The Promise (Faberry)

Chapter 14, Part 2

'She loves me' Quinn's lips formed without making a sound. The hallway was eerily silent except for the rushing of the rain and the occasional sound of thunder, which seemed farther away than before.

"Fuck!" Quinn's sudden curse cut through the silence and she smashed her fist into one of the post boxes next to her. Ignoring the throbbing in her hand, she finally realized what had just happened. Rachel loved her. The foolish dream she had never been able to give up on had become reality. And as soon as she had finally been able to reach what she had been looking for it disappeared right before her eyes. Because she had destroyed it. Because she had told Rachel she couldn't trust her.

"Fuck!" Quinn cried out once more, because she felt like the dumbest person on earth. She finally awoke from her stupor and stepped outside the front door. A gust of wind tugged on her hair and her white sleeveless blouse. She looked up at the sky and saw nothing but charcoal clouds appearing just as somber as her mood.

"Rachel!?" she shouted and looked left and right, but she couldn't see the brunette anywhere.

Quinn hesitated for a moment before she decided to go left without any particular reason. She could only hope that luck would be on her side. As soon as she was out on the street, she got completely drained, but she didn't have the nerves to care. Her thoughts were on Rachel only. All she could think about was that she had to find her and make this right again. They couldn't end here. Not like this.

Soon, Quinn's pace increased and her steps turned into jogging, then into running. Rain hit her in the face and blurred her sight. Or was it because of the tears? Quinn couldn't tell anymore.

Where could the brunette have gone? Quinn had already passed more than two blocks and there was no sign of the woman. Maybe she had taken the wrong direction? Suddenly her determination diminished and she started to slow down, her sides aching from the lack of oxygen.

"Rachel!" she shouted once more knowing that it was hopeless. Quinn came to a halt and rested her hands on her knees. She panted heavily and scolded herself for being so out of shape. She was about to give up and turn around when she saw a flash of pink lurking behind an old Toyota that was parked next to the sidewalk at the end of the street.

Quinn started sprinting once more. The pain was forgotten instantly. When she reached the car, she slowed her steps, suddenly nervous about what would await her. She halted behind the Toyota and lurked around it only to be met with the most heartbreaking sight she had ever encountered.

Rachel was sitting on the curb with her knees pulled to her chest. Her face was hidden between her arms but Quinn was sure she was crying. Her once bright pink summer dress was soaked in a mixture of dirt and rain, its edges floating in the pool of water around the drain next to her.

Quinn hesitated before she rounded the car and walked up to Rachel, who at first didn't notice her presence.

"Rach?" Quinn said, but it sounded more like a croak because she was still out of breath.

Rachel flinched and looked up at her in surprise.

"Quinn?" she said as if she had never expected to see her there.

Quinn's breath got stuck in her throat when she noticed the pain in Rachel's eyes. She wanted to step forward and pull her into a tight hug, but she wasn't sure whether Rachel would allow her to, so she stayed where she was while raindrops ran down her face, making it hard for her to not constantly blink.

"We can't stay out here. Let's go somewhere else and talk," Quinn said while she pushed back a strand of wet hair that was sticking to her forehead.

Rachel shook her head. "I don't want to go anywhere. Leave me alone."

"I'm not going anywhere without you," Quinn said. If Rachel wanted to play the stubbornness game, she would play along.