The next few days were unusually peaceful for Quinn. After the dramatic showdown at the gala, she'd expected things between her and Ethan to either escalate or fall apart. But surprisingly, things had settled into a kind of comfortable normalcy. They spoke daily, and while there was still a cloud of tension hovering over them, Quinn was starting to think they might actually work this out.
That was, until one afternoon, when everything changed.
It started innocently enough. Ava and Jayden had invited Quinn to the mall for a casual day of shopping, something she'd been looking forward to after the chaotic events of the past few weeks. It was supposed to be fun—a chance for Quinn to unwind and take her mind off the constant back-and-forth with Ethan and Lydia.
As they strolled past a high-end clothing store, Quinn was lost in conversation with Ava, laughing at some ridiculous comment Jayden had made. She had just glanced up to see a new pair of shoes in the display window when she froze.
Across the mall, in the midst of the busy afternoon crowd, Quinn's eyes landed on Ethan. And right next to him, holding his hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world, was Lydia.
Quinn's stomach sank.
They were laughing—together. Their closeness, the way Lydia leaned into him, the way his hand rested casually on her back... It all hit Quinn like a punch to the gut.
She wasn't even sure why it bothered her so much. She knew Lydia was a part of Ethan's past, but seeing them together like that—like they had never been apart—made Quinn feel something she wasn't ready to acknowledge: jealousy.
It wasn't just the fact that Lydia was in the picture again. It was the intimacy of the moment. The ease between them. The way Ethan didn't look like he had a care in the world, completely at ease with her presence. Quinn hadn't realized just how much she had been hoping for a clean break between them, but seeing them together felt like a betrayal of everything she had hoped for.
Ava noticed the change in Quinn's posture immediately. She followed Quinn's gaze and saw what had caught her attention.
"Ava, I—" Quinn started, but her voice caught in her throat. She felt like the ground beneath her feet was starting to crumble. She couldn't breathe, couldn't focus.
"You okay?" Ava asked, her voice a little quieter now.
Quinn blinked rapidly, but the image of Ethan and Lydia laughing together, so carefree and comfortable, wouldn't leave her mind. She felt a strange mix of anger and disappointment building inside of her. She didn't want to care, but she couldn't help it. The sight of them, so at ease with each other, made her feel like she was being played for a fool.
"I'm fine," Quinn managed to say, though the words sounded hollow even to her own ears.
Jayden had also noticed the shift in Quinn. He shot her a concerned look. "Quinn, are you sure? You look—"
"I'm fine," Quinn repeated, more firmly this time. "Let's just keep going."
But she couldn't keep going. Not with her heart pounding so loudly in her chest.
She spent the next few minutes wandering around the mall, pretending to look at clothes, but her mind was on anything but shopping.
When they stopped at a café to sit down and grab a coffee, Quinn felt like she couldn't breathe anymore. The air in the café felt thick, suffocating.
"I'm going to head home," Quinn suddenly said, her voice shaky. "I... I don't feel well."
Ava and Jayden exchanged a look, but neither of them pushed her. They both knew something was off, but Quinn wasn't ready to talk about it.
Quinn left the café quickly, her phone buzzing in her pocket as she walked out of the mall. She saw that it was Ethan calling, but she didn't pick up. She didn't even look at the text messages that followed.
For the rest of the day, Quinn avoided his calls. She turned off her phone's notifications, ignoring every message that came through. She didn't want to hear what he had to say. Didn't want to hear him explain the situation or try to reassure her.
She was tired. Tired of the back and forth. Tired of wondering if she was being unreasonable or if she had the right to feel hurt.
When she got home, she packed an overnight bag without a second thought. She grabbed her things, slipped out the door, and headed straight to Ava's place.
Ava and Jayden hadn't expected her to actually show up at their door, but they didn't question it when Quinn arrived, her expression guarded and her shoulders tense.
"Quinn?" Ava said cautiously, opening the door. "What's going on?"
"I just... I need a break," Quinn said, her voice tight. "I can't deal with it right now."
Ava raised an eyebrow but didn't ask more questions. "You're always welcome here. Just don't disappear on us, okay?"
Quinn nodded, but she couldn't help but feel like she was running away. It wasn't that she didn't care about Ethan—it was the opposite, actually. She cared too much, and the thought of confronting him right now felt like too much to bear.
She spent the evening with Ava and Jayden, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. She hadn't told Ethan where she was, hadn't responded to his calls or messages. She didn't want to talk to him. Not until she figured out what she wanted, what *they* were.
---
The next few days were a blur. Quinn avoided Ethan entirely, not replying to any of his calls or texts. Every time she heard the ping of a message notification, her stomach would churn. She couldn't bring herself to talk to him—not when everything was so confusing. Not when she wasn't sure what was real anymore.
She knew it was immature. She knew it wasn't the way to handle things. But right now, all she wanted was peace. Silence. The chaos of her thoughts was too loud, and the idea of confronting Ethan felt like an impossible mountain to climb.
She didn't know how long she could keep this up. How long she could stay silent.
But for now, silence was the only thing she had left.