My expression falters.
The teasing. The satisfaction. The petty little punishment. It all vanishes in an instant, replaced by something tight and unfamiliar in my chest.
My eyes widen. Just slightly.
He's crying.
For a long moment, I don't move.
I just watch him—this quiet, stubborn boy who came back to me with flowers and endless patience, who sat beside me in suffocating silence and waited for me to speak, who accepted every cruel word I threw at him without a single complaint.
All he did was wait for me to speak. And when I finally did...
I broke him instead.
I only wanted to tease him.
A little push. A gentle reminder that his absence had weight. That disappearing without a word left a mark.
I never thought he would take it all so deeply.
My voice comes out softer than I intended, barely more than a breath in the heavy silence.
"Silas..."
He doesn't look at me.
