Chapter 20

20

R ebecca slowly woke up, registering the light streaming through the curtains and the empty space beside her. She stretched, her muscles pleasantly sore, and smiled as memories of the previous night flashed through her mind. The urgency, the passion, the raw intensity of it all. It had been incredible. But now, in the quiet morning light, doubts crept in. As she sat up, her gaze fell on the clothes strewn across the floor.

Last night had been a blur of desire, but now, she couldn't ignore the reality of their situation. She pushed herself off the bed and gathered up her clothes. She got dressed, pulling her sweater over her head just a few seconds before Quinn emerged from the bathroom. She was wearing pajama shorts and a tank top. There was an easy smile on Quinn's face as she crossed the room while she towel dried her hair.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Quinn asked

Rebecca shook her head, her throat tight as she met Quinn halfway. "No, I woke up naturally. But I should get going. I have a ton of work to do."

Quinn nodded. "Do you still think this can't happen?" she asked as she draped the wet towel across the footboard, her words hanging in the air between them.

Rebecca's gaze dropped to Quinn's lips, remembering how they'd felt against her own just hours ago. She wanted to say no, to throw caution to the wind and embrace this unexpected connection. But her practical side, the voice of reason had to win.

"I loved everything about last night," she began. "But I don't know how this can work." She gestured between them. "You're my best friend's daughter. I'm nearly twenty years older than you. If your mom found out, it would destroy her. I don't know how we get passed that."

Quinn took a step toward her, closing the distance, and Rebecca's resolve wavered. She could see the determination in Quinn's eyes, the same look she'd seen on her face last night in the kitchen.

"I know it's complicated," Quinn said. "But I don't think that was a one-night stand."

Rebecca pressed her lips together. She knew it wasn't. Not if they were going on their feelings alone.

"And I also think that we're getting way ahead of ourselves," Quinn said. "We're worrying about something that might never happen."

Rebecca ran a hand through her hair. "As in, we might not last long enough to tell her?"

"You're not the only one who can be realistic."

A smile tugged at Rebecca's lips. "Okay, so we either walk away from this now or we see where this goes, and if it's something, then we worry about telling your mother?"

"I think so."

"And then when she's angry at us for not only getting together but also lying to her for weeks we hope that she forgives us? You can't be willing to lose your family over this."

"Maybe not right now."

Rebecca's hands went to Quinn's waist. "Us being together will cause both of us a lot of problems."

"Rebecca, we've both, for different reasons, spent a lot of time not living lives that were true to ourselves. I'm at the point where I just want to be happy. You're worried about my mother? I'm worried about the paparazzi. I won't go unnoticed here forever. Someone will see me, and I'll probably have to buy a house that I can properly secure. I'm going to go back to work at some point, and that's going to take me away from you for weeks at a time. I'm not naive. I know that there's a lot of obstacles here. But I also know that I've felt more in these last few days with you…" Her voice trailed off.

Rebecca swallowed the lump in her throat. "Okay," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Okay, let's… let's see where this goes." Her heart pounded against her ribs. It was a reckless decision, but looking into Quinn's eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say no.

A small, hesitant smile reached Quinn's lips.

"But," Rebecca said, a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach, "there's something I need to say." She hesitated, searching for the right words. "What if… What if this is just because I'm the first woman?" The question hung between them, and she watched Quinn's face, searching for a flicker of doubt, a hint of uncertainty.

Quinn's expression softened, her eyes searching Rebecca's. "I thought about that," she admitted, her voice quiet. "But this isn't just physical. It's… everything. The way we talk, the way we… connect. I know this is still so new, but I really don't think that's what's going on here."

Rebecca wanted to believe her. She needed to believe her. But what if Quinn was wrong? What if when Quinn went back to Los Angeles and met someone who would understand her life so much better than Rebecca ever could?

"I don't want to walk away from this," Quinn said. "Not yet. Not this easily."

"I don't either," Rebecca admitted.

"I'm not going to tell anyone about this." Quinn reached up to run her fingers along Rebecca's jaw, but then she looked away, her hand falling. "I told Piper. But other than her, I'm not telling anyone. Not even Reagan. And if there is something to tell, in a few weeks or months from now, we'll do it together."

"Has anyone ever told you you're very persuasive?" Rebecca asked with a smile.

"Just my high school drama teacher."

Rebecca laughed as she wrapped her arms around Quinn.