When Love Falls Silent

Liam

If you told me I would be sitting here today, I would laugh at you. But looking at this never-ending sea and sun just about to set while birds chirping at a distance, life seems so unexpected. Somehow, the calmness in this view can't overtake the chaos in my head because something is there distracting me from taking in this view, Grace and Danial.

They should have chosen another place maybe inside that beach house where Daniel lives now but they are sitting at a distance from me such that I can see them but couldn't hear them. It's not like I want to or I need to, Daniel is her friend no matter how much fucked up it had become but Daniel truly cares about Grace.

They have been there for the past 2 hours with Daniel doing more talking. Grace is silent and just listening. As much as I wanted to take her with me away from all this, she sank deeper into the mess no one had created but everyone was a part of it. No matter how Daniel tried to explain, it would only hurt Grace and now looking at her, I knew she was shattering. This moment is taking longer than expected, and neither is saying anything. Both of them are staring at the sea hoping to find some peace but I doubt they could find any.

I drove Grace here because I was the only one who knew where Daniel was right after his release. The police concluded Daniel was the murderer of Ethan as he was the only prime suspect present at the scene. What strange was Daniel didn't deny the charges and was put to jail right after the sentence was released. It was near our graduation so Grace didn't get a chance to see Daniel nor did she ever recover from Ethan's murder.

I watched them as they stood from the shore and started moving towards me, Daniel behind Grace, his face expressionless and lacking the emotions Daniel once knew how to carry. Now I just see two hollow individuals with deep regrets moving towards me.

Once they came near me, I stood from the sand and lifted some mud off my back. I better lift the mood, or else they would eat me with their eyes, especially Daniel. I don't know what he thinks of me but how he sees me is strange. Also, I don't know what Grace told him about me so it's confusing.

Daniel and I have had no specific connection since university. I only knew him as Grace's best friend and that's it. "So you two hungry?" I ask trying to break the ice. I don't know what they talked about and now is not the time to ask so I better eat something. Not to mention Grace is quite fond of food so it may lift her mood a little, I don't expect much though. "I will make you something," Daniel said still piercing me through his eyes, face expressionless. "Stay for dinner," he emphasizes this looking down at Grace. Grace didn't turn to face him and neither did she answer. She didn't bother and went inside the house.

Dinner will not go well I am sure of it.

...

I am not sure if it's the bitterness in the pasta or the surroundings that are adding bitterness to it but it's so much I can taste it and cut it with the knife I am holding. Grace has not touched the food since Daniel served her her plate. I tried lifting the mood by starting my meal so they could start too but it's not working. Everything I do to make it more comfortable but it doesn't, it just gets more irritating. No expression on Grace is what worries me more.

I didn't have time to ask Grace what they talked about but with her expression, I can see that she is in shock, deep shock. She is eyeing food so hard that I have never seen her looking at food like this. She was the type to get happy looking at food not angry.

I don't know what I heard but Grace is no longer sitting and her food is no longer on her plate, it's all over Daniel's face. The look in her eyes is no longer her looking at her best friend but a girl looking at a monster and trying her best to stay calm until she finally explodes.

I put my fork down and eventually grabbed Grace but by that time she had moved and was now pushing Daniel who was still on his chair but calm... calm? How was he so calm how much had he pushed Grace so that she couldn't bear and now hitting her own best friend? I was beyond words so I just kept holding Grace and pushing her to me. "Grace, calm down," I said breathlessly, wrapping my arms around her chest but she wouldn't budge. "For Heaven's sake Grace. What happened to you?" I kept telling her to stop until I pushed her so hard that she jerked in my arms and that's when for the first time I didn't see anger or hurt, i saw regret and betrayal and I knew it was coming from no other than Daniel.

Her eyes filled with tears and her face became pale. It was as if I was looking at the most broken piece the artist had made pouring emotions that filled the surroundings with aura one cannot breathe in. "No one told me," she said as her tears touched her cheek. I looked down at her and kept my gaze on her as I felt my world crushing down in front of me as she said "No one told me he murdered Ethan".