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Novel Catalog
Chapter_37
As the sun began to rise, Alexander’s car headlights pierced the morning haze, illuminating the cracked pavement as he parked at the edge of the street. His mind had been consumed with frustration, but now it shifted into something darker: worry.
He had searched everywhere—her favorite spots, the places they once shared fleeting moments together, even the nearby park, but there was still no sign of Quinn. The thought that she could be out here, alone and with no way to reach him, gnawed at him. It was as if every minute he spent away from her, the distance between them grew wider.
He stepped out of the car, his shoes crunching against the gravel as he glanced around. The air was sharp, the quiet of the early morning surrounding him like an ominous blanket. He checked his phone for the umpteenth time—no missed calls, no messages.
His instincts led him to the back alleys where he thought she might have gone, places that held no traces of comfort, only reminders of a life she should never have had to endure. There, he saw something—someone—near an old stone building. Quinn’s figure, seated on the cold ground, her back turned toward him.
His heart lurched. He took slow steps toward her, unsure of what to say, how to bridge the silent gap between them. He finally called her name, low and tentative, afraid she might turn away.
Quinn didn’t respond immediately. Her fingers traced the worn fabric of the bedding she had been sharing with Juliet, eyes distant.
“Quinn,” he tried again, this time with more certainty. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me where you were going?”
She slowly turned her head, her expression unreadable at first, then softened, the exhaustion and sadness clear on her face. “You didn’t show up. It’s my birthday, Alexander. I waited for you… but I ended up here. With her.”
His heart sank. He hadn’t realized how much she needed him, how much she had hoped for something, anything to show that she mattered. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “I should have been there.”
Quinn shook her head, her tears threatening to fall. “You should’ve been there,” she echoed, her voice steady but filled with pain. “But you weren’t. You never are when it matters.”
The words hit him like a physical blow. He had promised her, time and again, that things would be different, that he would put her first. But in the end, it was always the same. She was left waiting—left feeling insignificant. His past actions had already built the walls between them, and now he saw the depth of her isolation, the years of promises unkept.
“I’ve been a fool,” Alexander murmured, stepping closer, but Quinn held up her hand to stop him.
“You’ve always been a fool, Alexander,” she said, her voice breaking. “And I’ve been waiting for you to change… but I’m tired now. I can’t keep waiting.”
Her words stung him, but he understood. He had failed her. And no matter how much he wanted to make amends, he knew the road to repairing their fractured relationship would be long, if not impossible.
Juliet’s voice broke the silence, calling out from the makeshift shelter, her weary figure barely visible. “Quinn, dear, don’t be too hard on him. He’s here now.”
But Quinn didn’t respond. She only stood up slowly, wiping her eyes, and turned her back on both of them, walking away without looking back at Alexander.
He stayed frozen for a moment, unable to move, to speak, to do anything except watch her go.
She had given him a chance—a single, fragile chance to be there for her, and he had failed.
