Perfect Sense (Perfect Series Book 1) (30 page)

Cash has a fistful of my dress, and my chest tightens at his force, terrified at the glazed look of fury on his face. Louis warns him to let go of me, but one look from Cash’s raging eyes shuts him up.

“Why the fuck would you come here?” he asks, with a half-drunk, half-high look in his eyes.

“Go fuck yourself, Cash,” I yell, straightening out my dress when he releases me. “You’re a mess. Look at this place. Look at that whore you have in your house. You’re drunk and you’re high.”

“You made it very clear that we’re done. I’m free to do whoever I want, whenever I want. And I have you to thank for that.”

I feel Lyndsey’s hand slip into mine and tug me backward. I yank my hand from her grip and take a step forward, staring Cash right in the eye.

“I’m here is because Louis and Fisher were worried about you. You signed a multimillion- dollar contract with the Tornados and you’re about to fuck it all up. You are finally getting a second chance to have everything you ever wanted. And you’re acting like an idiot, fucked out of your mind with another puck bunny. You know, I don’t even know why I’m surprised.”

His eyebrows pull in. “You. Chose. This!”

My lip quivers as he releases my wrists and stares at me, his eyes piercing mine with such intensity that I avert my gaze momentarily. “What the hell did you expect you’d walk into?”

“Anything but this!” I spit back.

“You fuckin’ ruined me. I started to let you in. I wanted to tell you everything.” His hard gaze burns into mine. “You can get an MBA anywhere,” he argues, disgust rolling of his tongue. “With your brain, you could go to any school in the country. But that’s not what you want and clearly I’m not what you want. So get the fuck out and leave me in my misery.”

I shake my head. “Please tell me this isn’t the real you.”

He lifts his glass of whiskey and slams back the contents, glazed blue eyes continuing to watch me over the rim of the glass. When he finishes, he runs his tongue over his lips, tilting his head to the side with a smirk that I have to refrain myself from smacking off his lips.

“Get a good look, sweetheart. This is the real me, baby—a miserable fucking drunk.”

“We both know that’s not true.” I fight my trembling bottom lip. “You need to take a long hard look in the mirror and see if that guy staring back at you is really who you claim you are. Because I know different. I’ve seen it.”

His mouth twists as he watches me with aloof eyes and a hardened expression. “Get out.”

The blonde emerges from the kitchen and wraps her arms around his waist. “You guys aren’t staying for a drink?” He shrugs her off of him and she pouts. “Is everything okay, Cashy?”

“Quinn, come on,” Lyndsey says.

I glare at him as humiliation seeps through me. “Goodbye, Cash.”

Tears fall down my cheeks, and I spin around, stepping into the elevator with my chin held high.

“I’m so sorry,” Louis says, as the elevator doors close behind us. “I had no idea it was going to be that bad. I thought he was drunk and upset. I would have never of brought you here if I knew he had another girl there.”

I suck back the tears, feeling the cold air nip at my ears as we step onto the pavement. “Please don’t apologize, Louis. I should have known.”

The sound of a metal door slamming and the pounding of two heavy feet behind me, cause all of us to spin around. Cash grabs me by the arm and in the same instant Lyndsey wildly attacks him with her fists. “You’re a fucking asshole! You don’t deserve my sister!” Louis pulls her off of Cash, and drags her backward in his arms. In her spastic fury, she accidently elbows Louis is the gut and the sound of his gasp from the wind being knocked out of him, echoes into the night sky.

“Lyndsey!” I shout, shocked at her sudden rage.

“He may be hot as shit, but he’s an asshole!” She points at Cash as he stands there frowning. “What has it been? Five days since you two called it quits? And you have the nerve to bring another girl into your house like my sister meant nothing to you?”

“Lyndsey! Stop!” Louis pulls her backward. “Get in the car. Now.”

“Are you serious?” she shouts, putting her hands on her hips. “You think what he’s done is okay? He’s a selfish prick!”

Louis shakes his head. “No, I don’t think this is okay, but he’s also very drunk. And right now, this is between Cash and Quinn. Not all of us.”

She scoffs. “Bros before hoes, right Louis?”

“Lynds, come on,” Louis begs, but she has already flung open the passenger side door of Fisher’s vehicle and slid onto the backseat.

“Not now, Louis.” Fisher shakes his head and walks around the front end of his vehicle. “Get in the car.”

I look up at Cash one last time, standing there half-naked and wrecked in visible pain. I love him, I know I do, but it shouldn’t hurt this bad.

“I can’t do this.” I shake my head and a single tear rolls down my cheek.

He grips the metal railing at my words, his knuckles turning white. He looks like he can barely stand. “Then walk away.” He lifts his angry eyes to mine. “We both know it’s what you do best.”

His words slice through the cold night air, leaving a damp imprint on my heart. Without another word I turn away from him, tears streaming down my cheeks. I yank open the passenger door and slide onto the leather seat, dropping my head in my hands, allowing my emotions to take over. I need to go home.

Chapter 17

The next morning, I can’t fathom getting out of bed. Instead I lay there, staring up at the ceiling fan and watch it spin around in a melodic buzz for what feels like hours. Eventually, I force myself to roll onto my side, letting a few unwanted tears fall down my cheeks. I am too weak to do anything else. Seeing Cash so wrecked last night was the most heartbreaking moment of my life.

That’s why I need to leave Bexley now. Of course I’ve loved working for the Bruisers and the opportunity it’s given me, but after last night, I’ve decided to hand in my resignation. I need to focus on me. I’m leaving for Boston early to settle in before the semester starts.

There is a faint knock on my door before Louis is standing in my doorway. “Hey, sorry to bother you, but I thought I’d come and check on you before Lynds woke up… You okay?”

I shake my head and bite my bottom lip to hold back the tears. “No, I’m not. I think it’s best if I leave for Harvard as soon as possible.”

“Really? Don’t you think you’re being a little rash?”

“No.”

“Quinn, you can’t walk away from what you need to face.”

“I’m not walking away. I’m avoiding perpetual disaster. There’s a difference.”

He takes a deep breath and sits at the edge of my bed. “You have to talk to him.”

I shake my head. “About what, Louis? If we talk, he’ll apologize and tell me how sorry he is and I’ll forgive him and then our cycle will start back up. Then the next thing I’ll know is I’ll be ditching Harvard and on the next flight with him to Santa Anna. Giving up on all my hopes and dreams to be with him on our rollercoaster of dysfunction.” I let out a sigh. “Cash is a mess. I don’t know why I keep thinking he’ll change. My delusions of who I thought he was, were shattered last night when I caught a glimpse of who he really is. He’s got too many demons and too many things to hide. And my patience and forgiveness can only go so far…don’t let me forget, I walked in on him with another girl thanks to you.”

“Listen, I’ve known Cash for years. Hell, I would consider him one of my best friends, but like every other person who comes into his life, I know very little about him. But what I do know is that if Cash has even for a second given you a tiny glimpse into his life outside of the rink, then you’re already different than any other girl or person in his life. And after hearing the pain in his voice last night before you guys showed up - He said his whole life he felt broken until he met you. He’s never been with a girl longer than a one-night stand, yet Lyndsey told me he asked you to move to Santa Anna with him. It doesn’t excuse the booze and drugs and especially not that girl…But believe me, guys are stupid. He loves you.”

I roll my eyes. Louis has a unique way of evaluating how love really works. “If he loved me, he would have supported me from the start.”

“Agreed, but we’re talking about Cash Brooks. Imagine how he must have felt knowing he was going to lose the only girl he’s ever loved. He’s lost so much already. God, if I ever lost your sister… I don’t know what I’d do.”

“Thanks, Louis, but I’ve made my decision. And right now, I need to be with me. I have to be without him. For me.”

“Quinn, please. You really need to talk to him before you go anywhere.”

“I want to. I really do. But I can’t handle it. One look at him and I’ll be questioning everything.”

Louis lets out a defeated sigh. “He’s going to freak when he finds out you’re gone. He’ll blow his contract. I’m worried, Quinn.”

“Whether he wants to accept it or not, we’re better off apart right now. I need a fresh start. I’m moving forward.”

“Neither of you can move forward unless you get proper closure.”

The word closure causes my insides to twist. Deep down, in the selfish part of my core, I am avoiding proper closure because I don’t want to let him go, but I know I have to.

“Are you sure this is really what you want?”

“Yes, Louis,” I hiss through my teeth, feeling him frown at me with skepticism. “And once I pull myself together and get dressed, I’m going to the arena to break the news to Theo.”

The sound of Lyndsey’s footsteps pattering down the hallway followed by pipes whining out the pressure of a shower ends all conversation. Louis gives me one last pained look and then pulls open my bedroom door. “You need to talk to him.”

“Let me get this straight. You’re leaving for Boston tonight?” Theo taps his pen on the edge of his desk with a scowl on his face.

“Yes. My semester starts at the end of this month and I want to be properly settled in. I hope you can understand.” I slide my formal letter of resignation across his desk. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and the opportunity this internship has given me.”

His brow furrows. “Does your father know about this sudden departure?”

“Not yet, but he will.”

He doesn’t ask for any more details. Instead he nods and rises to his feet. “I wish you the best of luck in your studies, Quinn. I really do hope Harvard is the real reason you are leaving on such short notice.”

I startle at his comment, my heart racing. I stand there frozen as he slowly opens the top drawer on his desk. He pulls out a copy of the Men’s Health magazine flips it opens and slides it across his desk. Peeking up at me with a knowing look, he motions to the full page spread. “Because it would be a shame if I found out you’d been lying to me and the league this entire time.”

The atmosphere in the room begins to shift quickly, the anger on my face saying more than my words ever could. I notice that he is still staring at me. It takes all the willpower I have not to slap him.

“And I think you’ve just crossed the line,” I finally breathe out.

He flips the magazine shut. “Are you sure you’re not moving to Santa Anna?”

“Like I said Theo, thank you for the opportunity. Goodbye.” I nod and walk out of his office and close the door behind me.