Shades of Redemption

49

The living room was filled with laughter as Caine, Owen, and Gavin sat on the couch, reminiscing about old times. It was strange seeing them all together again, but for a brief moment, it felt like everything was the way it used to be. Gavin had slipped so easily into conversation with them, as though no time had passed, and for a second, I could almost forget everything that had happened between us. Almost.

"So, how's the music scene these days?" Owen asked, leaning back in his chair. It was a safe topic, something from the past that wouldn't lead to anything uncomfortable.

Gavin shrugged, a faint smile on his lips. "I haven't been performing much lately, but I still play guitar when I can. You know, just for fun."

"Yeah, you always had a talent for it," Caine said, his tone light but measured. "Do you ever think about getting the band back together?"

A flicker of confusion crossed Gavin's face. "I don't know. Things have been... fuzzy for me lately. I'm not sure what happened with the band, honestly."

I could feel the tension in the air spike for a moment, but before it could get awkward, Owen jumped in. "It's cool, man. Don't worry about it. Life's different now for all of us."

Gavin nodded slowly, clearly sensing that something was off but not quite able to grasp what it was. His amnesia kept him in the dark, shielding him from the fallout of our past. He didn't remember that we had broken up, that our friends had cut ties with him after the betrayal. It was like there were invisible landmines scattered around, and we were all trying to guide him through without setting any of them off.

I stood by the kitchen door, watching them. The sound of their laughter echoed in the apartment, light and carefree, but there was a tension beneath it all. They were trying so hard to act normal, and I appreciated it. Before they arrived, I had told them to be nice to Gavin, to treat him like nothing had changed.

Charles had fallen asleep in my room, his small body curled up under the blankets. Gavin had offered to carry him, gently picking him up and placing him on the bed. It was a small, tender moment that made my heart ache. Gavin didn't remember the mess we were in, and in a way, I envied him for that.

In the kitchen, Emma, Katie, and I were preparing lunch. Katie was chopping vegetables, Emma stirring a pot on the stove, and I was arranging the plates. My hands moved automatically, but my mind was elsewhere.

"I told Elijah," I said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"And?" Emma prompted, her voice gentle.

"He's not speaking to me," I admitted, the frustration slipping into my voice. "It's been days."

Both Katie and Emma turned to look at me, their expressions sympathetic. Elijah had been avoiding me since I told him about Gavin, and it hurt more than I wanted to admit.

Katie put down the knife and walked over to me, gently tapping my shoulder. "He'll come around, Soph. He just needs time to process everything."

I sighed, wishing I could believe her. "I don't know. He hasn't spoken to me since I told him, and that was days ago."

Emma glanced over, concern in her eyes. "How are you holding up, though? With all of this? It's gotta be tough, living under the same roof with Gavin and pretending like everything's fine."

I bit my lip, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "It's... hard. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells every second. One wrong word, one wrong move, and it could trigger something in Gavin's mind that might make his condition worse."