Novel Square
19
In the quiet solitude of my room, I found myself lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. The text message from a few days ago kept replaying in my mind. But beyond that, there was the deeper turmoil-my relationship with the brothers, the rift that had formed, and the unspoken tension that hung heavy in the air.
The week had passed in an excruciatingly uncomfortable silence. Ace and Alex had gone from ignoring me to avoiding each other, a rift between them that mirrored the gulf between us. The breakfast they had made seemed like a fleeting moment of normalcy amidst a sea of strained interactions. Their silence had become a palpable presence, a wall that separated us all.
Cher’s visit for dinner had added a layer of awkwardness to the already tense atmosphere. The brothers had put on a facade of politeness, but the undercurrent of discomfort was impossible to ignore. The forced smiles and stilted conversations only highlighted the chasm that had opened up between us. And the questions-Cher’s relentless curiosity, her concern evident in her probing inquiries-had added to the weight of my already heavy heart.
Throughout the evening, I had struggled to maintain a facade of normalcy, to deflect Cher’s questions and keep her in the dark about the truth. I couldn’t bring myself to divulge the details of what had transpired, to admit my role in the chaos that had unfolded. But with every evasion, I could feel the truth digging deeper, the weight of my silence becoming more unbearable.
As the night wore on, and Cher and her husband left, the silence that settled over the house was suffocating. The space between us seemed to widen, and I knew I couldn’t keep avoiding the inevitable confrontation any longer. I had to break through the barriers of silence, to confront the brothers and unravel the web of emotions that had ensnared us all.
So, as the night grew darker and the house grew quieter, I retreated to my room, the sounds of Alex and Ace’s distant voices growing louder as they argued in the living room. Their voices were tinged with anger, frustration, and something else-perhaps a reflection of the tangled emotions that had been festering for days.
Sitting alone in my room, I grappled with my own emotions. The weight of guilt pressed heavily on my shoulders, and the fear of their reactions gnawed at me. But in that moment, the realization struck me: I couldn’t keep running from the truth, couldn’t keep allowing the walls of silence to suffocate us.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
With a deep breath, I rose from my seat and made my way to the living room, my heart pounding in my chest. The voices of Alex and Ace grew louder as I approached, the intensity of their argument filling the air around me. But instead of hesitating, I stepped forward, determined to put an end to the chaos that had consumed us all.
“Stop!” I cried out, my voice cutting through their heated exchange. The room fell silent, their gazes turning towards me in surprise. My heart raced, but I pushed forward, the words tumbling out as I tried to make sense of the mess we had found ourselves in.
“We can’t keep avoiding this,” I said, my voice trembling but resolute. “We’re all hurting, and this silence is tearing us apart. We need to talk, to address what happened, to find a way to move forward.”
Their expressions were a mixture of surprise, confusion, and something else-perhaps a glimmer of recognition that what I was saying held truth. The tension in the room was palpable, but I knew that breaking through it was the only way to mend the broken bonds between us.
The weight of their accusing stares bore down on me, their words cutting through the air like shards of glass. Alex’s scoff was laced with bitterness, his gaze locked onto mine as he laid bare the truth that had been festering beneath the surface. “You’re the reason we’re fighting. What do you have to say? What do you have in mind?” His voice was a mixture of frustration and disbelief, a reflection of the turmoil that had led us to this point.
Ace’s huff was heavy with exasperation, his eyes locked onto mine as he echoed his brother’s sentiment. “Yeah, we’re listening, Lily. This whole thing is because of you. Because you cannot make a choice.” His words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the choices I had been unable to make, the feelings that had entangled us all.
The accusation hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I felt a surge of defensiveness rise within me. But as their words settled, I took a deep breath and found the courage to respond. “It’s because of me?” I yelled incredulously, the weight of their blame pressing down on me. “Are you for real right now?” A disbelieving chuckle escaped me, a mixture of frustration and a strange sort of amusement bubbling to the surface. “Really, because of me? You two decided to go all feral on each other, and it’s my fault?”
Their anger only seemed to intensify, their voices rising in unison as they affirmed their stance. “Yeah!” they both yelled out, their frustration tangible in the air between us. I was left reeling, unable to fathom that they were placing the entirety of the blame on my shoulders. It was as though they saw me as the catalyst for their feud, the driving force behind the conflict that had erupted.
A bitter laugh escaped me, the absurdity of their accusations almost too much to bear. “I couldn’t keep my hands off?!” I retorted, my voice tinged with a mixture of disbelief and frustration. “You both couldn’t keep your hands off me! I’m just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.”
The room seemed to crackle with tension, their eyes narrowing as my words hung in the air. The accusation had been thrown back at them, a reminder that their actions and choices had played a significant role in the chaos that had unfolded. But their resolve remained unyielding, and their retort came swiftly.
“You’re not innocent!” Ace’s voice was sharp, his words cutting through my protest. “You could’ve opened your mouth and told Alex we had something going on.”
“But we didn’t!” I shot back, my frustration mounting as I struggled to make them understand. The situation felt like an impossible knot, each argument only tightening it further.
Ace’s laughter was humorless, a bitter sound that hung heavily in the air. “Right,” he scoffed, his disbelief evident in his eyes.
“You know what?” I said, I was so tired of this and I would end it all. “Do you know what my idea is? My idea is that I don’t belong to both of you! That’s my idea. Leave me alone.”
Alex and Ace looked at each other and then burst out laughing. Talk about mood swings. They then looked back at me. Seriously.
“No.”