𝕾omehow, Madeleine and Trevor set up the karaoke once again tonight a while after dinner and as soon as Quinn and Cassie step back into the house — the group left them alone in the backyard when they all went to sit there a half hour ago because well, they just seemed too cosy together to be disturbed — they begin forcing them to sing exile again.

And it works, obviously it does because Cassie wants to duet and when Cassie wants something Quinn always says yes.

So, Madeleine sits back now grinning from ear to ear as the first verse starts and Quinn begins singing.

Trevor decided to butt in as usual and now he too has ended up singing with the two best friends even though Maddie strictly told him he is supposed to stay away.

"I think I've seen this film before and I didn't like the ending, you're not my homeland anymore. So what am I defending now?", her eyes stray from Quinn only to startle when she realises that Trevor's gaze is fixed on her.

She blinks, a breath hesitantly escaping her lips under the newfound attention.

Quinn quietens when Taylor's verse begins as Cassie picks off from where he ended but Trevor continues singing.

He glances away from Madeleine but only for a second before his eyes are back on hers and now that she's realised he is busy playing some fucked up game she just cannot find it in herself to look away.

"Balancing on breaking branches, those eyes add insult to injury", he perks a brow, defiantly staring at her while she tries to make sense of what he's doing and why he is doing it.

Her gaze narrows, his eyebrows rise further.

No. He cannot possibly be doing this right now.

There is just no way that he used this opportunity to . . . . get back at her? For what? She didn't do anything. It's not her who broke his heart and walked away — no, broke his heart and ran like a coward.

All she did was accept the outcome, albeit with quite some difficulty, and move on with her life.

She has moved on, right?

Of course, she has.

She couldn't make him love her, she couldn't force him to stay and love her and at one point of time, she simply accepted it because isn't it worse to be with someone just for the sake of it?

She would never be able to live with that, not after what her parents went through.

That is what she told herself to move forward and live again.

Only it seems that a month in Trevor's presence has completely changed her again. And not for the better.

The song ends with off-key and rather hilarious performances delivered by the trio and Madeleine forces a laugh.

You can do it. You can move on.

"That was so good. You two are definitely winning a Grammy someday", Maddie snorts pointing at Quinn and Cassie.

"Not fair. You're a professional singer", Quinn reminds her at her sarcastic tone.

"I mean, points for effort I guess".

"How was I?", Trevor jumps in.

She glances at him — him with his brightly eager blue eyes, him with his softly tousled hair, him with his teeth toying with his plump bottom lip, him with his curious eye on her — and she realises that he has somehow managed to capture a very important piece of her heart, so she simply shrugs, looking away.

"Fine. I don't know".

She can feel his stare firm on the side of her face but she chooses to avoid as she lets Cole engage her into a stupid discussion with Alex.

"Seriously? I tried my best", Trevor scoffs from her peripheral vision but she refuses to look at him because goddammit, it's too painful to look into his eyes and know that he's not hers.

***
HAPPY JAMIE DAY 🥹