"Somehow, official meant protection"

She could hear each breath Rachel took, their air mixing between them. It'd been two months since this started. Two months and they'd managed to find their utopia within each other. Rachel would turn sixteen in two days. She would officially be allowed to date, according to the Berrymen's laws of life.

For a week, Quinn wanted to broach the topic. Technically, they were already dating. They made out, they had dinner, they held hands- but all in private. Not that Quinn wanted to out them, that would come later and her mother would be the first told, but she wanted it official. She needed it official.

Her mind was one slip away from uttering three words she was too scared to put together without making things official. Somehow, official meant protection in Quinn's mind. As if Quinn could utter those three words while official and not encounter the same risks when they weren't.

Yes. Official definitely meant protection. "I love you" is not something that I could say out loud when it's not official. I need official. Oh God, I do. I wonder when will I man up.