Page 67
Beck swallows again. “I don’t want to be the person who comes between you two.”
“You won’t,” Quinn pushes.
He half smiles, the gesture almost sad. “You don’t know that.”
“I know my husband, and I know myself. I understand this is new and unexpected. I didn’t come here thinking anything like this would be in the cards, but now that it is…”
“You want to see where things go,” he finishes.
“I do. But of course, this is about you, too, Beck. Ultimately, you get to decide what you’re comfortable with.”
There’s a moment where I think he’s going to back away and say no—that the Beck I knew ten years ago who was always down to try new things, who was the first one to say yes to some prank our hockey team drummed up to pull on our teachers has changed enough to say no—but then he nods. It’s a small one, so small I think I made it up.
“Is that a yes?” Quinn asks hopefully.
“It’s a yes.”
My pulse thrums like a hummingbird’s wings, and a mix of excitement and fear stirs in my stomach.
Beck turns his focus on me, his eyes darkening. “Please don’t make me regret this.”
I hear the same pain in his voice from the night I told him we were done. I squeeze his hand hard, attempting to convey apologies I don’t deserve to speak, let alone expect forgiveness for.
“I’ll do my best. The last thing I want to do is hurt you again.” I look at Quinn. “Or you, Sunshine.”
“I know,” she replies.
“I hope you both know that it doesn’t get you off the hook for the retreat. I still plan on you doing every session.”
“I would expect nothing less from you,” I quip. Beck has always been an amazing leader, not just on the ice, but off it, too. There was a reason our school team chose him to be the captain and not me. I may be one of the best on the ice, but I’m not made of what Beck is, even if I like to pretend that I am.
He drops my hand and motions around the three of us. “Whatever happens here, we let it evolve naturally. But both of you came here for a reason, and I’m not going to interfere with that. Your marriage is important.”
Quinn and I both nod in agreement.
“But you’ll still participate?” Quinn asks. Her tone is so shy and hopeful that a grin breaks free on my lips. It’s cute, and I love that she asked the question, because I won’t deny that I was thinking the same thing.
“If it happens naturally. I think it’s best that we proceed as normal.”
“Okay,” Quinn agrees. “That sounds fair.”
I want to laugh that we’re talking about exploring our attraction in such a serious way, but it’s not like we’ve ever done this before.
Beck’s shoulders drop as he exhales. “Okay.”
“Okay,” I reply.
There’s a long pause before we all break into laughter, the awkwardness of what we just agreed to tightening the air with a silent, lingering question: What now?
When our laughter subsides, Beck steps away from us and eases back into his chair.
“Both of you sit,” he commands. “We’re behind schedule.”
The urge to chirp “Yes, Beck” comes back to me easier than it should, but I bite down on my tongue and sit along with Quinn, feeling lighter than I have in a long time.
Chapter twenty-five
Quinn
