Chapter 22

22

R ebecca stepped into the kitchen, noticing the scattered ingredients on the counter. Quinn had clearly been planning to make breakfast. Her gaze drifted to the deck, where she spotted Quinn pacing back and forth in the chilly morning air.

Concern gripped Rebecca's chest as she slid open the glass door and stepped outside. Quinn's face was ashen, her body visibly shaking. Something was terribly wrong.

"She knows," Quinn said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rebecca's stomach dropped. "What?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Quinn's eyes, wide with panic, met Rebecca's. "She was here. Just now. She showed up and the shower was on and your car's in the driveway."

Rebecca's mind raced, trying to process the implications. Sarah had been here. She'd seen Rebecca's car. The pieces fell into place, and a wave of dread washed over her. Their secret was out, and in the worst possible way.

She reached for Quinn, pulling her close. Quinn's body trembled against hers, and Rebecca fought to keep her own composure. This was exactly what she'd feared – the reason she'd been so hesitant to pursue this relationship in the first place.

"What happened?" Rebecca asked softly, her hand moving in soothing circles on Quinn's back.

Quinn pulled away slightly, wrapping her arms around herself. "Before I could even try to explain she was backing out of the house like she'd just seen a ghost." Quinn exhaled, her breath coming out in a puff of smoke. "Fuck, you were right. She took it so badly, Rebecca. Her face…" She ran a hand through her hair. "I've never seen her that upset."

Rebecca didn't know what to say. This was not how this was supposed to go. Just yesterday, she'd been wondering if it was time to think about saying something to Sarah. The last five weeks had been amazing, and Rebecca wanted to tell her best friend about it. She wanted Quinn to be able to be honest with her family and tell them that she'd met someone.

"I'll go talk to her," Rebecca said.

"You'll have to let her cool off a bit."

"This evening then."

"What are you going to say?" Quinn asked.

Rebecca couldn't miss the fear in her voice. She imagined that Quinn was worried that Rebecca would tell Sarah that it was a mistake, a lapse in judgement. She swallowed. "I don't know. What should I say? She's going to ask me if it's serious, assuming that she'll even talk to me."

"It is for me," Quinn said without hesitation.

"For me too." Rebecca pulled Quinn into a hug, running her hand up and down Quinn's back, hoping that she could convince Sarah that this was a good thing, no matter how shocking it might be. They were good together. They made each other happy.

She just had to hope that Sarah would come around.