Lover Dearest [3]

27.) Truces

Silence.

Not even just silence, probably the most awkward silence that I had ever endured.

That’s what had engulfed the living room full of people as nobody talked. Holly had turned the TV off and now we were all just sitting in the living room with the words of the news broadcaster reverberating off of the walls and sinking into everybody’s skin like some terrible disease. I wanted to speak, but I had no idea what to say at all. I knew that Holly knew, but Holly didn’t know that I knew that she knew so now everything is complicated. Not even considering the fact that neither Andy or Elle had any idea about anything at all, I don’t think. So what should I say? I really didn’t know.

Holly opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. She did this multiple times, but no sound came out at all. I think that she was in just as much of a confused state as I was, not knowing exactly what to say that would knock down the prevalent awkward silence barrier in the room that was probably the size of a whale. A big whale.

That news lady had just announced my relationship with Jackson in front of everybody, and even though most people knew about it, it was still incredibly embarrassing. Incredibly. A kind-of-sort-of secret relationship with my best friend’s brother is absolutely not something that I wanted to be announced to all of Australia.

We remained in that silence, internally begging somebody to say something, for maybe five minutes before somebody coughed. I don’t know who, but it was the first glimpse at sound any of us had, so it was a beautiful cough and I loved it. It was like a symphony of sound and I mentally thanked whoever it was that coughed for doing so.

“Well,” Andy was the first one to speak, as if that cough had induced her vocal cords. “I guess it’s a good thing that you’re walking down the aisle together. I mean, am I psychic or what?” She said with an awkward smile as if she was trying to lighten the mood that had fallen over everyone.

“We’re going to go.” Elle murmured, standing up and pulling Isaac with her. “Erm, goodnight everyone.” And then she was pulling Isaac out of the living room hurriedly, but not before sending me a subtle wink. I wish I could do that, just escape this awkwardness. Unfortunately, because I’m at the root of the awkward situation, I knew that I had to stay and deal with this mess.

We were in silence for a little bit longer before Ryder got tired of it and filled the void of sound.

“For the love of humanity, somebody say something.” He demanded with an eye roll.

“Shut up, Ryder.” Andy snapped.

And again, we were engulfed in silence until it became unbearable for me. I cleared my throat and decided that I should be the one to break the silence this time, since it was kind of my fault that the silence was born, I should end it… right? “You know, I think there was a shark in the background of that picture.” I announced softly, referring to the picture that was on the news just ten minutes ago.

This made Jackson laugh beside me. “You’re ridiculous.” He nearly whispered, as if he didn’t want to disrupt the unwelcomed silence.  

“No, I’m serious.” I insisted. “I saw the fin.”

The mood was lighting up a bit, but that all diminished when Holly stood up from where she was sitting by the TV and surprisingly bolted out of the room and then into the kitchen. Kale began to stand up to go after her, but I was already on my feet, chasing her into the kitchen in a rush of panic.

“Holly!” I yelled as I ran after her into the kitchen and then out the door that led to the beach. “Holly, wait!”

I caught up to her when she stopped running beside the ocean, where the waves were lapping at the sand and then falling back into the water. Her back was turned to me and I thought that she was mad- I would be if I was her- but when I got closer, I saw her shoulders shaking and I heard her sniffles. She was crying. Holy crap… she was crying.