Page 3 of What We Got Wrong

Because Liv’s eyes found hers, locking on with an intensity that made Quinn’s heart race.

The recognition was not subtle. She almost seemed excited to see Quinn, though she was trying to mask it. Of course she was, Quinn thought. There was something about the way she started shifting that made Quinn think she was even more affected than Quinn that they were in the same room, and she got the sense that Liv was fighting the urge to jump down off the stage and run over to her.

They both missed the conclusion of her dad’s speech, but the next thing Quinn knew, Liv was stepping from the stage and heading in their direction. Quinn wanted to disappear. She wanted to stay in that moment forever, watching as Liv walked over, confident and on a mission and gorgeous.

“He seems like a nice guy,” Mel whispered to Quinn.

“Mmhmm,” was all Quinn could respond. She agreed with the statement, even if it confused her, but she couldn’t say more.

Mel looked at her, concerned. She reached out and took her hand for a second, squeezing tightly before letting go. “I know this is a big deal. But you’re making me nervous. Are you okay?”

Quinn took a deep breath. She needed to pull it together. They were there for their business, and this was a great opportunity. She shook out her shoulders and breathed again, letting most of the tension she’d been feeling go. She was helped along in this action by the realization that Liv slowed down ever so slightly when she saw Mel squeeze her hand, and that made her feel just a little lighter. It was so ridiculous, the entire situation, but Quinn thrived in ridiculous situations.

“I’m good.”

She rallied at exactly the right moment, Liv approaching just then. When Mel saw her, she did a double take before extending her hand. “Hi, I’m Mel Hayes, with the Prism Group.”

“Olivia Palmer,” Liv replied, and it was clear that she was trying to split her focus, though her eyes kept returning to Quinn, like she couldn’t help herself.

“I know, we’re so excited to be here,” Mel said. “This is my partner, Quinn Miles.”

“Nice to meet you, Olivia,” Quinn said, keeping her voice calm.

But Liv’s face fell. It was barely anything, and maybe most people would have missed it, but Quinn noticed. “Yeah. Um, welcome. I’m really excited about the workshop you’re putting on later this week. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go check in with my cousin on something.”

“Have a nice night,” Mel called after her, and they both watched Liv speed away before Mel turned to Quinn and, through tight lips, said, “What the fuck was that about?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Quinn said, surprised that Mel had picked up on any weirdness, given how totally cool she’d played it.

“There was a weird vibe,” Mel whispered, careful not to make a scene. “Do you know her?”

Quinn was not a liar. She may have neglected to be 100% honest, sure, but no matter how much she didn’t want to have this conversation, she knew that this was going to come out eventually, and she was not going to explicitly lie to her best friend. “It was a long time ago. Don’t worry about it.”

“Olivia…Olivia. I don’t remember you ever mentioning an Olivia.” Mel was clearly trying to put the puzzle pieces together, but she was missing a vital piece of information.

Quinn didn’t meet Mel’s eye. “I knew her in college. Undergrad, obviously.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Mel’s face morph from a state of confusion to shock. After a few moments, she grabbed Quinn’s arm, yanking her out of the ballroom and into the nearest restroom. She had the presence of mind to ensure that they were the only people in the room before she shrieked, “You didn’t think that it would be appropriate to share with me that you fucked the daughter of the CEO of the company we’re here to work with?”

“It was a long time ago. I wasn’t sure she’d even remember me,” Quinn said, and it hurt how much she meant it, even if she knew it was absurd.

Mel’s face softened, despite her rage. “This is your Liv, isn’t it? Your ex?”

Quinn took a deep breath before nodding ever so slightly. “Not an ex, exactly. But yes.”

“I’ve never seen you so broken. I cannot believe you didn’t tell me!” Mel took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, before she remembered, “You gave me a hard time for hitting on the front desk girl earlier!”

That was fair. Quinn didn’t have an excuse. She hadn’t warned her friend that this event was going to be, to put it lightly, complicated for Quinn. Mel had every right to be irritated.

Because Liv was here.

And Quinn? Quinn was fucked.

Chapter 2

Liv

August, Freshman Year