Page 62 of Love Marks
“As long as it’s not Metallica,” he grins at me.
“Not this time.”
That earns a chuckle, and my pleased expression only grows. I turn on a jazz cooking playlist and take the baked potatoes out of the oven. A few minutes pass before I hear the ding! of the elevator doors and hear some familiar heels clacking across the floor.
“Darling!” Lillian’s voice rings out and I turn to see Wesley slide off the kitchen stool, but she’s beelining towards me with her arms open. “It’s been too long.”
“Nice to see you too, Mom,” Wesley mutters.
“Oh, hush. I see you nearly every day it feels like.” She releases me and goes over to Wesley, kissing him on one cheek and patting the other. “It smells incredible, Quinn. No surprise there.”
I try to hide my blush and growing smile.
“Will you be joining us tonight?” Lillian asks. I make eye contact with Wesley, searching his face for some hint of disapproval, but his blank expression is unreadable.
“Not tonight, sorry. My mom is waiting for me,” I say, hoping she won’t insist again.
She nods and pulls out her knitting gear, sitting at the head of the dining room table. Her blob of fabric doesn’t really look like anything, but I have to give her credit for trying something new.
“How is your mom?” Wesley asks.
I swallow. “She’s fine. The same mostly.” I finish plating the lobster to avoid his gaze. Maybe he can sense that the topic upsets me because he doesn’t say anything else.
“You know, I knit hats and scarves. I could show you how if you wanted one day,” I offer, changing the subject.
Lillian beams. “That would be wonderful. As you can see, I’m terrible at it.”
“You’re not terrible, Mom.” Wesley shakes his head and closes his laptop. “You’re learning.”
She rolls her eyes and holds up the shapeless blob of yarn, eyebrows raised. Wesley chuckles a little and I hide a smile. I bring the lobsters, garlic butter, and potatoes to the table and Wesley sits down next to his mother.
“Is there anything else you need before I head out?” I ask.
“No. It looks perfect.” Wesley meets my eyes. “Thank you, Quinn.”
He really should not say my name. We hold eye contact for a beat longer than normal and Lillian clears her throat.
“Will you be here tomorrow, Quinn?”
“All day.”
“Great. I’ll come for lunch, and you can help me with this mess.” She shoves the knitting back into her bag.
“Alright. See you guys tomorrow.” I wave and head towards the elevator. As the doors slide open, I sneak a glance back towards the table. Wesley’s dark eyes meet mine across the room and as I step into the elevator, I swear I can still feel his hot gaze on me, filling me up with a terrifying and wonderful warmth.
Chapter 27
Wesley
It’s been two weeks since our trip to Coney Island and I’ve almost forgotten what life was like before Quinn. It’s hard to imagine ordering takeout sushi instead of eating her specialty rolls or coming home to an apartment that doesn’t smell like the inside of a candle store. It’s strange how quickly I’ve gotten used to her presence in my life.
My mother comes over constantly. It’s no surprise that she spends the entire time hanging out with Quinn. Luna is also infatuated with her. Last week when I picked her up from school, she spent the entire ride asking me questions about Quinn, mainly about why she isn’t my girlfriend.
I’m forcing myself to accept that Quinn and I won’t ever be anything more than friends. The reality is that she just doesn’t see me that way. Why would she after all the shit I put her through? I’m grateful she’s forgiven me and stuck around despite that, but I’m not stupid enough to ask for anything more.
The only problem is my body doesn’t seem to quite get the message. I took a twenty-minute cold shower yesterday. I’ve doubled my gym routine and I still can’t seem to stop thinking about her. She’s everywhere.
It’s Saturday, so I’m waiting for Ben near Sheepshead Meadow for our weekly run. I see him jogging towards me and he waves.