Love Unspoken

Quinn was bored out of her mind, so she decided to wash the grimy bed sheet and hung it up at the cave entrance to dry, using a branch.

That white sheet stuck out like a sore thumb; Alexander spotted it from a mile away.

He lifted the raggedy sheet and saw Quinn messing around with some dry grass.

"What are you up to?" he asked.

Quinn looked up at him, then down at her hands. "Trying to make some shoes."

But she had no clue what she was doing.

She was still barefoot, and her feet hurt like hell when she walked outside. Sometimes she stepped on bugs, and it freaked her out.

Alexander picked up the bundle of grass next to her. It didn't look like shoes at all; more like a pile of kindling.

He couldn't help but crack up.

Hearing him laugh, Quinn tossed the grass aside. "Did you find a way out?"

Without thinking, he said, "Nope, I'm lost."

"If you're lost, how'd you get back?" she asked.

He looked at Quinn. "When you follow your heart, finding your way back is a piece of cake."

Quinn fell silent and didn't feel like talking to him anymore.

He plopped down next to her and pulled out something wrapped in a banana leaf from his pocket. "Hungry? Got some grub." Quinn took it and peeked inside. It was another roasted chicken leg. She was so over eating roasted chicken legs every day.

If it was the first time he offered her food, she might've hesitated. But now, after so many times, she didn't care.

She just took it and started munching.

Alexander watched her eat. Her hair was tied back with a cloth strip, with some loose strands falling around her ears, giving her a messy but cute look. After finishing the chicken leg, Quinn said, "I'm sick of chicken legs."

Alexander was a bit surprised. It was rare for her to ask for something. He said with a smile, "Alright, I'll see if I can find something else tomorrow."

Quinn looked him over again. "You run around outside every day. How come you're still so clean?"

The past few days, he could've washed his clothes in puddles, but she remembered he hadn't washed at all since yesterday.

"I like to stay clean," he lied.

Quinn looked at her own clothes, which were his old camo uniform. The tough fabric was already dirty from her wearing it.

His white clothes were still spotless, which seemed fishy.

Quinn said, "Are you saying I don't like to stay clean?"

"Doesn't matter. I like you no matter what," Alexander said sweetly.

Quinn couldn't keep the convo going, so she got up and went outside.

It was getting dark. She touched the bed sheet; it was still a bit damp. The night dew was heavy, so she had to bring it in, or the washing would be for nothing.

Alexander came out to help her gather the sheet, taking it inside and propping it up with a branch.

As he arranged the sheet, he said, "This cave is too cramped. How about we build a house next door?"

"You're not planning to leave?" Quinn asked, confused.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Alexander turned to look at her. "There's nowhere to go even if we leave. What do you think?"

He reminded Quinn that even if she left, she had nowhere to go.

But Abigail was still under Landon's control; she had to leave to rescue Abigail.

"Are you worried about Abigail?" Alexander asked. "Landon still needs Abigail to catch you. She'll be fine. On the other hand, if you go out and get caught by him, I'll have to come rescue you again."