The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller(27)

“Can we stay on track here?” I growl under my breath as Quinn makes her way out of the bathroom. She eyes our closeness with curiosity, which is the exact reason we’re having this meeting.
Kaeleb and I have decided that it is finally time to tell Quinn the full story behind our relationship. After my last meeting with Palmer, I decided that it wasn’t fair to keep her in the dark any longer. So we’ve decided to enlighten her. Together.
But now with the decision coming to fruition, my throat becomes parched and thick, and the previous excitement transforms into anxiety as unease churns in the pit of my stomach. There’s an obvious tension-filled shift in the room, which I’m sure is completely my fault because as I look at Kaeleb, still grinning, and then to Quinn, still surveying the both of us, I realize mine is the only mood that has drastically changed. A warm hand soon envelops mine and gives it a light squeeze. I guess Kaeleb senses it too. Quinn’s eyes widen, brimming with unspoken excitement at the sight of his gesture.
And with that, I decide it’s time to just get this over with.
“Um, yeah,” I sputter. “There’s…uh…something we need to tell you, Quinn.”
Kaeleb starts whistling “You are my Sunshine” next to me and I elbow him in the ribs. He grunts, but covers it with laughter before I motion for Quinn to take a seat on her bed. Shooting him a sideways glare, he nods and wipes his face clear of his amusement. He jerks his head in Quinn’s direction and I release his hand before heading to my own bed, taking a seat across from her. Kaeleb grabs Quinn’s desk chair and spins it around. The back faces us as he straddles it, and his elbows point downward as he curls his fingers over the top. After setting his chin on his knuckles, he sits calmly, waiting for the event to unfold.
Clearing my throat, I turn my attention back to Quinn, whose green eyes are even wider now as she gasps and covers her mouth. “You guys are dating, aren’t you?”
Kaeleb snickers, but I keep my eyes on Quinn. “No, we’re not dating.” She drops her hands as her mouth curves toward the floor. “But,” I add and watch as her eyes light back up, “We do have a relationship of sorts.” I quickly raise my hand and point to her before she gets the wrong idea. “Don’t get too excited, it’s nothing really.”
“Damn, Bree. That hurts.” Kaeleb clutches his chest and I roll my eyes.
“Bree? Who’s Bree?” Quinn asks. I tighten a glare at Kaeleb, who’s given up on the whole not smiling thing, before turning back to Quinn.
I give her a shy grin as I shrug my shoulders. “Me. My name is Aubrey. Not Raven.” The statement alone shocks my system. Although I’m working through it, the mention of the name Aubrey from my own lips still sends a startling blow throughout my body. But as Palmer said, I guess that’s part of the process.
“What?” Her expression morphs slowly from excitement, to uncertainty, to realization, before finally landing on disappointment. “Why didn’t you tell me? I asked you months ago about your name. Did you not…trust me?” Hurt spools off of her and slams into my chest, prompting me to rise from my seat and settle next to her.
Shaking my head, I say, “No. Nothing like that, Quinn. I trust you implicitly, which is why I am able to tell you this now. At the time, I wasn’t able to discuss certain aspects about my past, but over the last couple of months, I’ve been learning how to handle it. As soon as I realized I was ready, I told Kaeleb it was time to tell you.”
I take her hand into mine. “No secrets between us. Any of us, anymore. I promise.” Kaeleb nods and Quinn’s face softens.
Looking down at our hands, she squeezes mine back softly before stating, “Okay, I believe you.” Her eyes move to meet mine. “Now spill.”
I begin by telling her about knowing Kaeleb as a child and how I was forced to leave after the death of my parents, never thinking I would see him again. I speak freely, for the first time, about the creation of Raven and the death of Aubrey. Kaeleb takes over and explains how he knew that it was me the first night we met right up until my unconscious exit from the Elements of Trust class. I end the discussion with an explanation about my meetings with Palmer and our non-therapy sessions, bringing her into the present. When we’re done, she looks at both of us, first Kaeleb and then me, with tears in her eyes.
Then, she breaks into an enormous smile. “You guys are gonna get married! I just know it!”
Stunned, I drop her hand and Kaeleb falls forward from his balancing act, sending the front legs of the chair crashing to the floor.
“Quinn, no, we’re just friends. That’s all,” I warn, tearing my eyes away from Kaeleb. I’m kind of insulted actually by the melodramatic display.
My eyebrows crease my forehead with the thought, but I decide to let that go for now because I know that dreamy, love-struck look on Quinn’s face. I see it every time Josh picks her up for a date. My dear friend is and always will be a true romantic at heart, but this? Well, this is definitely not that.
But she’s relentless once she gets something in her head. “If you say so,” she sings, her full grin still in effect.
Kaeleb barks a laugh and I shoot him another dirty look. Is it really that ludicrous of a notion? And didn’t he just proposition me like two seconds ago?
Idiot.
Quinn’s smile fades. “Seriously, thank you for trusting me with that...Aubrey.” The tone in her voice is uncertain as she speaks the name, but before I can give it too much thought, she rises and walks past Kaeleb, not stopping until she’s in front of her desk. We both watch her as she stands there, deliberating for some time before glancing over her shoulder. “Since there are no more secrets, I would like to share something with you as well.”