The Last Thing (18 page)

“Are you staring at me,” she mumbled, even though she kept
her eyes closed.  Turning away, I sat up to admire the view of the city from
the window.

“Nope,”

“I can feel your eyes burning into me,” she said. “I can’t
explain it, but it’s creeping me out.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

She sat up, and I wrapped my strong arms around her. I took a
moment to breath in her sweet warmth. Things were different now, and her walls
were crumbling.  I couldn’t believe that feeling this intense over someone
would’ve ever been possible. Quinn made a gagging sound, which she covered with
her hand.

“Are you okay?” I asked while rubbing her back.

“Yeah, I need to rest in the mornings. I always feel nauseous.”

“I tell you what. I’ll go make us a big breakfast while you
lay in bed.”

At the mention of food, she groaned and stuffed her head
under her pillow. “Food? Gross. I hate you!” she cried out.

I chuckled slightly. Only she could make complaining so attractive.
“Okay, what can I get you then?”

“Gummy worms. There’s a bag of gummy worms in the pantry.”

“Gummy worms?” I cocked my head to the side. Didn’t she just
call food gross?

“If I’m gonna throw up. I need to at least make sure that what
comes up tastes good.”

I busted out laughing. Now that was a notion I’d never heard
before.

“Quinn, I swear. You really are something else. You lay here.
I’ll get you your gummy worms, and when you’re feeling better we will go look
at houses.”

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to argue with me, but
quickly closed it.
That’s right. Choose your battles. Just let me in.

I left her lying in the bed and walked downstairs to the
kitchen to find her gummy worms. It felt odd going down there, especially after
the drunken confrontation with Ginger last night. After all, it was her home.
Barrett was a jerk. Everyone at the studio knew it. He screwed anything with
legs, and expected Ginger to stay by his side. Why she put up with him was
beyond me. Barrett was a buddy. We hung out at clubs, maybe got drinks after
work, but that was all. We didn’t share feelings or swap stories. Once I was in
the kitchen, I started scrounging around for the gummy worms knocking over
boxes in the process.

“Please…I have the worst hangover right now. Can you tone it
down?”

 I turned around to see Ginger curled around a cup of coffee
sitting on the barstool.

I found the pile of gummy worm bags, grabbed one, and closed
the cabinet door softly.

“Sorry, Ginger. You really were trashed last night, huh?”

She groaned and put her head to the countertop.

“Do you mind?” I asked, nodding toward the coffee maker. She
waved at me to help myself.

“You know,” I started as I pulled a coffee cup off one of the
hooks on the wall and poured myself a cup. “I really do care about Quinn. I
won’t hurt her.”

“I hope so because I’ve been nothing but supportive since I noticed
that spark of interest in her eyes. I’ve never seen her so worked up over
anyone. I didn’t mean what I said last night, by the way. I’m a stupid drunk. I
don’t think you’re cheating on her…but Lena? Come on, we all know Lena. She is
full of drama. Not to mention the fact that I haven’t been able to stomach
telling Quinn that you and Chloe are on the cover of every tabloid.”

I sat down beside her with my warm cup between my hands. “Don’t
say anything, please.  I’ll tell her all about this soon.”

“Good.”

Something shimmering from behind Ginger caught my eye.

“What’s that?” I asked, referring to the huge canvas hanging
on the wall.  The abstract painting featured serene colors of blue and green
that swirled together in random shapes.

Ginger turned her head to look at the canvas.

“Oh that? Quinn actually painted that. She gave it to me as a
graduation gift. Beautiful isn’t it?”

“Damn. I didn’t know she had such…talent.”

Even though I stared at the painting for a few moments, I
couldn’t tell exactly what it was. One second it looked like the bottom of the
ocean, then I saw a night sky, and then it turned into the iris of an eye.

“Are you kidding me?” Ginger said with a wave of her hand.
“Quinn is an artist. Didn’t she tell you she did makeup for a living?”

“Well makeup, yes, but this isn’t makeup. This is…something
else.”

“Makeup is an art, sweetie. She wanted to do stage makeup in
New York. But then…” Ginger trailed off. She didn’t want to tell me about the
accident.

“It’s okay. Quinn, she, uh, she told me about the accident
last night.”

Ginger glanced up, her lips curled up in a smile. “I knew
she’d let you in.  Are you okay with it?”

I scoffed. “Of course! I mean, we all have a past, right?”

“Bash was unbelievably screwed up in the head. He had
everyone wrapped around his finger though. Everyone believed he was perfect and
destined for greatness, even Quinn.  You have to understand, Quinn and him were
best friends, even before they started dating. When he died, she lost a part of
herself with him. She loves deeply.”

“I gathered as much. I just don’t understand why she still
carries so much guilt.”

“She blames herself. Bash was always her responsibility. I
never liked him. That jerk.  When his funeral came, I skipped it. I wanted to
be there for Quinn, but I couldn’t stomach returning to that town.”

She wrinkled her nose and looked down at the table as if she
were hiding something. I had a feeling there was more to the story. She had
skipped it for good reason.

 “Quinn was the only one who could talk him down during his
manic phases. Then life began to work against her. The divorce, the bullying…” 
Her voice drifted off.

“What were they doing?”

“I’m not sure this is my story to tell.”

“Ginger, I want to help her. She’s carrying my child, please give
me the highlight reel.”

“They followed her around, heckled her. A few times they
egged her house. It was pure torture for her. Then she cracked and drove her
car off the same bridge. Luckily, someone drove by and pulled her out. Finally,
her parents got her the help she needed….but she won’t ever be the same. She’s
guarded, holds back, hates crowds, and hates the spotlight. Sometimes she drifts
away. It’s like she isn’t there.”

I sighed and ran my hands down my face. “Ah, hell.” This
wasn’t good. So this was why she needed our relationship to stay low key. Our
lifestyles would not mesh well.

Ginger put an arm out to comfort me.

“Give her time. Pretty soon, she’ll be like any normal
twenty-one year old. I ran from that life when I was eighteen as well. Quinn
will
come around. You just need to give her a good reason to. ”

I would give her every reason in the world.

“She told me last night that I could be the one to save her.
I think I can. I don’t know exactly how, but I can make her better. Until then
I’ll do my best to make sure no one finds out about her.” I raised my coffee
cup to her in a cheers salute then gave her a small wave.

“Gotta get these gummy worms to Quinn before she gets pissed.”

She wriggled her nose at me. “Gross. Quinn has some freaky habits.”

“I don’t know, makes sense. If I was cursed with throwing up
for months at a time, I would make it as pleasurable as possible.”

“Go take care of your pregnant girlfriend…” she rolled her
eyes at me.

A smile tugged at my lips.
Girlfriend.
That was a
phrase I’d never used before. As much as I wanted it, and as much as I’d prepared
for it. I had to admit. It still scared me. I took a deep breath before moving.
I ran up the stair two at a time and walked into the bedroom.

“What’s wrong?” Quinn asked me.

“Nothing, Ginger called you my girlfriend downstairs. I’ve
never had one. It’s just weird, that’s all.”

“You look like you’re about to be sick,” she snapped.
Why
was she being so snippy?
Her nostrils flared up in anger.

“No, I’ve been hit in the head by reality.”

“If you don’t want to be with me then say it.”

“What the hell, Quinn? I never said that. I only said it was
weird, as in different feeling.”

She slid off the bed and stomped over to me before snatching
the gummy worms from my hand.

“Then go feel ‘weird’ somewhere else. I’m too busy carrying
our child.”

She walked over to the bathroom and slammed the door behind
her.
Where did all that come from? Weren’t we just getting along?

“You’re being a raving bitch!” I called through the door.

My eyes moved to Ginger who appeared in the doorway.  With
her hands crossed in front of her mouth, she covered a snicker. “I have six
younger brothers and sisters, so I know all about the mood swings. Welcome to
my hell.”

Quinn

I sat on the edge of the tub with the bag of gummy worms in
my hand. I turned on the shower so Chase couldn’t hear me crying. The steam
began to fill up the room, fogging the mirror and my view. Everything closed in
around me.  Struggling to breath, I put my hands on the side of my head and
exhaled slowly. After Chase had left the room, something had triggered a
reaction inside of me.  I was lying in my bed with another man.  I was blissful,
but completely undeserving of it. I’d not had a trigger like this in a long
time.

All of the emotional turmoil over the past few weeks had
eaten away at my walls. I spent the past six months building them, stacking
each brick carefully so that I wouldn’t drown in my own fears.

Then Chase came barging into my life. He swept me off my feet
with his imperfections and persistence.  My safe haven was threatened, and
Chase was the only one close enough to save me.

When someone knocked on the door, I wiped the tears from my
face

“What?” I yelled over the sound of the water.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Go away.”

“I’m sorry I called you a bitch.”

I chuckled even though he couldn’t hear me.  His words hadn’t
hurt me. When I didn’t answer, he continued speaking.

“I’m worried, Quinn. You aren’t freaking out about last night
are you? Because if you think our relationship is moving too fast, we don’t
have to have sex again.”

I stood and threw the door open.  One day he’d open his eyes
and figure out how much work I was. He’d find someone who was more capable of
returning his feelings, someone who didn’t continuously screw things up. When
the door opened, the steam rushed from the small room to reveal Chase leaning
against the doorframe. He smirked at me and ran his right hand through his mess
of dark hair.

“You’ve been crying.” He sighed and pulled me into his arms.

 I buried my head into his chest and clutched on to him for
dear life. I needed to savor each moment. Pretty soon, they would all be gone.
He ran his hands down my back to soothe me.

“Shhh...Dammit. I’m always making you cry. I wish I knew what
you needed. Because if I could figure it out. I would spend the rest of my life
trying to make you smile.”

His words comforted me.

“I’m sorry. I’m fine now. It was just a minor setback.
Sometimes that happens.”

“You’re not in this alone. We are in this together.”

He picked me up in his arms and carried me back over to my
bed. His strength was enough to pacify my fears. Tucking me in under my white
comforter, he gave me a light kiss on the tip of my nose and settled in next to
me.

 “I know our relationship is new, but I need to let you know
that over the next month or so. I may not be around much,” he whispered.

“How come?”

“I just started filming a movie. Most of the filming is in
New York, but then I have appearances for the season premiere of
Timelines
,
which will include lots of traveling and promoting right afterwards. I’m sure
Ginger will have to do the same. I would love for you to join me. You can come
along, stay at the hotel, and we can spend time together. During shoots, I work
up to eighteen hour days so if you don’t come we may not get to see much of
each other.”

I bit my lip and moved out of his grip. Traveling together,
making our relationship public like that wasn’t a step I was ready to take.

“People will see us together.”

“We will throw a hat and sunglasses on you. No one will know
who you are. I don’t want to be apart from you that long. Please?” He batted
his eyelashes and stuck out his bottom lip, which only made me laugh.  I came
here to get better. My new surroundings could only do so much and the rest was
up to me. Before today, I had been doing okay at keeping away the negative
thoughts and controlling the anxiety. Even the dreams were rare. If I wasn’t careful,
I would end up right back where I was. Pumped full of medication and unable to
leave my room.