AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Let me do that,” I muttered, my cheeks burning.
“Fuck off,” he said before glancing back at my siblings. “Shit, sorry. Forgot I shouldn’t swear.”
For the first time since I’d woken up, I smiled. “It’s okay. Not like they haven’t heard it all before living here.”
Silas snorted. “Tell me about it. I thought my old estate was bad, but even I’m learning all sorts of new words.”
Unable to stand there doing nothing while Silas worked, I grabbed a tea towel and started to dry. “Thank you.”
He nodded once. “Wanna talk about it?”
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure the others weren’t paying attention. Obviously, they knew Mum was sick, but they didn’t know everything.
Dad and I wanted to protect them as much as we could.
In quiet whispers, I told Silas the whole story. He listened, washing the dishes while I poured my heart out.
When I finished, he didn’t say any of the things I was expecting. No, “your parents can’t expect you to do this,” or “this isn’t fair,” or “you’re too young to be worrying like this.”
No. Silas just took the towel from me and dried his hands.
Then nodded slowly. “When’s her next round of treatment?”
His question threw me. “Why?”
He rolled his eyes like I was being deliberately thick. “So I can make sure I’m here. If she’s poorly around the same time, I can come over and help you and your dad out.”
My throat thickened. I couldn’t speak.
“Oof,” Silas said as I crushed him to me. I hugged him fiercely, trying to pour all my unspoken words into my hug.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He was slow to return my hug. Was that because we were boys and boys weren’t supposed to show affection according to our fucking ridiculous society?
Or was it because Silas wasn’t used to hugs?
His grip tightened like he was figuring out how to do it. “You’re not alone, Kai.”
I held him a little tighter, wondering why this felt so right. “Neither of us are. Not anymore.”
Chapter three
Silas
February 2002 – Fourteen Years Old
“Silas!Door.”
I flinched as the beast’s voice yelled up the stairs. Fortunately, he didn’t come up, the footfall of his heavy boots telling me he’d gone back to his usual place. The sofa, where he spent all his days. No doubt he’d have a can of Stella in one hand and a cigarette in the other. The screeching sounds of theGrand Prixechoed through the air. He wouldn’t move again now. Not unless I made him.
I never meant to. But ever since Mum left, just my existence was enough to piss him off.
I stared at the front door from the top of the stairs. I knew it was Kai. He probably wondered why he hadn’t seen me in a few days. Thank god this had happened between his mum’s chemo cycles. It was hard enough not seeing Kai, but at least I knew he’d be okay managing without me.
“Si?” His voice, already so much deeper than mine, rumbled through the gap in the door. I could see half his face poking around, concern and confusion written all over it.
I froze. If he saw me now, he’d know something big had happened. I was pretty sure he hadn’t believed me the last time he’d noticed something, but there was no way I’d be able to explain this away.
