Page 84 of What We Got Wrong

Quinn nodded. “Mel and I fly out early in the morning, so if it makes more sense to say goodbye now, I understand.”

“That’s not what I want,” Liv immediately replied. “I mean. If that’s what you need…”

“Today has been kind of a lot,” Quinn said thoughtfully, and Liv nodded her agreement. “Can we, just, like…turn off our brains tonight? Do you think it’s possible?”

“If that’s what you need,” Liv answered. “We can take this afternoon apart to reset?”

“That sounds good,” Quinn agreed. “So, like…no death or therapy talk tonight?”

Liv laughed. “I accept your terms. I’ll come to your room after the party.”

“And bring the—"

“I’ll bring the robe.” Liv promised, with a sexy smile.

So, Quinn would take these few hours to herself, to call her sister, maybe, but then to rest and regroup and try to get her head on straight. She needed to remember to focus on the here and now, because that’s all they were allowing themselves, and she had to figure out how to make herself believe it would be enough.

Chapter 31

Liv

April, Junior Year

Since they moved into their apartment, Liv didn’t spend nearly as much time on campus during the day, outside of classes and her increasingly sporadic attendance with run club. She found she preferred to study in the comfort of their living room, except in extreme circumstances, like when Quinn insisted on working out at home, and Liv couldn’t focus on her work, drawn instead to the curvature of her muscle, watching the sweat drip down her back…

One Friday in mid-April, though, Liv was too anxious to stay at home by herself. She knew she’d fixate on the conversation she needed to have with Quinn, one that she’d been putting off since a particularly difficult call home a few weeks earlier.

So even though she’d scheduled her semester without Friday classes, she walked to campus and sat at a picnic table outside of the pool building, waiting patiently for Emma to finish swimming laps so that they could grab coffee together and get some studying done.

“Hey lady,” Emma greeted her, sitting down opposite Liv. “Today is gorgeous. Want to work outside for a while?”

“Sounds great,” Liv agreed. “I am going to need coffee soon, though, so I’ll do a run in a few?”

“Yes, please,” Emma agreed, and they began piling the table with textbooks.

“Did Quinn already head to class?” Liv asked, trying to sound casual.

“Your girlfriend was still getting dressed when I came to find you,” Emma said, and Liv rolled her eyes at Emma’s word choice as they said, together, “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“She’s not,” Liv insisted.

But then she was distracted, because Quinn walked outside looking mouthwateringly good in snug black shorts and a plain white T-shirt, the sleeves rolled tight against her impressive arms. The sun was shining, the sky a crisp, clear blue, and every day was better in Quinn’s presence.

Except, after a moment of gratuitously staring, Liv clocked that Quinn was not alone.

The girl with her was pretty, nearly as tall as Quinn, with long blonde hair and glossy pink lips that were curved in a wide smile, flashing perfect teeth at Quinn. Liv watched in horror as she placed her hand on Quinn’s arm and lingered for several beats too long before she pulled away, using that same hand to push and hold her hair back, posing like she expected, at any moment, someone to pop out and take her picture.

Quinn turned slightly and saw Liv, then, beaming in response, as if nothing problematic was happening. Because, Liv reminded herself, it wasn’t. There was nothing wrong with this gorgeous person touching Quinn’s perfect arm.

“Hey,” Quinn said, waving and walking towards their table, sounding genuinely excited to see her even though she’d woken up alongside Liv a few hours before. Her blonde friend followed tentatively behind. “What are you doing on campus? You do know it’s Friday?”

“I am aware,” Liv said, rolling her eyes at Quinn, even if she found her silliness charming. “I asked Emma to entertain me today.”

“At your service, m’lady,” Emma deadpanned, not bothering to look up from her book.

“I see, I see,” Quinn said, and then she seemed to remember that there was someone else there. “Oh, right. This is Janelle. I don’t know if y’all have gotten the chance to meet yet?”

“I don’t think so,” Liv replied, trying to be pleasant. “I’m Liv, nice to meet you.”