“Alrighty, then.” I decide to speak up after an entire minute of walking in silence. “What kind of tea do you have for me tonight?”

Jamie jumps into a step forward before angling her body towards me. “Relationship drama.” 

I wince, and she laughs dryly into her hand at my reaction. “Do I even want to know?” My voice grates through the teeth I’m clenching.

“Hmm.” Jamie carefully adjusts her backpack straps over her shoulders and blinks at the path ahead. There aren’t many students out and about since it’s already past 2am, so we have plenty of privacy for whatever this is going to entail. “Probably not, but I think you should.” 

My fists bury themselves in my shorts as I lengthen my strides to match her quick pace. “Go on, then.” 

“Leigh’s thinking of ending things with Seth,” she says so lightly, I almost don’t react at all. 

Almost.

“What the hell?!” My foot catches on a break in the sidewalk, and I stumble to stay upright. “Why?!”

“Well…” Jamie offers me her elbow to help me regain balance. “She told Maya she wants to do a graduate program abroad, and since Seth is set on Emory for law school, she doesn’t want to make him reconsider his dream just to follow her.” 

“Hold on-!”

“And before you get all mad about it, there’s a lot more you don’t know, mmkay?” Her voice softens while she slows her gait for me to catch up. “You’re aware they were apart all summer, right?”

I nod and swallow the spit I nearly let fly at a passing tree the second she dropped this bomb.

“It didn’t go so well.”

“Did they fight a lot or something?” I cringe at the thought. I can’t even picture those two arguing, but long distance usually leads to stuff like that.

“Nah man, just…” Jamie trails off while she takes the turn towards her quad. “I should clarify,” she says, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. “It didn’t go well for Seth, but Leigh had a fucking blast.” 

“Ah…” My stomach twists while I struggle to read the expression tightening her face. 

“She didn’t cheat or anything, I just think she enjoyed their time apart more than she should’ve.” Jamie’s scowl forms through the dark, and I gulp at the sight. 

“Does…?” My voice falters, and her face softens slightly when her gaze refocuses on mine. “Does Seth know about any of this?” 

She shrugs stiffly while her brows pull inward. “Not explicitly, but he’s usually pretty quick to pick up on things. The minute Maya told me I wanted to go find him, after punching Leigh in the tit of course-”

“Jamie…”

“I know, I know!” She waves a hand in my general direction and releases a choked laugh. “But he’s like a brother to me, so-” She snaps her mouth closed and clears her throat. “I just want him to be happy.” 

“Ahuh, but-” I step alongside her with ease now that she’s calmed down a bit. “He can’t be happy with someone who doesn’t feel the same way.” 

Jamie’s shoulders tense as her eyes flick over to my face. “Funny you should say such a thing-”

“We’re not talking about me.” 

“Right.” She sighs and comes to a sudden stop, running both hands through her thick wavy hair. “Home sweet home.” 

“Oh.” I glance up at the brick building before us and nod. “I’ll see you around.” 

“Dinner. Tomorrow.” 

I giggle at her insistence before turning to leave. “Sounds good.”  

~

I take the long way back to my quad so I can process Jamie’s tea while enjoying a cool breeze for once. Maybe we’ll get a break from the humidity tomorrow. I walk all the way down the steps to the back parking lot to go to that path through the woods I like. It winds around the trees for a more gradual climb up the hill instead of going for a straight shot. I use it on my morning runs all the time because it leads to multiple trails, one of which connects to the University’s nature reserve a little off campus. It's the route I usually opt for.

What I really don’t expect is to see someone else down here, let alone my very own resident. I freeze in place when I notice red hair bobbing a few rows over. What’s he doing? I peak my head above the Jeep in front of me so I can watch Quinn Cassidy jogging towards the last car in the row closest to the forest. It’s an old Chevy Malibu with chipped gold paint and a dented rear bumper. Where the heck is he going so late?!

And I’m about to yell out just that when he opens one of the back doors and ducks his way inside. He closes himself in there so quietly, I think maybe I’ve imagined this whole thing. My feet carry me forward anyway, and in a matter of seconds I’m standing in front of the open window staring down at a pale blue pillow and legs that seem to go for miles as they stretch along the backseat. 

“Uh, what…?!” My question doesn’t fully form, but the sound of my voice jolts him straight up until he nearly knocks his head against the car’s roof. 

“Shit!” Quinn’s hiss of a whisper catches on an inhale while his gray gaze pops at the recognition of my face. “Hi,” he murmurs, his fingers twisting into the front of his hair.  

“Can we do our one-on-one now?!” I blurt before I can think how nuts and probably extremely creepy that comes off. 

But he laughs, the sound low and raspy while his brows inch up his freckled forehead. He releases his bangs when he nods, then reaches over to unlock the door for me. I wait for him to scoot himself to the other side, watching as he brings the pillow along with him to clutch against his chest. 

“You can come in.” He speaks a little roughly after I’ve stared for an uncomfortable amount of time. 

I drop my bookbag on the pavement and open the door, wondering if I can get any sort of disciplinary job action for this sketchy meeting I’ve initiated. 

“Um...” Quinn’s fingers flick over the pillow case as he braces his bare feet up on the back of the passenger seat. “So how does this go?” 

“Well.” I close the door gently behind me, slightly startled by the smoky smell that instantly surrounds me in here. “Usually I ask how classes are going and if there’s anything you need from me.” I glance his way in time to notice his mouth twitching just before his fist presses over it. 

“I’m good,” he mutters, tapping his toes along the worn fabric. 

“Uh...huh…” I narrow my eyes on him, which earns me the faintest snort I’ve ever heard. “Quinn-”

“Why are you down here so late?” He asks suddenly, the question taking me completely off guard.

“I like to walk back through the woods when the weather’s nice.”

“Hmm.” He nods, his long eyelashes fluttering slightly as his gaze drops to a red water bottle on the floor. “You usually just come in the morning, though.” 

“I-huh?!” My brain sputters in and out of activity while his hand drops to his lap in surprise. “You’ve seen me running?” 

Quinn’s expression morphs into one of near-panic as he realizes what he’s just admitted. 

“Are you…?” My throat clenches, and my eyes narrow on the pillow becoming awfully tiny beneath his grasp. “Are you sleeping down here every night?” Is that what his roommate wants to talk to me about? 

“I, um-” His voice knocks a pitch or two deeper before his gaze catches mine. “It’s so fucking hot in the dorms.” 

My giggling shocks him at first, and the way his mouth gapes makes me laugh even harder. 

“Am I…?” He chuckles softly while I press my palm over my mouth to shut myself up. “Am I in trouble?”

“Honestly…?” I shake my head and shrug simultaneously. “I have no idea if there’s a rule about this, and since they’re too stingy to purchase air conditioning for all the dorms, I’d say you’re in the clear, but-” I break for a breath and point a finger at his chest, pausing about an inch away from his loose black t-shirt. “It’s not very safe out here.” 

“Mhm.” He nods with his jaw set as that bright gray stare studies me super closely all of a sudden. “Never know who you’ll run into late at night in the parking lot.”