Love Unspoken

Silence was the only response to Quinn's knock.

After a moment, the door creaked open to reveal Alexander, standing aloofly at the threshold, his gaze directed downward at her.

With a swift gesture of her hand, Quinn signaled that it was time to eat. Alexander's eyes followed the movement, darkening momentarily before he suddenly seized her wrist, pinning her against the wall. "Have you lost your voice?" he queried, his tone laced with a hint of irritation.

Quinn found herself caught in his intense gaze, mere inches separating them. She parted her lips, intending to respond, but words failed her. Her voice, slower than her signing, refused to cooperate, leaving her unable to articulate a coherent response.

Alexander watched her impassively, his fingers tracing a path along her cheek, slowly outlining her lips. "What's going on in that head of yours?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of frustration.

"I asked you to come with me, you refused, you jumped off a cliff, and now you're cooking meals-what are you trying to say?"Quinn bit her lip, her gaze locked onto his, her mind scrambling for an explanation. "Is my presence so unbearable to you?" Alexander's voice was calm, as if they were engaged in a casual conversation.

Quinn shook her head in response. "Are you seeking freedom anywhere but here? Even in death?" His tone was steady, tinged with a vague sense of wistfulness and disappointment.

A heaviness settled in Quinn's heart as she reached up, her fingers intertwining with his. She gazed deeply into his eyes, searching for a hint of emotion.

Alexander's expression remained unchanged, his gaze as impassive as ever. Yet, Quinn felt a flutter of anxiety. She tried to express her feelings the only way she knew how, rising on her toes to plant a kiss on his lips.

He remained still, tolerating her awkward kiss without response. His silence filled Quinn with a sour ache, a mistiness clouding her eyes.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Previously, whenever she initiated, Alexander would react, whether with anger or fury-and it always worked. He had never been this composed before. Quinn lifted her hand to undo the buttons on his shirt. Suddenly, her wrist was gripped tightly.

Quinn looked up at him, only to see anger flickering in his eyes. "Is this all you know?""Did you use the same move on Walter?"

His breath was hot on Quinn's ear, his voice a whisper, yet piercing her heart like fine needles. "Do you think all men fall for the same trick?"

Quinn's cheek pressed against the cool wall; she shook her head with all her might. Stammering fragmented words, she managed, "Didn't...didn't...""Didn't what?""Have..." Her face reddened with effort, but complete sentences eluded her. "Have or haven't?""Not..." she attempted. "Not? Not compliant enough with him?"

Alexander's fingers landed on her waist, his tone deep and resonant. "Or do you simply crave a man's touch?"Hearing these harsh words, tears in Quinn's eyes fell despite her control. "Do you think I can't satisfy you?"

Quinn shook her head frantically, struggling to turn and look at him with pleading eyes. "Let's eat, eat, eat."Alexander's lips curled in a mocking smile. He released Quinn and headed downstairs. "Eat alone."Quinn turned around and watched his retreating figure, lifting a hand to wipe the tears from her cheek.