In Every Universe | Quinn Hughes

20 | Quinn

THIS WAS GOING TO BE A WILD WEEKEND, I COULD FEEL IT IN MY BONES. The second Lily showed up, her hair pulled into a high bun and her body wrapped in a baby blue summer dress, I knew I wasn't going to last much longer playing the friend's game. We'd been doing well, sure, last a whole two weeks without screwing or hooking up even once, so I'd say that's an achievement.

She'd also been avoiding my house and the rink at all costs, and I swear Jack was the reason for it. There was something going on there that I couldn't quite place, but the pair wouldn't even look at each other, and for some reason, Jack seemed more pissed off than Lily.

I'd I didn't know my brother any better, I'd say he'd been rejected, but the way Lily would flush wildly whenever he walked into a room, then make a conscious effort to run away as fast as possible made me feel like there was more to it.

It shouldn't matter, we were friends. But it did matter, because the idea of Lily with Jack made me feel nauseous.

I pushed the thought down, there was no way. Jack knew how I felt about it now, and Lily couldn't do that, right?

I sit casually on the outside lounge, a beer in my hand as I chat to Alex and Tyler about golf, Jack downing two shots of vodka the second Lily walks into the house with her group of girls. They reappear again about twenty minutes later, all with bottles of whatever they were drinking in their hands. I watch Lily's eyes flicker to Jack, a look of guild wash over her features, then witness her bring her bottle of wine directly to her lips, downing a generous amount in one go.

Okay, something had happened.

But before I can approach the girl I'm so hung up on and ask her, Trevor is sneaking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist playfully, scaring her half to death.

She lets out a whine of protest, slapping his chest before she rolls her eyes. "Trevor!"

Three things happen in the space of a few seconds. The first, Trevor teasingly throws Lily over his shoulder, openly flirting with her. Which, to be fair, was completely innocent, since he didn't know anything had even happened between us, let alone how I felt about her, so I couldn't blame him. But somehow, I still do. The second, is that I find myself rolling my eyes with a frustrated sigh at the scene unfolding before me, Alex clapping a supportive hand over my shoulder, seemingly knowing something more than he was letting on.

And the third, Jack takes a third short, glared daggers at Lily and his best mate, then rolls his eyes with a frustrated groan that matched mine.

I knew he had a bit of a thing for her, wanted her in his bed, it's the reason we'd fought, but this? This wasn't normal Jack behaviour. All signs pointed to feelings.

My fucking little brother had feelings for the girl I loved.

A part of me knew the best thing to do would be to let her go, and if she loved me too, she'd come back. But a bigger part of me couldn't go through with that. I wanted her for myself, and as I watched Trevor run around the house with Lily squealing over his shoulder, it's became abundantly clear that I had to act pretty fucking fast.

He places her down, but doesn't leave her alone and instead begins toying with the hem of her dress, and that's when I decide I've had enough, and that Jack was going about this the right way, and I down my entire beer.

Two hours later, six beers in, Jack was on his ninth shot, and it's safe to say we're both not in a great place.

I see him down by the dock, his feet dangling over the edge, and I stumble down to him, just wanting to clear the air and make sure he wasn't obliterated because he has feelings for Lily.