In Every Universe | Quinn Hughes

16 | Quinn

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT BUT LILY IS MINE. She's mine and I'm not about to let anyone come between that, epically not my shit head of a brother who's sitting at the kitchen counter of our house, a bowl of cereal in front of him and his mouth running at full speed about how cute Lily was.

I can't help it, but I sit silently, listening, anger building from somewhere deep, primal. I want to tell him to fuck off, that Lily wasn't his to talk about like that, but I knew she'd probably hate me for it. She was fiery and opinionated and even though she was a good girl for me, obedient and sweet, I knew that was entirely left upstairs in my bedroom.

Lily wasn't really a submissive girl, not in the real world.  She was strong willed and witty and funny and her own person, and I'd never ever take that away from her. Which meant I was torn right now, do I stand up for her? Risk looking like a total sap, maybe expose myself in front of my entire house? Or do I keep quiet and let Lily fight her own battles?

Granted, she didn't know Jack was speaking about railing her six ways to Sunday over the summer break, and I'd rather die a thousand times over than let that happen.

There was no way my shit head brother was touching my girl. Not now, not when we were finally on good terms, the same page.

And so, I let him have his fun for the moment, heading upstairs to where the girl herself was still asleep in my bed, still with her hair splayed around her. Nobody knew she'd stayed over, not a soul, and we liked it that way. We'd wait until all the boys were out for the day, off to their training of classes, then we'd sneak her out without anyone ever knowing.

"Darling," I whisper, brushing the hair from her face and pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. She stirs in her sleep, and I find myself silently obsessing over her. She looks stupidly perfect in my sweats and a t-shirt that's way too big for her. A part of me, a big part, knew that deep down, I wanted this forever.

That I didn't just want secret nights together, that I wanted a forever with Lily. I was graduating in a few months, moving away to wherever I was—hopefully—drafted, and I was ready to start my life, to settle into a career in the NHL, with Lily by my side.

But, that was delusional.

Lily was just staring her time in college, she was a freshman, a baby, she wasn't about to drop everything and follow me halfway across the county.

Maybe, Jack really was better for her. At least he wasn't planning on leaving in eight weeks. The thought makes my stomach sink, and I push the thought away as quickly as it comes.

"Sweetheart," I whisper, shaking her lightly.

She peels her eyes open, latches her gaze right to me, and then she's smiling. Oh god, it's about the prettiest smile I'd ever seen. My heart does a hiccup, and my stomach flips over and over, and I realise with alarm bells that maybe it's not just a crush.

"Good morning," she mumbles, her voice small and sweet and innocent as she holds her arms out for me to fall into.

I do, rolling over the bed and pulling her with me, so that her chin is resting against my chest, and she's looking up at me through her lashes.

Jack would be good for her, but I never wanted Jack to know what this felt like, being intimate with her, having her to himself. She wasn't his to have.

I'm about to make it offical, to ask her to be my girlfriend, to tell her I take it back, I don't want to be friends and I don't want us to be secret. I want to show her off and parade her around and I want her all for me, but then she's cutting me off unknowingly.

"What's the time?" She asks, reaching out to tuck a curl of loose hair back away from my eyes.

My stomach flips again.