Page 112 of Thin Ice

Quinn peers over at Beck, and I shift to do the same, but before I can, he’s getting off the bed.

“We should get moving,” he says, the tone of his voice more serious now.

Quinn frowns and takes her hand back so she can sit up, tugging the blanket over her chest. She looks at the bedside clock—seven thirty am—before turning back to Beck.

“We have time before our session with Hazel,” she says. “We could shower? Have breakfast together?”

“That sounds good to me,” I agree, sitting up. Now that I’m fully awake and my body has come down from its high, I realize how sore I am from last night’s activities—not to mention, my body is decorated and filled with fluids that don’t all belong to me. All of us are.

Beck drops some tissues he used to clean himself in a small trash bin near the dresser then pulls on a pair of shorts. His features are unreadable, and I wish I knew what happened in the past minute to shift his mood so quickly.

“I forgot I have a meeting with the other mentors at eight.”

“So no shower then?” I tease, trying to lighten him up.

He shakes his head and heads to his closet. He comes out with a fresh set of clothes in his hands.

“You two clean up and make yourself at home. I’ll use the restroom then head over there so I’m not late.”

Quinn’s frown deepens. “Are you okay? Did we do something?”

Beck’s jaw flexes—a tell that there is something wrong—but he plasters a smile on his face and walks over to Quinn to kiss her forehead. The kiss is a sweet and lingering one. He savors it, inhaling the scent of her hair and cupping the side of her head before he pulls away.

“You were perfect.” He looks over at me, a new emotion I can’t read in his eyes. “And so were you.”

I swallow hard, attempting to clear the lump in my throat and figure out what to say to him, but he stands to his full height.

“I’ll see you both later for our last session.”

He exits the room, the click of the bathroom door and the sound of running water filling the space around us.

I shift over to Quinn and pull her into my side so she rests her head on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

She waits to speak until the close of the front door signals Beck’s quick departure, pulling away from me so she can look into my eyes.“That was weird, right?” she asks.

“He does have to work,” I say, trying to logic out what I don’t understand.

Quinn nibbles her bottom lip. “Do you think he’s freaking out about last night?”

“I don’t know. He was fine about it when we first woke up this morning. He initiated what you saw.”

I take Quinn’s hand in mine and squeeze it, waiting until she looks at me.

I give her a reassuring smile. “Everything is going to be fine, Sunshine.”

She releases a breath, accepting what I’m not sure to be true, and smiles back at me. “Are you good? This has been a lot.”

“It was.” I wet my lips. “But I’m good, really good, actually. I’m more relaxed and myself than I have been in a long time.”

Quinn looks my body up and down like she’s checking for injury. Once she’s satisfied, she dips her chin. “You look good messy.”

“Oh?” I shift closer to her. “Is that so?”

She pushes me away as she laughs. “Don’t even think about doing anything. You are a mess, but so am I. We need showers, and I’m starving.”

“I can feed you.” I nip at the underside of her round chin.

She shoves me again. “Only if you’re talking about real food.”