Later that evening, the trio decided to celebrate Jayden's return at Quinn's place. They had pizza, a stash of snacks, and Ava was already picking a movie they'd inevitably talk through instead of watching.
"Okay, horror or comedy?" Ava asked, holding up two DVDs.
Jayden shrugged. "As long as it has a plot and isn't just screaming and running, I'm good."
Quinn smirked, sitting cross-legged on the couch. "Are you saying you can't handle horror?"
"Me? Can't handle horror?" Jayden feigned offense. "Please. I'm tougher than I look."
Quinn and Ava exchanged glances, and Ava immediately picked the scariest-looking horror movie she could find. As soon as it started, Jayden jumped every time a door creaked, which was exactly what Quinn and Ava had hoped for.
Then, in the middle of the movie, Quinn's phone buzzed with a message from Ethan.
Ethan: Hey, just ordered some food and thought you might want in. Should I bring some over?
Quinn frowned. Ethan was the last person she wanted to think about right now—especially with Jayden here. She hesitated, about to type back that she'd review it later, but Ava saw her screen and gasped.
"Ohhh, is that Ethan?" Ava asked, her voice dripping with curiosity.
Jayden's head snapped over. "Ethan? Who's Ethan?"
Ava looked at Jayden, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh, just her *hot* new neighbor."
Quinn groaned. "He's not hot. He's… professional."
Jayden raised an eyebrow, looking between Ava and Quinn. "Oh, so this Ethan guy's suddenly a big deal, huh?"
"It's not like that!" Quinn said, maybe a little too quickly. But Jayden's grin widened.
"Professional, huh? Since when do you get flustered over 'professional' guys?" he teased, poking her side.
Quinn rolled her eyes. "Please, Jayden, there's nothing there. He's… just a neighbor."
Ava winked at Jayden. "You should've seen her the other day. She was all—" she cleared her throat and deepened her voice, mimicking Quinn's slightly awkward, stammering tone around Ethan, "Uh…hi…Ethan. I didn't…uh…know you were…here?"
Quinn threw a pillow at her. "I do not sound like that!"
"Uh…hi, Ethan…" Jayden mimicked with a dramatic eye flutter, dodging a second pillow.
Quinn tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably, laughing along with them. Still, a strange pang of jealousy flickered in Jayden's eyes, though he quickly masked it with a grin.
Just then, another message buzzed on Quinn's phone. This time, it was a picture—a selfie of Ethan holding a takeout bag and standing in front of her door.
"Guess I brought dinner to the wrong place. You out tonight?"
Quinn's heart skipped a beat. "Oh no…he's outside my door!"
Ava's jaw dropped. "Wait, Ethan's *at your apartment*?"
Jayden's smile faltered. "He… just showed up?"
Quinn quickly typed back, "Sorry, not home tonight. Have fun with your dinner!"
But Ava wasn't having it. "Girl, we are going back there *right now.* This is too good to pass up. We have to meet him!"
Quinn shook her head. "No way. We're staying right here. Let's just enjoy the night, okay?"
But Jayden stood up, his eyebrows raised. "I think it's a good idea. I'm curious about this guy." He tried to sound casual, but there was a distinct edge in his tone.
Quinn rolled her eyes but, deep down, a part of her was curious too. Ava's excitement was contagious, and Jayden's protective side seemed suddenly on high alert. Before she knew it, they were piling into Jayden's car, heading back to her apartment to "accidentally" run into Ethan.
---
When they arrived, the hallway was empty, save for a bag of takeout left by her door. Quinn picked it up, frowning.
"He just… left?" she said, feeling oddly disappointed.
Jayden snickered. "Guess your 'professional' guy gave up and ran home."
Ava was looking around, as if hoping Ethan would magically appear. "Oh, come on! I was hoping for some drama!"
But just as she said that, the elevator doors opened, and Ethan stepped out, holding a set of keys, clearly on his way to drop them off with the building manager.
The hallway suddenly felt way too small as Ethan's gaze landed on the trio. His eyes moved from Quinn to Jayden, who was standing just a little too close to her, and then back to Ava's ridiculous "Welcome Home, Jayden!" sign, still in her hands.
"Quinn," he said, a hint of surprise in his tone. "Didn't expect to see you."
Jayden stepped forward, extending a hand with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Jayden. I'm Quinn's best friend."
Ethan shook his hand politely, his expression unreadable. "Ethan. Neighbor."
The tension was practically sparking, and Ava's grin was about to split her face. "Oh, this is gonna be good," she whispered, nudging Quinn.
Ethan's gaze flickered to Quinn, his brow raised. "Didn't mean to intrude. Just thought I'd drop off some dinner in case you hadn't eaten."
Jayden crossed his arms, not breaking eye contact. "Oh, it's no intrusion at all. We were actually just catching up after my trip."
Quinn, caught between them, threw Ava a look that screamed *help!* But Ava was loving every second, shrugging with an innocent smile.
"Right, just catching up," Quinn added quickly, clearing her throat. "Anyway, thanks, Ethan, for stopping by. Really… thoughtful of you."
Ethan's expression softened, his gaze lingering on her a moment longer. "Of course. Well, enjoy your evening, Quinn. Nice meeting you all." He nodded politely at Jayden and Ava, then turned to leave, his footsteps echoing down the hall.
The moment he was out of earshot, Ava burst into giggles. "That was amazing. *Jayden vs. Ethan,* round one! Who's up for round two?"
Jayden looked at her, crossing his arms. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was just… making sure he understood that Quinn has friends looking out for her."
Quinn sighed, shaking her head, a mixture of amusement and mild frustration. "You two are impossible."
But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated.