Silently Falling

Chapter Twenty Eight (Edited 12/12/2020)

12/12/2020 - First final = done. Got a solid 93% so I'm off to a good start and felt like celebrating by editing another chapter! It was completely rewritten, so you'll notice the lack of comments. Lets fix that! Comment away :)

Silently Falling: Chapter Twenty Eight

West and I move to the living room for whatever it is he needs to tell me. My mind is racing. If there are things he needs to tell me, then that ultimately means there are things he has kept from me. I trust West. I trust him more than someone with my past should, and for some odd reason I have a pit in my stomach that what's about to come is going to challenge that feeling.

We sit down facing one another and the worn cushions don't provide any comfort. Instead they seem to absorb us so that we can't escape the conversation to come. I try to catch West's eye but he expertly avoids my gaze.

He stays quiet for a few moments and I can tell that he's stuck in his thoughts, so I reach out and take his hand. He jumps slightly and snaps his eyes to me and my reassuring smile. Instead of returning it, West clenches his jaw and furrows his brow with guilt. My own smile drops and I take in a deep breath, trying to keep my heart beating at a normal pace, but West's sudden mood change is terrifying me. The room around us is silent. All we can hear is the gentle patter of the rain outside and West focuses his gaze on the droplets sliding down the window.

"Sunshine..." he starts hesitantly, clearing his throat. "Have you ever been afraid of me?"

The vulnerability in his voice shocks me and I squeeze the hand I'm still holding. He catches my gaze with unwavering intensity as he pleads with me.

"Be honest. Please."

"I was afraid of the rumors. When I met you, I surprised myself when I wasn't scared. Why are you asking me this?"

"Do you trust me?"

The yearning in his tone tugs painfully on my heart. It's such a simple question but the gravity behind the answer is enough to make or break relationships. But I've been saying all along that I trust West. And that's what makes this moment so terrifying to me. The fear that that trust is about to be broken.

"Of course."

If my answers are what he wants to hear, West makes no notion of it. He just keeps asking questions.

"How come you rarely ask me about juvie?"

"Because I can tell how hard it is for you to talk about it. I never wanted to force you to tell me something if you weren't ready."

He nods, taking in a shaky breath. "If you're willing to listen, then I'm ready to tell you. Everything."

My eyes widen slightly and my back straightens. I suppose I knew that our relationship was close enough for secrets to start coming out, but I wasn't ready for this to happen yet.

"Just...please remember that no matter what I say, I still care about you and I would never hurt you." West says, reaching out to take my hand as his voice yet again pleads with me.

Whatever tactic I was using to calm my heart instantly fails me and it starts pounding painfully against my chest. Since West still has my hand held tightly in his, I only nod in response. With another deep breath, he lets it out slowly before he starts his story.