Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run novel Chapter 84

Simon flashed a confident grin, casually wrapping his arm around Quinn's waist like it was no big deal.

"Hop in, Quinn," he said with a nod towards the car.

Quinn slid into the front passenger seat, and Simon, ever the gentleman, leaned over to buckle her seatbelt.

After shutting the door, he turned to Clara and gestured towards the back. "Come on, Clara. We gotta get going. Mom’s waiting."

Clara wasn’t having it. Ignoring him, she dialed roadside assistance for her flat tire and started walking towards the street to catch a cab.

Simon jogged a few steps forward, urgency in his stride.

Just then, Quinn rolled down the window. "Simon..."

That single word seemed to ground him. It hit him—maybe Clara was ticked off because Quinn snagged the front seat. Clara had once laid claim to that seat, no questions asked. But ever since Quinn came along, that changed.

Simon’s frustration simmered inside, and when he got back in the car and hit the gas, his eyes flickered to the side mirror where Clara stood, hailing a cab.

Next to him, Quinn’s face twisted with irritation. Her lips pressed into a tight line. "Simon, maybe we should pick up Clara. You know how Mom is—it’ll be a whole thing if we don’t."

Simon was already itching for a reason to speak to Clara, but his pride held him back. Now, with Quinn’s suggestion, he was tempted to roll down the window.

Quinn sighed again, adding softly, "But she texted me today. It’s almost like she wanted me to catch you two together..."

Simon floored it, and the car sped up. Of course, Clara couldn’t just not care. The same woman who once threatened to jump off a building to keep their engagement wouldn’t just stop caring. He wasn’t going to buy it.

Watching Clara’s reflection in the mirror, Quinn clenched her fist and discreetly texted Colton.

[Colton, I think Simon’s really into my sister. What should I do...?]

The message tapped into Colton's protective side as if he were some knight ready to swoop in and save the day.

He’d already been in touch with Nate and decided to call him again. "Nate, Clara’s heading to your sister’s place for dinner. What are you waiting for?"

Already simmering with frustration, Nate set off for Ada’s house immediately. His sisters always had his back, no matter what trouble he stirred up. Clara had embarrassed him once, and now he was determined to make her pay.