Page 119 of A Silence So Divine

“Don’t you?”

When my brother looks at me, I swear tears float around the edges of his eyes. One blink and they’re gone.

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Why? Because of her Gift?”

“No,”he replies hastily.“No. That’s not it.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know if I’m…”His eyes shift around nervously. His lips move on a curse.“Capable.”

I click my tongue, waving my hand dismissively.“That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

He shoots me a glare that would’ve scared me had his fist still been cocked back and ready to smash my lips into my teeth. But I have the upper hand now. Emotional leverage, if you will.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not cut out for that shit.”

Nodding, I hum pensively. He’s not entirely wrong. But love is integral to the soul. It’s not a choice, or something one can wish away.

It’s the lifeblood of mankind.

“You love me, right?”My question has his lip curling like I asked if he would eat human flesh. If the idea of loving is that heinous, maybe he’s right.

“Of course I do. You’re my brother.”

Bending my knees, I rest my forearms atop them and consider my next words carefully. The moment is so delicate, I’m worried I’ll crush it with carelessness.

“I think,”I begin, faltering when he shoots me a look. Mustering up my courage, I throw caution to the wind. If he’s angry with me, so be it.“I think you’re afraid to care for anyone but me.”

Expecting an eye roll, or a scathing remark, I’m stunned when Cecil simply looks at me. His eyes scan my face, searching for something I’m unsure of.

With the next breeze, I raise my face to the sky and breathe in deeply. The scent of dirt, honeysuckles, and the distant pond fill my nose. The more time we spend here, the more I come to love it. I know we won’t stay, no matter what happens, because of Eden’s history. But as a child, I would’ve loved nothing more than to grow up in a place like this. It’s clear that some prisons are just larger than others.

“I am.”The admission has me whipping my head back towards him. I barely catch it in my peripheral. He continues.

“I’ve spent my entire life trying to protect you. It’s hard to give any of my… myself,”He deliberately avoids the word ‘love’.“To anyone but you.”

Sadness tightens my heart in a melancholy fist.

“If I were you, I would feel guilty for not.”

Like a sundrenched angel, Eden emerges around the side of the house. Dressed in a pale blue dress, she makes her way toward us, wariness slowing her steps. Her hair whips around her face, and she raises her hand to shade her eyes.

“Everything okay?”She asks, still a ways away. Cecil hops to his feet before I can respond. Eden’s eyes follow him as he heads to the house, and from the line between her brows, I can tell she wants to go after him. But she won’t.

Once standing, I smack at the seat of my jeans to rid it of the pale dirt. With only a few feet between us, she zeroes in on my mouth. The worry makes a hasty exit, and her eyes blaze with fury.

I can’t help but smirk.

“What happened?”Her hands fly out, grasping my face, twisting it this way and that. I allow her to inspect me, and when I can’t help but chuckle, she raises a brow.

Taking her wrists, I pull her forward and press a kiss to her forehead. The sting is intense, but it was worth it for the way she jumps back and swipes at her face. There’s no print of blood, but she doesn’t know that.

“Disgusting!”She smacks my chest.“I can’t stand you, did you know that?”

“I love you,”I retort.“Did you know that?”