The Last Thing (24 page)

He had said it. I didn’t pretend to be perfect. I just was.
Our love was the same. Not perfect, it just was.

“I do. I love you. I love you.” The second time I said it
with more confidence.

Chase gave me a smirk, “You’re the best party favor I’ve ever
gotten, and now I get to really take you home.” He reached out to grab a piece
of sushi from the boat.

“I hate that you spent all day preparing sushi for us. We
have to make sure it doesn’t go to waste.” He gently slipped the roll into my
mouth.

“I’m starved,” I told him as I swiped a few pieces of the
artichoke roll.

“You’re always hungry.”

“I’m eating for two!”

“Lame excuse.” He wiped off a few pieces of rice from my
cheek with his thumb.

“You know,” I told him, “I saw this thing on TV where naked
girls are decorated with sushi for parties. They have to lay still for hours
while people eat sushi off their bodies.”

Chase winked at me as he ate. “You offering to let me
decorate your body with sushi?”

My mouth dropped open. “No way!”

“You offering your body to me in general?”

That was more like it. My body was already his.

“Yes,” I breathed heavily.

“Are you done eating? Because making sure you’re eating
enough to grow a child is all I can do not to throw you across this table and
fuck you.”

Heat pooled across my body followed by the undying urge to
feel him buried deep inside me. There wasn’t time for foreplay. The sexual
tension had been building between us for weeks. We both stood at the same time.
Chase put his hands on my hips and lifted me up to set me on the counter. I sat
close enough to the edge so that I could wiggle out of my clothes.  Being naked
next to him, while I was so pregnant was a little nerve-wrecking, but at that
moment the lustful look in his eyes showed me that he wasn’t disgusted when he
saw me.  Reaching down, I undid his pants and pushed them down over his hips.

“I need you, now.”

He responded by grabbing my thighs and pulling me closer
toward the edge. I moaned when he rubbed himself against my clit. Something
deep inside me shook. My body was famished.  I couldn’t wait any longer. I
gripped him in my hand and gently eased him into the warmth between my legs.
Once my body had accepted the hilt of him, he leaned closer and wrapped his
arms around me.

“I love you, Quinn.”

“Then stop talking and make love to me.”

With our eyes locked in a mesmerizing gaze, he gently began
to move inside of me. Pulling out so that the very tip of him grazed my
entrance, then pushing back deep inside of me until our bodies were melding
together. With each thrust, a piece of my pain disappeared. With each movement,
I felt a little less lonely. With each kiss, happiness replaced my sadness.
Chase had my entire heart.

There wasn’t room for anything or anyone else. My lips
traveled down his slightly unshaven face. I couldn’t contain the heat that
rolled through my body. Arching my back slightly, Chase leaned forward to suck
on my right nipple. Waves of pleasure fogged my mind as he continued to tease
and nip at it with his teeth. 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he told me, lifting up from my
breasts slightly. I had a feeling that he was referring to more than just
physical pain.

“You won’t hurt me.” And that was the first time I truly
believed it.

Chase

 “Are we going to talk about the white elephant in the room?”

Quinn curled up beside me on the couch as we finished off all
the sushi from earlier that night.

“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

“When I was in New York, you were upset about all of the
tabloid gossip. This needs a bit more discussion.”

She scooted farther away from me and crossed her arms in
front of her body. “I don’t wanna talk about this.”

“Well, we’re gonna have to because here in a few months we’re
going to have a baby. We can’t hide forever, dear. Things are about to get very
big for me. I have movies coming out after Christmas. Movies that are going to
change my career, and I need to know that you can handle this.”

“I know.”

“
I know
that everyone thinks that Chloe and I are
together. Hell, they think me and every girl in Hollywood have hooked up, but
none of this with Chloe is true. A lot of it is planned, but
none
of it’s
true.”

She wasn’t being responsive. So I pushed her further.

“Quinn, I need you to look at me and not tune me out.” She
pursed her lips in frustration before turning back towards me.

“Can’t we just see how it goes? Take it as it comes?”

I shook my head. I wished that it worked that way, but I had
to tell Rhea soon. She needed time to prepare statements and make sure no one
dragged Quinn through the dirt. Someone like Chloe.

“We need to make a public statement before it leaks. It will
be easier that way. We can do it right after telling our families.”

Headlights shone through one of the front windows, Ginger was
home.  I needed to make this quick. Quinn rubbed her temples for a few moments
and nodded.

“After we tell our families, but I’m not going home. I’ll
tell my parents over the phone. And I’m getting it over with right now.”

I raised an eyebrow in shock as she picked up her cell.

“Um…are you sure that’s a good idea? It’s almost nine. Aren’t
they in bed?”

She carelessly waved a hand in my direction.

“If I don’t do it now, I never will. I’ve put this off for
far too long.”

The front door slammed shut, followed by Ginger walking into the
room. Her hands placed strategically over her eyes.

“Is it safe? Are you decent?”

With a small chuckle, I answered, “We’re clothed. Quinn was
just about to call and tell her parents about the baby.”

Ginger squealed before rushing around the couch to squeeze in
between Quinn and me. I reluctantly moved over to get her off my leg.

“No shit! I have to hear every word when they freak out. Are
you sure they won’t be asleep? It’s almost eleven o’clock there.”

“I’m counting on it. I’ll just leave a voicemail.” She took a
deep breath before pressing send.

“Wait,” I tried to reach across Ginger to grab the phone from
Quinn, “this really isn’t voicemail news.”

Ginger put a hand over my mouth to shut me up and slapped my
hand back.

“Trust me, this is voicemail news. Her mom won’t take the
news too….kindly.”

Quinn’s eyes were wide, her hands fidgeting with her hair,
and she was sitting straight up.

If my mother received news like this over the phone, she’d
fly down here and beat me over the head with her newspaper then fly home and
refuse to speak to me for a week. Yes, I would be flying home to visit when the
time came.

“Hi, Mom. It’s me.” Quinn stopped talking and we heard a
shrilly voice coming from her phone. Her mom
had
answered and she didn’t
sound too excited. Ginger moved her head closer so that she could hear better.

“I didn’t do anything, mom.

“Yes…. I know. I’ve been busy.

“Well, I’ve been working as a hostess.

“No, Mom I don’t want to do makeup anymore.

“I will, Mom. I actually called for a reason. I have some
exciting news.”

Well, hell. She sure didn’t sound excited.

“I’m pregnant. I’m keeping the baby. I’m due in February and
I have no plans on getting married.”

She exhaled loudly, which Ginger mimicked shortly after. She
held the phone away from her ear as excessive yelling came through the tiny
speakers.

She shook her head at me. “I should finish this conversation
in the other room. Things may get a bit ugly.” She walked from the room leaving
me there with Ginger who, now that I had time look at her, was completely
buzzed and reeked of tequila.

“Ginger? Did you drive home drunk?”

 Drunkenness was becoming a regular with her.

“No, I caught a ride home with some guy.”

Guy? Wasn’t she still with Barrett?
If she had some
new stranger who would be staying here, he would need to pass through my
inspection first.

“What’s his name and what does he do?”

Her mouth fell open. “Are you kidding me? This is my house. I
don’t have to answer that.”

I scoffed. “If they are going to possibly be around Quinn,
then I do. I don’t want some strange man wandering around her. She’s pregnant,
Ginger. Do you know what that means? It means she needs to be taken care of.”

“Then be my guest and take care of her.”  Her hands flew
through the air melodramatically.

“Don’t worry. I will. She’s moving in with me in a few weeks.
One night you may get drunk and bring home a serial killer.”

She put her hands over her face and screamed. Though it was
muffled, I cringed.

“Oh my god, Chase. You’re like the biggest man whore I have
ever met. You fucked every intern on set last year plus every girl from all
your movies. I’m sure your bed has seen hundreds of women, not to mention the
dozens of venereal diseases you probably picked up along the way!”

She glowered at me before her eyes darted to something behind
me.

“Quinn,” she whispered.

I took a deep breath to stop myself from saying something I
would later regret and turned around to face Quinn. She held her phone in her
hand while biting down on her bottom lip. I could see the tears in her wide eyes;
she heard every word Ginger said. She knew about my past, but it still bothered
her to hear about it.

“Don’t freak out Quinn. She’s talking about the past,” I
tried to explain. 

“I’m fine. Ginger, why are you ganging up on Chase? I thought
you were friends.”

“Hey, he’s the one who said I would bring home a serial
killer.”

Shit, I shouldn’t have worded it that way

Ginger and Quinn were both glaring at me now.

“I think it would be best if you left before I decide to go a
serial murderer on
your
ass. Out of
my
house.” Ginger said before
standing up and pointing at the front door.

“Quinn?” I turned to face her, from the pained look on her
face she had once again closed up on me.

“Don’t shut me out, Quinn. There is nothing going on with me
and Chloe.”

Her face softened slightly.  “I know that. I need to take
care of Ginger. She’s obviously drunk. I don’t want any more drama tonight. Why
don’t you go home, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”

I couldn’t believe she was sending me home. I’d just gotten
back into town.

“Fine.” I pulled my keys from my pocket and walked past her
so I could leave. “Call me in the morning when you’re done taking care of this
immature child.”

I kissed her on the cheek before pulling her into a deep hug.

“I heard that,” Ginger called. “It wasn’t long ago you were
out getting drunk every night!”

My lips moved closer to Quinn’s ear so I could whisper. “Just
come home with me. Ginger can sleep it off.”

I turned around to finish addressing Ginger who was mumbling
behind me. “I’m sick of your drunken shit, Ginger. You need help or you won’t
ever be around my child.”

“It’s not up to you now, is it?” She crossed her arms in
front of her body while stumbling to the side because she couldn’t stand up
straight. Quinn tugged on my arm to pull me out of the room. We walked hand in
hand outside to my car in Ginger’s driveway.  I didn’t want to go, and I could
tell she felt the same way. I stuck out my bottom lip in attempt to get her to
change her mind.

“I’ve dealt with angry Ginger since we were in high school;
she doesn’t act like this unless something is wrong and I need to be a good
friend and figure out what it is.”

I nodded reluctantly. Quinn wasn’t a selfish person, she was
putting her cousin first, and it shouldn’t have bothered me. We said our
goodbyes and I jumped in my car to go home.

Quinn

I made sure to slam the door loudly behind me so that Ginger
knew how upset I was right now. I’d noticed her drinking had become more
frequent on her days off, but her piss poor attitude to Chase was beginning to
get on my last nerve.

“What in the hell is your problem?” I called out to Ginger,
who was laying on the couch now.

“He’ll get over it.”

“You’re going to tell me what’s wrong right now and explain
why you are being so rude to Chase.” I put my hands on my hips, but my words
came out sounding more scared that upset.

“Barrett was out screwing some stripper last night.”