Chapter 9
1190 Words
After explaining everything to Evelyn and Caine, Evelyn remained calm.
We all agreed to keep this from the doctor.
They didn’t want to tell me much, but it was clear the doctor was following orders, and I could tell who gave them.
The room fell silent after we agreed. It wasn’t the awkward kind, it was deliberate, where everyone was thinking the same thing and no one wanted to say it out loud.
I was the first to stand.
“You should eat,” I said. “Your food will get cold.”
Evelyn looked at me. “And you?” She asked.
I told her I wasn’t hungry. It wasn’t a lie. My body felt hollow, but not in the way food could fix.
Caine watched me closely. He had a habit of doing that, observing without interrupting, as though silence might reveal more than questions ever could.
I went to my room, the door clicking shut behind me with a finality that made my chest tighten. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing, replaying every word, every look they’d exchanged when they thought I wasn’t watching.
What was I doing? I was supposed to be out of this house in a few months after gathering enough money.
But now I'm here trying to solve a mystery case. I didn't know what I was doing, but I trusted myself. And I made a promise to help Caine. I'll make sure I do that.
Lunch time came by quickly, so I went to check in on Caine.
He was seated by the window when I walked in. That was his favorite spot to be in. I couldn't just leave him there, it was too quiet. I wondered what was going on in his head.
“Come with me.”
He looked up, surprised. “Where?”
“The garden.”
For a moment, he hesitated, then he closed the book he was reading and set it aside.
If you’re pushing,” he said, “you don’t get to complain when your arms hurt.”
“I won’t,” I replied, already moving behind the chair.
The garden felt different from the house. It was quiet in a good way.
The tall green bushes were cut neatly, but the flowers didn’t follow the rules. They grew wherever they wanted, mixing their colors.
The air was cool and fresh. It smelled like wet soil and something sweet, though I didn’t know what it was.
I stopped near the swing benches beneath the old tree. From here, the house looked distant but still close enough.
Caine broke the silence. “You didn't bring me out here just to look around.”
“No,” I admitted.
I made sure we sat facing each other. I folded my arms and stared at him.
Upclose, I could see the tension he carried so well indoors. The way his jaw stayed set, even now.
“You knew more than you let on,” I said.
His eyes lifted to mine, unreadable. “So did you.”
I shook my head. “Not like you.”
The wind stirred the leaves above us. For a second I thought he might shut me out, hiding behind the careful composure he wore like a suit.
Instead, he took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
“Youre asking the wrong questions,” he said.
“Then tell me the right ones.”
He looked away.
The silence told me more than words ever could.
He moved his chair back with the controls so we could sit beside each other. I rested my hand on the side of the bench and began to swing it lightly.
“Does Evelyn know everything?” I didn't know what I was asking him, I just needed to hear something, anything. My mind was in a confused state.
“My mother knows what she needs to,” he said.
That answer was unsettling.
I nodded, as if I had accepted it. As if I wasn't already piecing things together in my mind.
“I'm not trying to interfere,” I said. “I just need to understand what I have walked into.”
He turned his head then, not fully towards me, but enough for me to see his expression. It looked thoughtful and at the same time tired and guarded.
“You’re here to help me recover,” he said. “That's all you need to worry about…me.”
There it was, the boundary. He was done speaking on this, I could tell.
I sighed in defeat. “Thats what I intend to do.” I sighed.
The garden fell silent again, neither of us in a hurry to move.
Caine’s book was still tucked under his arm, the corner bent from where he’d marked his place earlier. I noticed it when the wind lifted a few loose pages.
“You were reading,” I said.
He looked down at it. “Trying to.”
I reached for it before I could overthink the gesture. “Do you want me to read?”
He hesitated, “If you don't mind.”
I didn't.
I moved closer to him, close enough for us to share the book in a comfortable way.
The pages smelled faintly of old paper and it looked like it had been handled carefully for the longest time.
It wasn't a difficult book. Nothing poetic or dramatic. Just words meant to pass time. I read slowly, clearly, the way I’d been taught.
I was aware of his attention shifting, not as I paused to turn the pages, but to the sound of my voice.
We stayed there in each other's company until the sun started going down slowly.
The sky had begun to dim when we heard Maureen’s voice from the balcony.
“Dinner’s almost ready.”
I closed the book and placed it back on his lap, standing to straighten out my dress. “We should head inside.”
He nodded.
I took Caine to the living room and went into the kitchen to assist Maureen.
I was a bit relieved that Lucien wasn't coming today.
Dinner was set and everyone came to the table. Including Evelyn and Maureen. We all sat in silence and ate. The type of silence that was needed.
No one needed to say anything.
After dinner, I took Caine up to get ready for bed.
I helped him freshen up and I waited for him to finish in the bathroom before I gave him his drugs.
Caine was quiet and observing as usual. He looked like he wanted to say something but he didn't.
After his drugs left his room and headed straight to mine. I needed to speak to my mom about everything that was going on.
After much ranting and explanations, my mom just asked me to do what I thought was right. Usually, she gave the best advice but this time it's like she wanted me to make this bold step on my own.
I had made my decision. I was going to do this for Caine.
- Writer
