At Your Most Beautiful by Harper Bliss (best free ereader .TXT) 📗

me.” Before Maya left, Quinn would really like to hear her say that again.

“Turns out you’re very easy to fall for.”

Quinn batted her lashes. “That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

“Sure.” Finally, Maya smiled, before leaning in and kissing Quinn properly.

“I’m pretty crazy about you as well,” Quinn whispered when they broke from their kiss.

“I know,” Maya said. “Griff told me.”

“Griff?”

“What a gem of a roommate.”

“Griff’s the best.” Quinn tried to peer deep into Maya’s eyes. “What else has she told you?”

“She told me about her ‘year of no’.”

“About me, I mean.” Quinn was well aware of how self-centered she sounded, but she was curious. If Maya didn’t tell her, she would grill Griff as soon as Maya left.

“It’s not very considerate of you to bring me to this apartment you share with her while she’s abstaining.”

“Griff and I discussed all of that beforehand. I didn’t do anything we didn’t agree to.”

“I’m just teasing.” Maya tilted her head. “It’s not easy to get you flustered like that.” Maya rose. “I’m really beat, Quinn.”

Quinn stood as well. She curved her arms around Maya’s waist.

“Thank you so much again for last night. I had such an amazing time,” Maya said.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get any sleep.”

“I’ll get over it,” Maya said, “I’m not that old.”

“How is Maya?” Quinn’s dad smiled at her fondly across the dinner table. “That’s a big move she made, from living in Milbury to a place like Manhattan.”

“She has a grandson she adores.” Quinn grinned at her dad. It was always good to meet up with him on his infrequent visits to New York. “But don’t let that put any ideas in your head. I’m not feeling broody in the least.”

“I remember when Tommy married that hotshot news anchor. What’s her name again?”

“Beth Robbins.”

“That’s right.” Her dad nodded. “There used to be a time when we were close enough with Maya that it felt like a given to invite each other to our children’s weddings, but something changed over the years. I’ve never really known what.” He shrugged. “But it’s good to hear she’s doing well. She’s a lovely woman.”

Quinn could only agree, but not too vehemently.

“Tell me about you, sweetheart,” he said. “Are you getting over that nasty business with Morgan?”

Her dad had always been so much easier to talk to than her mom. He asked as though it had never bothered him one bit that Morgan was ‘emotionally unavailable’—which was how Quinn had described Morgan’s marital status to her family. Quinn figured they were more than smart enough to know what she really meant.

“We met up, but nothing’s changed. I think I am actually getting over it.” Quinn couldn’t help a smile from bursting all over her face at the thought of Maya and how she’d been helping Quinn put Morgan behind her in an extremely efficient manner.

“That’s wonderful.” Her dad narrowed his eyes and examined her face. Sometimes Quinn forgot that he could read her like an open book. “Someone new in the picture perhaps?”

“Maybe.” Quinn could omit things, but she couldn’t flat-out lie to her father. “It’s early days and she’ll probably turn out to be more like a transitional person, but, yeah…”

“Tell me more.” He nodded in encouragement.

“No, Dad. I really shouldn’t.”

“You can tell me her name, at least.” He laughed. “Don’t tell me how old she is, though.”

“I’m not telling you anything. Let’s pretend the conversation never took this turn and talk about something else pronto.”

“Why? Judging by that grin on your face, you obviously like this new woman quite a bit.”

“Trust me, Daddy, you don’t want to know.”

“I do very much want to know, especially now that you’ve said that I don’t.” He arched up his eyebrows. “I’m your old man. You can tell me anything.”

“Not this.” Or could she? Quinn’s mother would break out in hives, but telling her father could be a good test for telling other people.

“Who is this woman? Is she a high-profile Republican or something along those lines?” He huffed out some air. “We can turn this into a guessing game, if that’s what you want.”

“She’s not a politician.”

“Okay.” He tapped a finger against his chin ostentatiously. “I’m trying to think of plausible reasons for you not wanting to tell me. Is she famous? Is it Oprah? Or Ellen?”

Quinn burst out laughing. “Neither one of them lives in New York and no, she’s not famous.”

“So what’s the catch? I don’t get it.” He jutted out his bottom lip. “This is me, Pumpkin. Whoever it is, I won’t tell your mother. You have my word.”

“That would certainly make your life easier as well,” Quinn said.

“Come on.” He drummed his fingers on the table impatiently. “Out with it. You’ve tortured me long enough.”

Quinn looked at her father. Maybe he’d never see her in the same light again after she told him. But something inside her wanted to tell him. Not only because he was her father and she’d always felt safe with him and understood by him, but also because it would lend a certain legitimacy to whatever she and Maya were doing. And he was one of the most non-judgmental people she knew. “It’s Maya, Dad. Maya Mercer.”

His forehead wrinkled into a deep frown. “Maya Mercer? Whose portrait you took? Our old neighbor?”

“Yes.” Quinn’s palms started sweating. Maybe she’d finally pushed too hard against her father’s boundaries of understanding. “We’ve been seeing each other.”

“But Maya… She’s, um…. not, you know.”

“A lesbian?”

“Well, yes.”

“She might be bi, Dad.”

“Nice try, kiddo,” her dad said. “You almost had your old man there.” He shot her a big grin. “Well played.” Quinn hoped he wasn’t going to give her a thumbs-up next.

“It’s not a joke,” Quinn said.

“Of course, it’s a joke. Not even you would pull something like that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I’m sorry. Let’s move on.”

“Do you really not believe me or you don’t want to believe me?”

“Quinn, sweetheart. Listen to yourself.” He leaned over the table. “Are you all right?”

“Dad. It’s true.”

He took a deep breath and