Arjun

Rhea had just finished speaking, her words still hanging in the space between them, heavy and impossible to ignore.

“They all went to the same school,” she said, her gaze steady on Quinn. “Same senior batch. And we were right there, just a few years behind.”

Quinn leaned back slightly, her fingers resting against the edge of the table as she processed it, her expression controlled but her mind already moving too fast. “That doesn’t explain why they’re being targeted now,” she said, her tone calm but sharper than before. “Plenty of people went to that school.”

Rhea gave a faint, knowing smile. “Not like them.”

Damian shifted beside Quinn, clearly trying to keep up with a history he wasn’t part of, his eyes moving between the two women. “Okay, I’m going to need more than that,” he said, running a hand through his already messy hair. “Because right now it just sounds like coincidence with extra steps.”

“It’s not coincidence,” a voice cut in.

All three of them turned.

A man stood a few feet away from their table, hesitation written all over his face, like he wasn’t entirely sure he should have approached them at all. He looked around their age, maybe a little older, dressed casually but with the kind of familiarity in his eyes that made Quinn’s stomach drop before she could place why.

“…Quinn?” he said carefully.

Recognition hit a second later.

“Arjun?” she replied, her voice quieter than expected.

He let out a small breath, almost relieved. “I wasn’t sure it was you. It’s been… what, years?”

Rhea’s expression shifted slightly. "Arjun, it's been long even though we live in the same city."

“I know... but it's good to see you both, especialy you, Quinn.” Arjun said, stepping closer now, though his attention stayed mostly on Quinn. “I heard you were back in the city, but I didn’t think I’d actually run into you like this.”

“I’m not back, just visiting.”

Damian watched the exchange closely, picking up on the tension even if he didn’t understand it yet. “And you are?” he asked.

“Arjun,” he repeated, offering a brief nod. “We were in the same school. Different years.”

“That seems to be a theme tonight,” Damian muttered.

Quinn ignored that, her attention still on Arjun. “What are you doing here?”

“Same as anyone else,” he said lightly, though his gaze lingered on her just a second too long. “Living. Working. Trying not to think too much about the past.”

Something in the way he said it made Quinn’s chest tighten. “You should visit your home,” he added suddenly.

The table went quiet. Quinn’s expression hardened just slightly. “That’s not happening.”

Arjun didn’t back off. “Your mom still lives there, right? She asks about you.” he continued, softer now but no less persistent, “whatever you’re dealing with, you don’t have to do it alone. Not there.”

Rhea's face saddened when Arjun didn't focus on her, but she quickly smiled and pretended it was okay. Damian, however, leaned forward slightly. “Actually, that might not be a bad idea.”

Quinn shot him a look. “Stay out of it.” “I’m serious,” he said, his tone shifting into something more focused. “If all the victims are connected to that place, then going back there isn’t just emotional, it’s strategic.”

Arjun nodded immediately. “Exactly.” Quinn let out a slow breath, her patience thinning. “I’m not making decisions based on nostalgia and coincidence.”

“This isn’t nostalgia,” Damian said quietly. “It’s a pattern. And right now, that town is the center of it.”

She held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary, something unspoken passing between them before she finally looked away.

The drive back was quieter. Quinn didn’t speak when she pulled up outside the house.

Her mother opened the door before Quinn could knock twice. For a second, neither of them moved.

“Quinn?”

“I didn’t call before coming-” Quinn said, almost defensively.

“I don’t care,” her mother replied, pulling her into a hug before she could stop it. “You’re here now.”

Quinn stiffened for half a second before relaxing slightly, her arms coming up slowly. Behind her, Damian watched quietly, something softer crossing his expression.

Later that night, the house had settled into silence. Quinn sat on the edge of the bed in her old room, her gaze drifting across details she hadn’t thought about in years, every corner carrying something she didn’t want to remember.

“You’re thinking too much again,” Damian said from behind her. She didn’t turn. “That’s literally my job.”

He stepped closer, slower this time, like he was testing boundaries he didn’t fully understand yet. Quinn finally looked at him. He reached for her hand, not rushing it, just enough for her to pull away if she wanted to, she didn’t.

“You don’t have to carry all of it alone,” he said softly.

Quinn held his gaze for a moment, then leaned into him just slightly, the movement small but deliberate. For once, she didn’t push him away, and when they lay down, the distance between them didn’t come back.

Next morning, the phone rang too early. Quinn’s eyes opened instantly, her instincts kicking in before her thoughts could catch up. She reached for her phone, already knowing it wouldn’t be anything good.

“Hale.” Mark’s voice came through sharp. “There’s been another murder.”

Her grip tightened slightly around the phone. “Location?” she asked.

Mark didn’t hesitate. “Your hometown.”

Quinn’s gaze shifted toward the window, the quiet street outside suddenly feeling different. “Who's the... victim?” she asked.

And when Mark spoke again, his voice had changed.

“It’s Arjun.”

Silence crashed over her. The same man who had been standing in front of her just hours ago, telling her to come home is now dead.

And just like that Quinn wasn’t chasing the case anymore, the case had caught up to her.