Charlie breathed softly through his nose as his heartbeat finally regulated. His soft, green eyes traveled from the smooth ceiling above him to the girl that lied next to him, mere inches away.

The comforter that covered the couple was the only piece of material that concealed their bodies. Charlie reached over and rested his hand on Quinn's, the serene smile that was originally plastered on his face slowly dwindled away once the redhead slid her hand out from beneath him.

The boy immediately sat up, his prominent eyebrows furrowed. He ignored the cold air that rushed to his chest and drove away the warmth he held just seconds earlier. The dark curls that hovered just above his shoulders gently swayed side to side as he shook his head, his gaze fixed on Quinn who faced the opposite direction.

She could practically feel his eyes boring into the back of her head. She let out a shaky sigh and furrowed deeper into the toasty bed.

As the days treaded on, Quinn still couldn't bring herself to reschedule her doctor's appointment. Although she longed to know what her future held, a part of her was too fearful to find out considering she was just about certain she already knew the answer. 

And while she wished she could allow the uncertainty and frustration to brew inside of her, over time, she found that that course of action was nearly impossible. She had to do something, anything to make the lies and deceit bearable. Even so, she knew that telling Charlie, or anyone for that matter, about her predicament, would be a grave mistake, one that she simply could not afford. However, as much as it killed her, she knew there was one thing she could do.

Before Charlie could voice his growing exasperation, the redhead interrupted, her voice quiet but firm.

"I wanna break up," she blurted.

Charlie let out a small chuckle, but the lighthearted demeanor that was about him completely vanished once Quinn followed her assertion with nothing but deafening silence. Despite the massive weight her words held, she still failed to face Charlie.

"What do you mean?" the boy whispered. He watched the redhead shrug her shoulders in response.

"I wanna break up."

"I heard you the first time," Charlie scoffed. "That still doesn't answer my question."

"How could I be any clearer?" Quinn narrowed her eyes and sat up, her fingers curled around her blouse as she quickly yanked it over her head. Charlie studied the girl as she continued to get dressed, the nonchalance that was about her quelled him entirely, but not for long.

"Quinn," Charlie began, his voice deep and stern, "what are you talking about?"

The other teenager shook her head. "I think you should go."

Charlie ripped the comforter from his body and rose to his feet, he scanned her entirely before letting out a chuckle that was dripping with sarcasm, "Really?"

"Really," came Quinn's immediate retortion.

"That's not funny." Despite the modest laugh that he produced, much like Quinn's, his face held little amusement.

"...It wasn't a joke," Quinn contended. She maintained her hardened expression as she watched Charlie's lips slowly part.

"Where's this coming from?"

Again, the redhead met the boy's question with silence. She couldn't help but flinch and snap her eyes to his once he raised his voice, "Quinn!"

"Your grampa was right," she declared. "He was right, okay?"

Charlie jeered, "About what?"

"About everything," Quinn swiftly rebutted. "About you being distracted, about me being in the way—."

Charlie's features contorted as he attempted to process the girl's quick words. "No, he's not."

"Yeah...he is."

Charlie expunged a deep sigh while his hands sought refuge on his hips. "I knew you were upset about this, about him firing you. Look, I hate that he said all that stuff to you, but he was wrong. He didn't know what he was talking about, he still doesn't." He dropped his defensive appearance and approached her, his arms outstretched. "I'm sorry."

The instinct to revel in his embrace almost overtook the redhead...almost.

"No," she challenged, instantly shutting down his advance. "That's not what this is about, I don't care what Wilfred said."

"Yeah, you do. Ever since he said what he said you've been acting like this and now suddenly you wanna break up?" Charlie looked at her expectantly.

"That's not the only reason, alright?" she admitted.

"Oh yeah?" the boy retorted. "Then why?"

Quinn simply reached down and snatched up Charlie's clothing that rested on the floor before roughly pressing it against his chest. "Just go."

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?" Charlie bellowed. He let the clothing drop onto the floor as he tensed his jaw, his eyes boring into hers. "I'm not going anywhere."

Quinn's face reddened in vexation. She shifted on her feet before turning away from him. Her lengthy hair messily spun in the air the second the boy gripped her arm and pulled her closer to him.

"What's going on with you?" His expression was genuine, his eyes pleading for her to give him some sort of explanation.

Nevertheless, the redhead snatched away from his firm grasp and ignored his question entirely.

"What happened?" he implored. "Just a couple weeks ago you were fine, now you're—." He looked her up and down as Quinn's conviction filled words echoed in his head. Charlie rested his eyes, his voice softening in the process. "Listen, I don't know if it's what my grampa said any more or if it's something else, but whatever it is, I'll fix it."

Quinn nearly grimaced at the sincerity that accompanied his heartfelt promise, but she forced herself to maintain her hardened expression.

"There's nothing to fix, Charlie. I'm sure it's difficult for you to understand, but believe it or not, I'm done. Just go home."

"Yeah, I do find that hard to believe," Charlie maintained. He crept closer to Quinn once she turned away from him. "You can't just be done, especially without a valid reason. You don't get to make me care then just throw it all away."

Quinn's words were simple, "Go."

Charlie looked at her pensively, his mind raced as he searched for anything that could alleviate the situation or to, at the very least, get the girl to slow down and rethink her rash decision. "If you want me to leave...then fine."

He gritted his teeth as he scampered into his light blue jeans and yanked his t-shirt over his head. "I'll go, but this isn't over. I'll give you time to cool off and get over whatever it is that's making you act like this, but when you're done, when you figure out that you're being unreasonable and ridiculous, give me a call."

The boy lifted his shoes from the floor and rested them in his arms before swiftly snatching his keys off of the bedside table. He only ceased his strides to the door once the redhead's voice gripped his attention.

"You're gonna be waiting for a long ass time," Quinn affirmed. "I wouldn't."

Charlie turned on his heels and settled his gaze on her, his teeth tearing into his bottom lip. "If you think I'm just gonna let you end this without you giving me a legitimate reason, you don't know me at all."

Quinn tensed the muscles in her arms as she crossed them over her chest. While she hoped he'd go down easy, she knew he was right, he wouldn't let their relationship come to an end, not without a valid explanation. So, she decided she was going to give him just that.

"...I don't love you."

She immediately picked up on the hurt that became present in his gaze, she was familiar with it because she felt it too. Even so, she knew she had to stick to her declaration, even if it wasn't true.

"Bull...shit," Charlie enunciated.

The redhead's eyes snapped to his once the words slithered its way into her ears. She knew he'd be angry, but still, she had to admit, she was surprised.

"It's not," she challenged.

"What did I do, huh? What did I do that's so bad? Why are you trying to hurt me?"

"I'm not," Quinn muttered. "For the first time, I'm actually telling you the truth."

"And that's the so-called truth?" He scoffed the second Quinn nodded her head. "Do you seriously expect me to believe that? I see the way you look at me when you say it. There's no taking that back, you wouldn't lie, not about that. I know you, you wouldn't...you couldn't."

"Is that so?" Quinn chuckled.

Charlie replied through clenched teeth, "Yeah."

"Do you remember the first time I said it?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Of course I do."

"And did you ever consider the timing?"

Charlie crossed his arms over his chest. "The timing?"

"Yeah." Quinn nodded her head vigorously. "It was just before we had sex. You didn't think that was weird?"

"Why would I?"

"I said it right after you did. I said it back because I knew if I didn't, you would've been pissed."

Charlie's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

Quinn's chuckle was dark, "I only said it to get laid."

The boy's laughs filled the air as he shook his head. "Okay, now I know you're delusional. That's a bold face lie."

"You think so?"

"I know so," he confirmed. 

"Well, let me ask you this...have I ever said it unprovoked? I only say it after you do, I never just say it because I want to. You know why? Because it's a lie."

Charlie flared his nose and swayed his head side to side. "...Stop."

"This is why I didn't wanna tell you the truth." She scanned the entirety of his body before letting out a scornful laugh, " I knew you couldn't handle it."

Quinn's smug expression contrasted vastly with Charlie's. His eyes softened at the sound of her declaration.

"I don't care what you say. You're mad and I don't know why, but I do know you," he assured. "You try to act so tough, so hard, like you don't give a shit about anyone or anything but it's all just that...an act," Charlie hissed. "I see you, like really see you even all the crap you try to hide. You love me and need me just as much as I need you and that doesn't just go away. Don't forget that."

Quinn's lips curved into a vicious snarl. "Whatever you have to tell yourself is fine by me."

Charlie's lowered gaze matched his voice, "I don't get why you do this."

The redhead eyed him carefully, her attention officially peaked.

"Run from everything," he elaborated.

"That's what you think this is? Me...running?"

"That's exactly what this is. That's how you handle everything, you probably always have. Only thing is..." He wet his dry lips as he searched for the right words. "I never thought you'd try to run from me."

Quinn shut her eyes. "Charlie, just go."

Charlie noted the defeat present in her expression and he took her unguarded state to his advantage. He silently crept forward and brought his hands to each of her cheeks, effectively forcing her to meet his gaze, and to her own astonishment, she let him.

"I know you did it after what happened with your parents, I've seen you do it with Paloma...and now you're trying to do the same thing with me. But, it's not gonna work, I'm not them. You can't run from me."

Quinn's strained eyes softened and for a second, Charlie was sure he saw them return to their natural, loving, big, beautiful, brown state. He was certain that his sweet girl had finally returned to him and snapped out of whatever demonic trance she was in, however, the instant she jerked away from his gentle touch, he knew he was wrong.

"You just know everything, don't you?" Quinn snapped.

"I don't know everything, but I do know you better than you know yourself. You're like a wounded animal, something happened and instead of trying to figure it out you're taking it out on me. You're such a coward!"

"You don't know shit," Quinn declared. "Leave. Now."

"Just tell me what it is!" he demanded. "I'll forget all the mean stuff you said, alright?" he whined. "Just tell me."

"I'm sorry you don't believe me, but it's true. We had fun, but that's all it was...fun. Now I'm done." She quickly shrugged her shoulders as if it was all so obvious. "It's not a big deal, we're in high school, we haven't even been together a year. I mean, how long did you think this was gonna go on?"

Charlie tensed his jaw as Quinn continued her rant, "Did you think this was gonna last? Did you think we'd get married and have kids or something? No," she asserted with a small chuckle. "That was never gonna happen. Come on, you had to know that. I'm sure by next week you'll be with some other girl and you'll forget all about this."

The boy's unwavering glare bored into hers as she waved her hand dismissively. "It's whatever."

"Stop, okay? Just stop," he pleaded, his voice reduced to nothing more than a whisper. "I know you don't mean any of that." Despite the level of conviction his words held, he struggled to keep his speech steady. He used the dorsum of his hand to wipe his pink nose and prayed that he was right.

Quinn met his gaze and studied him carefully, she could only stare, but just for a moment once the intensity of his darkened eyes grew to be too much. The forest green pigment they originally held had almost vanished entirely, instead, transforming them into ones that were nothing more than bloodshot and completely dejected. Quinn had never seen the boy cry but that evening, she was sure that would change.

"I do...and you know it."

She was well acquainted with the ache in Charlie's chest because much like him, she felt it too.

"I know you're just trying to hurt me, but I don't care. Even if it was all just bullshit to you, I know it wasn't, but even if it was, I wouldn't care...I don't care. I love you and if any part of you feels the same way, then—."

"Then what? I should tell you this was all some elaborate ruse, a joke of some sort?" she mocked.

"You better do something," Charlie growled. "Because if you don't tell me what's going on right now, I'm gonna walk out that door and I'm not comin' back, Quinn. I'm serious."

The redhead stepped forward, bringing the two of them so close that she could practically feel the boy's rapid breathing. Her voice held a calmness that even startled herself, "Charlie, you've given me countless chances to take everything back, to explain or give you some profound reason for all this. Don't you think if I wanted you, I'd make you stay? Just get the hell outta here."

Nothing but mere silence followed the girl's contention and for a second, she wanted to take it all back, tell him the truth, let him know that her words meant nothing, no matter how wicked they were. But, she knew that none of it could be revoked, not when so much was on the line. She didn't have to take any more tests to know that she was pregnant, each passing day granted her all the confirmation she required and she refused to force Charlie to be a part of the hell that greeted her day in and day out.

"You mean that?" His words ripped through the room like a bullet through flesh, snapping Quinn out of her thoughts.

She cocked her eyebrow condescendingly in response. She was unsure how she was able to sustain her nonchalant demeanor, but she was thankful.

Charlie used the palm of his hand to quickly wipe away the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes before they could stain his rosy cheeks.

It was a sight Quinn couldn't bear to watch, however, once his sniffling ceased and his broken voice tore through the stillness of the home, she had no choice but to observe the boy's pink nose and trembling lips.

"Okay," he murmured. "This is what you want? Well, you win."

His chest rose and fell in a quick secession as he heaved. He nearly failed to catch his breath, but eventually, by some miracle, he did, nevertheless, his steady breathing only lasted for a moment.

"One day, you're gonna get tired of this, running from everyone and everything," he promised. "I just hope when you do, when you finally stop pushing people away, everyone that loves you won't be gone."

Quinn flinched as Charlie brushed past her and darted out of her bedroom. She lowered her gaze and swallowed thickly against her sore throat. Her blurry eyes met Siberia's once the puppy gently nudged her shin with her snout and produced a soft whine.

She planted herself down on the edge of her bed and absentmindedly ran her fingers through Siberia's furry coat.

Charlie was right, she was tired, but being tired didn't mean she could stop.

Another ship has fallen, are y'all as shook as I am? This was a really difficult chapter to write. Do you agree with Quinn's attempt to protect Charlie or do you think she should've just told him the truth? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading! 🤗