alon
Before Quinn could say anything, Gabriel ran to her and shouted, “I’ll treat you to a meal on Quinn’s behalf, Stella!”
“Gabriel Hartman?” Stella’s tone turned odd. Then, she returned to her senses and started laughing teasingly. “You’re a lucky woman, Quinn!”
She hung up right after that, leaving Quinn dazed. Gabriel’s head was still resting on her shoulder. He blinked innocently at her.
“Gabe, can you… get up?” she asked.
His expression immediately turned aggrieved. “Am I that despicable?”
She knew he was only putting on an act but couldn’t bring herself to say anything to hurt him.
He couldn’t help laughing when he saw how conflicted she looked. “Your punishment is to catch the sunrise with me tomorrow!”
He pulled out his phone to save her number and follow her on social media. Then, he happily ran to the kitchen to mooch some
food
Quinn checked his social media to see photos of sunrises everywhere. This seemed to tug at her heartstrings, making her feel flustered.
Quinn returned home in a good mood after having dinner at Steven’s home. She had decided to dive back into her research career.
She soon drifted off to sleep with bright hopes for the future.
The following morning, she was awakened by Gabriel’s chirpy voice. “Wake up, wake up! How can you be such a heavy sleeper, Quinn? I’ve already waited for you for half an hour!”
“It’s only 3:00 am, man. Why do you have to be up so early?” she complained. However, she started getting out of bed. When she
got downstairs, she saw that he wore a suit. That didn’t jive with his current style.
Gabriel noticed her staring. He glared at her and said, “It doesn’t look bad, does it? Why do you keep staring at me like that?”
“You’re handsome enough, but we’re going to hike up a mountain to see the sunrise.”
Sure enough, Gabriel’s smile disappeared when they were halfway up the mountain. “It’s not suitable for climbing, Quinn.”
“It’s your fault for not dressing for the occasion.” She shook her head helplessly.
He laughed. “Will you always be by my side? You can help me pick out the right clothes.”
Quinn slipped and almost fell. She gaped at him in astonishment, and her heart started beating erratically.
“You’ve really forgotten about our childhood memories, huh?” Gabriel asked.
That relieved her. She chuckled and said, “Of course not. I took you to see a sunrise when you were eight, and I promised I would
always be by your side.”
Gabriel had lost his beloved grandparent that year, so he’d been down in the dumps. Quinn had secretly gotten him out of the
house and on a trip.
It turned out he was just reliving the things they’d done in their childhood. She thought…
She held out a hand with a smile. “Come on, kiddo. I’ll carry you up.‘
They were just in time to catch the sunrise when they got to the peak of the mountain. Quinn couldn’t help laughing when she saw how happy Gabriel was. “We’ve come full circle.”
After seeing the sunrise, Gabriel sat on a large rock with a bright smile on his face. Quinn asked, “Why didn’t you take any
photos? I saw you shared many of them.”
He turned to look at her. “I wanted to share them with others in the past, but I don’t need to anymore.”
She didn’t press him for more answers–she thought he was talking about someone else. They’d only just reconnected and added each other on social media, after all.
He didn’t say anything else. Instead, he turned to stare silently at the sky.
Quinn pulled out her phone to take a photo of the moment. Coincidentally, he turned to look at her as she snapped the photo. She saw herself reflected in his eyes.
She was taken aback for a split second when she saw the beauty recorded in the photo. She didn’t remember ever hiking up a
2/3
mountain to catch the sunrise with Nicholas. It seemed all her hobbies had to give way for his
Now, she was finally finding herself again. She said, “Thanks, Gabriel ”
He was taken aback. His gaze turned a little glum, and he mumbled, “That’s not what I want to hear,
though.”
