A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and favorites, there's just one more chapter after this.
"I can't believe it, the favoritism around here is just out of control."
"Yeah, they gave me so much shit for dating that bouncer and now Ivy goes and starts dating the new girl."
"Guys, you can't be surprised. I mean, I was more shocked when they brought in Brody's girlfriend. She isn't even that sexy, they only hired her because she's dating him."
"I know, she never practices, and you know that the new girl is her friend, right?"
"What? God, and she's such a slut, that she starts fucking her boss within the first week of working here. This is unbelievable, if it were any of us, we'd be fired for the shit that they're pulling."
Rachel cannot believe her ears, sure she had heard the girls snickering behind her back before, but she has had enough. It would be one thing if they were just insulting her, but they're calling Quinn a slut, when most of them have been sleeping with Brody behind her back.
"Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation about me and my friend. For your information, we both had to audition before we were hired, just like you. Regardless of your opinion of how sexy I am, those men out there must like something. And before you go around calling people sluts, at least she isn't fucking someone's boyfriend behind their back. Or should I say ex-boyfriend, because I am no longer with Brody and look, I still have my job."
Not one of them responds, they all look stunned. She walks away, leaving them there with their jaws hanging open.
X
Quinn gets into Bordeaux about thirty minutes after the show has started. She has built up enough fanfare that she only has to come in to perform her solo number just as Rachel had. Stacy greets her in the dressing room to make sure that she gets on in time.
"Hey there, Quinn. You have really stirred the pot today, honey."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, everyone is all a twitter about you and Ivy. Some of the girls are complaining."
"What?"
"Uh huh, and to top it off, Rachel decided to drop the bomb that she and Brody broke up and it has been hectic around here ever since."
"Wait, what?"
"Apparently she got into an argument with some of the girls when they were talking about you and Ivy, and in the heat of the moment she let it slip."
X
Quinn cries backstage as she watches Rachel perform, she really needs to talk to her. She feels so horrible about blowing her off for Ivy the other day. She feels sick when she thinks about the fact that Rachel was probably trying to tell her what happened and that she had broken up with her boyfriend.
She still hates the fact that Rachel kept it all a secret for so long, but she's willing to hear her reason now. They have been through so much, and Quinn refuses to lose her again over this. She thanks God that she never had sex with Ivy, something in her brain kept her from doing it. She was really only with Ivy to get back at Rachel, and she wouldn't go that far for revenge.
After Quinn goes off stage for the night, she rushes to the dressing room to find Rachel. It's empty aside from Ivy. She ignores her and makes her way towards her vanity. She quickly changes, hoping to get to Rachel's apartment before she goes to bed.
"Hey," Ivy says, pulling her into a hug from behind.
She tenses up, and Ivy loosens her grip. "I take it you heard about what happened."
When Quinn turns and looks into her eyes, a sharp pang shoots through her. Her emerald green eyes are brimming with tears. Had she fallen that quickly?
"It's okay Quinn, I understand."
"What are you talking about?"
"It was foolish of me, really, to try and keep you two apart."
"Ivy, wh-"
"You love her. I could see it on your face, back when I told you that she had a boyfriend."
Quinn cannot believe this, Ivy did this on purpose? Why?
"If you knew back then, why the hell did you even ask me out?"
"I have to admit, I was being selfish. I felt something for you the minute I laid eyes on you and I got jealous when I saw you together. I figured that you might not know about her having a boyfriend and I guessed right."
"I'm really sorry, Ivy, but I'm glad we didn't go too far. I was never in this to hurt you, I was just so mad at her, you know."
"I can't tell you that I'm not hurt, Quinn. I really do care a lot about you."
"Don't cry Ivy, this isn't worth your tears. You deserve so much better, you're beautiful, extremely talented and you're going to go so far in your career."
"Thank you, you're not so bad yourself. I guess you're right. No use crying over spilled milk, huh." Ivy accepts the tissue that Quinn offers to dry her eyes.
"Good luck, kid." She says, rubbing at Quinn's shoulder.
"Thanks. You too."
Quinn pulls Ivy into a goodbye hug before she goes to look for Rachel.
X
Rachel runs to the bathroom from her spot behind the divider in the dressing room. She cannot let Quinn or Ivy catch her eavesdropping.
The minute she enters the bathroom, she finds herself sliding to the floor as her sobs shake her entire body. Quinn had only gotten with Ivy after finding out about her and Brody. Thank goodness, they didn't have sex! That's because Quinn loves her too. All of this time, she and Quinn could have been together, if only she had fought harder that day.
After she cleans herself up, she goes back into the dressing room to find Quinn. It's empty, how long had she been crying?
She decides to go to the café and call Quinn up to ask her to meet her there.
Her phone beeps as she makes her way to their regular table in the back of the café. She goes ahead and orders her regular tea.
'Hey, where are you?' Quinn texted.
'I'm at the café. Where are you?' Rachel texts back.
'Lol, I'm at your apartment.'
'Well, come to the café, I'll be here.'
X
Quinn hops out of the taxi after quickly sliding her card to pay. She rushes to the front of the café to see Rachel, sitting alone at their regular table near the back. They lock eyes, and she watches as Rachel stands up and starts running toward her.
Rachel feels that pull, drawing her to Quinn, and she leaves the table. She moves forward until she finds herself outside with Quinn. It was as if she teleported herself out there while in a trance.
"Hey,"
"Hey,"
"I was looking for you."
"I was waiting for you."
"I missed you."
"I'm so sorry Quinn. I promise, I'll never lie to you again. If you give me the chance, I'll make it up to you, I swear." Rachel pleads.
"I don't know, Rachel, I'll have to think about it…okay, I thought about it. I'll give you a chance."
"Really? Quinn you have no idea how much this means to me."
She reaches up, grabbing Quinn by the neck, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug.
Quinn squeezes back, equally as hard. They stand outside the café holding each other as they cry tears of relief.
Rachel turns her face upwards to capture Quinn's lips with her own. She pulls back after a few minutes to see some guy staring at them through the café window.
"Let's get out of here."She says.
"Where are we going?" Quinn asks.
X
They burst through Rachel's apartment door, much like they had before. Rachel grips into the back of Quinn's hair, tugging lightly as she shrugs out of her coat.
"Whoa, hey! Wait a minute Rachel."
"What?"
"We can't do this. We're not going to last if we try to fix every problem we have with sex. It isn't healthy."
Rachel swallows the sudden lump in her throat, she knew this was coming. This conversation is going to be the make it or break it moment of their relationship, if there will ever be one.
"I-I love you Quinn. I need you to know that, no matter what, I always will."
"You don't have to say it back, not right now. I kept things from you, and I want a chance to explain myself."
"O-Okay, let's sit." Quinn says, gesturing towards the living room.
They both walk over to the couch, Rachel notices that Quinn doesn't remove her coat.
"Go ahead."
"Well, our first night together after you came to the club, I never had the chance to tell you about me and Brody. Then the next time we saw each other, I was going to tell you, but then I started noticing things, about how you acted on the phone, and then you lied about who it was. I was having a hard time trusting you."
Quinn frowns. So Rachel did know.
"How did you know?"
"Brody used to say the same things to me. That's why I didn't want to tell you about him, I figured that I could break up with him, and be free to pursue things with you whenever you were ready."
"I was ready that night, Rachel. Sure, I lied about the phone call, but it was because I wanted to be with you. That still doesn't excuse you from telling me the truth."
"Well, I guess I was just projecting my feelings about Brody onto you. He cheated on me so many times, and I ended up having an STD scare. It turned out to be just a bladder infection, but I stopped having sex with him for my own safety."
"Oh my God, Rachel." Quinn runs her hands through her hair. This is scary, what if he had given Rachel something? Quinn never uses protection during her one night stands either. This is enough to make her turn celibate again.
"I-I was scared too." Rachel says quietly.
"Why would somebody do that to you?" Quinn asks the universe, she cannot fathom being in a relationship with Rachel and cheating on her.
"I don't know Quinn, maybe…maybe I wasn't enough for him. After we stopped having sex, he didn't even ask why. We were like a show couple, together for appearances and convenience. I felt so worthless."
Quinn moves closer to Rachel, she places her hand on top of the ones clasped on Rachel's lap.
"Rachel, look at me. You are a beautiful woman, inside and out. Sure, you make mistakes, but you are a person worthy of love. There's no reason for anyone to treat you like that. I still don't get why you didn't think you could talk to me about this."
"I was stupid, selfish really. I had so many chances to tell you, but I let my shame get the better of me and I'm sorry for putting you through all of this."
"I'm still a little mad at you, but we can work through this. It'll take a while, but I think that we could make this work. I do love you Rachel, and I want to be with you."
Rachel turns over one of her hands to grip onto Quinn's. This is all she ever wanted, to be free to be with Quinn in any capacity that she wants.
"I want to be with you too Quinn."
Quinn sniffles, she hadn't known that she was even crying.
"Sorry about that whole…Ivy thing. I never meant to hurt you, I just wanted to get back at you. I swear that I never slept with her."
"I know that Quinn."
"How do you know that?"
"I heard you two in the dressing room earlier."
Quinn raises her eyebrows as she leans away from Rachel.
"Eavesdrop much?" She asks playfully.
"Well, it is one of my strong suits." Rachel replies cheekily.
They share a laugh, they haven't done that in a long while and it feels good.
Quinn goes home soon after, with a promise to call. This time, she won't stop calling if Rachel doesn't pick up.
