Chapter 11

11

Q uinn settled into the couch and placed the large bowl of popcorn between her and Rebecca, the salty smell wafting up and mingling with the scent of wood smoke from the fire. Her glass of wine, almost full, sat on the coffee table in front of her. She picked it up and took a sip.

She reached for the remote to start the movie. Quinn knew that this was a bad idea. Spending more time with Rebecca would only make her feelings harder to ignore. But she pushed the thought aside. She really hadn't been looking forward to watching this movie on her own, and she wasn't going to break her tradition with Piper, no matter how scary this movie was.

The rain outside hit the windows in a rhythmic patter, a soothing background noise that seemed to grow louder as the night wore on. What had started out as a beautiful day shifted into a miserable evening as the sun was setting, and now the rain continued to fall.

Quinn glanced over at Rebecca, who was watching her with a relaxed smile. "Ready?" Quinn asked, trying to sound casual.

Rebecca nodded, and Quinn hit play.

Rebecca reached for a handful of popcorn, seemingly unfazed by the ominous music swelling from the television.

"I can't believe you voluntarily watch horrors," Quinn said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Rebecca let out a lighthearted laugh, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I remember the trailer for this. It's not going to be that bad," she assured her, settling back into the couch.

As the movie began, Quinn found herself on edge, jumping at every creepy moment. She glanced sidelong at Rebecca, who was engrossed in the film, seemingly unperturbed by the early scares unfolding on the screen.

Quinn's hand brushed against Rebecca's as they both reached into the popcorn bowl, and she felt a jolt of electricity run through her. Quickly, she withdrew her hand, her heart pounding in her chest. Needing a distraction, she stood up and added another log to the crackling fire, then returned to the kitchen to refill their wine glasses.

Settling back onto the couch, Quinn found herself drifting closer to Rebecca, drawn in by her calm presence and the warmth radiating from her body. As the movie continued, Quinn jumped several times, her nerves heightened by the suspenseful soundtrack and the increasing sense of dread as Piper's character struggled with the demonic forces taking over the old house she'd inherited.

Quinn's heart raced as the movie reached its climactic moments. She glanced over at Rebecca, whose brow was furrowed in concentration, completely engrossed in the film. Quinn couldn't believe how calm and collected Rebecca seemed, while she felt so on edge.

Sinking deeper into the couch, the empty bowl on the floor beside the couch, Quinn tried to focus on the movie, but her mind kept wandering back to the woman sitting beside her. The warmth of Rebecca's arm brushing against her own made Quinn very aware of their proximity.

Quinn's thoughts drifted to the night before, when she had confided in Rebecca about what had happened on set. Her attention was no longer on the movie, and it was impossible to ignore just how much Quinn wanted to lean into those innocent touches.

The slamming of a door on screen startled her so much that she instinctively reached for Rebecca's hand.

Rebecca looked at her, surprise flickering across her face before she gave Quinn a reassuring smile. Rebecca held onto her hand, her thumb brushing gently over Quinn's knuckles.

Quinn's breath hitched in her throat as she felt the heat radiating from Rebecca's touch. She looked down at their intertwined hands, feeling a strange mix of fear and excitement coursing through her veins.

Rebecca leaned closer to Quinn, whispering in her ear, "You okay?" Her voice was soft and soothing, and Quinn found herself nodding without thinking. She could feel Rebecca's breath against her neck, and it sent shivers down her spine.

Quinn tried to shake off the strange sensation that had taken hold of her. She couldn't believe how easily she had been swept up in this moment with Rebecca. She knew it was wrong, so wrong, but she couldn't help herself. She wanted to lean into Rebecca, to feel the warmth of her body pressed against hers.

Quinn closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down. She knew she needed to focus on something else, anything else, to distract herself from the intense feelings that were running through her body.

She opened her eyes and turned to look at Rebecca, who was watching her with concern etched across her face. "I'm fine," Quinn said quickly, trying to sound casual and unaffected by what had just happened between them.

Rebecca nodded slowly. "Okay," she said softly before letting go of Quinn's hand and turning back towards the movie.

The movie continued, but Quinn couldn't concentrate. Rebecca's touch lingered in her mind. She took a large gulp of wine, the rich, warm flavors burning a trail down her throat. Attempting to distract herself, Quinn focused on the details of the film – the dusty setting, the creaking floorboards, the flickering candlelight. She tried to analyze the edits, the pacing, the acting, anything to take her mind off the growing sense of disquiet within her.

But every time she caught a glimpse of Rebecca, Quinn felt an undeniable spark she couldn't ignore.

As the movie neared its end, the tension in the room thickened. Quinn's anxiety grew, her hands clenching and unclenching in her lap, but the tension wasn't entirely from the film.

Quinn's gaze kept drifting to Rebecca throughout the remainder of the movie. She couldn't help but notice the subtle movements—the slight tilt of Rebecca's head as she focused on the screen, the way her eyes widened during a particularly intense scene, the tiny creases that formed between her eyebrows when she was absorbed in the suspenseful moments.

It was strange for Quinn to feel so drawn to someone, especially in such a short amount of time. She had never felt this way before, and it was unsettling, exhilarating, and terrifying all at once.

The final scenes of the movie unfolded, and Quinn couldn't deny that Piper had done an exceptional job portraying the lead character's descent into madness as she grappled with the supernatural forces within the house.

As the credits began to roll, Rebecca reached for the remote and lowered the volume, not turning off the television. She turned towards Quinn, and in the glow of the screen, Quinn could see the softness in her eyes. "So, what did you think?"

Quinn took a moment to gather her thoughts. "It was intense," she finally said, meeting Rebecca's gaze. "Piper did an amazing job, as usual. She really can take on any role, any genre."

Rebecca smiled, and Quinn's heart skipped a beat at the warmth in her eyes. "She was excellent." There was a brief pause, and Quinn felt a charged silence build between them. Rebecca's gaze remained on her, and Quinn could see the firelight dancing in her eyes. "Quinn, I want to be completely honest with you."

Quinn swallowed. Was Rebecca feeling this too? "Okay," she said, her heart beating loudly in her ears.

"Sarah is worried about you. She has been since you came back, but especially when you told her that you're renting this place for a year. She thinks there's something wrong. Obviously, I would never tell her about what you told me. But I'm just letting you know that she's worried."

Quinn's stomach dropped, and she tore her eyes away from Rebecca. How could she have thought that someone like Rebecca would feel the same way about her? She cleared her throat and reached for her wine. "I know. She's been acting weird too." She took a long drink, feeling more foolish and embarrassed than she had in a long time.

"Before her birthday, she asked me to see if I noticed anything unusual about you. I said I would even though I didn't think you'd tell me anything."

Quinn felt like she'd just taken a punch to the stomach. She blindly put her glass down and focused on taking a deep breath in. Rebecca had only asked her over for dinner so that she could try to find out what was going on with her and tell her mother?

This was worse than being rejected.

Rebecca continued. "I just want you to know that I would never betray your trust, no matter how good of a friend your mother is to me."

Quinn could only nod. She didn't trust herself to speak.

"And that while I agreed to try and talk to you at the party, I asked you over last night on a whim. It had nothing to do with her." A hint of a smile ghosted Rebecca's lips. "I'm not attempting to play detective. I've enjoyed these last few days, and I just wanted to make that clear incase it comes out after the fact, that your mother had asked me to do that."

Quinn pushed herself off the couch without saying anything, crouching down in front of the fire and adding a few sticks and then another log to the flames.