Stroke of Luck

“Then I’ll tell him,” Austin said. “April broke up with you because she was afraid of being hurt. You didn’t understand it back then, and she was just trying to deal with her issues, but you were throwing yourself into your work, as usual, and she felt abandoned. She didn’t want to make you choose

between her and your work, so she chose for you.”

“That’s not fair. If I had known—”

“There are a lot of ifs, buddy. But April was struggling with new feelings. Of belonging. Of being cared for. Being with you prompted needs in her that she didn’t know how to deal with. When you seemed to be pulling away, she was afraid. So she decided to end it before she fell in love with you. But in my opinion, it was too late.”

Quinn remembered that during their conversation this morning, she’d commented on how hard he’d worked in college. He’d taken it as an accusation that he had neglected her, but she’d denied that was why she’d left. Austin’s words gave him more insight. Of course she wouldn’t admit that was the reason, because she wouldn’t even consider laying blame on him for the relationship ending.

“I don’t understand. I wasn’t gone that much.”

Then he remembered canceling their date on the night she’d wanted to make a special dinner for him. He’d finally figured out a bug in his software program, and he’d wanted to fix it right away. He’d wound up working through the night. Then he’d canceled the concert a week later.

But he hadn’t been neglecting her. He’d loved being with her.

He also knew, however, that when he was really caught up in a project, he was so focused he tended to lose track of time.

“Was I really gone that much?” he asked, more of himself.

April didn’t answer, still staring downward.

He stepped toward her and took her hands. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Slowly, she raised her face. Her blue eyes were haunted with sorrow.

“Because I would never ask you to change who you are for me.”

“Ah, fuck.” He pulled her into his arms. “I was such an idiot back then.” He hugged her tightly against him, pain searing through his chest. “If I had known…” He nuzzled her hair. “You were the most important thing in the world to me. I would have given anything to keep you in my life.”

“I know,” she whispered.

And she’d already said she wouldn’t ask him to.

“Fuck, it was my fault.” He held her tighter, never wanting to let her go.

Several long moments passed while he clung to her. Finally, Austin cleared his throat and rested his hand on Quinn’s shoulder.

“Let’s get back to the hotel,” Austin said.

Quinn drew back, but then slid her to his side and kept his arm around her as they walked.

Why hadn’t he been able to see what was happening back then? He had lost so much. She had lost so much.

He had to question everything. He’d labeled her a gold digger because … well, fuck, it had been easier to believe that than anything else. His whole world had tumbled off-kilter when she’d left him, and that was the only explanation that had made any sense to him.

Maurice might be a total asshole, but he’d lavished April with attention back then, and that had been exactly what she’d needed. He could see how she would convince herself she was in love with the guy.

Fuck, Quinn now realized it had been his fault she’d wound up with Maurice. That meant everything that happened after was his fault, too. Like the predicament she was in now.

Hell, she wasn’t in his debt. He was in hers.

Sure, he’d paid off the bill the asshole had left her with, but she’d lost so much more than that. This arrangement they had … it wasn’t fair to expect her to honor that.

But how could he give it up? He thought he’d die if he didn’t satisfy his primal need to be with her.

She leaned her head against his shoulder with a sigh, warming his heart.

The hotel was two blocks away. He felt his pulse accelerate as they walked, knowing they were getting closer to that moment. When he finally had her in his bed, he’d show her how much she meant to him.