Every Chapter

Chapter Twenty-Seven

To: Rina

Still cool if I come in today?

There will be an issue

If you blow me off again.

Ugh. I'll explain when I get there. Xx

Yea, yea. Xx

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Quinn felt horrible for not making it to Rina's yesterday, she had told her she would be by tomorrow but there was definitely a lot to make up for. She threw her phone into her clutch and smoothed down her simple dress. She never wore dresses or anything uncomfortable to her meetings with Rina, but things had changed. She was going to have to suck it up just for the year. When it's all over she could wear pajamas if she wanted to, no one could tell her she couldn't.

She opened her door and prepared herself to inform Ian of what was going on. They hadn't spoken in days, and she's been mentally preparing herself for the last hour. But when she opened the door, he wasn't there, Devin was.

"Um, hey. Where's Ian?"

"Ian has resigned, I will be working his shift as well as mine until a replacement is found."

"Resigned?"

He nodded and she clutched her stomach, suddenly feeling weak. He was really done; he was done with her completely.

"Are we going somewhere miss?"

"Uh- yea.. yea. Café Claws. It's on the boardwalk."

He nodded his head once more and stepped in front of her to walk down the steps and she followed.

Quinn needed Rina at that moment more than anything.

The door chimed as she sulked her way into the café. If gravity was ripped away in that moment Quinn would be the only person planted firmly on the ground by how heavy her body felt.

"There you are." Rina rolled her eyes at her friend, she loved her, but she would keep this attitude until she felt Quinn's explanation was good enough to drop it.

She looked behind her as Devin walked in, her brows knitted together, and she looked back to Quinn taking in the sick look on her face.

"Where's Ian?"

Quinn's face pulled further down, where the numbness for him once sat was now replaced with a hole inside of her. One that felt like she wasn't getting enough air, like there was something missing from her. Like any moment he would show up, but she knew he wouldn't and that broke her.

Rina nodded her head, wiping her hands on her apron.

"I'll get the Danish."

Quinn couldn't even smile at her as she slid into their booth. Devin took the seat that Ian once sat in at the front door. She had a bad taste in her mouth knowing that just a short time ago it was him sitting there with little Mouse curled on his lap. Now Devin sat there, eyeing the cats like they were roaches. She didn't like what she had seen of Devin, but it didn't matter. She wasn't going to get to know him. She'd never open herself up to him, she shouldn't have for Ian either.

"Here honey." Rina sat a plate in front of her and Quinn stared down at the pastry on the plate, but she had no will eat.

"Tell me everything and don't leave out the hair." Toast jumped up into her lap as she sat down, and the cat nuzzled against her. Wearing a collar.