The Silence

Chapter Thirteen

A/N: I'm so sleepy, my eyes are barely open 😲😵

Saint:

As soon as I closed the door behind me, my father was there and yapping in my ear.

"Where were you? Did you go see that boy? Saint, honestly, how many times do I need to tell you the same thing over and OVER - " I slammed the door to my room in his face for the second time that week and flipped the lock. I waited until I heard him leave before moving to my bed and collapsing on it with a groan. God, what had I done? Please tell me I had been dreaming? No...I could still feel my lips tingling and for some reason the smell that was unique to Julian was still in the air. Sweet and flowery...a little like how it smelled the morning after a thunderstorm. Urgh, I was so stupid. What if he'd freaked out and ....Thank God he hadn't freaked out. He'd been quiet though and I was scared maybe he wouldn't want to talk to me anymore, but he hadn't said anything about it at all.

"Nicky." There was a soft knock at the door and I stared up at my ceiling for a few sighs before I got up to open the door. Evelyn stood there with a smile on her face, holding a tray in her arms. "You didn't come down for supper." She said and held out the tray for me to take. I almost didn't, but I was hungry and if it meant I'd get to avoid talking to my dad on the way to look for food...

"Thanks." I mumbled and I was surprised when she followed me deeper into my room. My room was a place Evelyn usually avoided. I think she'd only ever even been in here twice before.

"It's been quiet in here lately." She said, looking around my room.

"Quiet?"

"Your father told me to bring ear muffs when I moved in." She chuckled and I slid the tray onto my desk. "You're always playing something or other in here, headphones on and worlds away. I haven't heard anything for the last few weeks though." She finished, hands reaching out to fix the covers on my messy bed. "Am I allowed to ask why?"

I knew exactly why. Ever since I'd met Julian, it had been hard to focus on music. Something felt strange about it now. There was a constant push and pull in my mind with myself. Some days I felt too sad. Sad that one day Julian wouldn't be able to hear any music and any other noise at all. There would just be silence and it made my chest ache so deeply I couldn't lift a finger. Some days it was the opposite. I was frantic to absorb as much music as I could, letting it seep into my brain so I would never forget it. I urged myself to appreciate the fact that I could hear at all right now. It was exhausting. So exhausting I'd been considering quitting the school band. It hurt. I didn't know what to do.

Evelyn sighed when I didn't answer her and gave up straightening my bed.

"Nicky. I know that...you hate me." She said with her eye a little shiny. "But please, try to be patient with your father? He really just wants the best for you. You know that, right?" She pursed her lips and started walking towards the door.

"I don't." I said belatedly, making her pause as her fingers closed around the handle. "I don't hate you." I explained with a shrug. "Hate is a strong word." Her pinched brow relaxed and her smile was wide.

"Have a good night, Nicky."

Saint: Do you know when you get back. 😑

Julian: I might have to stay overnight. I normally do. It's a lot of tests 😞

I sighed loudly and dropped my phone on my desk with a thud. I knew it was a lot of tests. Julian had gone through the list with me last night. Blood and urine tests, swabs for I had no idea what, dehydration tests, something called an ENG and an MRI... the list went on.