Love Unspoken

Quinn's fingers twitched, a wave of pain pulsating from the palm of her hand.

Alexander lowered his gaze, leaning in close to Quinn, his breath ghosting over her face. "Who taught you?" he asked.

Quinn's brow furrowed in confusion, unable to comprehend his question. Alexander offered no explanation. Instead, he leaned in even closer, their faces mere inches apart. Quinn instinctively tilted her head to avoid the proximity.

His eyes darkened slightly as he used his free hand to gently turn her face towards him. "What, you still don't recognize me?" he questioned.

Quinn bit her lip, her gaze flitting over his face for a moment before she lowered her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't recognize him, it was that she couldn't accept it.

Just then, the shrill ring of Quinn's phone sliced through the tense silence. Alexander's gaze dropped to her pocket where the persistent sound originated. He reached in, pulling out the device to see the caller ID - Orion. He cast a glance at Quinn upon seeing the name, but she offered no reaction. The events of yesterday seemed like a distant memory to her, and the current Orion was nothing more than a vaguely familiar stranger.

Alexander promptly ended Orion's call and returned the phone to her pocket. Quinn attempted to break free from his grasp, and this time, Alexander let her. She spun around to flee, only to be halted by Alexander who was now blocking the door. She turned to face him, her eyes questioning.

"Have you taken your medicine?" Alexander inquired. Quinn was taken aback, her mind flashing back to the notebook she had seen earlier, reminding her to take her medication. But she hadn't.

Alexander tilted his head, instructing, "Go take your medicine first."

Quinn held his gaze for a moment, sensing that he wouldn't let her leave without taking the medicine. Resigned, she moved to the bedside and retrieved the medicine from the cabinet.

She followed the instructions, popping two pills into her mouth. She reached for the brand new bottle of mineral water on the bedside table, but her injured hand made it impossible to open. Just then, a slender hand reached out, taking the bottle from her. The cap was effortlessly unscrewed and handed back to her.

Quinn accepted the water, tilting her head back to swallow the pills. Once done, she raised her hand in a questioning gesture. "Is it okay now?" Alexander responded with a slight nod of his chin, signaling his approval. Without wasting a moment, Quinn bolted out of the room.

Descending the stairs, she found Walter lounging arrogantly on the sofa, sipping tea served by Ms. Miller. Quinn approached him, her eyes fixed on his face. Walter glanced at her under his lifted eyelids, then flashed a smile. "Sit down," he suggested.

Quinn remained standing, her gaze unwavering. The idea of having a family still felt surreal to her. She studied Walter, as if trying to etch his appearance into her memory.

Suddenly, Walter seemed to remember something. He set down his tea cup and extended his hand towards Quinn. "Where's your phone?" Quinn reached into her pocket and handed him the device. Walter navigated to her Facebook messages, made some changes, and updated his contact name to "brother."

After changing all the contact names, he returned the phone to Quinn. "Now you'll remember," he said. Quinn barely acknowledged the phone, her mind preoccupied. "You said you're my brother, so where is my home?" she gestured. Walter chuckled, his gaze filled with meaning as he looked at Quinn. She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, tilting her head as she awaited his response. A flicker of nervousness sparked within her. If he was really her brother, could she go home then?

"I thought you liked it here so much that you're reluctant to go home," he said. Quinn hesitated before shaking her head in denial. Walter was about to respond when the sound of footsteps echoed behind him. Both of them turned to see Alexander descending the stairs.