make you miss me • q. hughes

10

Quinn's room is weird to be in. He's been in my room at the lake house. But no room I'm staying in ever feels like mine. It's too crisp and organized to feel like someone lives in there. Quinn's room feels like it's his. He spends time here. Being in here feels too intimate.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Snooping," I say, not even sparing him a glance.

He doesn't seem to care. Just joins me in looking at the picture frames on his dresser. "Find anything?"

"That's a pretty nasty-looking cut." I point to a picture with him and Jack as kids where Quinn isn't even looking at the camera. There's a cut right above his ear. "How'd it happen?"

"I fell off something at the park. Had to get stitches."

"Ouch."

"Here, look."

He holds his hair up slightly where it falls above his ear. This room is too intimate. It's intoxicating. Which is probably why my fingers trace over the scar. Why I'm so aware of how his breath hitches at the gentle touch. It's probably the nicest thing I've done to him.

"Hey, guys."

Oh, fuck. My hand's out of his space in a second. I didn't realize it was Trevor over the pounding of my heartbeat. Quinn doesn't know he knows though. Exactly what I want. He's on the opposite side of the room in an instant.

"Hi, Z," I say.

Trevor nods. "Uh, there's food..."

I don't think anyone has ever seen Trevor Zegras so lacking in words. In my short time knowing him, I haven't.

"I was trying to get her to borrow a hoodie," Quinn rushes out. Smooth. "She's cold and being annoying about it."

"You're being annoying about it," I retort. All desire to touch him gently disappears with that reminder that he has such strong opinions about me. It's fine for me to do it. I have strong opinions on everything.

He rolls his eyes and we're officially on the same, correct page. "If Jack was offering you'd take it in a heartbeat."

"Yeah, almost as if I actually like him."

"Everyone could tell how much you like him when you were all over him on the boat today." His words have an edge to them. He's jealous.

I scoff. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

"It is fully my business."

"You don't see me getting up in Finch's business for his friendship with Luke."

"Those aren't the same th—"

"Oh, because we aren't both guys it's different? That's misog—"

"No, because they aren't flirting!"

"We weren't flirting," I snap. It's loud. "We quite literally clarified we were just being friendly to each other."

"As much as you guys would love to keep going with this," Trevor cuts in. "I think you're both hangry and should come eat."

"Y'know, I might go and tell Moose and Birdy they can't hug anymore or even shake hands," I say, walking fast to go do exactly that.

Trevor's eyes widen and he gets out of the way as I rush out the door. I'm sure the footsteps following aren't Z. Look at him, he's chasing after me. So fucking pathetic.

"This just in," I announce to the dining room with the rest of our friends. "Quinn says you have to be flirting with someone to touch them."

Val's about to take a bite of pizza and sets the entire piece back down. "What?"