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They continued their drive and Quinn went over every detail he could possibly remember from the previous evening.

Everything he and Rae had said or done. He found himself regretting how much time he’d spent on the phone with Mitch and Zoey and the coach and every other person who had called yesterday.

Maybe there was something going on that he hadn’t noticed because he’d been too busy.

Turning into the large suburban neighborhood where the Kalahans lived, Quinn sat up eagerly in the front seat, eyes open for the sight of Rae or Charlie’s new Beamer. Brody and Amira’s house was toward the end of the winding street, before turning off into a new subdivision.

Quinn breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the black Beamer parked in the driveway in front of the two-story craftsman.

Already unbuckling his seatbelt, he was ready to hop out of the truck before Jett had come to a complete stop.

He raced up to the front porch just as the door was opening and Rae stepped outside.

His breath was even more relieved as he took in the sight of her- completely unharmed.

Her hair was damp and tousled, as if she’d just taken a shower and briefly towel-dried it, and he wanted to pull her in and inhale her fresh scent and never let go.

But when she stopped to look at him, she looked surprised, and then... hurt.

“Hi,” she said softly. “I was just coming to see you. ”

“Rae, thank God.” Quinn tried to embrace her, but she stepped back and averted her gaze. “Baby...what’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

He hated the way she was looking at him. Guarded, tentative, wounded.

“That depends.” She stood up straight and her eyes were filled with challenge.

It was then that he noticed that her eyes were puffy and red. She’s been crying? Why couldn’t she call me? What the hell is going on?

“Okay? Depends on what?” Quinn studied her and knew he was about to hear the explanation. The reason she’d disappeared and had him worried sick to his stomach for the past twelve hours.

“I came to the hotel last night,” she said. “Jett said he’d dropped you off hours ago, so I decided to just show up.”

“You did? Are you sure you went to the right room?”

“Quinn, you weren’t alone,” she stated, her eyes traveling back and forth between his.

She was searching for something, but he didn’t understand what.

“Imagine my surprise when I saw you standing in the hallway in your boxers with some other woman giving you a hug and telling you what a great time she had.”

Comprehension dawned. All morning, they’d been operating under the assumption that Rae had never even made it to the hotel, but of course if she’d left Jett’s when he said she had, she would’ve gotten there just in time to see Zoey leaving his room.

He threw his head back, grateful there was such a simple explanation.

It was a misunderstanding, nothing more.

“Oh my God, Rae, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you my publicist was coming.

She was going to help manage some of the press.

She stopped by my room and we lost track of time catching up.

I’m sure what you saw looked bad, but I swear Zoey’s not even remotely interested in me that way. ”

“Your publicist?” Rae questioned. “You hang out with your publicist...in your underwear?”

“Well, no, not usually. My pants were in the dryer because of all the mud.”

“What the hell did you and Jett get into? ”

He grinned and looked down at his feet, knowing he couldn’t tell her where they’d been. “It’s a long story. But Zoey is actually in the truck with Jett. You can meet her. You’ll find out she doesn’t really even like me that much.”

Rae studied his face again and he could tell she was assessing, deciding whether or not she should believe him.

Finally, her features softened and he saw the tension leave her shoulders as she sighed.

“Thank God. I knew there had to be some other explanation. I just...I’ve heard a dozen different excuses in the past.”

Quinn reached for her, slipping his arm around her waist. “Rae, I would never do that to you-”

Just then, the front door pulled open and Emerson- Emerson?!- stood in the doorway. In nothing but a fucking bath towel wrapped low on his hips.

“Hey Princess, I think these are yours.” Emerson handed Rae a pair of black and white plaid pajama shorts that Quinn recognized as hers. “They were under the bed upstairs.” Emerson then glanced at Quinn and a slow grin dragged across his face. “Mornin’ All-Star.”

There was a heavy silent moment in which Quinn swore time stood still. He glanced from the pair of shorts to Rae’s wet hair to the towel around Emerson’s hips, and that fucking smug punch-me-now face.

Rae’s mouth hung open for a beat before laughing uncomfortably. “This is another example of something that just looks really bad.”

Quinn looked at Rae, eyes narrowed as he tried to piece everything together.

What the hell was he doing here? Had they spent the night here together?

Had she been so upset when she assumed he’d cheated that she’d jumped back in bed with that asshole?

The guy who’d already proven to her that he wasn’t worthy of her trust?

“Did you guys make up?” Emerson asked. “What did I tell you, Rae? He just might have another explanation. Or at least a believable excuse.”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Quinn snapped, glaring at the man who could never seem to keep his damn mouth shut. He glanced back at Rae. “What is he doing here? ”

“Apparently he’s been staying here all week,” she replied.

“And you stayed here last night? With him?”

“Aw, come on, All-Star. Cut her some slack. You had a lady friend in your hotel room last night.”

“Nothing happened,” Rae insisted. “He was already asleep when I got here and I slept upstairs.”

Emerson gasped mockingly and put a hand to the large tattoo on his chest. “Rae! Nothing? Nothing happened? I made you iced coffee! That used to mean something to you.”

Quinn’s jaw clenched and he removed his arm from Rae’s waist and took a step back.

His hands balled into fists as he held back from finally giving that asshole the broken nose he deserved.

“You talked to him about us? You told him you thought I cheated on you? That’s none of his fucking business.

Why are you talking to him anyway? He’s the one who cheated, Rae.

Not me. I wouldn’t fucking dream of it.”

He exhaled, and it felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. He shook his head and finally broke eye contact, turning around without another word.

“Quinn, wait,” Rae called after him. “Quinn!” Rae’s hand caught him around the elbow and she forced him to face her, but he wouldn’t look at her. Instead he kept his gaze over her shoulder, on the porch where Emerson was now standing on the top step.

“Quinn, please, talk to me. You don’t actually believe something happened between us, do you?” Rae said, her voice panic-stricken and already near tears.

“I don’t know, Rae. I really don’t. What I’m finding hard to comprehend right now is that you confided in him rather than confronting me.” He was trying to hold onto his anger, working around the lump in his throat.

“I know, I know.” Rae still held onto his arm with one hand as she pushed the other into her hair, “I panicked. I’m sorry. I know it’s not how I should’ve reacted, but- ”

Quinn scoffed. “In hindsight, you don’t think it was a good idea to spend the night with your cheating ex-fiancé?”

“I didn’t- no, Quinn, I didn’t spend the night with him ,” said Rae defensively. “These are both misunderstandings. Neither one of us cheated, so can we just move past this?”

“Maybe you didn’t cheat, but you talked to him before coming to me,” Quinn stated.

“You lumped me in with him, after everything we’ve been through, after all I’ve done to show you how much you mean to me- how much you have always meant to me, Rae.

And you assume I’m just like him. And then you talk to him about shit that’s none of his business.

” Taking a step back, he pulled his arm out of her grasp and shook his head in disbelief again.

“I was going to take you back to L.A. with me Monday, just so you could see my- our home- but…I think I’ll just leave by myself. ”

“Quinn, no, don’t go,” Rae pleaded. “Come on, let’s talk this out. Please, I know-”

“ No , Rae, I don’t think you do,” Quinn cut her off. “I don’t think you have any idea how much this hurts.” He dropped his gaze as her face fell, tears streaming down her cheeks. Quinn turned around and got into the back seat of the truck.

Quinn avoided Jett and Zoey’s looks of concern as he slumped in his seat and scrubbed his hands down his face.

He thought about how he’d spent the entire previous day working to fit Rae into his life in L.A.

, and their plans to spend their futures together.

He took a shaky breath in before grumbling to Zoey, “Find the next flight home. We’re leaving today. ”