Breaking Stars - J. Sterling Page 0,103
who Quinn had been referring to. Immediately, I sized him up, unsure of what was about to happen. He stood about an inch or so taller than me, but we had a similar build. If he threw the first punch, I was fairly certain I’d be able to get the next one in.
He extended his hand toward me and I automatically reached for it; a gentleman never shies away from a handshake, no matter what.
I sucked in a deep breath as we both squeezed hard enough to break the other’s fingers if we truly wanted, which made us both break out into a fit of laughter as we pulled apart. I stood there, shaking out my already swollen hand as Ryson glanced at it, noticing the bruising around the knuckles.
“You need ice,” he said with a chuckle.
“What the hell are you two laughing at?” Quinn stomped her foot, and we both straightened up.
“I’m Ryson. It’s nice to meet you, man. It’s about time you got your Southern ass out here.” He cocked a grin at me as he pulled open the freezer and tossed me an ice pack. “Beer?”
“Definitely. After the way this one drives.” I jerked my thumb in Quinn’s direction, and she snarled at me.
“Tell me about it,” he joked. “We don’t let her out of the house much.” When she smacked his head in response, he shot back, “Woman! Don’t hit me.”
“Don’t call me a bad driver. You know how hard it is to drive on PCH with those assholes trailing me like hunters,” she said with a little pout, and he leaned down to kiss the top of her nose.
I shifted my weight, feeling a little uncomfortable at the PDA since we’d all just met.
Ryson pulled two bottles of beer from the fridge and popped the tops, handing me one.
I took a swig and swallowed it hard. “Thanks.”
“No problem. What happened to your hand?”
“Colin.”
“Did you hit him?” he asked, and I nodded. “I’ve always wanted to hit him. I’m so jealous.” He smacked me on the back, and I almost choked on my beer. “What’d he do?”
“Said something shitty about Paige.”
Quinn sneered. “I hate him so much.”
“Did you tell him why you kidnapped him?” Ryson brought the conversation back on track.
“I haven’t told him yet.” Quinn tried to glare at me, but I could tell she was already warming up to me. I was convinced that her boyfriend accepting me so easily might have something to do with it.
“Told me what?” I asked, downing another gulp.
“It’s a brilliant idea, actually. Hear her out before you say no, okay?” Ryson’s tone had turned serious, which worried me. “Let’s go sit down first, though.”
I followed them through the kitchen, loving how the natural light filtered in from every angle. A glimpse outside at their backyard and view nearly took my breath away. It was spectacular, the kind of thing that dreams were made of, and I was convinced only existed in LA for the rich and famous.
When we reached the dining room, Quinn and Ryson sat down next to each other, so I picked a seat across from them. It felt like a business meeting, not that I’d ever really been in one before.
“First of all, I need to ask you a couple of questions,” Quinn said, her hands folded on top of the table.
I shrugged my shoulders in response and waited, so she went on.
“I heard how Paige talked about you while she was in Hanford. She likes you, really likes you.”
My insides warmed with that revelation, even if I had already hoped for it to be true. “Good, because I’m in love with her and I want to be with her. That’s why I’m here.”
Quinn’s eyebrows practically shot up to her hairline. “You’re in love with her? Well, that will help things. And we already know how you feel about Colin, which is another point for you.”
The mere mention of that douche’s name soured my mood. “I want to kick the living shit out of that guy. He’s lucky I only hit him once.”
“I call dibs on the next Colin beat down,” Ryson said seriously as he turned toward Quinn and jerked his head my way. “I like this guy.”
“Me too. Maybe,” Quinn said to him before glaring back at me. “You really hurt her. She’s my best friend and you hurt her. Worse than jerk-off Colin did, I think.”
“I know,” I admitted honestly because I knew it was the truth. Something inside me knew that