Read Online Gamed (A Standalone Romance Novel) (Bad Boy Romance) by Claire Adams - Free Book Online
Authors: Claire Adams
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were drifting apart."
"For a long
time, but that doesn't matter now," I said. I set Quinn carefully back on
her high heels. "I'm here if you need me."
She looked at my
car and shook her head. "Sienna hated this car."
"Get in if
you want. I can drive you to the cemetery or you can hang out at my place if
you want," I said.
Quinn brushed her
chestnut hair back and smoothed it down. "No. I have to ride with my
parents. It wouldn't look right if I wasn't with them."
I wanted to ask
her what it mattered how things looked. I wanted to tell her that grief was
messy. It was too late. I watched as Quinn straightened her shoulders and
marched back to be the dutiful daughter.
CHAPTER
THREE
Quinn
The house was spotless when we returned from the cemetery. Even the funeral flowers
had been removed. White roses replaced the normal vases of cut flowers my
mother ordered, but that was the only change. It was as if nothing had
happened.
I went to change
clothes and then came back down to join my parents. They seemed confused.
"Oh, Quinn,
you startled me," my mother said. She and my father sat in their normal
spots in the living room. My father was reading and my mother was watching a
raucous reality television show.
He put his book
down, and my mother paused the television. The same heavy expression they had
worn all day returned. If I had not reappeared, they could have convinced
themselves both daughters were at UCLA and all was as it should be. I was an unwelcome
reminder that Sienna was gone.
"I was just
coming to say goodnight," I said.
"It’s only 8 pm,"
my father said.
"I'm just
really tired," I rubbed my forehead.
"Sienna says
studying before bed is a good idea because your mind works on what you learned
all night," my mother told me.
"Yes, good
idea," I said. I did not tell them I had left all my study material at
school.
Upstairs again,
the weight overtook me. I sank to the floor next to my bed. Sienna was gone and
I could just as easily disappear. In fact, I slipped out of my parents' lives
just by leaving the room. I could just leave and they would never even notice. Where
would I go and what would I do?
I knew, but I was
not ready to think about it.
I must have been
sitting there for nearly an hour when the phone rang. "Hello?"
"Quinn, I had
to call. How are you?"
"Darla? Hi. I
don't know. I survived," I said. I pulled myself off the floor and
wandered around the room as we talked. "How are things on campus?"
"Crazy. There
were about a dozen memorials for Sienna today. The administration has gone into
hyper speed about mental health. I swear to God they would screen us all if
they could. There's even talk of a suicide prevention team being formed. They
want you to be a part of it. I actually had to explain to them why today was
not a good day to call and discuss it," Darla said.
"How am I
supposed to come back?" I groaned. "Owen was right, maybe now is a
good time to take a break and find out what I really want to do."
"Owen?"
Darla asked. "Yes, of course he was at the funeral."
"I hid out in
the basement playing video games. He found me and we hung out. It was just like
old times."
"Old times
like when you had a mad crush on him? Like when he was flirting with you but
dating your sister?" Darla asked.
"Exactly,"
I said.
She sighed. "Well,
at least that got a little smile out of you. I heard it."
"I know, I
know, but it was really great. He's the only one I can actually talk to around
here."
"And it
doesn't hurt that he's a 6 foot, blue-eyed, blond that's built like a Norse
god," Darla said. "I'd let him comfort me anytime."
"Want to know
something weird?" I asked. "My mother was crazy today and trying to
place the blame on Owen. While she was ranting at him, she said the strangest
thing. She said everyone knew about Owen and me. Sienna even knew how well we
got along and she encouraged Owen to hang out with me."
"Well, she
did only
"For a long
time, but that doesn't matter now," I said. I set Quinn carefully back on
her high heels. "I'm here if you need me."
She looked at my
car and shook her head. "Sienna hated this car."
"Get in if
you want. I can drive you to the cemetery or you can hang out at my place if
you want," I said.
Quinn brushed her
chestnut hair back and smoothed it down. "No. I have to ride with my
parents. It wouldn't look right if I wasn't with them."
I wanted to ask
her what it mattered how things looked. I wanted to tell her that grief was
messy. It was too late. I watched as Quinn straightened her shoulders and
marched back to be the dutiful daughter.
CHAPTER
THREE
Quinn
The house was spotless when we returned from the cemetery. Even the funeral flowers
had been removed. White roses replaced the normal vases of cut flowers my
mother ordered, but that was the only change. It was as if nothing had
happened.
I went to change
clothes and then came back down to join my parents. They seemed confused.
"Oh, Quinn,
you startled me," my mother said. She and my father sat in their normal
spots in the living room. My father was reading and my mother was watching a
raucous reality television show.
He put his book
down, and my mother paused the television. The same heavy expression they had
worn all day returned. If I had not reappeared, they could have convinced
themselves both daughters were at UCLA and all was as it should be. I was an unwelcome
reminder that Sienna was gone.
"I was just
coming to say goodnight," I said.
"It’s only 8 pm,"
my father said.
"I'm just
really tired," I rubbed my forehead.
"Sienna says
studying before bed is a good idea because your mind works on what you learned
all night," my mother told me.
"Yes, good
idea," I said. I did not tell them I had left all my study material at
school.
Upstairs again,
the weight overtook me. I sank to the floor next to my bed. Sienna was gone and
I could just as easily disappear. In fact, I slipped out of my parents' lives
just by leaving the room. I could just leave and they would never even notice. Where
would I go and what would I do?
I knew, but I was
not ready to think about it.
I must have been
sitting there for nearly an hour when the phone rang. "Hello?"
"Quinn, I had
to call. How are you?"
"Darla? Hi. I
don't know. I survived," I said. I pulled myself off the floor and
wandered around the room as we talked. "How are things on campus?"
"Crazy. There
were about a dozen memorials for Sienna today. The administration has gone into
hyper speed about mental health. I swear to God they would screen us all if
they could. There's even talk of a suicide prevention team being formed. They
want you to be a part of it. I actually had to explain to them why today was
not a good day to call and discuss it," Darla said.
"How am I
supposed to come back?" I groaned. "Owen was right, maybe now is a
good time to take a break and find out what I really want to do."
"Owen?"
Darla asked. "Yes, of course he was at the funeral."
"I hid out in
the basement playing video games. He found me and we hung out. It was just like
old times."
"Old times
like when you had a mad crush on him? Like when he was flirting with you but
dating your sister?" Darla asked.
"Exactly,"
I said.
She sighed. "Well,
at least that got a little smile out of you. I heard it."
"I know, I
know, but it was really great. He's the only one I can actually talk to around
here."
"And it
doesn't hurt that he's a 6 foot, blue-eyed, blond that's built like a Norse
god," Darla said. "I'd let him comfort me anytime."
"Want to know
something weird?" I asked. "My mother was crazy today and trying to
place the blame on Owen. While she was ranting at him, she said the strangest
thing. She said everyone knew about Owen and me. Sienna even knew how well we
got along and she encouraged Owen to hang out with me."
"Well, she
did only
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