Chapter 325: Coaxing
Melanie glared at the man as he tried to feed her, and would have pushed the bowl of food away if not for the fact that she was hungry-too hungry. And she needed her strength. She needed it to escape this place, wherever it was.
From the moment she had returned to consciousness, she’d slowly realized one thing for certain. That this wasn’t a hospital. The bed wasn’t a hospital bed, the room didn’t smell like disinfectant, and there were no nurses or monitors in sight. This was someone’s home. His home.
And wherever it was, it seemed impossible to get out. She had been standing at the window for a long time earlier, watching, hoping that someone might pass by. Someone she could signal or call for help. But the entire morning had passed, and all she had seen were waves, sand, and a few seagulls. No people. No cars. No buildings. Just the sea stretching out into nothing.
Even though she had no choice but to eat his food, that didn’t mean she would let him feed her. So, as he brought the spoon to her mouth again, offering it to her, Melanie reached up and pushed his hand away. Hard enough to make the spoon clatter against the side of the bowl. Her glare met his without hesitation as he tried to warn her, "Mel..."
Melanie ignored him and picked up the notepad beside her and wrote stiffly in uneven, sharp strokes with her injured hand, "I have hands. I can eat."
He looked at the note and then at her. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he gave a soft, amused chuckle as if she’d just told a joke he actually found funny.
"Well, aren’t you proud," he said, still smiling as he put the bowl down and slid the tray towards her across the small table. "Go on then."
She didn’t reply. Her eyes stayed fixed on him, watching every movement. He started to get up, then paused beside her, reaching out with one hand to stroke her face. His fingers had barely brushed her cheek before she turned her face sharply to the side, avoiding the contact.
His hand hovered in the air for a moment, then dropped.
Melanie turned back to the tray. She picked up an empty bowl from the corner and, with slow, deliberate movements, began scooping rice and the vegetables he’d prepared into it. A quiet click of metal against ceramic filled the silence as she finished and placed the bowl in front of him.