Chapter 24

Quinn watched him from across the room as she changed Beth's diaper. It had been months since she had taken care of Beth in this way, and she feared she would be rusty and look like an amateur in front of Sam, but she shoved down those thoughts and did it anyway. She was Beth's mother after all. Time to start acting like it. Sam hadn't even given her as much as a sideways glance after he pointed her toward the changing table and the stash of diapers. He remained seated on the bed, clearly lost in thought, twisting his wedding band around his finger. His silence worried Quinn as she imagined all the topics Sam could be contemplating across the room.

It hadn't escaped her attention that Sam's silence coincided with his agreement to try to smooth things over with Mercedes. Maybe he wasn't as okay with the plan as he had indicated. He would essentially be giving up his freedom for months just so she could have hers. That was a lot to ask, perhaps too much. She was just as bad as Dwight forcing Sam's hand, getting him to remain in a situation he didn't want to be in just for her own selfish gains. That's not what she wanted for him, she didn't want Sam to have escaped from the prison of his hospital bed, only to be thrust in a different type of jail cell. She loved him too much to make him suffer in that way.

"Sam I hope you're not doing this out of any sense of obligation. If you don't want to stay married you don't have to."

The last thing she wanted was to be was a burden to him. He already had Beth to worry about, he didn't need to have to feel responsible for her too. There had to be another way to remain in Lima without involving Sam.

"My father will send you back upstate. I can't let that happen," he said without looking up, his focus still on his platinum wedding band.

"Might be where I belong." She took a seat beside him on the bed, settling Beth on her lap. "I was afraid to hold my own baby."

"But look at you now." He smiled, grabbing one of Beth's feet and tickling it, causing the baby to squirm in her lap. "You slid right back into motherhood."

"Because you're here," Quinn said quietly just taking it all in. Sam and Beth interacting made her so happy, warming her from within, like internal sunshine. Amazing how such a simple act, could touch her so deeply.

"If I helped then I'm glad, but something tells me you could've done this on your own."

"Thanks for being so understanding. I was worried about what you might think of me, seeing me like this, hearing what I've done."

Anxiety still clouded her mood as she wondered about all that Sam hadn't said. Was he secretly horrified by all that she had told him before? Was he just pretending to understand so she wouldn't get upset? Quinn tried to dismiss those doubts, Sam had always been honest and direct with her. If something were bothering him he would have said so by now, and while he seemed to be handling the details of her PPD fairly well, she couldn't help but wonder how he would deal with the rest.

"I think you're an amazing woman, after everything you've been through you're still here fighting your way back to your life. Most people would've given up by now. Do you realize how strong you are?"

Was he being for real? Sam always managed to see more in her than what was really there. Quinn used to think he filled in all her blank spots with things he wanted her to have, making her the person he wanted her to be. She never was quite sure if he actually saw the real her or if he was distracted by the image of her that he created. In high school she was desperate to live up to how he saw her, to be the girl he wanted, but now she was too weary to pretend, to stretch beyond the here and now to fulfill someone else's fantasy. She was just trying to survive, trying to feel, to make it through the day without breaking. Quinn hoped that Sam could find a way to love this version of her, the real her she'd become after years of bottled pain and disappointment. He accepted her before, when they were friends in love with other people, he'd taken her bruised and battered, and cared about her just as she was. Could he do that again? Or did he only want the Quinn he remembered from years ago?

Taking the risk she decided to let him in, let him see the real her. "It's all an act. Inside I feel like I could collapse. I'm just trying to keep my head above water." She released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. It felt good to let down another wall, to admit that she wasn't perfect, that she wasn't 100 percent.

"Remember that summer when I taught you how to swim? Do you remember what I used to tell you when you were scared?"

"You told me to lean on you, and that you'd never let me drown."

It had been so hard to trust him then. She had never let anyone that close, to see behind her mask, to glimpse her fear so apparently, but Sam had persisted with his open smiles and eager eyes.

"That's right and by the end of the summer you didn't need me anymore. You could swim all on your own."

Sam had taught her so much more than how to swim that summer, he taught her that it was safe to open up, to let people in, to forge new friendships and to risk revealing herself so that she might experience a whole new world. Living solely inside her head, nestled safely with her songs and dreams became a thing of the past as she made friends and found a family.

"I still needed you. I didn't like to be in the water alone."

"Lean on me now Quinn, just like when we were swimming. Any time things feel too hard or you want to collapse, you hold on to me. Okay? Let me carry you for a while."

It would be so easy to fall into his welcoming arms, to let him handle things, fix all that was wrong in her life, but she couldn't. Some things only she had the power to fix, like what was broken inside of her, what kept her still detached from her daughter even as she sat in her lap. Sam's love wasn't enough to fix all of those things, she had to find a way to forgive herself and start to heal. Although somehow just knowing he was there, surrounding her with support and understanding made her road ahead seem a little less daunting. She knew she had to travel it alone, Dr. Hill had made it clear that finding a way to love herself was an inside job, but knowing that someone else in the world found her worthy enough to love, even after all she had done, made her feel a little better, gave her the strength to look for the good inside herself.

"I don't want you to destroy your life for me. Nine months is a long time to sacrifice. Are you really okay with staying married that long?" she asked again. She wanted him to be sure that the choice he was making was truly his own.

"Nine months is nothing. I'd give up ninety years for you. I'm so happy right now." He grinned. "It's like my birthday came a day early. You've given me the best gift."

"I didn't give you anything."

"Yes you did. All wrapped up in this pretty red package." He ran his hand through her hair, lingering to caress her head. Quinn instinctively leaned into his touch, relishing the contact. "You gave me your heart and I'm holding it next to mine forever."

Quinn had been promised a lifetime before. Puck, and Mike all had pledged their devotion for the long term. Yet each one of them faded from her life, taking their promises of permanence with them. Love was fleeting in Quinn's world. She believed that she had to hold on to it while she could, because it would be gone before she knew it. Even Beth's love had seemed short term, her baby only liking her for a few shorts weeks of her life before she turned on her and sought out other options. Her parents were no better, of course they claimed to love her, but where were they when she was at her worst? Now when she had nothing but a shattered reputation and unbearable guilt, they weren't pushing their way into her life as they used to, when she was still golden, still untarnished with a life of possibility before her. They remained on the sidelines out of view, as if they were embarrassed to even claim her as their own. Not that Quinn blamed them, she wouldn't be quick to jump into the spotlight and support someone that did what she has done either. But weren't parents supposed to love unconditionally? Aren't they supposed to love her no matter the depths she had fallen?

"I love the sound of forever. Even if it lasts for only one day, I will never forget this feeling. We are a family."

Sam's promise of forever she could trust. Over ten years he had stuck by her, never letting her go, even when she probably deserved to be. If ever there were a love that was true, it was Sam's. Quinn had felt it even when he was focused on loving someone else. His love for her might have changed over the years, ebbing and flowing like waves against the shore, but it never went away, not completely. She could question everything else in this life, but not that, never that, Sam would always love her. She could feel it now more than ever, with a certainty that grew each time he looked into her eyes. It had been there when they were at the Beacon and it still was there now. Love. Undeniable and so clear.

"Yes we are, and nothing will ever change that," he said taking her hand and holding it.

Lulled by the green of his eyes, drifting deeper into them as he never looked away, she could see him at sixteen, his skin glistening in the water teaching her to swim, his hands holding her just as they were now, so strong and steady. Love so present and real coursing through her like life, like her essence. Is this what a soul stirring emotion felt like? When people described a soul mate did they feel like this? Quinn struggled to remember a time when she didn't feel this way. The boy he used to be, the man he became, the person he was sitting next to her now all melded together in her heart, forming one infallible truth that had been building within her for the past year, perhaps longer. She loved him and she had to tell him. Say the words, for once, for always, to voice those feelings that had been a part of her since high school, surfacing in gesture but never blatantly said. She had to let him know. Right now.

"Sam I need to tell you something," she said suddenly.

"Something important?" he asked raising one eyebrow.

"I think so. I've been feeling a certain way for a while now, but I never could get it out, you know work up the nerve to say it." She was starting to ramble something she rarely did. Usually her words were chosen with such care, precise and planned like most of her actions, but postpartum depression had changed that. Her mind was now filled with words and emotions she couldn't control.

Sam lifted Beth from her lap and placed her back in her baby seat, before turning to face her with a more serious expression on his face. "Is this about Beth?"

Tucking her hair behind both ears, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing nerves. "No, it is about Beth's dad, about how I feel about him."

"How do you feel about Beth's dad? I have it on pretty good authority that he'd like to know."

"He would?"

"Yes, he's all anxious about it." Sam smiled. "His heart's pumping so fast and his palms are sweaty, like a kid on prom night," he said poking her gently in her side.

Quinn tried to relax and fall into Sam's playful mood, but she couldn't. She felt like she had the first time she ever sang in front of an audience, thirteen, at a school talent show and she was petrified. Her tongue had felt like cotton that night, the notes clogged her throat as she started to sing. Only faith and possibly a miracle had pulled her through, because somehow she managed to perform.

"Sam I…I..." She stammered, willing the tears in her eyes not to fall. This was so ridiculous. It was just Sam, a man she'd known for years. Quinn could tell him anything, so why not this? "Why is this so hard?" she asked under her breath, staring down at her lap.

"You don't have to tell me now," he said lifting her chin. "We've got forever remember?"

She shook her head determined to tell him the truth, her reason for coming to see him tonight. "Now is the perfect time."

"Okay go for it." He smiled, folding his hands in his lap.

"Well I just…" She fumbled, the words getting stuck in her mouth. The syllables danced on the tip of her tongue, but would not take form. "Well first off I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday." Not exactly what she meant to say, but it was a start.

"It's not until tomorrow."

"I wanted to be the first to say it," she said patting him on the shoulder, praying he didn't think she was a complete idiot.

He took her hand from his shoulder, and held it, squeezing it slightly. "Thank you. What was the other thing? You seem like you want to say something more."

"Oh," she said and nothing more. Sam watched her, leaning forward expectantly, and Quinn started to panic. A cold sweat was imminent and the butterflies had hatched in her stomach. This was it. Sam was waiting to hear something big and she couldn't deliver.

"Quinn? Are you okay?"

"Of course, yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She spoke quickly trying to play off her uneasiness. "I hope you have a great day and all your wishes come true," she added, faking a smile. Inside she was yelling at herself. This was her chance and she blew it. Why was it so hard to tell him what was in her heart?

"I think that's covered already. Pretty close to cloud nine as I can get."

"Now that we've settled that, I'd better be going," she said rising to her feet.

"You just got here." He stood in front of her, blocking her escape.

Quinn turned to leave. "I can't risk getting caught being with Beth."

"Okay." He agreed, catching her by the hand and pulling her back toward him. "We probably should be careful, but I want to see you tonight."

"Santana and I had planned a sleepover."

"I'm sure Santana would understand that you'd rather be sleeping over with me," he said stepping closer.

"I'm not the type to just ditch my girlfriend for some guy."

"I think we both know I'm not just some guy." Sam ran his hands down her bare arms. Quinn shivered as his fingers grazed her skin, her eyes closing as she imagined his hands other places. "Quinn?" He said her name low and sexy by her ear.

"Yeah," she murmured, so caught up in her thoughts she had yet to open her eyes.

"Can I come over?" he asked her again, the warmth of his breath tickling her skin as he spoke.

Oh my God, she screamed in her mind. Sam was on top of her, his hard body pressed against hers, his lips blazing a trail from her throat, down her chest, leisurely swirling circles on her stomach with his tongue. He dipped into her navel and then paused, looking up at her, a smile on his face. She arched her back, subtly trying to urge him closer, to prompt him to continue covering her body with kisses. Satisfied as his lips once again touched her skin, she moaned. Was that out loud? Her eyes snapped open to find Sam inches from her face, staring at her with a smile.

"I don't know," she replied trying to pull herself together. The visions in her mind had been so vivid, part memories from the night before, part fantasies of what she wished would come. "I'll have to think about it."

"Liar, you've already said 'yes' in your head."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Pretty confident Evans."

"That I am. I'm Beth's dad, the one you feel a certain way about."

"Are you making fun of me?" She hit at him playfully. Leave it to Sam to sense her discomfort and tease her about it. He had this way of making her lighten up, even in her darkest times.

"Never," he said catching her hand mid assault and putting it over his shoulder. "So I guess I'll see you later?" he asked dropping his voice and pulling her flush against him. Quinn put her other arm over his shoulder, enjoying their close proximity.

"We really shouldn't. You need to work on getting your marriage on track, being a model husband. We have to stay focused and be strong," she said attempting to convince herself that being alone with Sam in a hotel would be all kinds of wrong. Although as he rubbed circles on her back, slow and rhythmic, while every part of his body touched hers, she couldn't quite remember why.

"I couldn't agree more," he said stepping back. "I want to stay focused. You're right. I'll try to find a way to spend time with my wife tonight. Do you think I should ask her out to dinner?"

"I don't want you to do that," she answered quickly, already missing their closeness from minutes before.

"But you just said…"

"I changed my mind. I'm a woman. I'm allowed."

"Okay, so does this mean I'm coming over?" he asked grinning like he won a prize.

"No."

"No?" Still with the grin. Quinn wanted to kiss that smile off his face.

"No you can't come over. It would be wrong."

So very wrong no matter how good it would feel to be alone with those lips, those hands, and all the things Sam could do to her body. No she couldn't let her mind go there again. She willed herself to think of something unsexy like back hair, the orderly with the gold tooth at the mental hospital, Dwight Evans in a hot tub, anything to help her mind crawl out of the gutter.

"Quinn you're making my head hurt," he said taking a seat on the bed.

"I'm sorry. Strong and focused is the plan. Let's stick to that."

"Ok then I guess I need to get ready for some serious begging because Mercedes wants nothing to do with me. I don't know if she'll even talk to me about Beth or anything else at this point."

"I'm sure you'll find a way."

"Maybe I'll take your advice and use the lips, turn up the charm." Sam smiled brightly, exposing the deep creases and dimple in his cheeks.

Her stomach did a little flip flop at the sight. "No that's a bad idea."

"But you said earlier…"

"I know what I said, but I don't want you to do it."

"Are we back to going in circles again?"

"Ugh I hate this. I know you have to make nice with her, but I don't like it. I feel like I'm turning you into a manwhore."

Sam smirked but Quinn couldn't find anything about this amusing. She was pushing Sam toward another woman. Every part of her found something wrong with that. She wanted him all to herself, to be the one he spent time with, the one he held and kissed, the one he loved. In a way she was that person to him already. Sam had made it clear he had deep feelings for her, and that was so nice to hear. To finally have someone that loved and wanted her, after feeling alone for so long. Abandoned by Puck, emotionally detached from Beth and her parents, it felt like nothing would ever break through the emptiness that existed inside of her. Then along came Sam, swooping in with his love and support, making everything better, bringing the light slowly back into her life. Quinn loved him most of all for that, for being her constant, her hero. She knew no one would ever love her the way Sam did.

He was a godsend in her life, now, before the accident, during her breakup with Puck, back in high school, he'd seen her through it all and she would be ever grateful. But had she been the same type of presence for him? Had her friendship over the years carried him through the dark times and sustained him during periods of loneliness? Quinn wasn't sure. She feared her self-centeredness over the years had allowed her to reap the benefits of having Sam in her life without ever giving him much in return.

She caught a glimpse of his wedding band, bold and shiny out of the corner of her eye and her gut twisted. The reason why she held back saying those three little words to him was in clear view. Sam wasn't hers to love. Some fluke side effect of his coma had given her another chance to be with Sam, to start over, to love him the way he deserved this time. She truly believed this was a sign from God, as did he. But would God really approve of their methods? Would he want them to blindly follow their hearts, forsaking Mercedes' feelings just so they could find their own happiness?

What about the life Sam wanted before the accident? Quinn knew in excruciating detail how much Sam wanted his marriage to work. Was it fair for her to get in the way of the life he used to want? If it were only about Mercedes, maybe this would be easier, Quinn didn't have much concern for the girl, not after all the ways her actions had messed up her life. But this wasn't only about Mercedes, Sam's feelings had to be considered as well. He didn't remember it now, but before his accident Mercedes meant the world to him. Quinn just couldn't ignore that and dive into a relationship with him. Could she? Sam was telling her that he wanted her to be his future, that they were the final destination in all of this, but would he still feel the same if his memory returned? Would he end up resenting the choices he made or worse yet resenting her?

"Hey," he said suddenly standing in front of her. He gently kissed her forehead. "I'm doing what I have to do. It's for our future right?"

Maybe she was over thinking things, making it all too complicated. Sam loved her, she loved him and Mercedes was letting him go. Even without the accident this would have been the case. Mercedes had filed for divorce, their marriage had essentially come to an end last year. This shift in their dynamic might have been inevitable, especially once it was discovered Beth was their child.

"Right," she agreed, relaxing a little.

"I think I can handle sweet talking Mercedes for a bit to make sure we get our shot."

"Sounds good, but no kissing."

Knowing that Sam had kissed Mercedes earlier in the night bothered Quinn far more than she would ever admit. She knew he had kissed her and then some before, but that was back when he was in the hospital, almost felt like a lifetime ago. Things had changed since then. He'd come to get her upstate, they spent the night together. There were promises made, real and implied. Even though she had urged him to go home and face Mercedes she thought what they had shared meant something to him, that he wouldn't be able to just jump back into his life with Mercedes without any difficulty. Yet Sam seemed to be able to switch between the two of them with ease.

To make matters worse he hadn't even tried to kiss her all night. He had flirted and playfully nipped at her neck but that wasn't real, it wasn't about emotion. It was just Sam being Sam. Last night at the Holiday Inn he couldn't keep his hands off of her, but now he was keeping a respectful distance. Usually that would've been nice, it gets tiresome continuously being pawed, but tonight Quinn couldn't help but wonder if something more were at play. If maybe his distance was less about respect and more about the wife he just kissed.

"Okay. I'm cool with that. But mind telling me why the change? Before you were all any means necessary."

"I still am. Any means that doesn't involve your lips or any other body parts."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Uh huh."

"Don't look at me like that."

"How am I looking at you?"

"All smug with that sexy crooked grin, stop that."

"I have no idea what you mean. I'm just trying to keep up with your ever changing game plan."

"The plan hasn't changed. Play nice to convince her, just don't touch her while doing it."

She must seem like a complete flake. One minute telling him to seduce Mercedes the next telling him to keep his hands off. She was starting to annoy herself with all the back and forth.

"What if she needs some softening up? She is pretty mad at me."

Sam definitely had a talent for being hard to resist. Quinn was sure that not even Mercedes with her stubborn streak and wounded pride could ignore him once he pulled out all the stops. And Quinn knew all his moves firsthand that was the problem. She knew full well just what seducing Mercedes would entail and she didn't like it.

"Tell her a poem. That used to work on me in high school." Sam was the sweetest boy back then reciting her poetry on a whim, or whenever he couldn't find his own words to express himself.

"I don't think so. Some things are sacred."

Their eyes locked and Sam gave her a knowing smile. He was right there with her transported back to their youth. So many nights she spent in his arms listening to him recite Keats, or Shelley, sometimes Pope, serenading her with their beautiful words.

"Show her the stars then," she suggested halfheartedly.

She'd lost focus of their task, thinking of ways to placate Mercedes, she was still adrift under the stars with him. That sweet boy had become an incredible man, her constant source of strength and love. Just didn't seem right to be plotting ways for him to romance someone else. Quinn wanted all that sweetness for herself.

He shook his head. "I only do that with you, besides Mercedes needs a more hands on approach I think, full seduction and definitely the lips."

He paced in front of her hand cupping his chin, as if he were in deep thought. Quinn knew better he was doing this for her benefit. Sam was totally playing with her now, getting far too much pleasure from watching her squirm.

"You suck so bad."

"Sucking, that might work on her too." He stopped in front of her. "Right here maybe." His finger trailed along the column of her throat. "Then on her neck, then moving on up to her earlobe like this." He had barely touched her and her body was already starting to warm. If he kept it up she knew she would crack, probably do something completely inappropriate like throw him on the bed and have her way with him.

"Fine you win," she said jerking away from his sexy finger. "I'm jealous."

"Really? I thought you said it was no big deal."

"The thought of you touching her or kissing her is making me crazy. I don't want you to be with her like that."

Jealousy was like an infection, left untreated it spread until it consumed everything. Quinn wasn't sure of the exact day she knew she was jealous of Mercedes, she supposed it had started gradually when Sam announced their engagement and built from there. Those feelings were just petty, worries about not getting to see him as often now that he was taken, fears that their friendship would change, and the ever present threat of being replaced in his heart. But those thoughts were manageable, persistent yet tolerable, like the dull throb after stubbing a toe. Everyday stuff that comes with being an ex, that little bit of possessiveness that never seems to fade.

With Mercedes it was different because he was different with her. She had changed him in small yet noticeable ways. Quinn couldn't pinpoint the exact changes, she didn't want to focus on his relationship in that much detail, but even not knowing specifics didn't change the full effect. Mercedes made Sam happy. Happy in a way she had never truly seen him before. His eyes sparkled around her, his smile was brighter, his laugh louder. He was at ease, content, fulfilled, all because some unusual girl with too much energy, and a penchant for clumsiness came into his life. She had bewitched him somehow. No one had ever expected it to happen, but she did, capturing his heart and keeping it, maybe even now. Quinn couldn't forget his admission earlier, that he had kissed her and that he wanted to do it. What was it about Mercedes that made him so attracted even when he had no memory of her in his life?

"Why not?"

"Because I want you to be like that with me."

It wasn't even about flirtation or sex, not really. She knew she and Sam were great together in that way, their passion had survived a decade and showed no signs of fading. What she wanted more than anything was to be his source of joy, to be the one person in his life he could look at and instantly feel better. She wanted to make him smile, so full and wide that his eyes disappeared into his face, and his dimples got so deep she could stick her fingers in them. That was the one thing she had never really done with him, made him truly happy. Break his heart, make him mad, disappoint and degrade his esteem, guilty, she'd done all of that. But bring him true happiness, in the way that Mercedes seemed to have, that she never did. And now that was all she wanted to do.

"Now was that so hard to admit?" he asked wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly.

"Yes and embarrassing," Quinn said against his shoulder. She nestled closer to him, soaking up every bit of that hug.

"This is us. You and me," he said capturing her face in his hands. "Never be embarrassed about how you feel, about anything."

"Even if it is wrong to feel it?"

Selfish thoughts warred with what she always believed was right, that love was hallowed, that a marriage shouldn't be violated by outside forces. All the tenets in the bible she held so firmly, the laws she had chosen to live by, the rules that shaped her moral code, even if she didn't always quite manage to follow them, she believed them. And to do this with Sam, to pursue him when he wasn't free, just felt like she was ignoring all she held true. She should be helping Sam reconnect with Mercedes, not be the person that was keeping them apart.

"Love is never wrong."

He sounded so certain. She wanted to believe him, to defy the contradictions in her heart that held her back from openly expressing her feelings.

Sam picked up Beth from her chair, holding her with one arm, while beckoning Quinn closer with the other. "Look at our daughter."

"She's beautiful," she said stepping into Sam's open embrace. The only good thing she'd ever done was watching her with wide green eyes. Quinn blinked back the tears as she silently vowed to make things right for Beth, to be a better mom, to make up for all her mistakes.

"Yes she is, and we love her and that's not wrong."

"No it's not." She kissed Beth's chubby cheek, and then caressed her little chin. A gummy smile graced her face and the tears Quinn had tried so hard to stifle fell one by one. Her baby was smiling at her, just as she did in so many of her dreams.

"Doesn't matter how complicated things are right now or how many obstacles are in our way, how we feel isn't wrong. I love you." Sam kissed Beth's forehead. "And I love you." He turned and kissed Quinn's head as well.

It was the three of them. Mercedes could never get in the way of that. Silly of her to think otherwise, to foolishly believe she had no right to love Sam, when she absolutely did. She didn't need a wedding ring to give her permission, he had already given it years ago, whispered under the stars, etched in the bark of an old oak tree, reflecting in his eyes every time he looked in her direction. His love withstood heartbreak, betrayal, bitter disappointments and her fears. It laid in wait, poised for the day when she'd be ready to return it. Finally she wanted to step forward and claim what was hers, what he had given so freely all those years before. She would make him happier than he'd ever been, making up for all the pain she caused him before. This time things would be better, they'd be right, because this was their second chance, and Quinn had no plans on wasting it. His heart was hers and this time she was going to keep it.

"Sam," she said almost in a whisper, looking into his deep blue eyes. "I want you to come over." He drew in a breath, flicking his tongue over his lips, before giving her a crooked grin.

To hell with being strong she wanted to feel those lips, full and soft against her own. Fingertips on his mouth, tracing the path her lips would take, only the slightest hesitation and then she gave in, her eyes closing as she leaned up and kissed him. Soft and sweet, her lips dancing across his, a smile on her face as she felt him relax, rubbing the back of her head, urging her closer. So she kissed him harder, thorough and complete, hoping he would feel all that she couldn't say in this one kiss. Because this was love. Unspoken but still true. And as he smiled against her lips, whispering I love you like a promise, Quinn knew he felt it too.