Quinn's father frowned as if I was a bug buzzing. "You really want to be a quitter? All your life you've wanted to flit from one thing to another and it’s gotten you nowhere. Your sister, all of us, tried to push you in the right direction, but it is exhausting."
"Maybe she's tired of being pushed around," I said.
Quinn put a hand on my arm and pushed me back. "I'm quitting the nursing program so I can find my own way. I'm sorry I don't know what that is yet, but I'm trying."
"Is that what you call running off to Vegas to play video games?" her father asked. "Don't think I don't know how many hours you log on that ridiculous game. I bought you that computer for your studies."
I made a mental note to change Quinn's privacy settings right away. I wanted to jump in between her and her father, but all I could do was cross my arms and hope. I hoped she would fight free. She deserved a chance to find her own way.
"Then take the computer," she said. "Stop paying my tuition. Cut me off entirely. That might be the best thing that has ever happened to me."
"Is this his idea?" her mother asked. "Is he convincing you to ruin your life? Oh, Quinn, darling, he is only using you. Can't you see that?"
The anger was too hard to swallow. "I am not using Quinn. I would never stand in the way of anything she wanted to do. I'm supporting her. Maybe you should try it. She's playing a tournament in Vegas this weekend. Watch her play, see how talented she is."
Quinn flashed me a surprised look. We had not discussed the tournament. Then, I saw a gleam in her eyes. It dissipated the worry I felt for her.
"I'm not saying that gaming is my future, either, but I think now is the time to explore my talents," Quinn said. "You always told Sienna she had all the options in the world."
"Because she had always taken advantage of the best ones," her father said. "Sienna never floundered."
"Call it whatever you want, but I'm doing it. It’s my life and I'm going to make my own decisions," Quinn said.
Her father softened his rigid shoulders. He decided to try another tactic. "Fine. If you insist on this ridiculous course of action, you are going to need our support. I will come see this tournament of yours, but only if you come back home with us."
I opened my mouth to protest, but Quinn's father shot me an angry look. He held up his hand as if testifying in front of a court.
"We will not discuss your future plans. We will not put any pressure on you. All I ask is that you come home where we can guarantee you will have some neutral ground to think about all of this on your own."
Quinn's parents glared at me. Clearly, this was all my fault. Dragging Quinn back to their house was the only way to break her free from my influence. "You know their house is never going to be neutral ground," I objected.
"Fine. I will come home. Only if you promise we will not talk about any of this until after the tournament," Quinn said.
I tried to catch her hand, but Quinn's mother opened her arms and hugged her. They started back towards her dorm room to pack. I stood on the steps and flexed my fingers into tight fists. Watching Quinn be sucked back into her old self was too hard to see.
She spun loose and ran back. "We'll meet at your place and drive together to the tournament. Right?" she asked.
"I'll be there," I said. "If you need me, just call."
I headed back to Summerlin and realized my hands had been clenched white-knuckled for the entire drive. I sat in the driveway and rubbed the stiffness from them. Then, I noticed the flash of color in my window. Someone was inside the apartment.
The door was unlocked, and Anya was posed in the picture window, the bright sun illuminating her almost transparent sundress. "Your landlord let me in. Nice guy. I told him I wanted to surprise you."
"This is a surprise," I said. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be holed up in another luxury suite in Vegas."
"I thought it'd be more fun to visit an old friend," Anya said. She swept across the room and kissed my cheek. "You know, like old times. We used to have a great time practicing for tournaments, playing all night, snuggling up on the couch for a few hours of sleep."
Her smile was open to much more than snuggling. I peeled her hands off my shoulders and retreated to the kitchen for a beer. "Sorry, but I'm trying to take these things more seriously now."
Anya pouted and leaned across the kitchen island. "I get it. I won't distract you unless you want me to."
"And who is this?" Jasper asked. He left the door open as he strode across the apartment to introduce himself to Anya. "I'm the roommate, Jasper. And you are?"
She tossed her silken black hair. "Anya. Nice to meet you. I didn't know Owen had a roommate. And here I was just begging for a place to crash for the night."
"Well, don't let me stand in your way," Jasper said. "Can I get you something to drink?"
He gave me a look as he came around the kitchen island and opened the refrigerator. I shrugged. If he wanted to make a pass at Anya, I was certainly not going to stand in his way. It would be a relief.