Sugar & Spice

Chapter 34

Crissy didn't feel anything at the news of Shannon's arrival. Not at first anyway. It was too much to take in all at once and she couldn't process any more on top of everything else. Megan dipped her head to look Crissy in the eye.

"Crissy?" she whispered. "Are you okay?"

Slowly, Crissy nodded.

"I'm so sorry," Megan said. "If I'd known..."

"It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. But...how did she get here so fast? I thought she was in California?"

Megan blew out a breath and Crissy could have sworn it sounded like a growl.

"Turns out, she's been living only an hour and a half away," Megan said. She hesitated before adding, "Quinn had her down as his emergency contact when they were...you know. But I guess he just...never got around to changing it."

That got Crissy's heart jackhammering away at her ribs. Only an hour and a half away. Did Quinn know? And why hadn't he taken her off of his emergency contact? Didn't Megan say they broke up years ago?

"How long has she been living so close by?" Crissy said.

Megan shrugged. "Didn't think to ask her that. I was too busy trying to get Pete to let me go so I could kick her out."

Despite the concern settled in the middle of her chest, a dead weight pressing down on her lungs, Crissy still managed a small smile.

"That's not necessary," she said.

"Yes it is."

"If she's here, she's concerned about him, just like the rest of us."

"She has no right to be here, Crissy," Megan hissed. "She broke my brother's heart and left him. He's happy now. She doesn't get to waltz back into his life whenever she wants to."

Megan squinted at Crissy and crossed her arms.

"Why are you so calm about this?" she demanded. "I'm ready to strangle her."

"Believe me," Crissy said. "I am not calm. I am...the opposite of calm right now."

Shannon turned and spotted Crissy and Megan lingering just outside the waiting room. Heat flushed up Crissy's face and her fingernails bit into her palm until she was sure there would be crescent shaped tattoos permanently embedded in her skin. Shannon crossed the room and held out her hand, glittering with a dozen different rings. Gold bangles hissed and clanked on her wrist from reaching out.

"You must be Crissy," she said. "I'm Shannon Carter."

In a haze, wondering when this whole surreal experience would finally be over, Crissy shook Shannon's hand. Her grip was firm, confident...but clammy and too cold for the warmth of June. Her gaze dropped to Crissy's hand with the ghost of a bittersweet smile.

"So the rumors are true then," Shannon said.

"Excuse me?"

She took Crissy's other hand and raised it up to get a better look at her ring.

"Quinn finally found his blushing bride," she said.

Crissy frowned and pulled away. There was something...sharp edging Shannon's voice, something that put Crissy off balance and she didn't like it. Maybe it was because Shannon knew about her and had kept up to date on Crissy's life with Quinn when Crissy was still getting used to the idea of Shannon's existence and how she had hurt Quinn years ago.

"That was uncalled for," Shannon said, ducking her head. "I only meant congratulations. Quinn deserves someone who can make him happy."

Megan coughed into her hand and turned away, her shoulders rigid. Shannon's gaze darted to Megan's back and something softened in her gaze, in her posture. She folded her hands and glanced down the hallway.