The days after Quinn's return from her vacation passed by quickly, and her attitude remained unchanged. She wasn't the same Quinn who had left. No longer caught in the emotional rollercoaster that Ethan had caused, she carried herself with a new sense of detachment. She was back to being the confident, carefree woman she had always been, but now it was as if Ethan had never existed in her life at all. The flirty, playful Quinn that her friends knew and loved had returned, but this time, there was a wall. A wall that was impenetrable, even to him.
She still hadn't responded to any of his texts or calls, and every time he tried to talk to her, he was met with nothing but polite indifference. She acted like nothing had ever happened between them, her smile as bright and lighthearted as it had always been—except, it wasn't for him.
Ethan was left to wonder what went wrong. The more he tried to piece together the puzzle, the more the pieces slipped away. He couldn't understand it. It wasn't just her silence; it was the way she carried herself now. Cold. Distant. A version of Quinn that wasn't afraid to speak her mind—but only when it came to everyone but him.
---
It was a Friday evening when Quinn was invited to a small gathering at one of her friend's places. A casual get-together—nothing too fancy, just a few people, some drinks, and music. But Quinn didn't think about Ethan when she accepted the invitation. She wasn't about to let her time with her friends be overshadowed by him. She was free. She was going to enjoy herself.
Ava and Jayden were excited to see her back to her usual self, full of energy and charm. Quinn had slipped back into her familiar role of the life of the party. She laughed, joked, and flirted with the other guests, a mixture of old friends and new faces. Her carefree attitude filled the room, and it was clear that she was enjoying herself, just as her friends had hoped.
But as she moved through the crowd, her laughter ringing through the air, Quinn barely noticed the presence of Ethan, who had arrived a little later than expected.
Ethan had been invited too, but instead of blending into the lively conversation and joining in on the fun, he found himself standing off to the side, quietly observing Quinn. He noticed how she was effortlessly the center of attention, surrounded by a group of men who couldn't seem to get enough of her. Her laughter was easy, carefree, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. But there was one thing Ethan couldn't ignore: she wasn't looking at him.
Quinn was being her usual flirty self, teasing and joking with the other men in the room, laughing and tossing her hair back with that signature smile. But every time she caught Ethan's eye from across the room, she merely smiled politely, then turned back to the conversation she was having with someone else. She didn't acknowledge him in the same way she had before. There was no playful banter, no teasing glances. It was as if he didn't even exist in her world anymore.
Ethan stood there, nursing his drink, feeling like a stranger in a room full of people who were so comfortable with Quinn. He was trying to make sense of her behavior. What had happened? Why was she acting like this?
---
Ava and Jayden were having the time of their lives. They were thrilled to see Quinn so lively again, knowing that she had been through so much recently. The old Quinn—the one who never hesitated to enjoy herself—was back, and they couldn't be happier about it. They didn't pay much attention to the undercurrent of tension between her and Ethan. To them, Quinn was finally where she belonged—laughing, flirting, and living her best life.
Ava leaned in close to Quinn as they shared a laugh with a group of guys. "I swear, you're a magnet for attention tonight. Look at you, working that charm," she teased, giving Quinn an exaggerated wink.
Quinn laughed, her eyes catching the glance of one of the guys across the room. She tossed her hair back and flashed him a flirtatious smile. "What can I say? It's just what I do," she said with a playful shrug.
Ava grinned, loving how her best friend was finally back to her carefree self. "You're like a walking party, Quinn. I swear, no one can resist you."
Quinn took a sip of her drink, her eyes scanning the room until they found Ethan again. This time, his expression was more unreadable than usual. He was watching her, and she could feel the weight of his gaze, but she didn't give him the satisfaction of acknowledging it.
"Are you sure everything's okay with you and Ethan?" Jayden asked, leaning over to Quinn with a hint of concern, though he too was enjoying the atmosphere of the party.
Quinn's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered. "I'm fine, Jayden. Honestly, I don't think I need to worry about him anymore." She glanced at Ethan again, this time seeing the conflicted look in his eyes, but she forced herself to look away, redirecting her attention to the guy who had been talking to her.
Ava and Jayden exchanged glances but didn't press her further. They could tell Quinn was in a good place, and for now, that was enough.
---
As the night wore on, Ethan stayed in the background, watching Quinn interact with everyone but him. She was still the life of the party, and yet there was something about it that felt different. The light in her eyes wasn't for him anymore, and it stung more than he cared to admit. He had spent so much time trying to understand where things had gone wrong, trying to fix it, but it was like he was invisible to her now.
When he finally couldn't take the distance any longer, Ethan made his way across the room, hoping to at least have a conversation with her. But before he could reach her, Quinn slipped away, caught up in yet another conversation. He hesitated for a moment, standing off to the side, unsure of whether he should make another attempt or just leave.
In that moment, Ethan realized something. The Quinn he had known—the one who would have sought him out, who would have made time for him no matter what—wasn't here anymore. And for reasons he couldn't understand, he was no longer the one who had her attention.
The night went on, and Quinn continued to enjoy herself, completely unaware of the tension that had built up between her and Ethan. It wasn't that she was being cruel; she had just moved on, or at least, that's what she told herself.
But Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that the distance between them was growing. The more he watched her laughing and flirting, the more he realized that maybe this time, it was too late to fix things.