Sheila looks like she’s about to burst into tears. She grabs Quinn’s hands. “Honey, can we leave? They said they can drive us home and I’d really just love to get back to your place and staythere tonight. I… Maybe it’s silly but I just want to be able to see you and know you’re okay. Please? For me.”
Quinn’s going to agree. I can see it in her body language even before a word comes out of her mouth.
I put a hand on her shoulder. “That’s fine, Q. I’ll follow you on my bike.”
“What? No!” Sheila snaps.
“It’s in the contract, ma’am. As your daughter mentioned, one of us will be with her at all times until this situation is resolved to Ms. Callahan’s satisfaction.”
“Can they do this?” Sheila asks the cop.
He shrugs. “I understand your concern, ma’am. Trust me, I do, but I’ve seen the contract, and believe it or not, they are a legally registered business. It’s your daughter’s right to hire them if she chooses.”
“I–” Sheila starts.
Quinn cuts in. “I tried it your way, Mom, and things just got worse. Let’s give them a chance, okay? Stay over tonight. I was scared, too, but having him there will make me feel better.” For all of Sheila’s manipulation, Quinn’s not letting this one pass.
Good girl.
Sheila glares my way so intensely that for a minute I think she might continue to object, but then she just shakes her head. “Fine. He can sit out on the balcony.”
13
Chapter 13 - Quinn
HavingMom around wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. She ignored Priest, who stayed out of her way as much as possible. We ordered sushi and watched TV. I told her everything—almost. I admitted that it was Priest, not cast members who brought me home after the Inferno incident, but left out everything else biker related. When we finally got ready to sleep, she didn’t even comment on the bed, acting like it’d always been there.
Having her sleep over almost feels nostalgic. I remember being little and sharing a bedroom before Dad showed up. And then after he left, having her force me back into her room because all of a sudden it wasn’t appropriate for me and Axel to share the living room. As I got older, I realized she was just lonely.
She loves me, but I don’t think she really sees me as my own person. I’m there to keep her company when she wants, and be pushed away when it’s not convenient.
I close my eyes and try to sleep, but my mind is still whirling with everything that happened today. Her soft snoring feels like a poke in the face every time I hear it. Especially up close, and I already set up the air mattress in the living room for Priest.
I roll over and pick up my phone, hiding the glow under the edge of the blanket. “Are you asleep?” I text him.
“Why aren’t you?” he responds.
Carefully pulling the comforter back, I slide my feet over the edge and sit up as I put them on the floor, watching Mom the whole time. I stand, then tiptoe to the bedroom door, only pausing when she suddenly snorts and rolls over. I hold my breath, hand on the doorknob until her breathing settles down into the same low rumble.
The bedroom door opens silently, and I sneak out, closing it behind me with a soft click. Priest isn’t on the air mattress, or the couch. Is he in the hall bathroom? No, the door is cracked open and the light’s off. I look around. My apartment might be more expensive than I should be spending, but it’s not huge.
Movement in the darkness makes me squint harder at the balcony. He’s just a shadow, but he’s there, sitting on the blanket I left and leaning back against the window with one leg stretched out and the other bent at the knee. There’s a flicker of red, and a small plume of smoke rises from his fingers.
I’m still several steps from the door when he speaks without even turning. “I can hear you, you know.”
“I wasn’t trying to surprise you,” I lie.
So much for that. I should’ve known he was too aware. I pad out onto the balcony and sit next to him, tucking my nightshirtaround my thighs. It’s not cold exactly, but the soft breeze has an edge of chill to it. I hug myself and enjoy the view of the city at night. In the distance, lights occasionally blink from ships far out on the water.
“You smoke?” Back when he and Axel hung out, I remember catching them sometimes. I think Dad would buy packs for them.
“Not really.” He can probably feel the weight of my look even in the dark, because he chuckles. “Guilty pleasure. I can take it or leave it, but sometimes on a night like this, it just feels right.”
“I stole a cigarette from Ax once. You guys wouldn’t let me try.”
“How was it?”
“Horrible. I’m sure I did it wrong, but I was probably eight or something. What I remember most was wondering what the point of getting good at something so disgusting was.”