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Chapter_96
Quinn froze for a moment, her pulse quickening as the name “Getty” lingered in the air. The image of Getty’s familiar face on the screen was sharp and clear, his smirk unmistakable even through the small phone. It was unsettling how naturally the two of them interacted, the ease in their conversation an unsettling contrast to the tension in the room.
“That’s Quinn,” Alexander answered briefly, his tone flat. He didn’t seem at all concerned about her presence, and yet Quinn could feel the awkwardness in the air, as though his every word was coated in a layer of indifference.
Getty nodded as if he already knew everything there was to know about Quinn. “Ah, so you’re the one,” he said, his voice light, as though the weight of their connection was a game to him. “You’re the one who’s always lurking around, huh? Or is it the other way around? Alexander, you should introduce me to her properly sometime.”
Quinn’s stomach churned at the offhanded remark, and she could feel her cheeks flush with a mix of confusion and embarrassment. She wasn’t prepared to be on display like this, caught in the tension of Alexander’s world, where everyone seemed to know each other’s business.
“Not now, Getty,” Alexander said sharply, returning his focus to the phone as if trying to dismiss Getty’s comment. His eyes flicked to Quinn for a moment, studying her with a cool, unreadable expression. “Leave us be.”
Getty’s face flickered with an exaggerated pout. “Alright, alright, I’ll go. But you know, you two are always so intense. It’s exhausting.” The connection cut abruptly as Getty’s image disappeared from the screen.
Quinn stood there awkwardly, the tray still in her hands, as Alexander finally turned his attention to the meal she had brought him. He didn’t say anything, just looked at her for a moment longer than was comfortable. There was an undercurrent of something unspoken between them, something neither of them dared to address directly.
“Thanks for bringing it,” Alexander said finally, breaking the silence, though his tone was devoid of warmth. He reached for the tray and began to unwrap the contents, still not looking her way.
Quinn took a slow step back, uncertain of her place in the room. “I—I’ll leave you to it,” she murmured, though her heart still ached with the unspoken questions that hovered between them. What were they now? What was left of the connection they had once shared? The silence was suffocating, and Quinn found herself retreating from the room, her body already heavy with the weight of unresolved tension.
As she descended the stairs, the sound of Juliet’s footsteps echoed from below, and Quinn instinctively slowed her pace, trying to push the conversation—and the questions—out of her mind. But with every step, her thoughts returned to Alexander, to the fractured nature of their relationship, and to the growing gulf between them.
Juliet was waiting for her in the living room, her eyes soft with concern. “How is he?” she asked, her voice gentle, but Quinn could see the worry etched on her face.
“Fine,” Quinn replied curtly, though she didn’t believe it. Alexander was far from fine. But then again, neither was she. She collapsed onto the couch, not bothering to hide her exhaustion. Juliet said nothing, merely sitting beside her, offering a quiet support that was all too familiar.
“I’ll get some rest,” Quinn added, her voice more fragile than she intended. “Tomorrow… we’ll figure it out.”
But even as she said the words, Quinn couldn’t shake the feeling that nothing would ever truly be figured out. The night dragged on, and as she lay in bed, the unanswered questions hung like a heavy cloud over her thoughts. What was happening to her life? What was happening to the people she was once so close to?
In the silence of the darkened room, Quinn couldn’t help but wonder if the answers were already there, waiting just beyond her reach.
