What's Said in Silence

Vessel-XXXXV

I continuously tapped the pen against my notebook. It had been hours since I sat down to get some work done, and yet I was still staring at the same blank page that I had been since this morning. My intermission with Sera in the living room hadn't helped with my focus.

I had only intended on getting a glass of water from the kitchen. Instead, I had walked in on her bent over in one of those god-forsaken skirts and became enthralled with her instead, the water long forgotten from my mind. 

You would choose the illusion of love from that deceptive woman...

At the time she had said that I hadn't thought anything of it, that was until I witnessed her reach into Sera's dreams. Combined with Jessie's half-assed explanation, I felt like there might've been some truth to what my deity was trying to tell me, even if it was being used as a means to manipulate me. 

I heard the knock on the door all the way from my desk, interrupting the stiff quiet of the house. I tossed my notebook and pen on the desk, deciding that getting anything done today was futile. 

I passed by the kitchen, catching glimpses of Sera in my peripheral, before continuing down the foyer hall towards the door. I opened it to find a paler-than-usual Jessie. Either the winter had knocked his glowing tan down early this year, or he had seen something he wished he hadn't.

Suspicion coiled tight in my stomach as I gave him a curt nod and stepped to the side, allowing him into the house. He turned towards me and opened his mouth slightly, taking a breath in. It was like he was gearing up to say something, but thought better of it and strode down the hall. 

Jessie said a greeting to Sera from the living room and she acknowledged it with a quick nod before returning her attention to the stove. I took notice that she didn't give a polite smile to Jessie, despite how they've known each other. My ego inflated a bit knowing I was the only one she would smile at. 

My Sera, my pyre.

We sat on the couch and discussed business until Sera was done cooking. Logistics to the upcoming tour and ensuring our passports were still in date. We had been to Australia before but we discussed the temperature difference anyway. 

December was cold for the UK, but Australian venues would still be scorching hot. The thought of seeing Sera in a bikini crossed my mind for a second before I forced myself to focus on the present. Luckily, the sound of plates being set on the bar brought me back to earth and Jessie made his way to the kitchen with me hot on his heels. 

As we ate, I watched carefully at any minuscule interaction between Sera and Jessie. Every slight look, shift in the seat, or quirk of an eyebrow. As if I would discover more of their history by doing so. Obsessive? Possibly, but the tension that had radiated off of Jessie the moment he walked in made me feel justified in my suspicions. 

"So, anything interesting happen to you while we were gone?" I asked Jessie. His chewing slowed and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. I never asked about his personal life, both because I understood the importance of privacy and because I simply didn't care what he did in his spare time. 

A quick flicker of his eyes in Sera's direction told me two things: That he wouldn't call me out on my probing, and that whatever was on his mind was, indeed, about her. He recovered quickly, swallowing the bite in his mouth before speaking.

"My fax machine was hacked." He deflected, gearing the conversation in a different direction. 

"I said interesting." I clarified, intent on making him squirm.

"C'mon, the story of how I found out is absolutely riveting." The sarcasm wasn't lost on me. Whatever he was hiding, he wasn't going to crack. At least not here.