Chapter 14
Quinn lay on her bed, her head resting in Rachel’s lap as Rachel gently ran her fingers through Quinn’s hair. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of a song playing faintly from Quinn’s speaker, but the tension in the air was undeniable.
Her gaze was fixed on the ceiling, her lips pressed into a thin line. She didn’t speak, didn’t cry, just lay there in silence. Rachel, sitting against the headboard, broke the quiet with a calm, measured voice.
“Quinn,” she began softly, her hand pausing briefly in Quinn’s hair. “You’ve been carrying this weight for weeks now. I can see it on your face, in the way you’ve been acting. I know you’re hurt, and I know you feel betrayed. But…” She trailed off for a moment, collecting her thoughts. “Do you really want this to be what breaks you apart from two of the most important people in your life?”
Quinn’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t answer.
Rachel took a deep breath and continued. “I get it. They should have told you. And you have every right to be angry. But holding onto this… It’s only going to make things worse. Blaine is your best friend, and Sebastian, he’s your brother, Quinn. You love them both.”
Quinn scoffed softly, her voice bitter. “Do I? Because right now, I don’t even know if I like them.”
Rachel smiled faintly, a knowing look in her eyes. “You do. You wouldn’t be this upset if you didn’t. And deep down, you know that.”
Quinn stayed quiet for a long moment, her fingers idly toying with a loose thread on her blanket. “It’s not just that they lied,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s… it’s that they kept it from me, like I wouldn’t understand. Like I wouldn’t support them. And then I look at them together, and it just, it hurts. I don’t even know why.”
Rachel nodded slowly, her hand resuming its soothing motion through Quinn’s hair. “It’s okay to feel hurt, Quinn. It’s okay to feel betrayed. But you also have to ask yourself: is holding onto that worth losing them? Because they’re not perfect, they made a mistake. But they love you, and I think you know that. Maybe you can start by taking a step forward. Just one step. Maybe talk to them, one at a time, even. Let them know how you feel, really feel. And then see where it goes from there.”
Quinn opened her eyes, staring up at Rachel with a mix of frustration and sadness. “Why do you have to be so rational?”
Rachel laughed softly, the sound lightening the air just a little. “Because you need someone to be, and I’m your girlfriend. It’s part of the job description.”
Quinn’s lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile, and for the first time in days, the tension in her chest loosened, if only slightly. “Thanks, Rachel.”
Rachel leaned down and pressed a kiss to Quinn’s forehead. “Anytime.”
-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-
The next day at school, Blaine sat cross-legged against the lockers in a quiet hallway, a small notebook balanced on his lap. His pen hovered over the page, but he wasn’t writing. Instead, he stared at the words he’d already scrawled, lines of half-formed thoughts and apologies that didn’t feel good enough.
He was so lost in his own head that he didn’t hear Quinn approach until her voice broke the silence.
“Hey.”
Blaine’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with surprise. For a second, he just stared at her, unsure of what to say. “Hey,” he said finally, his voice small.
Quinn looked down at him, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She hesitated, glancing at the notebook in his lap. “What’s that?” she asked, her tone soft but guarded.
Blaine flushed and snapped the notebook shut, shaking his head. “Nothing. Just… thoughts.”
“Thoughts?” Quinn echoed, raising an eyebrow. After a pause, she sighed and sank down to sit beside him, leaving a cautious distance between them. “What kind of thoughts?”
Blaine hesitated, his fingers tightening around the notebook. “Mostly about how badly I screwed everything up,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
Quinn let out a soft sigh, tilting her head back against the lockers. “You did screw up,” she said bluntly, though her tone lacked its usual sharpness. “But I want to know why. Why didn’t you tell me, Blaine? Did you really think I’d be that angry?”
Blaine’s shoulders slumped as he stared down at the notebook in his lap. “I didn’t know how you’d feel,” he said quietly. “I was scared you’d hate me… or that you’d feel like I was betraying you somehow. I didn’t want to risk losing you.”
Quinn turned her head to look at him, her expression softening. “You’re my best friend,” she said. “You didn’t need to hide this from me. Yeah, I was mad, still am, a little, but mostly, I was hurt. It felt like you didn’t trust me.”
Blaine’s throat tightened, and he forced himself to meet her eyes. “Of course i trust you. I trust you with my life.. I just… I didn’t know how to handle it. And then it felt like it was too late to tell you.”
Quinn studied him for a moment, then let out a small, dry laugh. “You’re lucky I’m not as mad as I was last week,” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Blaine’s mouth curved into a hesitant smile of his own. “Does that mean you’re starting to forgive me?”
Quinn rolled her eyes, but there was no heat behind it. “Don’t push it, Anderson.”
Blaine chuckled softly, finally setting the notebook aside. “Noted.”
They sat there in silence for a while, the space between them no longer feeling so heavy. Though things weren’t completely fixed, there was a small glimmer of hope that they might get there eventually.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then she sighed, her voice softer than before.
“Does he treat you well?”
Blaine blinked, looking up at her. “What?”
“Sebastian,” Quinn clarified, her tone steady but laced with genuine curiosity. “Does he treat you the way you deserve to be treated?”
Blaine’s eyes widened, caught off guard by the question. He hesitated before nodding slowly. “Yeah, he does. I mean… he’s Sebastian,” Blaine said with a small laugh, “but he’s different when it’s just us. He’s… thoughtful, even sweet sometimes. He listens. He makes me feel like I matter.”
Quinn tilted her head, studying him carefully. “He’s not just playing around? Not stringing you along like one of his hookups?”
Blaine shook his head firmly. “No. I wouldn’t have taken this risk if I didn’t think he was serious. He’s been patient with me, Quinn. He’s shown me sides of himself that I don’t think anyone else sees.”
Quinn sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “It’s just… it’s hard for me to imagine him being that way. He’s my brother, Blaine. I know how he is, or how he used to be. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I get that,” Blaine said quietly. “And I don’t blame you for being protective. I’d probably feel the same way if the roles were reversed. But he’s been honest with me. He’s… he’s trying, Quinn. I think he really cares about me.”
Quinn leaned back against the lockers, her expression thoughtful. “I don’t know if you realize this, but you’re probably the first person he’s ever actually cared about. Like, for real.”
Blaine smiled faintly, his voice soft. “I know. And that’s part of why this is so important to me. I’m trying to meet him halfway.”
Quinn was quiet for a long moment, then let out a deep breath. “I just don’t want to lose either of you. You’re my best friend, Blaine. And Sebastian… for all his faults, he’s still my brother.”
“You’re not going to lose us,” Blaine said earnestly, his eyes meeting hers. “I promise.”
Quinn looked at him for a long moment, then gave a small nod. “Okay. But if he screws this up, I’m holding you responsible for both of your mistakes.”
Blaine laughed, a weight lifting off his shoulders. “Fair enough.”
Quinn couldn’t help but smile faintly. Though the hurt wasn’t completely gone, she felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, they’d be okay.
Blaine exhaled softly, the tension he’d been carrying slowly easing. Without thinking, he leaned his head gently against Quinn’s shoulder, seeking comfort in the quiet understanding that had begun to grow between them.
Quinn didn’t move at first, her gaze fixed on the lockers across from them. She hesitated, her walls still partially up, but then she felt Blaine’s quiet, vulnerable presence beside her. With a small sigh, she reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly.
“I’m still mad,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I know,” Blaine replied, his tone equally soft.
“But… I’ll get over it. Eventually,” she added, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
Blaine smiled faintly, his voice tinged with gratitude. “Thank you.”
They sat there in silence for a moment, the hallway unusually quiet. For the first time in weeks, it didn’t feel like an impossible gulf separated them.
Quinn let her head rest lightly against his, her fingers still intertwined with his. “Just don’t make me regret this, okay?”
“You won’t,” Blaine promised, his voice steady. “I swear.”
Quinn gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, and for the first time since everything had come crashing down, Blaine felt like things might be okay again.
-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-
Sebastian glanced up from his desk when he heard the soft knock at his door, followed by Quinn stepping inside without waiting for a response. She lingered near the doorway for a moment, her arms crossed over her chest, her face unreadable.
“Hey,” she said awkwardly, her voice quiet.
Sebastian set down the book he was pretending to read and turned in his chair to face her. “Hey,” he replied cautiously.
Quinn took a few hesitant steps into the room, her eyes scanning the familiar space as though it was foreign territory. She picked at the hem of her sleeve, clearly searching for the right words.
“So, I, uh… talked to Blaine,” she started, her tone measured.
Sebastian stiffened slightly, his gaze flickering with uncertainty. “Yeah?”
Quinn nodded, finally meeting his eyes. “Yeah. We… kind of worked things out. A little.”
“That’s… good,” Sebastian said, his voice unsure, as though he wasn’t quite sure where this was going.
Quinn sat down on the edge of his bed, fiddling with a loose thread on the comforter. For a moment, there was only silence between them.
“I’m sorry,” she said suddenly, the words coming out in a rush.
Sebastian blinked, taken aback. “What?”
“I’m sorry,” Quinn repeated, her voice softer this time. “For how I’ve been acting. For being so… angry. I mean, I had a right to be upset, but I guess I let it… get the better of me.”
Sebastian stared at her, guilt flickering across his features. He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “You don’t have to apologize, Quinn. I should’ve told you. Blaine and I both should’ve told you. We… we messed up.”
“You did,” Quinn said bluntly, but there was no malice in her tone. She glanced at him, a faint, wry smile tugging at her lips. “But I guess I’m tired of being mad at you. It’s exhausting.”
Sebastian let out a short laugh, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I don’t blame you for being mad. I’d be mad too.”
Quinn nodded, her expression softening. “For what it’s worth, Blaine really cares about you. I can see it.”
Sebastian’s gaze dropped to the floor, his voice quiet. “I care about him too. More than I thought I would.”
Quinn studied him for a moment before letting out a small sigh. “I’m still working on this whole… accepting it thing. But I’m trying. I just… don’t want to lose you, or Blaine.”
Sebastian looked up, his expression earnest. “You won’t. I promise.”
Quinn held his gaze for a long moment before finally reaching over and nudging his arm lightly. “Good. Because if you hurt him, you’re still my annoying brother, and I’ll make your life miserable.”
Sebastian smirked, the tension in the room easing slightly. “Noted.”
For the first time in weeks, they both felt a sense of tentative peace between them. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.
Sebastian stood up from his chair, the weight of the conversation still lingering in the air. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should move closer, but Quinn made the decision for him.
She got up from the bed and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a quick but firm hug. It caught Sebastian off guard, but after a second, he hugged her back, his grip tightening slightly.
“I’m still annoyed with you,” Quinn mumbled into his shoulder, her voice muffled but lacking its usual sharpness.
“I know,” Sebastian said quietly. “I deserve that.”
Quinn pulled back just enough to look at him, her expression softening. “Just… don’t lie to me again, okay? I can handle a lot, but I can’t handle being left out like that.”
Sebastian nodded, guilt flashing in his eyes. “I promise. No more lies.”
Quinn gave him a small smile, the corners of her lips barely lifting. “Good. Because like I said, I’m still your sister, and I have no problem making your life hell if you screw this up.”
Sebastian chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Noted. Again.”
Quinn shook her head with a faint laugh of her own, then gave him one last squeeze before letting go completely.
For the first time in weeks, he felt like things might actually be okay.
As Sebastian and Quinn pulled away from the hug, they didn’t notice their mom standing in the hallway, her eyes softening at the sight of them. She paused for a moment, watching them, her smile tender but knowing.
“You two are something else,” she said warmly, stepping into the room, her voice a little teasing but full of affection.
Quinn quickly wiped her eyes, trying to pretend she hadn’t been a little emotional, but the smile on her face betrayed her. “It’s not a big deal, Mom,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest as if to defend herself.
Their mom laughed softly and walked over to the bed, sitting down. “No, it is a big deal. I’m glad you two worked things out,” she said, giving each of them a knowing look.
Sebastian shifted uncomfortably but smiled at his mom. “Yeah, me too. It’s been a long time coming.”
Quinn glanced at Sebastian, feeling a little more at ease. “We’ll figure it out, Mom,” she said, her tone softer than usual.
Their mom nodded, looking between the two of them. “You know, seeing you two like this… makes everything feel a little more… right.” She gave them both a gentle smile. “I’m proud of you both.”
Sebastian and Quinn exchanged a glance, and for the first time in a long while, they both felt like maybe everything would be okay. They still had a long way to go, but they were no longer carrying the weight of silence and tension between them.
“Thanks, Mom,” Sebastian said quietly, his voice steady.
“Yeah,” Quinn agreed, her smile a little more genuine now. “Thanks.”
Their mom nodded and stood up, heading toward the door. “I’ll leave you two to it then,” she said over her shoulder. “But, I’m just happy to see you both together like this.”
As she walked away, Quinn and Sebastian sat in the room, the air lighter now, the bond between them feeling a little stronger than before.
-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-
A few weeks had passed since Quinn had forgiven Blaine and Sebastian. Things were slowly getting back to normal. The four of them, Blaine, Sebastian, Quinn, and Rachel, had settled into a new routine, and it felt like the tension had finally lifted.
They were all lounging on the couch, watching a horror movie. The sound of the movie’s eerie music echoed in the room, making Rachel clutch Quinn’s hand in fear.
“Come on, it’s not even that scary,” Quinn teased, her voice light as she squeezed Rachel’s hand.
Rachel shot her a playful glare, clearly trying to hide how freaked out she really was. “I’m not scared,” she said, but her voice trembled ever so slightly.
Blaine and Sebastian exchanged an amused glance. They couldn’t help but laugh as Rachel jumped at the sudden loud sound in the movie.
“I don’t think we’ve ever seen you this jumpy, Rach,” Sebastian remarked, grinning.
“Yeah, I think you’re more scared than Quinn ever was during the whole ‘secret boyfriend’ ordeal,” Blaine added, his smile warm but teasing.
Quinn chuckled, looking at Rachel with affection. “I swear, I thought you were tougher than this.”
Rachel huffed and buried her face in Quinn’s shoulder. “You can make fun of me all you want, but this movie is terrifying!”
Sebastian leaned back, his arm casually resting around Blaine’s shoulders. “We’ll have to find a different movie next time if you’re this scared. Maybe something that won’t make you scream every five seconds.”
Rachel playfully glared at him but then laughed, the tension in the room lifting with her smile.
“I’m not the only one who’s scared!” she protested. “You two are the ones laughing the loudest.”
As the movie continued, Quinn noticed how everyone was settling into this comfortable dynamic. It was different than before, lighter, warmer. It wasn’t perfect, but it was getting there. And right now, that was enough.