Page 9 of A Thousand Second Chances
Quinn gives a mock shudder. “Oh, no, the horror!”
Conversation lapses as we eat. I pick at my last half-eaten slice, my thoughts returning to the same asshole who’s occupied them since I saw him standing on that dock. My jaw clenches as I will my stupid mind to focus on something,anythingelse.
“Your friend seemed pretty buddy-buddy with the owner,” Quinn says between bites, a little too casually.
There’sthe nosiness I’ve been dreading. “He’snotmy friend,” I snap.
“Fine, your ex-friend then,” she replies, unperturbed. She taps her chin. “Wonder if he knows her from somewhere. Maybe his parents went to school with her.”
“His family used to visit Mackinac Island a lot,” I mutter, fiddling with my greasy plate. It’s a connection I wish I’d made weeks ago before I’d agreed to accompany Quinn. “Probably still do. I bet his stupid dad organized this whole stupid trip just so his precious kid could have an all-expenses paid vacation.”
Quinn raises an eyebrow. “Wow, how diabolical! What a jerk, shelling out so a bunch of broke college kids he doesn’t know can go on a weekend getaway instead of sending his son here on his own.”
Now that she brings it up, whyisPercy here as part of a school trip instead of with his parents? Surely, his mom and dad could’ve wrangled a weekend trip of their own. Maybe this was some rich person’s misplaced attempt to buy their antisocial kid some friends? If so, Mr. Wentworth had severely miscalculated, judging from the way Percy immediately fled up the stairs with his pizza.
“So…you ready to talk about it yet?” Quinn prods.
I groan and chomp down on my last bite of pizza, chewing slowly to give me an excuse not to answer.
Quinn doesn’t take the hint. “I mean, judging by the way you both reacted on the boat, I’m guessing something must’ve happened between you. That looked like more than two friends drifting apart.”
My shoulders tense. “Drop it.”
“Oh, come on, you’ve got to give mesomething!” She shifts on the couch to fully face me, setting aside her empty plate. “If you were best friends in high school, you must’ve met his parents. Would sponsoring a school trip like this be that unusual for them?”
“Honestly, I never spent much time around his family.” I flush at the reminder of being his dirty secret. “We, uh, tended to hang out at my place, or on our own. And then we were away at college, so…”
“Sounds like you spent a lot of time together.” She leans forward eagerly. “What was he like when you were friends? He seems nice enough—he’s got kind of a cute, nerdy vibe going on.”
The too-discerning look she gives me sets my teeth on edge. “No, he doesn’t!” I growl. “He’s an arrogant ass.”
She smirks. “Yeah, well, so are you. What’s his major?”
Point.I scowl and shift away, staring sightlessly at a photo of a giant rock surrounded by trees. “Why do you care?”
She shrugs. “Just wondering. If we’re going to be hanging out this weekend, I feel like I should at least know a little about him.”
My blood runs cold as I spin around to face her. “Hanging out?”
“Sure.” She leans back, sinking into the soft cushions, and grins. “He seemed eager enough to talk on the ferry. Maybe it’ll be good for you to relieve some of this underlying tension. Whatever happened your freshman year couldn’t have beenthatbad, right?”
Her eyes widen as I leap to my feet, glaring down at her with my hands balled at my waist. “You have no idea what the hellyou’re talking about! I trusted Percy more than anyone, and he threw me away as though I’d never mattered to him. He made me feel utterly worthless.That’swhy we’re no longer friends and why I want nothing more to do with him.All right?”
She stares up at me for a moment. Blinks. “Well, no wonder you’re such a moody dick.”
It’s such a quintessentiallyQuinnthing to say that, even in my current mood, I bark a laugh. “Damn straight.”
Not that there was anythingstraightabout Percy and me…
“Sorry for pushing,” Quinn says, looking contrite. “You just keep so much of yourself hidden away. It’s good to let all those negative emotions out so you can heal and move on.”
Move on. Would I ever truly be over Percy? Someday, maybe. But not this weekend—not when we’re stuck sleeping under the same roof.
As if she can read my mind, Quinn rises and tugs on her jacket. “Come on! I saw this cool-looking bar on our walk over. Let’s go get wasted and forget all about what’s-his-name.”
“Nah, I think I’ll pass.” I force an exaggerated yawn. “I’m pretty beat, and Oshkoff will flip if we’re late for our morning of forced exercise tomorrow. Unless you want me in an even worse mood than usual, I should probably get some beauty sleep.”
Quinn pretends to pout, but I can already tell she’s letting me off the hook. When she really wants something, it’s practically impossible to say no. “If you’re sure. Tomorrow night, though, partying after dinner—no excuses!”
