All Chapters of End Game: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Chapter TwelveArcher“Look at you!” Mom coos, going right for Quinn’s belly. Quinn grins and bears it, and I mouth sorry to her, knowing she doesn’t like to have her stomach touched. “That’s a definite baby bump. She’s so precious, Archer.” Mom steps away, throwing her arms around me. She wasn’t always overly affectionate, but seeing your eldest son repeatedly knock on death’s door does something to you.“She is,” I agree. “I think I’ll keep her.”“How are you feeling?” Mom asks Quinn, following us into the house. We’re having dinner first, and Mrs. Dawson went all out with the food. This wasn’t supposed to be a big ordeal. Quinn and I wanted our family and that’s it, but it’s grown to more of a party-party than a small dinner party. We woke up this Saturday morning to Mrs. Dawson bustling about the kitchen, starting the cooking and cleaning early.I didn’t expect my parents to come all this way down from Michigan, but Mom insisted she and Dad needed the break. Which they do. I haven

Chapter FourteenArcherJackson slips under the surface of the water and doesn’t come back up. Quinn screams, and I jump in, diving down and swimming across to grab Jackson. I hook my arm around him and push off the bottom of the pool. He’s thrashing, doing everything he can to get himself to the surface, and hits me in the face a few times. I bring him up out of the water, and Weston takes him from my arms, bringing him out of the pool.“What were you thinking?” Weston asks, eyes wide with fear. Jackson coughs up water, and Wes holds him tightly against him. I pull myself up out of the water, eyes on the kid. “Are you okay?”Jackson is still coughing, and being hugged tight by his father isn’t helping. Quinn comes around, crouching down to Jackson. Mrs. Dawson comes outside, panicked.“What happened? I heard someone scream.”“Jackson jumped in the pool and Archer saved him,” Quinn says, letting out a shaky breath. “Is he okay?”“I think so,” Wes says, both hands on Jackson’s shoulder

Chapter SixteenArcherSmiling, I take Quinn’s hand. “Things are quite different now than the last time we walked up and down this river.”“You’re not kidding,” she says back with a laugh. We just got done with dinner and are enjoying the night out together.“Though one thing is the same.”“What?”My heart is in my throat, but this time I’m not nervous. “I was in love with you then, like I am now.”Quinn stops short, grip on my hand tightening. Her lips are slightly parted with shock, but her eyes are sparkling. “What?”I pull her close, heart thumping away. “If you’re not ready to say it back, that’s okay. But I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time. I love you.”“I love you, too.”“Really?”“Yes,” she says with a laugh, blinking back tears. “I knew I was falling but was scared you didn’t feel the same.”“I do, babe. I really fucking do.”Unable to keep my lips off hers any longer, I lean down and kiss her deeper than I should be kissing her in public, but I can’t help it.“Wai

Chapter EighteenArcherI hang up the phone and rub my temples. I wasn’t expecting that. Not at fucking all. I’m still a little stunned. Raising my arms above my head, I stretch and roll my neck. I’m used to standing in the same position for hours and didn’t realize I’ve been sitting and hardly moved for the last hour and a half.I go to the window, giving myself a moment to process everything, and look down at the city. I’m in Quinn’s kitchen, and the view is amazing. In my younger years, I would have loved to live here. I’d feel like a fucking baller up in this place, with its large white kitchen and lakefront view.But now…now I’m questioning raising a child in a place like this. Not because I don’t think it’s fitting, but because I know how Quinn grew up in a small town, and how I watched them, an outsider looking in, and thought the Dawsons were fucking perfect.I press one hand against the cool glass, staring at Lake Michigan until my vision goes blurry. Recalling everything I s

Chapter TwentyQuinnI cried when Archer left this morning. I didn’t mean to, and I tried really hard not to, but I’m full of so many damn hormones I can’t help it. Our goodbye lasted longer than it should, and he had to speed to make sure he’s home in time for his call-shift.He got up early, and after lying in bed worrying about him falling asleep while driving, I called him, and we talked for half an hour. After that, I ended up falling back asleep, and now that I’m up again, I’m keeping my phone by my side. Archer should be arriving at his place in the next half hour or so, and he promised to call as soon as he got in so I know he’s okay.Not wanting to risk sitting around my apartment feeling sorry for myself the rest of the weekend, I get dressed and go get out of the house, going to the pet store for cat food and litter. I usually order everything off Amazon because what’s the point of advancing technology if I’m not going to use it, right?I’ve been ordering groceries for the