Baby

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven: Confusion

unedited

My mouth dropped open. This was Silas's mother, laying down right in front of me, sick. I wonder what happened to her? I stared at her a bit longer, just going over ever single detail on her face. She looked just like Silas, her beauty was unmatched, even in her condition. The dark waves on her hair fell perfectly on the pillow and her brown eyes watched me, still holding on to that cheerful look of hers.

I responded, my voice filled with respect, "It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Petrova." I found myself bowing at her presence.

She smiled graciously at me. "Oh dear, there's no need for formality. We're practically family now. Please, call me Evangeline." Her knowledge of me puzzled me, and a question formed in my mind. Did Silas talk about me to her?

I thought to myself, 'Evangeline' Her name was exquisite, evoking memories of my mother's name.

"Of course," I replied, finding it difficult to find the words to say.

Despite having just met her, my heart ached seeing her in this state. At her age, Evangeline should be thriving, not imprisoned in her bed. It was perplexing to see her in such a debilitating condition.

Evangeline beamed, her joy evident as she exclaimed, "I'm overjoyed that everything went smoothly. I initially suspected the old witch was deceiving me again, but here you are, in the flesh." Her applause echoed in the room, signifying her elation.

Evangeline's words left me perplexed. Who was the old witch she referred to? Perhaps her hazy state influenced her words.

I asked curiously, "What witch?" I knew there was a chance she might not fully understand her own statement, but my curious nature couldn't resist asking. 

Before Evangeline could respond, the door behind me slammed open, and instantly, I knew it was Silas. I didn't need to turn around to confirm; his presence filled the room. This situation was terrible, possibly even disastrous.

Silas's rough voice lashed out, "What in the hell are you doing in here?" His anger was palpable, and I instinctively cowered in fear.

By the time I turned around, he was already only a couple inches away from me. "Silas, I'm sorry I just-" He cut me off, his voice booming with fury.

"No! I told you to stay in the room," he thundered. "That doesn't mean running around my home!" His volume was deafening, possibly even audible from downstairs. 

I only became aware of the tears welling in my eyes as I squeezed them shut, having been staring at him for what seemed like an eternity. He had never lashed out at me quite like this; sure, we had our verbal sparings at the party, but nothing compared to the fear his current words instilled in me.

Evangeline's voice rang out, soft yet firm, "Silas, you stop yelling at her this instant!"

"No, it's fine," I murmured apologetically. "He's right."

"Damn right I am." Suddenly, I felt his hand seize my arm, followed by him forcefully pulling me out of the room. Evangeline pleaded for him to release me, but Silas ignored her pleas, continuing to drag me along.

I attempted to wriggle out of his grasp, pleading, "Silas, stop, you're hurting me." The moment those words left my lips, he abruptly let go of me, closing the door to his mother's room.

We stood facing each other in silence, neither of us saying anything until I sensed his anger gradually fading. His once-rigid, cold eyes became emotionless, lacking any expression.