It was raining cats and dogs over Crestwood University.
Class had finally ended for the afternoon, but Quinn didn't move from where he stood beneath the brick archway of the humanities building.
The courtyard beyond was a sheet of grey mist and pounding rain. Students sprinted through the downpour, using backpacks, notebooks, sometimes just their hands, as flimsy shields while others lingered in the hall with him, waiting for a miracle break in the weather.
Quinn's phone buzzed.
[Niko: Test drive once the rain stops.]
He stared out at the relentless downpour, unimpressed.
The sky didn't look like it planned on stopping. Ever.
The group chat lit up immediately.
[Penny: I don't think it's good to do a drive test after or during a rainfall.]
[Hunter: Unless Sebastian will do it.]
[Kai: You want our ace driver to crash?]
[Zion: *laughing emoji*]
Quinn didn't reply.
He noticed Sebastian didn't reply either. No surprise there. Though, everyone's "Online" status exposed that they were all watching, waiting. Even him.
Two days had passed since the party. Two days of silence. Two days of Sebastian not returning to the dorm.
Quinn tried to brush it off as normal. But this time… this time it felt different.
And the party… God.
The last thing Quinn clearly remembered was Sebastian ripping him away from Niko and punching him. Everything after that was blurry half-memories soaked in alcohol. Every time he tried to recall the details, his head throbbed.... the only image that surfaced was a necklace.
A platinum clock pendant swinging in front of his face.
But the moment that image appeared, Quinn's stomach tightened. His breath hitched. He didn't know why, but something about that memory made his skin crawl.
It was Sebastian's necklace....
Quinn had woken up in the dorm the next morning, his shirt missing, his head splitting in two. He'd spent the entire day throwing up and had to skip class.
He still didn't know how he got home.
Did Sebastian bring me back?
He didn't know and the not knowing bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
Unfortunately, Niko had also gone quiet since the party. He wasn't ignoring Quinn entirely, he still sent updates in the club chat, still answered things strictly technical.
But every personal message Quinn sent came back with the same cold distance.
Seen. No reply.
Quinn rubbed the sleeve of his hoodie, chewing on the inside of his cheek as the rain continued its relentless assault outside.
Everything felt off.
His cheek still hurt faintly from Sebastian's punch. His chest hurt more from Niko's silence.
Something had definitely happened after his blackout.
Quinn could feel it in his body, in the heaviness in his chest, in the way his heart skipped every time he tried to remember.
But he was tired of trying. Tired of pushing against that fog. Tired of regretting things he couldn't undo.
He regretted drinking. He always blacked out when he drank too much.
But he also regretted not getting what he wanted.
He had wanted Niko. He had wanted his long-time crush to finally fuck him.
And Sebastian... Sebastian chose that exact moment to ruin it and then disappear like a ghost for two whole days.
The rain had softened to a heavy drizzle, and Quinn took it as an opportunity. He pushed himself off the wall and headed for the stairs. He had barely turned when someone shoved past him, running ahead. Quinn's foot slipped on the wet tile...
He lurched forward, certain he was about to break his face on the pavement.
But a hand caught his backpack and yanked it backward hard enough to stop his fall. Another hand grabbed his shoulder, steadying him before he could hit the ground.
Quinn gasped and spun around and froze.
Sebastian.
Looking perfectly fine, perfectly dry, perfectly put-together. For someone who had vanished for forty-eight hours, he looked like he had just stepped out of a Calvin Klein commercial with clothes on.
And he was the one person who could fill in the hole inside Quinn's memory.
Zion stood behind him, smiling like the sun after a storm. "Hey, pretty boy."
Sebastian gave Quinn a cold, unimpressed look. "You really want to humiliate yourself? Seriously?"
Quinn frowned, irritated and embarrassed all at once. He turned away as the rain thickened again, exhaling sharply.
"What are you two doing here?" he muttered. "Are you sports-science freaks or something?"
Zion barked a laugh. "We came looking for Hunter. Rain's making everyone stuck."
Quinn could feel Sebastian's stare burning into the side of his face.
He ignored it.
He hugged his backpack strap tighter. "Why is Niko so hellbent on a test drive today?"
Zion brightened, practically vibrating. "Because nationals are coming soon. We've got like two or three months left. Niko didn't want to pressure you engineers yet, so he only told the drivers."
Quinn lifted a brow. "Pressure?"
Zion nodded quickly. "If we do well, we could hit internationals. The vice-chancellor's already involved. Mr. Silvers, our club master too. They're all banking on us. But Niko will explain everything soon. Team meeting and all that."
Quinn felt excitement spark in his chest. Finally! This was his chance to show everyone what he could do.
He smiled. "Awesome."
"Yup! And the sponsorships are going to be insane," Zion continued, practically vibrating. "Luckily our Ace here..." he grabbed Sebastian's shoulders, shaking him enthusiastically, "...already has a massive fanbase and active sponsors. Imagine how many more will come once we start winning."
Sebastian barely reacted, expression flat.
Zion didn't notice. His eyes lit up suddenly as a girl passed by. "Lexi! Hey!"
The girl stopped, smiled shyly, then blushed even harder as Zion jogged toward her with his flirty swagger.
Quinn let out a small laugh, shaking his head. But when he turned back, Sebastian's eyes met his. Only for a second.
And then Sebastian looked away, focusing on the rain as if Quinn wasn't even there.
Quinn's chest tightened. He had questions, so many questions, but the moment he caught a glimpse of the small platinum clock pendant around Sebastian's neck, his breath hitched.
A flash of memory. The pendant in his grip. Sebastian's face too close.
His voice...
He swallowed hard, forcing his gaze away.
That was when he noticed the group of girls across the hall, giggling and taking pictures. Of them. Of him.. standing next to Sebastian like they were close enough to photograph together.
Quinn's face burned red instantly.
Great. Social media content. Exactly what he didn't want.
He turned away quickly, embarrassment crawling up his neck.
He stared at the rain instead, his voice soft. "Are you coming to the dorm today?"
"No." Sebastian's voice was cold. Detached.
Quinn frowned. "Why?"
"My Dad has me doing shoots," Sebastian said, his voice clipped. "I'm not just a driver, you know. I'm a model."
The sharp, irritated tone hit Quinn harder than it should have.
He clenched his jaw. He hated this Sebastian the most. The cold one. The one who shut him out. The one who punched him and then vanished.
But he swallowed it down.
He inhaled deeply, steadying himself. "Has my mum contacted you?"
Sebastian hesitated. His jaw tightened. "She… she always does."
Quinn's lips pressed into a thin line. "Uh-huh."
He gripped his backpack strap, his fingers white.
He didn't say another word.
He simply stepped away, out into the courtyard, straight into the rain.
He didn't look back.
He walked away from Sebastian, from the stares, from the girls taking photos… and out of the faculty building entirely, letting the cold rain soak through his clothes.
Anything was better than standing next to Sebastian pretending nothing was wrong.