Apologise [it's never too late]: for Quinn madeherdecision

[allforhumanity]

OOC: continued from here.

"So," Dex smiled across the table at her, setting down his helping of salad from the bowl as he gestured about them. "Been a while since we've come here."

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[madeherdecision]

Quinn was glad they had decided to do this, and had made up. The restaurant was one of her favorites, and she shifted her salad in front of her before sprinkle some cheese on it. When Dexter spoke, she looked up at him and smiled. "It has been," she said with a smile and nod. "I think it was right before it got cold since it was warm enough to eat outside then."

[allforhumanity]

Dex added a little of the balsamic vinegar for himself before smiling again. He liked this, felt like they haven't sat and eaten together in a while.

"I missed eating with you... well. Cooking for us, mostly." He didn't really worry about it, otherwise.

But he liked to have her eat what he'd made, test it out. For him it was a way to take care of her.

[madeherdecision]

Quinn put a few drops of dressing on her salad before pickin up her fork. She gave him another smile and ate a bite before washing it down with the wine they had decided to order. "Am I that interesting when I eat," she asked before softly laughing. "I've missed it too."

Not only had she missed his cooking, but she missed the quiet conversations they had when they ate together. It seemed they were able to talk about almost anything while sitting at the dinner table.

"How have things been lately?" she asked since they really hadn't spoken much since the fight.

[allforhumanity]

"Yeah, you're real expressive..." he winks. "No, good. Just work.. boring for the most part." No one to come home to and forget about it, even if to argue.

He takes a sip of sparkling water and nodded, "you? I heard you and Melissa got into a fight about me 'cheating'? Or so she told me."

Yeah.. he would have to tell her about this.

[madeherdecision]

"Nothing wrong with working," Quinn said since that was what she'd been doing since their breakup.

When he mentioned Melissa, she sheepishly shrugged and took another bite of her salad. Quinn really didn't want to talk about that, but knew there was no way of ignoring it now.

"I've been okay]. Took a few extra shifts at the coffee shop, and I'm helping a friend rewrite her script for the summer play," she said before taking a deep breath. "And, yes, we got into a fight over it. A lot of yelling, but I didn't hit her."

[allforhumanity]

"I know you didn't," he shook his head, voice lowering a bit as he added, "she told me. When she came over. Quinn -"

He reached across to take her hand. "I have to tell you something, okay?"

Because he'd rather it came from him.

[madeherdecision]

Quinn nodded her head, figuring Melissa had told him. When he took her hand, saying he had something to tell her, Quinn felt her heart droo a little. With the way things had been, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"And what's that?" she quietly asked.

[allforhumanity]

Dex squeezed and linked her fingers with his, before repeating softly, "I would never cheat on you. Okay? I still say that.. and I'm only repeatin' 'cause I know she's gonna probably try to rub this in later. Split us up."

He really.. didn't understand bitchy women. High maintainence, insecure.. he could handle. He knew Quinn had a good heart ultimately, but Melissa? Damn black hole.

"She tried to kiss me." He nods. "When she came over after the fight. When you saw us together.. I wasn't holding her. And I was in my towel because I'd just got out the shower and she'd come through the back door. I was as surprised as you were..." It hadn't been a guilty reaction.

[madeherdecision]

Quinn felt her heart pounding in her chest, sure he was going to say he'd slept with Melissa. If had, she wouldn't have been angry since they were broken up at the time. She would have been more upset since Melissa and her didn't get along, and she didn't want to hear the other woman brag about sleeping with the man Quinn loved. So when Dexter said he hadn't cheated on her, she took a deep breath and nodded.

"She tried to kiss you?" she quietly asked.

Quinn's mind started to race, and she thickly swallowed. She didn't want Melissa around Dexter, but she knew they were friends, and she didn't want to be one of those people, who forced their boyfriends to chose between them and a friend. Maybe she had done it in high school, but she'd grown out of that.

"You didn't like it, did you?"

[allforhumanity]

"Tried bein' operative," he says ruefully, sighing. "I think I hurt her when I pushed her." Only thing he might regret - god, someone who hurt a girl was the worst. But he'd been shocked and.. that - how could someone be that calleous? Just because he'd broken up with Quinn, didn't mean he didn't love her anymore. Wasn't there the shame, or grace periods anymore? Jeez.

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't ask me that..." he said softly, but not angrily. She had the right to ask. "No... how could it? She wasn't you. I mighta been angry, upset - but I wouldn't have taken what she was giving out, Quinn."

Because he had some taste. He thought in friends too, but hey - she wasn't gonna be that anymore that was for sure.

"I'm sorry, you know.. you tried to tell me about her and I didn't take it seriously.."

[madeherdecision]

Quinn knew she didn't need to ask the question, but she needed to hear the words. While she'd gotten over her low self esteem issues, she was still very much human and had moments of insecurity. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and looked over at him. "I can't condemn you pushing her since she knew better," she said. The words weren't spoken because she loathed the other woman; they were spoken because Melissa wasn't stupid and she knew how Quinn and Dexter felt about each other.

"No, don't worry about it. She's a friend, and you couldn't have known she would take advantage like that."

Quinn felt bad for him, since she knew what it was like to have a friend turn and do something like that. And even though a part of her wanted to ask Dexter to stay away from Melissa, she didn't. She wasn't going to be that girlfriend, and knew he could make his own decisions.

"I love you."

[allforhumanity]

His eyes softened a little at that and he squeezed that hand slowly, "I love you too."

It was why he couldn't do it, and why - even if he had been defensive when she first showed up - he wanted to hear her out. He wanted to hope.. maybe... that she wouldn't let them just pass by. Wonder 'what if'.

"Hey.. I say we skip dessert and go back to mine. I still got half of that cheesecake you love..."