Darker Than Sin (BoyxBoy) Book 2

Chapter 15

''They are definitely gonna need a cleanse after this...'' I mumbled. He nodded his head, letting out a sigh before he looked over at Avery.

''I'm sure they are alright. I'll have to give him some incense tonight.'' He said before patting me gently on the back.

I found the courage to walk over to him. He didn't lift his head up from the ground as I stood in front of him- like he was trying to pretend I wasn't there. I let out a shaky sigh before I held out my hand to him, his eyes narrowing at the three crystals in my hand.

''My Papa found these, we haven't found anything else.'' I mumbled to him. He didn't say anything as he took the crystals from my hands, holding them in his own with a blank stare. The three of them were cat's eye, garnet, and jasper that my papa tried to wipe the smoke off of.

''I don't want them.'' He finally said. He threw them on the ground next to me, kicking the dirt over them with an expressionless look on his face.

''Don't do that! That's all that you have left!'' I exclaimed, pushing him back from the crystals. I kneeled down on the ground, picking them up one by one with his eyes burning into the back of my head.

''Stay away from me.''

He was already walking away from me after he said that. I didn't bother calling out for him or beg him to come back and talk to me. I didn't know how to react.

He's never acted like that before. It just wasn't him.

''He really isn't gonna come out, huh?'' Billy asked, breaking me out of my train of thought. We sat in the living room together on the floor working on our English project- something that Avery was something to help us with, but he hasn't texted Billy or anyone for that matter.

''He did just lose his parents, you know.'' I mumbled to him. He shrugged his shoulders at my words, placing down the pencil in his hand and resting his arms back on the ground to hold himself up.

''It's still annoying... He did nothing, even before his parents. We've had this project for a month.'' He mumbled to me. He pulled himself up from the ground, looking towards the flight of stairs that lead to the bedrooms.

''Leave him alone, Billy. The longer you fuck around, the longer this stupid project will take.'' I said to him. The look on his face was just sheer disappointment and anger when I said that.

''You think It's right he's rotting away like that? Ignoring you like some prick? The motherfuckin' guy has your parents serving him dinner in bed. He hasn't showered in a fuckin' week!'' He hissed. I pulled myself up from the floor at his words, his eyes furrowing once I stood in front of him on the stairs.

''He needs to get out of that room and figure out what the fuck happened to his family. Isn't Aren nowhere to be found? He's doing himself no justice by laying there and doing nothing, James! It's been a week!''

''Just leave him alone, man! His family just fucking died!''

He didn't listen to me as he pushed past me, making his way up the stairs to the guest bedroom. All I could do was follow behind him and grab on the back of his shirt, but nothing I said or did stopped him. I didn't even want to see Avery, to be honest.

He wanted nothing to do with me at all, and I don't know how to handle that. He's always been the one stuck up my ass, even when things got bad. He always told me how he felt in that moment and made sure I told him how I was... now it just feels like there's a wall there.

I feel like he left me. I don't know how to act without him there.

''Billy, please just leave him alone...'' I finally said, my voice cracking as we stood in front of the door. He finally looked back at me with wide eyes at the sound of my voice, lowering his hand down from the door.

I couldn't stop the tears from flooding my eyes. My chest burned from the feeling I've felt this past week... nothing felt alright. I couldn't get out of bed anymore, I don't feel like eating or doing anything at all. I feel like I'm just floating through life without him. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I feel like I can't breathe without him here. Every day feels like a year.

But I still just don't want him near me right now. I'm fucking embarrassed.

He left me right after I figured out how I felt about him. It just leaves this fucking burning empty feeling in my chest.

''Why are you crying?-''

Before I can say anything, the door flew open in front of Billy. Avery stood there with an unamused expression on his face, gazing at Billy with dark eyes.

''There he is. Listen dude, me and James are doing the project and we need you to help-''

''I'm going somewhere. Do it on your own.'' He said, pushing past Billy and walking down the flight of stairs. He didn't even look in my direction or acknowledge I was there. It hit me like a ton of bricks.

''Dude, aren't you gonna say anything to James? Where the fuck are you going?'' Billy said, walking over to the top of the flight of stairs.

My last shred of hope held onto me in those few seconds of silence between the two of them- maybe he would say hello to me? Maybe just tell me where he's going and what's wrong? If I did anything wrong for him to be so cold towards me?

My hope was shattered by the slam of the front door. Billy let out a sigh afterwards, slowly turning around towards me with sorry eyes. I couldn't find any words to speak to explain how I felt. I felt like I couldn't be angry, since he was going through something so traumatic. I couldn't show that I missed him, it would just be selfish, right? Am I just acting selfish?

Why can't I act right without him?

"Did something happen between you two?" He finally asked me. I scoffed at his words, shaking my head in an attempt to make the tears that threatened to spill go away. Lots of things happened, but I guess it's just a memory now.

"I don't know." Was all I could say. He nodded his head, letting out another sigh that sounded like he was holding in for a while now. He must have felt the tension between me and him.

"...Come on, let's finish this thing. He's obviously off to do somethin' else."