Staying on Course (19 page)

As if her words weren’t enough, she makes the motion I do every day. She spins a ring around her finger. An enormous, blinding diamond sparkles so bright the TV dims a bit. To the average viewer, this is nothing, but Quinn and I reach for each other.

I forget the crowd hasn’t heard and is reading, and when I’m lifted and thrown around, the ear bud rips out. I scream, surprised to see Nate with his arms around me.

“Fuck, you’ve done it. I have about two point four seconds before Bryce pushes me away, but GOD, I am so happy for you!” His eyes start to glisten, which sets me off.

I’m shifted, and Bryce has me over his head, not caring about the tears streaming off my cheeks and landing on his face. He instead twirls us until I beg to be lowered.

I catch Quinn’s eye, and they are wet as well. This is not only about us, but Shana is marrying the love of her life. The ring was a statement.

“What exactly does this mean, girls?” Nicole yells over the excitement.

“It means these two are going to be working with the most respected journalist in the industry and going to cover the 2016 OLYMPICS!” Bryce answers her, spinning me again.

Cheers erupt, and the celebration begins. One shot after another is served as we explain the whole situation to everyone while I’m nestled in Bryce’s lap. I try to move several times, but he holds me close. Finally, he lets me up to go to the restroom.

The girls follow me, giggling. We get to the door at the ladies room, and Liza stops us, glaring at me.

“You know Shana Willis?” she questions acidly.

“Yeah! I do, and I love her to pieces! You know her?” I slur slightly.

“Figures the cheerleader would idolize her. Bet she’s going to help you get a fancy job on TV.”

At her accusation, Quinn straightens and tenses. I press a hand to her chest and shush her.

“If you really want to know, on-air broadcast journalism isn’t my style. I’m more of an ‘in the field person’. I’ll learn the technique but nothing more. And I can get a job on my own. I’ve worked fucking hard to get where I am.”

Liza squints angrily and opens her mouth, but I raise my hand to shut her up. Quinn shifts to my side, but I slice my eyes to quiet her, too.

“Liza, your snide petty remarks aren’t going to ruin my night. As a matter of fact, I’m confused why we’re talking at all. It’s obvious you don’t like me, and I DON’T CARE.” There’s so much more I want to say, but I snap my mouth shut, aware of our audience.

If looks could kill, I’d burn alive from the hatred blazing in her glare. I can only hope my stare is equally as heated. Quinn tugs on my arm, forcing me into the bathroom, leaving Dani, Nicole, and Liza behind.

“Fuck me, that bitch is a true STD. The Clap that keeps coming back, the crabs that keep crawling, the—”

“Quinn, gross!” I go into a stall and shut the door.

When I walk out, my breath hitches. Bryce is leaning against the sinks with his arms and legs crossed, waiting for me.

“Let me guess? Quinn told you what happened?”

He nods slowly, his eyes raking up and down my body with unmistakable intentions. I start to walk toward him but stop when his eyes change and desire flashes on his face.

“Don’t know what you said, but it’s fucking hot to think about you unleashing your sassy mouth. Every ounce of self-restraint I have is being used right now. Even though I had a taste before we left the hotel, your body has been teasing me all night. But we have a small problem.”

“We do?” I squeak, my stomach starting to flutter.

“As much as I love it when you’re dirty, I’m not fucking you in a bar bathroom. I also have enough respect for Nate not to throw you over my shoulder and haul you out of here. So here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go by the table, and you have three minutes to say goodbye. If you take longer, I make no promises. Do you understand?”

I nod and step past him, my own desire searing through me.

Luckily, the only people at the table are Rick and his date. The others are on the dance floor. I wave my goodbyes on our way out the door with Bryce’s hands planted on my ass.

He bends down in my ear, his voice rough. “Another change of plans. Surprise has to wait until Sunday. Tomorrow, you won’t be able to walk.”

My stomach does another flip in anticipation.
Walking is overrated anyway
.

The weekend Quinn and I visited Norfolk, we became official members of the crew. When Nicole learned we couldn’t go home to Nashville for Thanksgiving because of a home game on Saturday, she insisted we drive over and spend the holiday with them. A few of the guys have to work, but she was catering to their schedule. We agreed to drive in and return to Charlottesville on Friday. With Bryce’s new living situation, coming and going was no longer a problem.

Bryce’s surprise was that he and Nate got the townhome they’d been waiting on that is furnished and could move in immediately. This means no more hotels. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to show me because we didn’t leave the room on Saturday and the leasing office closed on Sunday.

We did venture out on Sunday to watch football at a sports bar. Quinn started to complain after two hours, begging to go somewhere else. Bryce got up, went to his truck, and came back with a bag, throwing it across the booth. I peeked inside, finding stacks of bridal magazines, and started laughing. He ordered another round of beer, winked at me, and settled in for more multi-screen football action. Dean seemed to agree and handed Quinn a beer, kissed her roughly, and said something in her ear. She blushed bright and reached in the bag to grab a magazine, making a hushed comment about Bryce being ‘the most pussy whipped motherfucker on the planet’.

We thumbed through the magazines, making notes, and spent hours sending messages back and forth to my mom. That afternoon, with just the magazines, the Internet, and a few manly grunts from Bryce, we decided on colors, flowers, and invitations. Mom was working directly with the venue for set up and menu options. So, now I needed to find my and Quinn’s dresses.

When we drove away from Bryce early Monday morning, I held it together until we dropped Dean at the airport. Then Quinn and I both cried until sobs turned into laughter over our ridiculousness.

In the two weeks since Shana made the announcement about the internship program, each of the other mentors also announced their part. Professor Grant scheduled an informational meeting for anyone interested. As if by fate, Bill Tames will have his team working with him out of his corporate office, which is Atlanta. It’s a no-brainer for Quinn. As much as she’d love to work under Shana, she’s applying for Bill’s group. Dean tried not to influence her, but it’s obvious he’s happy about her decision.

Before we leave for Norfolk tomorrow, Quinn and I have one last project to finish. I’m queasy when I park in front of the restaurant. There’s no telling what Crystal’s going to do when she finds out what we’ve planned. Hopefully, this doesn’t backfire, and we demolish a friendship.

My palms sweat as I scan the room for Morgan Drake. My mouth goes dry when he gets up and gives me a small wave. His eyes lock with mine, and I’m stunned. He’s one of the most gorgeous guys I’ve ever seen. No one will ever beat Bryce to me, but Morgan comes close.

He’s tall, much taller than me, with short brown hair and deep, rich, chocolate eyes. His lips twitch a bit, and then a full smile reveals dimples on each cheek. The trimmed goatee surrounds his full lips. I never break our stare as I walk to him and hold out my hand.

“I’m Devon Harris.”

“Morgan Drake.” He shakes my hand and motions for me to sit in the booth. I purposely position us so his back is to the door, and I’m facing it.

“Thank you for meeting me. I’m sure it was a shock to get my email. I really hope you don’t think Quinn and I are meddling in your business.”

He leans back in the booth, throwing one arm over the back casually. He scans my face and then blows out a breath. “The way I figure, it’s not meddling if you bring my Crys back. I’ve waited three years, three long years, for this day.”

“You have?”

“Yeah, I was an idiot to let her walk away from me.”

“Why did you?” I blurt out.

“How much do you know about our story?”

“Only what she’s told me. And that was heart-breaking enough for me and Quinn to contact you. Even if you’ve moved on, I think talking to her would help heal her heartache.”

“Move on? I’m not sure it’s possible to move on from the love of your life. That’s what Crys is to me. The love of my life. I let her go because I was a confused eighteen-year old, grieving my dad and trying to be the man of the house. Every day, my world was getting darker, and she was my light. Anger, hurt, devastation, denial—all of it was eating me alive. I saw her trying so hard, and when she offered to give up college, I knew in the back of my mind, she had to go.”

“That’s why you let her go.” Bryce’s words pop into my head. He was right. Morgan loved her that much.

“That’s why,” he confirms.

“I know we’re strangers, and it’s none of my business, but—”

“Graduation day. I was coming for her on graduation day. Lucky for me, she busted her ass and graduated in three years.”

“It takes incredible self-control to stay away from someone you love for so long. How’d you do it?”

He looks away and starts tapping his finger on the table. I watch him lick his lips and then scrub his hands up and down his face. When his eyes meet mine, they’re filled with the same emotion Crystal showed the day she told me about him. Torture.

“It was hell, Devon, and I almost broke my own resolve a few times. The day she drove away, I was there, watching. It killed me, but I stayed back and hid behind her neighbor’s house. It was obvious she was hurting. Mom told me they had a run in, and I felt guilty, so I was going to apologize. She left six weeks earlier than planned. I thought there was more time. My mind was hurt, but the more I thought about it, I knew the words she said weren’t her own. She never had a malicious bone in her body.

“The next day, her mom came to the shop. She asked me if I still loved Crystal. When I said yes, she made me a promise. Every week, she gave me an update on how Crys was doing—what her projects were, who she was hanging out with. In return, I agreed to stay back until she finished her degree. That is until your email. During that time, I’ve busted my own ass to build a foundation for us. If she’ll have me back, she’ll not only be hitched to a grease monkey, she’ll be hitched to a successful grease monkey who will give her the world.”

“You took a really big risk that someone wouldn’t snatch her up.”

“It wouldn’t matter. She was and always will be
my
Crys.”

“Oh my God! You sound exactly like my fiancé.”

His eyes slide to my ring finger, and he smiles widely.

“Engaged, huh? He’s a lucky guy.”

I open my mouth to refute that I’m the lucky one when Quinn and Crystal walk in the door. My eyes grow wide, and I reach across the table, giving Morgan’s hand a small pat. “She’s here. Good luck.”

He turns and stands slowly, facing their direction. When they get close, Crystal’s face goes completely white and then she freezes. Quinn tries to push her forward, but she’s glued to her spot.

“M-m-morgan?” she stutters so quietly, it’s almost silent.

“Hey, baby.” His voice is smooth as silk, but there’s a slight crack at the end.

“What’s happening here?” She looks between the three of us and sways slightly. Morgan reaches for her, but she recoils. Tears pool in her eyes as she turns her glare to me. “What did you do?”

“Please don’t be mad.”

“I thought we were meeting to discuss finals.”

“Being friends with us comes with its highs and lows. We’re nosy, we’re meddlesome, and we’re sometimes liars.” Quinn puts an arm around Crystal’s shoulders. “But we’re also loyal, fierce, and romantics at heart. And when you have a romance like yours, it’s fair play. You deserve your happy ending.”

Crystal’s face swings between Quinn and me then lands on Morgan, who has opened his arms toward her. Like a magnet, she rushes to him and lets out a heart-piercing wail. He immediately wraps her into him and buries his head into her hair. She vibrates so hard with quiet sobs that my own heart hurts.

Quinn grabs my hand, and we both soak in the beauty of this reunion. Then, in true Quinn fashion, she finds a way to ease the emotional tension.

“I know this is a life-changing moment, but can we discuss the fact that Crystal’s man is seriously fucking hot?” She tries to whisper but fails miserably.

There’s no stopping the snort that escapes. I bend over, trying to stop, but nothing works. Crystal’s cries stop and are replaced with her own giggling. Morgan’s eyes find Quinn’s, and he gives her a panty-dropping smile, dimples on full display.

Finally, I gather my composure and wave my hand between them. “Quinn, Morgan. Morgan, Quinn.”

He gives a chin jerk in recognition. Finally, Crystal turns, and I hand her a napkin. She wipes her cheeks then straightens her shoulders, focusing on Morgan. “What are you doing here?”

“Claiming back my girl. It’s been long enough.” He tugs her back to him, and she has to look up to his face.

“I was such a bitch to you. I said horrible things.”

“No, your dad said horrible things that you repeated. I know why you did.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, babe, I’ve known since about three days after you walked out of my garage. But guess what? In some ways, he was right. You needed to come to college. The experience was invaluable. Now, you can do exactly as you always wanted. But he went about it the wrong way. I’m not going to drag him through the mud, but let’s just say, I’ve used this time to build a business that even he can’t destroy by eliminating his referrals.”

“Don’t you hate me?”

“How can you hate the woman who owns your heart?”

Her breath visibly hitches at his declaration. Another tear falls down her cheek. “I thought you’d moved on.”

“Not even for a second. It’s always been you.”

They stare at each other for a long while, and I nudge Quinn that we need to leave and let them talk. She nods in agreement. We start to back away, but she turns and launches herself at us. We all three hug for a few seconds, and more tears are shed. I catch Morgan watching us with a shimmer in his eye. He mouths the words ‘thank you’, and I smile.