DogBird

Chapter 16: Wolfgang

Roe showed up at the bus stop the following day as if nothing had happened.

And the next. 

And the next. 

Concern and guilt made my eyes linger on him whenever he appeared near me. Whatever Taylen and Henry had reported back to us was most likely something that Roe wished to keep a secret, and the fact that I knew that secret felt like the smallest cuts collecting on my conscience. They stung.

I knew what it was like to want those skeletons kept in the closet. Some would just never understand. And he probably thought we wouldn't either. I didn't blame him.

He became all the more distant after that night, his tired eyes never meeting anyone else's, his lips never curving into a smile. That didn't stop our eyes from finding him in every crowd, whether that was class or lunch or on the bus. But we respected the boundary his behavior had set. We'd only known him for days, our possible inkling of trust was still fragile, so we had to tread lightly.

Four days had passed with nothing from Roe and a few of my brothers were getting restless. Yonah openly showed his frustration, although I was proud of him for holding back as long as he had. Taylen's leg was bouncing the whole table and Jasper's tics were stronger and more frequent than usual as his impatience and nervousness leaked through. 

As much as I wanted to shake my head at them, I was beginning to feel the same.

I want to meet Roe's burning eyes again.

I want to watch him sign to me.

I want to see him smile.

I want to make him blush.

The last thought had me looking up from my book, my eyebrows creased in confusion and surprise. I gave Lev a tap on his shoulder and he turned his lazy attention to me. I signed quickly to him, befuddlement making my hands speed through the signs. A smack on the back of my head knocked me out of my daze and my eyes sharpened to gold blades. I snapped my attention up to an unshaken Lev, his brows knitted in irritation. "You're going to fucking fast, slow the fuck down," he signed to me, his mouth moving along with his hands. Usually I could hear him when he talked along with his signs, but I left my IIC hearing aids back at Kyrie's place, so I relied on reading lips and signs. There wasn't much need for them around my brothers, anyway.

I gave a huff of annoyance before beginning again. "What do you think it means when someone thinks about wanting to see someone smile or to see someone blush? Or just wanting to be around someone all the time."

Lev repeated the sign for blush with his scowl focused on his hands. "The hell is this?" His lips read.

Before I could translate, River's golden head popped up from behind me, his gray eyes seeming to shimmer silver as an excited smile overcame his features. "Blush? What's this about blush I'm seeing? Do you have a 'lil crush on someone?"

Crush? Me? On Roe?

"Is that what it means? When someone thinks about another person all the time, does that mean they have a crush on them?"

River gave a slight shrug, his lips pursing in thought as he signed back. "It's definitely an interest of some kind, could be good or bad, but those are pretty easy to tell apart most times."

Interest.

I was definitely interested. And I could tell good or bad.

Damn, I want to see him.