Best of Me

Chapter Twenty

Hi, yeah, so I don't have anything to say about this chapter other than I'm sorry in advance....

Enjoy...?

Chapter Twenty:

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asks after we both quickly throw on our winter coats and boots. We step out onto the porch and close the door behind us. "How did you even know where to find me?"

"You know how you always lose your phone?" He asks with a chuckle. My chest tightens at the sound. Quinn nods silently beside me, her arms folded over her chest. "You had me put your phone on that tracking app so you could always find it."

"Seriously? You stalked me here?" Quinn sighs incredulously. "You're insufferable, Tae. Go home."

"Please, can we just talk?" He says softly, eyes flicking at me and then back to Quinn. "Alone?"

She scoffs, "whatever you need to say you can say in front of Theo."

"Quinn, it's really okay, I can-" I start to say, but she places her hand on my arm gently.

"I want you here. I need you, okay?" She whispers and I nod, tucking my hands in my jacket pocket. She faces Tae-Jin, "what do you have to say?"

"I want to formally apologize to you for the way I treated you at your job. It was immature and unprofessional of me to do that to you while you were at work, and I'm sorry, Quinnie." He gazes at her sincerely. "You didn't deserve to be treated like that, and I never should have spoken to you that way. My parents have been insufferable lately and I thought I would be happy following their plans for me, I thought it would get them off my back. You know they put a lot of pressure on me to be like my older brothers. I have never been more wrong about something. I've missed you every day since then; you're all I've thought about. I hate myself for how I treated you, and I hope you know that I don't see you as a less than me, I never have. You are brilliant, and kind, and compassionate. I-I want to go back to how we were when we first met. I want to be the man you fell in love with. Please, give me another chance, Quinn. I promise, I'll treat you like the queen you are."

My eyes bounce between Quinn and Tae-Jin like I'm watching an intense tennis match. Tae is being open, honest, I can hear it in his voice. It's not gruff and polite like it started out; it doesn't sound like a business meeting pitch. When my eyes land Quinn, I know instantly what she's thinking. I can feel it, see it written on her face. And the pain that shoots through my chest is excruciating.

"Where are you staying?" She asks him, her arms falling to her side.

"A hotel a few towns own, Rose Lake I believe," he says, a hesitant smile forming on his lips.

"Okay," she nods. "This is your last chance. If I even see a glimpse of-"

"You won't," he grins happily. My eyes are burning, my throat closing as I witness the scene unfold before me.

"Wait in the car, I'll be right down." Tae-Jin nods and walks off toward the car leaving Quinn and I standing on the porch alone. I turn wordlessly and move inside, haphazardly removing my coat and boots before walking stoically up the stairs trying to maintain my composure. When I hear the bedroom door click shut, I turn and face Quinn, tears already spilling from my eyes.

"Are you seriously going with him?" I ask, voice cracking. Quinn walks passed me and starts pulling her clothes from the dresser and packing them into her suitcase. "Quinn."