Heart and Desire (boyxboy)

Chapter Twenty One

Oli's POV:

"I can't fucking believe it." Vince growled, clutching his phone tightly in his hand. His eyes were faraway and distant but his arms were wrapped protectively around Silas' waist. The younger boy sat on his brother's lap, eyes closed. He appeared to be sleeping but I could see his face twitched every so often, showing he had slipped into thought.

The three of us were sitting on the floor of our room, listening to Rick and Terry as they argued in the kitchen. None of us has said a word since Terry had announced she was expecting. After dropping the bombshell, a veil of stunned silence had slipped over the room before Rick ushered Vince, Silas and I into the bedroom, where we now sat in silence.

Silas' eyes flickered slightly and his body weight shifted in Vince's lap. Eventually, he opened his eyes fully and stared blankly at the wall in front of him. His unseeing eyes were glassy but it wasn't as a result of brimming tears. Underneath his emotionless exterior, Silas was angry and he was trying desperately to control himself.

I realized I hadn't breathed in a while and suddenly had to heave in a huge gulp of air, which drew Vince's eyes to me. I watched Silas carefully, whispering gently as not to startle him, "Are you okay, Silas?"

Silas' eyes snapped shut and he slowly brought a finger to his lips and shushed me. Then he whispered, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration, "I'm trying to listen."

Vince sighed, looking exhausted all of a sudden, "Don't listen, Si. You don't need to hear their argument." He stroked the boy's hair affectionately as he rested his head on Si's shoulder.

Silas shook his head violently and threw his hands over his ears as he fell from Vince's lap onto the floor, "No." He shouted forcefully. Vince flinched away from his brother, fear causing his body to start trembling as he realized Silas may be on the brink of another schizophrenic episode. Silas remained deathly still, his eyes squeezed shut.

A few minutes passed before anyone dared to move. I watched both boys as Silas remained curled up on the floor, Vince staring at him with concern as well as a slight fear. Eventually, Silas inhaled deeply then, making both Vince and I jump, he loudly said, "They're not arguing, they're talking. Let me listen."

I listened with Silas but I couldn't hear any voices coming from outside our door. Rick and Terry's quarrel had simmered to an end for now. The silence rang in my ears, and Vince heard it too. We heard the silence that Silas couldn't hear.

"Silas..." Vince spoke carefully, edging closer to his younger brother, "Can you still hear them talking?"

The younger boy sat up and drew his knees to his chest. He was facing away from Vince and I, and I could see his shoulders shaking as if he were crying, but there were no tears in his eyes.

"They're still here." Silas whispered, confirming our fears. Vince breathed deeply and closed his eyes, composing himself before he pressed further.

Vince rested his hands on Si's shoulders, gesturing for me to stay where I was, "What are they saying?" He asked softly, gently massaging the boy's neck. Silas let out a soft purr and slowly raised his head until his closed eyes were gazing at the ceiling.

"It's Rick's fault. They say he did it," Silas mumbled, almost to himself. I leaned closer so I could hear Silas better. Vince shot me a look which told me he was as confused and concerned as I was.

"What did Rick do?" I asked softly, desperate to understand what was going on inside Silas's head.

"He did it." Silas repeated, frustrated that I wasn't understanding him. Vince met my eyes and moved away from Silas, allowing the young boy to calm himself. Vince sat next to me and we both watched Silas. Vince bit his lips, choosing his words carefully before he spoke.