to him. He got right in the guy’s face. “What are you saying about my girl?”
The guy raised his hands in a peace gesture. “Whoa, man calm down. I’m just fuckin’ with ya.”
Beau held his gaze a little longer, and then stepped back. I’d thought for sure there was going to be trouble, and let out a breath of relief as Beau turned to come back to me. He took one step towards me as the guy said, “I’d rather be fuckin’ her.” Beau spun so fast I didn’t see him do it. My eyes flashed to the guy now leaning back over the pool table with blood dripping out of his nose. Beau had a fist full of the guy’s shirt, and his other hand raised as he held him against the pool table. I couldn’t hear what he said to the guy, but I did hear the guy spit back a “fuck you”.
That set Beau off. He pulled the guy up and took another swing at him. I stepped forward, not knowing what to do. Curtis put his arm out to stop me. I glanced up at him and he whispered down to me that Beau would be fine and he could take care of it. I wasn’t worried about that. I just didn’t want anyone hurt. I would have just ignored the guy. I kept my eyes on Curtis. I couldn’t stomach seeing what Beau was doing to the guy. I never liked violence, and blood made me nauseous.
I looked back over when Curtis moved his arm. Beau was being pulled back by a couple of his buddies. The other guy was a bloody mess on the floor. I had to turn away. I couldn’t handle the sight of the blood dripping from his nose and mouth. My stomach was rolling. I was afraid I was going to be sick all over. Curtis lead me towards the back door, suggesting that I get some air. Beau and his friends followed. They made comments to him congratulating him on the beat down. I shuddered inside, and just wanted to get out of there. He leered at me and until that moment, I had never felt true fear.
His face held an expression of confused concern. “Sylvia? Are you okay?” I just stared at him. I didn’t know what to say. I had just watched him beat a guy in front of me. I was scared of that temper and strength. I must have shaken my head a little because he slowly came up to me.
“Sylvia, it’s okay. I wasn’t going to let him get away with talking like that about you.” Was he serious? He thought I was upset about being talked to like that. I still trembled a little as he bought his arms around me. “It’s okay, Sylvia.” He cooed it again and patted my hair. I stood still, paralyzed with the realization and Beau could be very dangerous. I let him believe that I was just upset about that guy, and he took me home.
A sharp tug on my hair brought me out of the memory. “Oops. Sorry,” Kai apologized as she pulled another chunk of my hair back into some intricate braid.
“I’m not complaining, but why are you braiding my hair instead of torturing me with the curling iron like you usually do?” I wanted to forget about that night and hoped that getting Kai to talk about our costumes would take my mind off it.
“That way the little ears I got to go with your costume will stay on easier and not get lost on all this hair you have.”
Kai had decided we were all going with an Alice In Wonderland theme. Kerri was Alice, Sloane and Reed were Twiddle-Dee and Twiddle-Dumb, I was to be the Cheshire Cat. Kai declared that she was the white rabbit and was leading us all down the hole. I pointed out that actually, Alice was the only one to be lead down the hole, and the rest were already there.
I thought about asking to see if Quinn was going, but I figured since it was at Jason’s he probably wasn’t. Jason and Quinn had yet to meet, and even if they had there was no way Jason would invite him over. Jason had called and checked on me a few times over the past couple weeks. We met with Colby on campus a couple times for lunch. Jason promised me that he would try harder to be there for me. I thought about telling him how Beau threatened to end Quinn, but then figured that Jason would just offer to help him with that.
Kerri came over and topped us off. “When are the guys coming up?” I looked at Kai, but Kerri answered.
“Anytime now, so you better hurry and finish, Kai.”
Kai fixed a headband with little black and pink ears to my head and dragged me off the bathroom to finish with makeup. “Kerri when they get here just bring our costumes to Sylvia’s room.” Kai called out to Kerri. I was beginning to suspect that I wasn’t going to like my costume. If it was really bad I could just put it on until they left and then change before Beau and I went anywhere.
I looked in the mirror to check the damage and was pleased that Kai kept a light hand with the make up. She made a light, shimmery, pink mask around my eyes and a light gloss on my lips. I was worried about the eyes when she took so much time working on them but they looked great. My hair had been pulled in to a braid with the bottom of it tucked under. I was a bit uncomfortable with all my hair up like that. I felt like my neck was too exposed.
I heard the door, and Sloane talking to Kerri. It wasn’t long before she brought in our costumes. Kai grabbed hers and put it on the bed before showing me mine. “Now Sylvia, I know you’re going to think it’s too short. But it’s really not that bad compared to some I saw.” She held up a cute little black and pink horizontal striped dress. It looked like a long tank top with a short flared skirt attached below the waist. It really wasn’t too bad at all. Then again, that could be the two lemon drinks talking.
I couldn’t let her think I liked it, though. I pursed my lips. “I don’t know Kai. I think maybe I should wear something under it. I think I have a black turtleneck somewhere.”
Kai acted like I just insulted her grandma. “You can’t wear a turtleneck with this. It’s perfect as it is, Sylvia.” I flashed a smirk at Kerri. She knew what I was doing but didn’t call me on it.
“I suppose, Kai, but I’m taking a shirt in case I get cold.” I would too, once I knew where we were going. “I heard Sloane out there. Where’s Reed?”
“Oh, he had to get something. He’ll be here soon,” Kerri answered as she handed me a pair of pink and black stripped leg warmers. I raised my eyebrow at her and she shrugged. “Kai said they were better than the furry Uggs.” I cringed, at least Kai knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t have worn Uggs.
We finished getting dressed. Kai had white knee-length tight shorts on with a little pink satin top with a white cropped tux jacket with tails and pink trim. She finished off the look with a little cotton tail, a pair of bunny ears, pink eyes and a pocket watch. It was perfect. Sexy without looking like a playboy bunny.
“I bought you ballet flats too. I didn’t think you could handle heels if you were drunk.” Sometimes I really loved Kai.
As I was putting the shoes on and scrunching the leg warmers over my calves and shoes the way Kai showed me to, I heard Reed come in. I thought I heard a third voice and wondered if it was Beau already. I had been hoping for some more time with the rest of them before they headed out. If Beau was already here, that wouldn’t happen.
Kerri was already out of the room, and Kai was right behind her. I trailed after them turning the lights off. As I walked down the hall I ran smack dab in to Quinn coming out of my kitchen. I was so taken aback with him being there that I didn’t say anything. I just looked him over. He was clearly the Mad Hatter. He was wearing a black tux with tails and emerald green lapels. His unbuttoned vest matched the lapels. He wore a black shirt with the top three buttons undone and an emerald tie hung loosely around his neck. The black top hat with green band completed the look.
He was sexily disheveled looking the part of an absolute rake. I couldn’t pull my eyes away. My breath hitched and I was torn. I wanted to run back to my room just as much as I wanted to stare into his eyes the rest of the night.
He examined me as intently as I had examined him. My body tingled with the nearness of his. I was already warm from the alcohol but I still felt the blush creep up on me from his intense stare. “Sylvia.” As soon as he said it, I snapped back to my senses and backed away from him.
“Hello Quinn,” I greeted him as I joined the others in the living room. Reed and Sloane were wearing matching blue and red plaid shorts with short-sleeved white button up shirts and thick black-framed glasses. The best part was the suspenders. Sloane was wearing blue and Reed, red. I immediately thought of the fun that could be had snapping those later. It was too bad I wouldn’t be out with them.
Kerri had turned on some music. Reed pulled out a flask and handed it first to Kerri, who then passed it around to all of us. I tried to relax and joke around with them, but I was always conscious of Quinn nearby. I hoped Beau would call or text me before he showed up. Maybe I could get them all to leave before that. As the alcohol did its job and I started losing my inhibitions, I started to include Quinn in when talking to the others. He started to respond to me too. Soon we were talking to each other.
I knew it was just small talk. There was so much more both of us needed to say, but we knew that this wasn’t the time or place for that talk. He asked about classes and I asked about his parents and how he was feeling. We danced around what we both wanted to say. His eyes questioned me though. I knew he was looking for answers in my own eyes. I had the answers I knew I should tell him. I needed to tell him that I’d made a mistake. That I never should have gone to his place. I needed to let him know that I was staying with Beau. Yet the more I looked at him, the less I wanted to say those things.
There was a lull in the conversation and we exchanged awkward glances. I bit my lip as Quinn started, “Sylvia, we need to talk about it. I know that something is wrong.” I prayed my eyes weren’t giving anything away. “Sylvia, I know this isn’t the time but you keep avoiding me and I need you to hear this.” I was somewhat stunned when he reached over and took my hand. When I didn’t pull it away from him he continued. “I need to tell you that it killed me to find you gone that morning. Why did you leave?”
I pulled my hand away with a resigned sigh. I glanced around at the others. They were wrapped up in whatever story Sloane was telling. None of them even bothered a glance over at us. I had to tell him. I could do this. I could be strong and get this over with. “Quinn, I just wasn’t ready to deal with it yet. It was too much all at once and I had things to think through.”
“Have you thought it through now?” His voice was so quiet that I barely heard him.
I felt my eyes pool and a lump rise up in my throat. I opened my mouth to tell him but the pain in his eyes stopped me. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t hurt him. No hurting him would be to let this continue. “Quinn, I think...” I paused as I tried to find the right words. I never had to find them. A knock at the door interrupted me. There was only one person it could be. I blinked my eyes a couple times to clear them. Everyone stopped talking and looked over at me standing with Quinn.
“Are you going to get the door, darlin’,” Sloane drawled.
“Yeah, you better go let dick-face in,” Kerri added.
I nodded and went to the door trying to conjure up a smile. As expected, it was Beau. He was still in the same jeans and faded blue shirt that he left in that morning. So at least I knew then that he whatever he had planned didn’t involve dressing up. I felt a little silly standing in front of him in my little striped dress and leg warmers. I suddenly felt like twelve year old caught playing with Barbies by her older friends. I fidgeted around him as I asked if he remembered everyone. He nodded and said hey to them. Reed went and grabbed him a beer from the fridge and asked him about his truck. While it was enough to break the ice, the carefree mood from earlier never quite returned.
It appeared that no one was particularly interested in leaving. I asked Beau if we should get going, if we had to be somewhere. He said that he had a long day and really just wanted to stay in. I shrugged; I had been looking forward to going out. I understood that he probably was tired. I resigned myself to staying and decided that since I was, I was going to enjoy my friends while they were still here.
I spent the next hour chatting and joking with the others. The drinks flowed freely and I hoped that Kerri was up to the task of taking care of all of them. She was the DD for the night. Although I suspect that if anyone passed out at Jason’s she would just leave them there. Beau was reserved. He talked with the others but he mostly watched me. I would feel the hair on the back of my neck prickle and I would turn to see him staring. Whenever I was anywhere near Quinn he had the same curious look on his face that he had this morning when I opened my eyes. It looked innocent enough but something about it just bothered me.
Quinn too, was quiet. I could feel the tension between him and Beau. It was constricting, I felt the need for fresh air. I opened the balcony and took a step out. Beau followed me and lit a cigarette. “So how long are they sticking around?” He motioned his head towards the living room. I heard Kai giggle but the room had grown silent for the most part. I hoped they weren’t trying to hear us.
“I’m not sure. I can ask them to leave if you’d like.” He was leaning over the railing and looked over at his shoulder at me. His eyes were flat and unreadable.
“You do whatever you want, Sylvia.” He turned to look away as he mumbled, “You care about them more than me anyway.” I felt bad. I wanted to spend time with them but I knew Beau was tired out and just wanted some peace and quiet.
I turned and went back in the apartment to tell everyone goodnight. I walked into the living room. In the rocking chair, Kai was sitting on Sloane’s lap per usual. Kerri and Reed were cozied up on the couch and Quinn was pacing behind the couch. He had his top hat in one hand and was dragging his fingers through his hair with his other.
As I stepped over to the couch, Quinn came around. Before he could say anything, Beau sneered, “She dreams about you, you know.” All eyes flashed to him. He stepped from the balcony and walked over to us. “When she’s sleeping she talks about you or to you I guess.” His eyes were hard.
“Beau,” I tried to sound menacing. This did not to be brought up now.
“What? Don’t you think he should know that you call his name when you’re in bed with someone else?” His voice was cold and he didn’t take his eyes off me. I braved a glance at Quinn. His jaw was clenched tight and I could see his hands were clenched into fists as well.
I turned and put my hand against Beau’s chest. “Beau, please don’t do this. Not here, not now.” I begged him. This could turn real bad. Not only was he pissing Quinn off, Reed and Sloane were shooting daggers at him as well.
“But then that’s okay ’cause I’m the one in her bed.” He sent a smug grin Quinn’s way in an attempt to provoke him. I stepped between them remembering the bloody mess of a man Beau left laying on a dirty bar floor. I couldn’t let him do that to Quinn. I knew that Reed and Sloane were there and there was no way Beau could take on Reed. Still I saw firsthand how fast Beau moved and knew that Quinn wouldn’t have a chance. As far as I was aware, Quinn had never had to defend himself before.
“Beau, stop!” Everyone else was still watching us but I could see that Kerri was about to let loose. I tried to pull him back towards my room. “Let’s talk about this without all of them around. Please, just come with me.” It was too late, Kerri stepped forward. The contrast between her sweet little girl costume and her ice-cold bitch face would have been comical had I not been the one caught in the cross fire.
“How dare you! What makes you think that you can just say things like that? I don’t know what Sylvia sees in you or why she would even allow you in her bed but I hope to hell she sees what a fucking prick you are after this. I’ve been trying to tell her to drop your piece of white trash ass but whatever bullshit you feed her has her coming back. Keep it up, now she can see just what an ass you are.” Kerri stood right in front of him. I prayed he wouldn’t hurt a girl. I tried to step between them but I felt Kai’s hand on my arm.
Beau scoffed at Kerri. “Bitch, please. I make her scream my name. That’s what has her coming back.” He looked at Quinn then, “she likes it when I slap her ass. She ever let you do that? The harder I...” Kerri stepped forward and shoved at him. He just laughed as Sloane got between them. He had been closer to her than Reed.
“Reed why don’t you take Kerri out to cool down. I think we can handle this.” Sloane said in an even tone. I knew that if anyone was able to diffuse a tense situation it would be Sloane.
“Kerri honey?” I didn’t take my eyes off Beau but I caught a glimpse of Reed wrapping an arm over Kerri’s shoulder. She stood still and glared at Beau.
I tugged at him again. “Please, let’s just talk about this.” He finally looked back at me and smirked. I continued to pull at his hand as I turned to go down the hall.
Once in my room I flipped the light on and closed the door. “What the hell are you doing?” I hissed at him.
“What am I doing? I would say the question should be what the hell are you doing? You’re all whored up and flirting with every guy in the room.” His face was livid. I trembled a little more from anger than fear.
“I was not flirting. Those are my friends out there. I was having a good time with them.” I said it low hoping the others weren’t outside the door listening to us.
Beau let out a short gruff laugh. “Princess you lead every guy on. Look at what you’re doing to Quinn.” Then his face changed and I did feel a tremor of fear shoot through me. Beau tilted his head to the side like he always did when he was thinking something through. “You slept with him, didn’t you?” He said it as more of a question than an answer.
Never had I hated my god damn blush more than I did in that minute. I couldn’t stop it. I felt it creep up and mix with the heat I was already feeling from the anger and the buzz I had going. I didn’t answer. There was nothing I could say that he could read on my face already.
“I thought so. You sure had me fooled. I thought you were so sweet and innocent. You’re just a fucking slut like all the rest.” He stared me down. His eyes judging and disapproving. I looked down, not being able to stand what I saw in them. He was right. I was far from sweet and innocent and now I had made a mess of everything and someone was going to get hurt.
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t need to say anymore. The door flew open and Quinn stormed in. He got right in Beau’s face.
“Get the fuck out! Now! You will not talk to her like that!” Quinn was livid. His face was bright red and his dark eyes were flashing. I could see his chest raise and fall quickly with his heavy breathing.
Everything felt in slow motion to me. I was still reeling from the fact that Beau was right. Then to have Quinn in my room defending me. It was too much. By then everyone else was in the room too.
Beau was looking them all over. His eyes stopped at Reed. He raised his hands up and looked over at me. “Sylvia, were not done talking about this. Why don’t you ask your friends to leave and we can continue this?” His voice was flat once again but I could detect the edge of anger he was holding back.
“No, I don’t think that’s going to happen. You’re the one who is going to leave.” Quinn’s voice was ice.
Beau looked at him and laughed. “What are you going to do about it pretty boy? Let the ice queen step in and save your ass again?”
Bringing Kerri into it was definitely the wrong thing to do. Reed stepped forward and grabbed Beau by the arm. “You need to leave. Now!” The others followed him down the hall. I stood still, stunned and hurt. I could still hear Reed threatening Beau as he led him to the door. I looked back at Quinn; he was watching me with cautious eyes.
“Sylvia, are you okay?” He asked so quietly and sincerely that I just couldn’t face him right then. I didn’t know what to say. He just heard that I dreamed about him even when I was in bed with another man. What must he be thinking about me. God, maybe he thought the same thing as Beau. I was just a mass of confusion and I knew it was wrong but I lashed out at him.
“How do you think I am? I’m embarrassed and pissed and...fuck!” I just didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want him looking at me like that. He looked so concerned. It ripped at my heart to see that. How could he be worried about me after all he heard? “Just go. I’m fine. Really. Thank you but I will be fine.” He stepped close closing the distance between us.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He reached his arms around me but I pushed him away.
“No, Quinn. You heard him. You know what he said about me. It’s true.” I couldn’t stop the tears by then.
Kai stuck her head in the room. She looked from me to Quinn and back again. “It’s okay Kai. I can handle this.” Quinn whispered. “Why don’t the rest of you go on to Jason’s. I’ll make sure she’s fine.”
“We’re not going to Jason’s.” She hesitated looking back at me. “Sylvia, we will be right down stairs if you need us.” She looked once again at Quinn and motioned him over. I couldn’t hear what she said to him but he nodded. Kai turned away and closed the door behind her leaving Quinn and I locked in a stare-down.