In Every Universe | Quinn Hughes

18 | Quinn

I'M RUNNING LATE TO MEETING WITH LILY TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT that we somehow keep avoiding. We were meant to meet at the local student cafe to go over our final notes so we can finally start filming, but Jack had come home drunk as all hell last night, claiming that he was the happiest man alive, and I'd been stuck looking after him all night.

He was still asleep when I left this morning, swinging Lily a quick text to let her know I'd be there as quickly as I could, but I barely got a response.

All she'd given me was a simple okay.

I knew it was because of the fight I'd gotten in with Jack, I just had to figure out a way to make it better between us again. I wanted us to be good, and even though I wanted her to be mine, I couldn't hold her back if she didn't want anything to do with me after the fight, but I at least had to try.

And so, here I was, out of breath and pushing through the doors of the cafe, searching desperately for the girl I so badly wanted to be with. I found her near immediately in the corner of the shop, her knees tucked to her chest and her temple resting against the window of the shop. She was watching two raindrops race each other down the pane of the window, and my first thought is that she's upset.

But then I get a closer look.

Shes tired, sort of pale, she looks hungover?

I narrow my eyes, because, there were no parties on last night except for the one Jack had been at, and the last thing I wanted to imagine was Jack and Lily at a party together, both drunk, one with feelings for the other and both mad at me.

I take a seat directly in front of Lily, glancing at her cautiously, trying to spot out any abnormalities that could somehow give away what she'd been up to tonight.

Her lashes flutter at the same time her gaze flickers to me, her lips set in a lazy drown and her eyes droopy. "Good morning, Quintin."

My stomach flips, because the sound of my full name on her tongue always does things to my stomach. Nobody but my mother ever referred to me as Quintin, and usually, I hated it. But from Lily, I could listen to her say my name like that for a lifetime.

I send her a curt nod, licking my bottom lip, mostly because I don't really know how else to respond. She frowns deeper, somehow, and I clear my throat. "Are you alright?"

She squints, offended. "Why wouldn't I be?"

I shift in my seat, already uncomfortable with how this is going. "I just mean, after the fight, and everything."

She looks anywhere but me, her knees still tucked up to her chest. "I'm okay."

Okay, so she's let her guard down a little. Not much, but it's enough to work with, for now. I shuffle closer, inspecting every inch of her face. "Did you not sleep well?"

She shakes her head no. "I barely slept at all, actually."

I try to act nonchalant, but my heart is pounding. "Why's that?"

"Went to a party, saw Brendan," she states, again closing off, but this time it's from any thoughts of the one person I knew she never wanted to see again.

"Brendan as in swim team Brendan who I pulled off you at your grad party?" I asked, snapping upright. "He didn't hurt you did he? Why didn't you call me?"

"I don't think so," she whispers, furrowing her eyebrows like she's trying to wrack her brain to find the memories. "I don't remember much. Jack was there. He got rid of Brendan. I don't even know after that, I was drinking the punch."

A snort leaves me before I can stop it, warning a dark glare from the girl opposite me. I hold both hands up in mock defence. "Hey, sorry sweetheart, but it's like the first rule of house parties—you don't drink the punch!"