THE BOY WHO NEVER SPOKE | Complete

Chapter Twelve

There was nothing interesting or new about anything that had been said until July 1st. My brother mentioned meeting with Ash that day, and for some reason, that completely ruined my mood.

July 1st,

Dear Ez. I saw Ash today. He told me you have been doing well. It's crazy to think about how close we are to each other but yet so far away. Sometimes I feel like escaping the grasp that father's men have on me and just run to you, but I'm getting closer to freedom. I can feel it brother. I'll see you soon, I promise.

Love, J.R

A part of me might never understand what it is that Ash and my brother had that I could never be a part of. But it never gets easier to accept the fact that my douchebag manager gets to see my brother and I can't.

I gave up on trying to sleep and got up to make my bed. It was already 8 AM, and I was still fidgeting around trying to find a comfortable spot on the pillow. I poured myself a cup of coffee to try and start the day, which already felt like it had been going on forever, and I opened my laptop to check on work. That's when my phone started ringing.

I went to look for it, and to my surprise, it was in the refrigerator for some weird reason. I guess I was more tired than I thought. "Hello?" I answered as I tried to keep the phone away from my ear to avoid freezing it.

"Good morning, sunshine!" It was Alissa on the other end, a girlfriend I had forgotten about if she hadn't called. "What are you doing right now?" she continued, full of energy. "It doesn't matter because I'm five minutes away with breakfast. See you!"

"But-" I tried to respond, but she hung up before I could finish my sentence. Honestly, I didn't know where my sentence was going, and I had nothing to say, but I guess Alissa was going to be here soon with way too much energy for this time of day.

Even if I had slept all night, I don't think I would have been in the mood to have breakfast at someone's house. Especially after that morning in fourth grade when my friend Gabriel invited me over for breakfast, and I ended up falling asleep at the dinner table as his parents patiently waited for my answer about how I was doing in school.

I opened my closet to find some clothes I could wear, but I ended up giving up and putting on a pair of white sweatpants and a black button-up shirt. I decided to take a cold shower before I heard the doorbell ringing.

"Open up!" I hear Alissa shouting from outside, her energy levels unfazed. I make my way to the door, and she bursts in, throwing the food on the table. "God, it's so heavy," she says, letting out a breath and turning to face me, eyeing me from head to toe.

"Who the fuck beat you up in your sleep?" she asks, "I missed you too, love." I reply sarcastically, but that doesn't seem to satisfy her need for a response. "I haven't slept yet," I shrug.

"Well, I miss you," she finally says as she takes the food out of the bag and assembles it on the table.

She got us apple pies with an omelette and bacon on the side, their smell filling up the room as soon as she dragged them out of the bag. "Did you have your coffee?" she asks without turning her gaze.

"My coffee is in the closet," I reply.

I rush to the closet to make sure it didn't spill everywhere, and to my joy, it's there, perfectly still without spilling on my underwear and pyjamas.

"Got it," I say to Alissa as I stare at the ground, trying to hide my embarrassment.

She smiles at me and pulls a chair next to her so we can start eating, and I can't lie, the food was really good. "So how was work yesterday?" she asks out of the blue, "What was so important you couldn't come over for?"

"Just work stuff, love," I say, trying to change the topic, "I had to send some things to the office." Alissa doesn't seem to buy it, though. "But didn't you submit your book like a week ago?" she asks, "What could they possibly want now?" she adds as she takes another bite of her apple pie.

I look away in thought, trying to come up with an excuse for why I couldn't go to her place last night without actually telling her the truth. Alissa knows all too well about my work, and it would be kind of impossible to lie about that topic.

"Fine," I say, "I went to beat up Ash for the letter you got." I add in frustration. Alissa stops eating her food and just stares at me, "Well did he?" She asks, "You know, send the letter."

I frown, "No, It wasn't him." Alissa seems disappointed, but it's hard to tell whether it's about it not being Ash or the fact that I apparently beat him up.

I don't even know why that was the first thing that crossed my mind, but I guess I would love nothing more than to beat him up after what I read yesterday.

It just doesn't make sense why he keeps pushing me to read the journal when all it is doing is making me question him more and more.

"Well, thanks," she says in her sarcastic tone, "for beating up someone for me." She adds.

"What's with the attitude, love?" I ask.

Alissa turns her gaze to me, "No attitude, but you know I don't like violence."

I turn back to my food, happily avoiding this argument. "Well, I'm sorry I turned to it."

She smiles, "No worries, I find it kind of hot."

I look at her in bafflement, "Getting beat up?" I ask.

"No, you idiot," she laughs, "The fact that you defend me. Just don't get your ass hurt."

I'm getting really confused by people in London more and more every day. I remember the first day we met she told me that Jackson was sending his friends to check up on her, and now she finds it hot that I am doing my job as a boyfriend.

"I won't, my love, don't worry about it."

We finally finish eating breakfast, and she says she wants to take a small nap. I'm not in the mood for one of Alissa's naps because they always turn into no-clothes-on sexual intercourse, and it's way too early for this.

I wait until Alissa falls asleep, and then I go join her in bed. Yesterday has been a long day, and I don't mind being an absolutely useless person today.