Baby, I Think I Love You

“Jade, what happened?” Quinn asked, walking with me to her car. I glanced to the window and the curtain closed. He thought that I hadn’t seen him, but he wasn’t as smooth as he seemed to think.

“He told me that I’m a bint. I know it shouldn’t mean that much, but that was the last word he had screamed at me before he’d torn his ring off of me and shoved me out of his house. And I just can’t take that.”

“Did you two break up?” I tried to ignore the plea in her voice as I shook my head.

“No, I just need to get away from him for a little bit. I’m going back tomorrow.”

“Oh, and if it helps, I thought what you said to that woman was hilarious,” she offered as we got in a car. I smiled. Barely.

“Edwin isn’t at your house this time, is he?” As random as it had probably sounded to her, I just couldn’t imagine facing Edwin—or even Avery. But mostly Edwin.

“No, but why? You two were on good terms when you left earlier today. What happened?” she asked, a new-found curiosity in her voice as we pulled into the driveway.

“Oh, spare me,” I begged, hating this charade. “I know that you know, Miss Psychic, so stop with rubbing my face in it.”

Quinn smiled innocently, shrugging softly. “Honestly, I haven’t the slightest idea. It’s the strangest thing, really. Everything was crystal clear until you darted into the kitchen, but then it was all hazy until I lost sight of you completely—well, until Edwin and the kids left anyway.”

I gaped at her, not believing what I had just heard. She had always been able to see into the past unhindered. What had happened? I opened my mouth to speak, but she shushed me, killing the engine.

“Let’s talk inside—car fumes can kill you.” I rolled my eyes, not finding her joke funny.

Nonetheless, she dragged me upstairs. She had ignored Nathaniel, who smiled when he saw me. I suppose that it was one less thing that he would have to listen to Quinn gripe about.

“Okay, shoot,” Quinn begged, leaning against the bedroom door to shut it. I took in a deep breath, not looking forward to this conversation. I collapsed on the bed.

“Well, I mean—I guess that... Edwin and I hadn’t really spent a lot of time together—What was I supposed to...? Oh, God!” I mumbled, throwing my face into my hands. I took in a last breath. “Edwin and I kind of made out in the kitchen.”

I dropped my gaze to the floor, my heart nearly beating again! I had spoken so softly, hoping that Quinn wouldn’t hear me. She hadn’t said anything, so I dared to glance at her. She was gaping, such disbelief in her eyes.

“Oh, my God! You two actually—after all this time? I want details! What happened?” She jumped on the bed, sitting right beside me. She grabbed my hand, gawking at me.

“Well, I was telling him that Avery loves him and whatnot, and he just told me he loved me! I was going to tell him to leave, but he started kissing me... I tried to pull away—I did!—but I just couldn’t! I guess I might have ripped his shirt off and—Hell, I nearly threw him to the floor like a horny school girl!” I shrieked, throwing my face into my hands and sobbing. “Then I saw Avery watching... He was smiling, Quinn. He hadn’t smiled like that in a really long time!”

Quinn rubbed my back softly as I sobbed. What was I supposed to do? I didn’t know...

“You still have feelings for him, don’t you?” she whispered, pulling me into a gentle hug.

I sobbed even more, trying to stop my shoulders from trembling. But I knew the answer, and it killed me!

“I fucking love him, Quinn!” I screamed, shaking my head and tearing myself from her. “I know I’m Jasper’s now, but I had spent the most important parts of my life with Edwin! He had always been there for me, even when he was being an abusive, but sexy jerk. Jasper just walked out on me, and then came back at a convenient time! I know I should hate Edwin for sleeping around, but I... I just can’t hate him!” I ran a hand through my hair, trying to even out my breaths. I found it quite impossible.

“You don’t know that he cheated on you for sure, Jade,” she murmured, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“What do you mean?”

“Jade, I tried to tell you, I did. But Jasper wasn’t so sure about his facts. He kind of just let words fall off his lips, like he usually does.”

“What are you saying?” I sobbed, wiping my eyes.

“Edwin was going to cheat on you, but then he remembered what he had waiting at home. Jade, he stopped before he fucked her. He came racing back to you, but...”

Everything got dizzy then. I couldn’t seem to sit still and the world was swaying. I shrieked, trying to grab anything to steady myself, but I lost my balance.

Unfortunately, I didn’t pass out until after my head had smacked on the floorboards.