Heartbreak hotel

Chapter 7

“I can’t sleep,” Silas whispered. Julian turned so he was facing him and raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“I’m still scared; I don’t want to think about it. I want to sleep but can’t calm down enough to let my body sleep.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t want to bring up any bad memories for you?”

“Like I’ve said, I’m over it all. It all happened in the past, and that’s something I’ve learned to let go of.”

“When we found you,” Silas said, swallowing a little and licking his dry lips. “When Luca first found you and called my mums, they brought me along. They told me to stay in the car, but I had a panic attack, so they brought me in with them. I wasn’t meant to have seen you, Julian. But I did because I was being nosy, and I overheard their conversation—all they were saying, Jewel. I found you next, and you were so skinny and so pale, and there were so many bruises on you, and then there was the blood between your legs, and then I recognised you and burst out crying. Because we promised we’d find one another when we grew up in the orphanage. But he came, and he took me away. And I cried for days, wanting to get back to you, and he beat me every time I did. And then it was you sitting in front of me, and I didn’t even recognise you at first, and that made me cry harder, and I know it’s not my fault, that’s what Ant says, she says it's not my fault, but if I was still there, I could have helped you.”

Julian exhaled, touched Silas’s face, and smiled a little. “I’m sorry you feel so much, Silas,” he whispered. “But I don’t remember most of what happened to me. The doctors say it was the drugs I was forced to have and the trauma it held, but I don’t remember most of my childhood. I know it might not mean much to you, but you should know everything you know, I don’t remember, and I hope that helps ease your pain a little, too.”

“The Romero’s, you don’t know them, do you?”

He shook his head, waving his hand a little. “Nope,” he replied. “I didn’t think they’d scare me as much as they did. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they’re nice, but s**t, I was terrified.”

What he didn’t expect was to wake up at six in the morning, his mouth disgustingly dry. He grumbled something as he turned around to see Silas fast asleep, his chest rising and falling gently. He gently exited his bed, opened his door and slowly sneaked down the stairs.

When he got to the stairs, he heard the low whispers of someone talking. He frowned. Was the stabbed man awake?

“Thea?” he grumbled as he walked into the living room, the bright light blinding his eyes. He groaned as he rubbed his eyes a little.

“This is Julian. My younger brother, the newest edition to this s**t show.”

Julian peeled his hands away from his face, and now that the man was no longer groaning in pain and surrounded by so many people, he got a better look at him. He had dark skin like his uncles did, dark hair that appeared fluffy, and big brown eyes. The man stared at him, and he stared back.

“Julian?” he said.

Julian frowned as he c****d his head. “Yeah?”

“Julian, why are you awake?” Thea asked.

“I needed water, and my water bottle was empty. Silas finished the little bit I had left,” he grumbled.

“Is he still asleep?”

He nodded as he yawned into his arms and rubbed his eyes again, frowning at how much they stung. They scowled as she stood up, swatting his hands away. “Stop rubbing your eyes; if they’re annoying, you go get the eyedrops; I’ll put them in.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Don’t be a little s**t, Julian. Go get your water and come back, or I’ll wake up dad, and then he can be mad at you.”

Julian narrowed his eyes at his sister. “You wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t I?”

Julian gave his sister the middle finger as he stormed into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He drank the entire thing before grabbing the eyedrops in the small medicine cabinet and walking back to the living room, but he paused when he heard his name.

“Julian doesn’t remember.”

“What?” Ravi whispered.

“I’m sorry, we were told not to bring it up. He remembers Silas, but not all of it.”

“I have the eyedrops,” he deadpanned as he made his presence known.

They made him sit on the couch, and he tilted his head back as she poured three drops of each into his eyes. He blinked as he stood up. He frowned when he heard quiet but fast thudding down the stairs, and Silas appeared, his eyes darting everywhere.

“Sy? What’s-” Julian didn’t get to finish his sentence as Silas wrapped him in a hug.

“I woke up, and you weren’t there, and I thought-”

“I’m fine,” he groaned. “You drank all my water, and my eyes were stinging, so I came down to get more, and Thea put eyedrops in my eyes.”

“Go be overemotional in your room; I was so close to falling asleep,” she snapped. Julian nodded as he and Silas disappeared up the stairs again, but one question was burning in Julian’s mind.

What had he forgotten relating to the man on the couch?

Silas nodded, placing his hand over Julian’s and Julian watched him close his eyes almost half an hour later; his breathing evened out, so he fell asleep, too.

~*~