Liz spent the next morning packing for her weeklong trip with Connor. Quill was sure they were only going to the lake house, but didn’t ask. She packed her own bag for the week and waited in front for her dad.
She couldn’t believe it when he pulled up with Seri. She wasn’t expecting to see her that soon.
“Hey kiddo,” Seri spoke as her dad put their things in the back of his fancy SUV.
“Hey,” Quill coolly replied and climbed into the backseat, closing the door.
She inserted her ear buds and ignored the chatter coming from Reese’s mouth.
Fuck, they could have least told her she would be sharing a room with Ms. Chatterbox. She hated this trip more and more.
“Can we go down to the pool?” Reese asked five minutes after being in the upscale apartment.
“You’re dad has to work for a little bit. I’ll go down with you,” Seri offered.
“I’ll just wait here,” Quill declined.
“Come on, Quill. Please,” Seri begged, hoping to get her alone and talk to her.
“Go swim for a little while. I will be down in an hour. I promise,” her dad assured her, rubbing circles on her back.
Quill stepped away. Yuck. Fine she would go, just stop with all the mushy shit.
All three girls changed and rode the elevator down from the ninth floor. Quill stood toward the front, ignoring Seri, who with Chatterbox beside her, seemed to have found a new friend. Reese didn’t mind at all that her dad was dating Seri. Quill fucking hated it. She felt like she replaced her for him.
Reese ran right to the pool. “Dumb girl,” Quill said under her breath as the water from Reese’s over exaggerated jump splashed her.
“You’re just meaner than the south side of Chicago,” Seri accused, hearing the comment.
Quill gave her a disgusted look and continued to a nearby chase lounge. Seri followed.
“Are you ever going to talk to me again? I miss you, Quill,” Seri confessed, sitting at the end of her chair. Quill wanted to kick her off.
“We don’t need to talk. What are you even doing here? Don’t you work anymore?”
“Yeah, I have been working on a case close to home. Can we talk about this, Quill?”
“Talk about what? Are you fucking my dad? Who else you fucking, Sarah?”
“Quill, stop, this isn’t about you. It isn’t about you and me. I didn’t mean to fall in love with your dad.”
“In love….How fucking sweet is that?”
“You’re ridiculous, Quill. Grow up. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
“You were supposed to be my friend. Not his. We did things, Seri. We share secrets that nobody knows about. You ruined that.”
“I didn’t ruin anything, Quill, and we’re still friends. We still share those secrets. Don’t let this come between us,” Seri begged.
“You let this come between us. I don’t understand how you just changed over one summer. What happened to fuck em and leave em?”
“You’re dad isn’t like that, QI tried. Believe me, I tried. I never planned on seeing him again once I got back to New York.”
“Then why did you?”
“He knew that I lived about an hour away from here. He showed up at the little sushi bar one evening and we sat out on the sidewalk and ate and talked. I don’t know, Quill. He makes me happy. Can’t you be happy for me?”
“I thought you didn’t want a man.”
“I thought that too. Maybe the saying that there’s someone for everyone really is true. I’ve never felt like this before, Quill. The first time that your father touched me, I knew. I knew something wasn’t right. It didn’t feel like it was supposed to. It didn’t feel like I was isolated. I was with him fully and completely. It scared the hell out of me, Quill.”
Quill crossed her arms and took a deep breath. She knew what she was talking about. She knew exactly what she was talking about. She felt that way with Julius. Would she ever feel that way again? She couldn’t help but wonder.
“Please forgive me. I love you, Quill,” Seri begged.
“I still feel like you traded me off,” Quill pouted, giving in.
“Come here, you little brat,” Seri said, pulling her by her wrist for a hug. “Stop calling me Sarah, would you?”
Quill laughed and somewhat hugged her back. “What does my dad call you?”
“Sarah, but I’m always going to be your Seri. Got it?” she asked, pulling away and holding her shoulders as she sternly stared at her.
“Okay,” Aquilla agreed.
“You just made me very happy,” Seri assured her. “Come on, let’s get in the pool.”
Seri, Quill and Reese played around in the water for about an hour before Manny joined them. He held his finger over his lips telling Quill to be quiet as he snuck up behind Seri. Quill smiled at his playfulness as he jumped right behind her, causing her to scream. Seri’s arms automatically went around his neck. She dropped them just as quickly, not wanting to make it awkward for Quill.
Emmanuel had a hell of a time trying to find a restaurant for his two vegetarians. He finally found an Italian restaurant that could get them in. They walked the streets afterward, licking gigantic ice cream cones. Quill couldn’t help but notice how happy Seri seemed to be with her dad. They couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. It caused her to miss Julius. She hadn’t been thinking about him lately. Seeing Seri happy with her dad made her think about him.
Seri picked a movie and all four of them scrunched together on the sofa, Quill and Reese on the ends. Seri held Manny’s hand and placed her other one over Quills leg.
Once the movie was almost over, Quill sent Seri, sitting right next to her, a text.
Quill – get me high.
Seri quickly closed out of it, giving her an ARE YOU CRAZY? Look.
Quill – I’m walking out to the terrace. Come out there.
Quill got up and walked out to the balcony as soon as the credits started to roll. Manny went to the shower, and Reese was off to call Lil.
“I don’t have anything, Quill,” Seri whispered, walking out to meet her.
“You’re a liar. You do too. Just let me hit it a couple of times.”
“Quill, I don’t have anything. I swear. It’s at my place.”
“Then let’s go there.”
“It’s an hour away.”
“So, what else are you going to do besides go to bed with my dad?”
“I kind of like that idea right there. I don’t need to do anything else.”
“Come on, Seri. Please,” Quill begged.
“Quill, I can’t do that shit with you anymore. I’m dating your dad.”
“Oh, don’t you even try to pull that shit. You’re not my mother. Don’t try to act like you are just because you’re fucking my dad.”
“Quill, your dad would kill me if he found out I smoked weed with you.”
“He’s not going to find out. Do you really think I’m going to go tell him?”
“I fucking hate you,” Seri exclaimed, walking back inside. Quill knew what she was doing. She smiled a victory smile and waited for her to come back with something.
“I knew you loved me,” Quill smirked, taking the half a joint from her.
“I’m not staying out here with you. If you get busted, YOU brought it with you.”
“Uh-uh, you’re burning with me,” Quill insisted, grabbing her by the back of the shirt. “Just stand at the door and keep an eye out.”
Quill and Seri smoked as fast as they could all the way down to nothing.
“Go brush your teeth and spray shit on you,” Seri demanded.