Quinn pursed her lips, rising from her seat to follow Alexander as they made their departure from the vi. The night had deepened around them, the falling rain intensifying.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    With a swift motion, Alexander unfurled an umbre, the rain drumming a steady rhythm against its surface in the quiet of the night.


    Quinn found herself studying the silhouette of his profile, cast in shadow, her emotions in a state of turmoil. She pondered over the enigma that was Alexander.


    Earlier, he had treated her with such harshness, yet now, he defended her, even at the expense of Valerie. His actions were utterly inscrutable.Abruptly, Quinn halted in her tracks. The umbre moved away with Alexander, and the pouring rain blurred her vision.


    Noticing her standstill, Alexander paused and retraced his steps, positioning the umbre over her once again. "What''s wrong?" he inquired. She lifted her gaze to meet his. The courtyard lights were obscured by the heavy rain, casting a faint, almost invisible light on his face.


    Quinn held his gaze for a long moment before she wordlessly questioned with a simple hand gesture, "Why?"Confusion flickered across Alexander''s face as he tilted his head, as if requesting rification."Why are you so nice to me?" Quinn gestured.Alexander studied her intently, his response barely audible through the relentless rain, "Isn''t that how it''s supposed to be?"


    Quinn shook her head in disagreement, "No. If you''re too nice to a girl, she might fall for you."Alexander remained silent, his gaze fixed on her. Quinn didn''t wait for his response. She realized the truth in Abigail''s frequent jests. Men feign ignorance when ites to emotions, a tactic to avoid the majority ofplications. His gaze shifted from Quinn''s face to the darkness beyond, where the night sky and the downpour melded into an expanse of emptiness."Is that so?" His voice was softer than before, his words more of a murmur to himself than a question to Quinn.


    Only then did he turn his gaze back to Quinn, stating, "I get it. "His words, simple yet indifferent, felt like a crushing weight to Quinn, the rain on her head intensifying the sinking feeling in her heart.''I have a sudden urge to cry.


    His words are a way to evade my statement and a rejection of the feelings I haven''t expressed. He truly isn''t willing to give me even a bit of love.''Quinn''s fingers clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. The physical pain mirrored the emotional ache in her heart, making each breath a struggle. She tightened her throat, suppressing the urge to cry.


    Stepping back, she left the shelter of his umbre, letting the rain wash over her face. She gestured, "I''m not going back. I want to keep staying here."Alexander didn''t move to shield her from the rain again, merely watched her silently as the rain soaked her, "Are you sure?"Quinn nodded, "At least it''s lively here.""Alright, then, stay here for a few days."


    He extended the umbre to Quinn, and when she didn''t take it, he took her hand and pressed the umbre into it."I''ll be going now," he announced before disappearing into the rain, not once looking back.Quinn clutched the umbre, watching his retreating figure. She pressed her hand to her chest as the rain trickled into her mouth. It was as if even the rainwater tasted sour.