The Seeds of War

Chapter 20

"Wait," Theo called out to Evelyn. He fell in step beside her. As they walked, the late sun brightened their path. "I'm sorry you found out like that. It wasn't my intention."

"No, it was your intention to sneak around. Look, Theo, you're both adults. I guess it really is none of my business," she said, offering a tight smile.

Theo gave her a sincere smile and nod, choosing not to address the fact that he was bedding her best friend and leave that whole scenario alone. "So how is Stefan?" he asked.

"Huh," she said, lost in her own head for a moment. "Oh, sorry, things are definitely looking up. He should be home soon. Hopefully."

He could tell she was missing him desperately—hell, he was too, and his brother wasn't even his biggest fan. She then surprised him with her next question.

"I've got to pick the children up from their Oma's. Do you want to come with me? They'd love to see you."

He was taken aback briefly. "Of course I would. They're great kids, you know. I know you're wary of me, but I really do enjoy spending time with them."

"Wouldn't matter what I think," she said, laughing a little. "They clearly already adore you."

"Well, I don't exactly have much competition, do I? Since I am their only uncle," he joked.

Evelyn watched him closely. He bore the same sharp features as Stefan, the same eyes that seemed to see everything and nothing at once. But where Stefan wore an impenetrable shield of stoicism, Theo's humour veiled his emotions. Often punctuated by a sly smirk or a sarcastic comment. Even Ruby shared some of their Schäfer ways. Yet, this man was different, less serious, more playful. Evelyn attributed it to his lack of marriage and children.

"You're so different, yet eerily similar," Evelyn said, tilting her head with curiosity. He cocked an eyebrow.

"We're not similar," he shot back, posturing. "I'm obviously more tolerable."

Evelyn couldn't help but smile, but the smile faded as she probed deeper. "The way you both deflect questions—your humour, Stefan's impassiveness—it's uncanny."

Theo chuckled, a light, airy laugh that could easily fill the room with warmth. "Well, aren't you annoyingly deceptive?" he replied, his grin widening, but a tension lingered beneath their banter. She had struck a chord.

Evelyn leaned in, sensing that this playful façade held more than met the eye. "You're doing it now."

His expression tightened slightly as he caught her stare. She could feel him shifting, the playful bravado slipping just a little. "It's a gift," he replied, shaking it off, but she pressed on.

"What's really behind the humour, Theo?"

The air shifted as Theo took a deep breath, that laughter draining from his demeanour. "Stefan wasn't always like that," he began, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. "As a child, he was quite sensitive. I teased him mercilessly about it. I regret that now."

Evelyn stayed silent, drawn in by the sincerity radiating from him. "Our father, however, didn't see sensitivity as a strength. One night, fuelled by alcohol, he subjected Stefan to gruelling army drills," Theo recounted, and Evelyn's heart ached at the image of a young Stefan, vulnerable and alone.

"He did that for hours, pushing him, hitting him as if he thought it would make a soldier out of him." His eyes darkened as he continued, "it was the crying that woke me up. I then woke up our mother and ran out to stop him. That's when he gave me my first black eye—though it wasn't my last."

He ended with a chuckle, but it felt hollow. Evelyn felt a blend of disgust and pity creeping into her heart. She hated hearing about Stefan like this—his struggles laid bare, an understanding she had never accessed before.