Page 16 of A Silence So Divine

I want so badly to ask Eden if she’s enjoying the dinner. Something as simple as mac and cheese is out of place in the cynical setting of this house. The idea of her father carrying a bowl of elbow shaped pasta past that creepy painting and up the attic stairs would make me laugh if it wasn’t so depressing. The way she’s pushing it around with her fork suggests she’s never had it.

While I bounce my leg and Eden withdraws into her shell, Cecil is cool as a cucumber. He periodically tosses his dark hair out of his face, or wipes his mouth with the napkin. The epitome of nonchalance.

Bastard.

Once dinner concludes, Cecil takes all of our dishes to the sink. I gape at his back. I’m gonna need a neck brace with the whiplash he’s giving me. At least I don’t have to clean up.

With Cecil’s back turned, Eden turns her attention to me and stares, waiting for direction of what to do. It’s not late, but there’s not much to do once the sun sets.

“You b-e-d,”I spell slowly. Her head bobs once and she pushes her chair back, but Cecil must speak, because her head whips towards him. There’s a flicker of apprehension that crosses her features before she heads to the sink. My brother points to a rag on the counter. She begins drying the dishes, placing them in the cupboard.

Of course he’s going to boss her around. She’s not in a position where she can deny him and heknowsthat.

Approaching them, I attempt to snag the rag from her. Cecil grabs her wrist before she can hand it over, and the blood drains from her face. My thoughts drift to how I held her face earlier today. She didn’t have that expression frommytouch. If anything, she calmed.

And yeah, I feel a little smug.

“I can help with the dishes,”I say, reaching for the rag again. He doesn’t release her arm. Eden looks like she might be sick from the tug of war.

Cecil looks down his nose at me, displaying his authority. The humiliation of how easily he bosses me around infuriates me even more. My eyes itch to roll into the back of my head.

“No, you made dinner. If she’s going to stay, she’s going to contribute.”

“This is her house, we’re the ones who—”I begin, the argument dying as soon as it came. His gaze holds no room for negotiation and I deflate. Making her do chores is a walk in the park compared to what he’s capable of, so I concede without another word. Eden doesn’t look too upset, anyway. Nervous? Definitely. Terrified? No.

Baby steps.

“Get ready for bed. I’ll keep an eye on her.”With that, Cecil turns his back to me and I have been thoroughly dismissed.

I begrudgingly head out of the kitchen, pausing before I turn for the stairs. Itching for one last look at Eden, I glance back.

It’s not her expression that catches my attention. Brows furrowed, jaw tight, Cecil traces every inch of her with his gaze.

As I lie in bed that night, it hits me that the look wasn’t one of anger or contempt. Not even close.

And that scares me even more.

Seven

Eden

Dreary days bleed into a gray lump of time. Before I know it, a month has passed since Creed found me. Time moved so slowly up there that it flies by nowadays. Being stuck here with another person is far more exciting than being alone. Getting to spend time with Creed, getting to know him, is the happiest I’ve ever felt. He’s introduced me to a whole new world.

Every day, Creed prepares our meals. Cecil will walk through the door with armfuls of groceries every week or so, but all the cooking is left to the younger of the two.

Papa hated cooking. We survived on simple meals—bland and colorless, same as my life here. Hot meals were few and far between. I didn’t even know good food existed until I met Creed.

As a result, I’ve quickly put on weight. The changes in my body are fascinating. Before my baths, I’ll stand in the mirror and trace my curves. I’m still slight and tall, but I look like awoman. My hips flare out and my cheeks are appley, squinting my eyes when I smile. It’s lovely, and I think of all the ways my father would chastise me if he could see how vain I’ve become.

Part of me is overwhelmed by the changes I see in myself. I’ve never felt so alive.

My vocabulary in Creed’s language grows by the day, and we’re able to hold conversations with minimal finger spelling. I don’t say much, adjusting to the addition of a companion. It’s bizarre that someone actually wants to know my thoughts.

I find myself wishing I’d known him all my life, and sometimes it feels like I have.

While our friendship has blossomed, there hasn’t been much progress with Cecil. He refuses to sign to me, so when he speaks, his brother is left out of the conversation. It bothers me almost as much as it does Creed.

Though Cecil is gone most of the day, we’ve gotten into a nightly routine. After dinner, we stand hip to hip at the sink and I help him clean. On the off chance that he does speak to me, it’s usually a comment on my dish washing and drying abilities.You missed a spot, there’s still water in that glass, blah blah blah.I don’t ever reply. The man scares me almost as much as my father did, but the fact that he’s handsome takes the intimidation and turns it on its head, creating an emotion that I don’t have a name for.