The Secrets of Cedar Creek

35 : My Thoughts Are Louder

The hotel lobby is large albeit not as glamorous as Adrian's. I wonder what he's doing now. Does he have any friends in Cedar Creek other than me? What does he do on the days I'm not with him? Does he write the script?

Although I focus on this train of thought, it quickly shifts to another more gruesome. Did Paige tell Sylv about the pregnancy? Did he find out somehow? Does that give him a motive? He does know a lot about cars – and he was the one to suggest me go with him instead of Archer. What if it wasn't Paige that was meant to die? What if Archer was the target and Paige was just collateral damage?

I grimace. How cruel could someone be to risk an innocent life? Unless the murderer wanted both Archer and Paige dead. F*cking b*astards.

Auntie and Uncle stand with Kath, Tyson and Sylv at the reception. It's taken twenty minutes, but it finally seems as though we've checked in.

"There's been a bit of a mix up – I told you, Peter – with the rooms." Auntie Helen rolls her eyes at Uncle Pete. There's always an error in the accommodation. Uncle Pete is awful with computers.

Instead of being in the rooms next to us, the adults are two floors above. Far away, out of reach. Sylv and I are neighbours. Great.

It's fine, I'll lock my door and pretend like he's not even there.

"Why don't we drop off your suitcases and then get ready for dinner?" Kath says.

I nod and Sylv tosses me a card – which I assume opens the door. Everyone walks to the elevator and we punch in our floor. The adults walk with us to our room and check out the floor with us.

My key card says 14H. The cleaners are at the room beside me. Sylv checks his key card, looks at the cleaners, and checks his key card again.

Tyson calls for the cleaner. "Excuse me, is this room not ready?"

The cleaner, an extremely short, grey haired lady, says, "No sir, lots of clean, lots of party, big mess. Be done in one hour."

"That's alright, just hang out with Rose till it's ready, hon. It'll take me longer than that to get ready for dinner anyways," Kath says chirpily. I forgot how slow she takes to get ready. Always glamorous, always late.

Sylv presses his lips together and nods.

"Alright, see you later chickens!" Kath says with a wave and the rest of the adults banter all the way to the elevator.

I shrug at Sylv and use the key card to open the door. "Be my guest," I gesture to the door and mentally scream.

He walks in, lugging his suitcase behind him. He stays in the thin hallway between the door and the bedroom. A small bathroom to his left. He walks straight into the bathroom with his suitcase and closes the door without saying a word.

I sigh and toss myself backward onto the bed. Wow, now that is a nice mattress. Damn, I should write down the brand or something. It's fantastic.

I open my suitcase and sift through the clothes. Surely I brought something remotely nice for dinner. I grab the TV remote and turn it on to break the silence.

No matter how loud the TV is, my thoughts are louder.

How can I be so quick to judge my friends? Why am I letting Adrian convince me so easily? Are these not the people I've loved my whole life? What about Jonas? Am I in the room with Paige's killer?

I hear a loud bang and a loud 'f*ck'.

"Sylv, you ok?" I call, no answer.

I continue finding an outfit. Finally, I lay out my finest jeans (with stitched pearls in the shape of lightning bolts) and a tight black top. I find the black belt, some black boots and finally a poofy jacket. Sounds weird but it actually looks pretty cool.

"Sylv, hurry up I wanna shower!" I call.

"Wait!" he finally responds.

Another bang. Another 'f*ck'.

I groan and shake my head then bang on the door. "Sylv, what's going on? Are you ok?"

After a long hesitation, he opens the door. He's huffing, face shiny with sweat and flustered.

He bites his lip, takes a deep breath, then holds out his arms and says, "can you help me godd*amnit?"

My eyes drift down to the bandages. Always a sh*t wrapper. I look behind him to the counter top – wrapping everywhere, a total mess. My brain tells me walk away.

I push him inside and sit him down on the edge of the bath. I sit beside him and take his bandages off. "How many times do I have to show you how to do this?" I say with a short breath. My fingertips brush his arms as I slowly unwrap the bandages. I hope he doesn't notice me shaking. Heat rushes to my cheeks – partly because he's too close, partly because I'm scared and I know I have to confront him.

"I'll always need you," he says, watching me unwrap them.

I glance up at him. He glances up at me. I gulp down hard.

"You need some ice," I say, "for your knuckles."

I walk back into the bedroom and look for the mini fridge. Surely they'll have ice. Ah yes, found it. I wrap it up in his bandages, that will have to do for now.

I walk back into the toilet and sit beside him again, bringing the ice to his knuckles and holding it there. It reminds me of so many times I've sat with him and wrapped him up. So many times I've flustered over him.

The voices in my head start getting louder. Could he ever really do that to Paige? No, he couldn't. He would never. Not for me, not for anyone. Not after what his mother did. He wanted to protect her with everything, he never wanted history to repeat. He wanted to be better than his father. It doesn't make sense.

Adrian doesn't know him like I do. Sylv is one of the best men I know –

"What are you thinking about?" Sylv says quietly, his voice husky at the edges. "What's wrong?"

"Apart from the obvious?"

He sighs and tilts his head back onto the tiles.

"Everything is wrong," I say, hands closing tighter around the ice, around him.

"When will you let it go?" he bites his lip, still looking up at the ceiling.

I look at the curve of his lip, the start of dark stubble appearing around his jaw. He's so perfect. Ugh. "You know I never will."

He looks down at me, then turns his hands over to hold mine. The ice drops into the bath. Heat sprints to my cheeks like Olympians on steroids.

I hold my breath.

He pulls me closer, then into a hug. My eyes are wide at his shoulder. He holds me tightly – like he used to before Paige. Like he used to... during Paige. The guilt in my stomach rumbles.

He lets go too quickly and a mix of relief and disappointment runs through me.

"There's something you're not telling me," he says. He knows me too well. I knew I couldn't keep it from him. But can I tell him now?

"Sylv," I begin as a knock sounds at the door.

I jump to my feet and open it. The grey haired cleaner appears. "Room's ready."

"I need to shower," I tell Sylv.

He leaves. 

__________

sorry for that late-ish update

but thanks for reading! almost at 1k views! 

things are starting to heat up now so get keen for some major twists and a heck of a load of drama.

love you,

aurora