make you miss me • q. hughes

40

Quinn scoffs as I shake my head. We're in a corner booth while his teammates seemed to have scattered out into the bar. Any of their significant others either grouping off together or being the one leading their guy away. It's left us two in the once-crowded corner booth alone. I wouldn't have it any other way. Or I'm just a little clingy since he's about to be gone for nearly two weeks on a road trip.

"I'm not talking about the new one," he says. "I'm talking like... Blake Lively and that guy from The Boys."

My eyes roll at his snarky shock. "I know."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, Quinn."

His finger traces circles on my knee. "You should watch it. I like it."

"Which is somehow not that surprising," I say.

"Taking that one as a compliment," he murmurs so quietly I nearly don't hear him.

"Do you need a compliment?" My voice is so teasing it makes him roll his eyes. "I can give you a compliment if you're so desperate for one."

"It'd mean nothing to me since you haven't even seen Gossip Girl."

I rest my forearm on his shoulder, my hand tracing identical circles to his on his neck a few times before my fingers find their rightful spot in his hair. My hand doesn't get too high. Having to keep it low because of the hat he's got on backward that makes him look so unfair.

A beautiful, soft sigh falls from his lips. "Love when you're gentle like this. I just love when you touch me."

"Even if I've never seen Gossip Girl?" I joke. It's a lazy attempt to ignore the warmth spreading throughout my chest. That beating of my heart. And a new thing. A feeling like there's something right on the tip of my tongue.

"It'd be better if you have," Quinn says.

"I'll strike you a deal." That gets his interest. "For every season of Gossip Girl I watch, you read one book of my choice."

He laughs. "Oh, that's it?"

"That's it."

"I feel like you'll be able to finish a season or two before I can finish a book."

"Oh, baby," I murmur, a mocking pout. "Not my fault if you can't read."

"I can read," he snaps. "It's just I don't—"

"Read? 'Cause you can't?" I laugh slightly at how he genuinely looks annoyed by me egging this on. "How do you play hockey when it's so easy to work you up?"

His hand slides higher up my leg. "Only you can work me up like this."

"Wanna get outta here? Go get your first book assignment?" Leaning forward, I press a quick peck to his lips.

"More?"

"First and second?" I ask.

His hand goes even higher. Dangerously close to being fully scandalous.

I push it down. Back to my knee. "Use your words."

"Please?"

"Well, if you're so desperate."

He smiles. "Shut the hell up and let's go."

"Love when you boss me around," I say.

* * * * *

quinn
I finished the first two books on
the plane ride
They honestly go fucking hard

scout
what did i tell you
that is the one series i've read over and
over since middle school

quinn
They're a little girly
But I love them
Do Cammie and Zach end up together

scout
i will not be spoiling the beauty that is
reading the gallagher girls series thank
you very much

quinn
I thought you were going to give
me some of your self help books
or your boring shit

scout
those aren't as heartfelt as this series. i
WAITED for the last two books to get
published

quinn
You busy?

scout
watching gossip girl

* * * * *

"Pretty sure me watching the show you want me to watch means I'm busy," I say.

Quinn smiles and I've never been so mad to be so far from him. "Figured you'd make time for me."

"Fuck you."

"It's not my fault you're predictable," he says. "You've gone soft."

"Fuck you."

That warmth is in my chest though. That tip of the tongue feeling returning. I've gone a bit soft. Really soft. This is not the same Schuy that was telling Quinn to bite me and refusing sweaters. In fact, I've been taking clothes on my own. The T-shirt I have on is Quinn's. I'm not sure he knows I even took it.

Wait a minute. I squint slightly. He's got the camera angled so that I can see what he's wearing. Oh my god. This bitch took one of my old cross-country shirts. I always got mine one or two sizes bigger because Jem in his muscular tallness would steal them and they'd get stretched out. Quinn's wearing one of my shirts. He moves his phone, caught red-handed.

"How dare you accuse me of going soft when you're reading a book series about teenage girls at a spy school—"

He cuts me off. "They're not technically at a spy school. It just so happens their curriculum heavily supports that line of work."

"Oh my god," I mumble.

"You literally wrote a little note on a line about that, I swear to god."

That warm feeling turns into a burning heat. "You're reading my annotations?"

"Obviously," he says.

"You drive me crazy."

"I get that a lot." His face falls slightly before breaking into a smile. "Don't freak out. I promise you you're the only girl telling me that."

"I wasn't going to freak out," I argue.

"Yeah, you were."

I shrug. "Maybe a little."

"Go ahead and get back to the show," he says.

"Get some rest." I smile and rush out my next words before immediately hanging up. "Your under eyes are looking a bit harsh."

* * * * *

quinn
Well excuse me for reading my
girlfriend's book recommendations
instead of sleeping on the plane like
usual

scout
you're excused
besides i kind of like when you look a
little haunted

quinn
I miss your dumbass

scout
i miss yours too <3
shit i really have gone soft

**************
a/n
if anyone called scout gentle a few months ago she would have literally cried