Sweet Devil [BL]

Chapter 77. Right Choice

Stephan's voice resounded throughout the corridor, making Tristan instinctively straighten his back and look over his shoulder at the door, verifying that it was still closed. Once his worries were quelled, he couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief, pressing a hand against his chest to calm down his pounding heart.

"Stephan is near," the boy whispered into the phone. "I have to hang up soon."

"All right. Don't forget to hide the cell phone so your mother doesn't see it."

"Hm, I know." Tristan paused, chewing on his lower lip for a short second before softly asking, "When will you come back home? I miss you."

"I'm sorry, I don't think I'll be able to visit you anytime soon."

"Is it because my mom doesn't want to see you? Or is it because Jake is mean to you? If it's because of that, I can talk to them, and everything will be like before—"

"No, it's not because of this. I have to take care of a few things, so can you be patient and wait for me? I also miss you."

A silence fell between them, and the little boy clenched his small fists, not reassured one bit by Gabriel's words. Be patient? But for how long? How long must he wait for his brother to come back? A few days? A few weeks? Or maybe even longer? It had already been over a month since the last time they spoke to each other; if Tristan hadn't contacted him, would his brother have done it instead? Would he have?

...Did Gabriel really miss him?

Maybe his brother got fed up with him like everyone else and didn't want to play with him anymore. Soon, he'd say the same thing as Jake, that he was too old for this. But Tristan didn't want to accept it! He also refused to believe the harsh words his mother spoke of the young man. Gabriel wasn't heartless, and he certainly didn't abandon him to run away with his girlfriend!

Although the little boy didn't understand everything that was going on around him, he could at least tell that his mother was the one who had driven Gabriel out. The day after he left, she had thrown everything in his bedroom that he hadn't brought with him in the trash, saying that it was good riddance.

And later, whenever she said awful things about him and Tristan contradicted her, she would get angry and often raise her voice, making the little boy cry his eyes out. The flood of tears always brought Angela back to her senses, but she never apologized, insisting that everything she said was true.

Now, Tristan wasn't allowed to talk to Gabriel, much less play with him.

But no matter how many times Angela tried to brainwash her son, Tristan still couldn't get rid of the affection he held for his half-brother. It couldn't be helped. Gabriel had taken care of him for the past few months, and the boy had grown attached to the young man, always clinging to him whenever he was in the vicinity.

Because Gabriel was locked up in the villa when he pretended to have amnesia, he spent most of his time with Tristan, playing with him all day long. And at one point in time, the young man even started reading him bedtime stories, something no one had ever done for the child.

Even though Tristan's mother spoiled him rotten, giving him every toy he wanted, she wasn't very present in his life, too busy to spend time with her son. The same could be said for his father, to whom he seldom talked. As for Jake, that guy thought that hanging out with his little brother was a chore and always pushed him aside, barely throwing him a glance.

The only one who ever played with him, listened to him, or even just chatted with him was Gabriel. And now that the young man had moved out, the boy was left alone again, and his heart grew emptier with each passing day. After having a taste of what it felt like to be showered with love, Tristan deeply craved for it. But deep down, he was also afraid to have done something that had somehow made Gabriel dislike him, and that this was why he hadn't come back for him.