Page 28 of A Silence So Divine

Leaping to her feet, Eden throws herself into my lap, cutting off my airflow as she squeezes my neck. The force of a dozen kisses travel over the side of my face and into my hairline. Feigning disgust, I crane my neck to escape the attack.

As fast as she came, she’s gone and snatching her gifts from the floor.

“I’m going to put on my dress—I’ll be back!”Her hair whips behind her as she races out of the room, leaving Cecil and I alone. He’s still in the doorway, staring out the window and gnawing at the inside of his cheek. Contemplative.

Rising from my chair, I cross the room to stand in front of him. When he refuses to meet my eyes, I wave my hand to get his attention. Begrudgingly, he does.

“She liked her gifts.”

Cecil watches me, but doesn’t respond.

“The book was a good idea,”I continue, searching his face for any flicker of emotion. He shrugs.

“I thought you hated her.”

His left brow raises.“I never said that.”

“You didn’t need to. But now… you like her?”I try to keep my expression neutral, but I can’t help the suspicious narrowing of my eyes.

Cecil pushes away from the wall and shoulders past me, heading towards the couch to plop down. I follow and stand in his line of sight so he can’t ignore me.

“Well?”I prod, the toe of my sock tapping impatiently.

“It’s abook, Creed. It’s from you, anyway.”

“No. You’re the one who got the gifts.”

“You asked me to.”

“I never asked you to get the book,”I argue. Why can’t he admit that he wanted to do something nice for her? The more reluctant he is, the stranger it is.

“Well, she thinks it’s from you.”He avoids my gaze as he says this.

“Do you wish she knew it was from you?”

The question has his nostrils flaring and he stands up, taking a menacing step toward me.

“I don’t give a shit what—”Eden runs back into the room and Cecil quickly stops his signs, clenching his fists at his sides.

Wearing her new dress, she smiles widely, tucking hair behind her ears. She gives a spin. The cotton fans out, falling just above her knee. The square neckline accentuates her slender neck and the light color makes her hair appear even darker. She looks…

“Beautiful,”I tell her. She blushes, subtly glancing at Cecil. Lord knows why, but she’s seeking his approval. The bastard that he is, he offers a blank stare, lips pressed together in a firm line.

The longer we stand there, the more self consciousness creeps in and erases the joy in Eden’s eyes. Fidgeting, she looks directly at Cecil.“I’ve never had a blue dress. Papa thought—”

Before she can finish, my brother storms past her and is out the front door. I squeeze my eyes shut, blowing out a slow breath. He’s never been this hot and cold. If it’s some sort of quarter life crisis, he can keep it to himself.

When I open my eyes, Eden is still standing in place, but her lower lip has a slight tremble.“I guess he didn’t like it,”she says, eyes trained on her feet.

I look out the window. My brother walks to his truck.

She doesn’t watch for my reply, but I do, anyway.

“He did.”

Thirteen

Eden