Page 124 of Sing For Me

Eva

There’s something going on with Will. His quiet moods seem to be getting longer and longer. More often than not, his face settles into a scowl when he thinks I’m not looking. And more than once, I glance up to find him watching me. But unlike before, when I would find his eyes dark with desire, they now seem to be constantly filled with fear.

I try to get him to open up but every time I bring it up, he insists he’s just tired from work. And he is working like crazy, staying at the shop for long hours. For the first time since Tennessee, he goes back to his apartment some nights after work, instead of coming here. It feels weird in my bed without him, like my body came to rely on his closeness in the few short weeks we’ve been together.

I can’t shake the uneasy feeling that something is wrong. And I hate that he won’t talk about it. I’ve been telling myself to give him time but I’m starting to wonder if that will be enough. What if Will never opens up to me? He seems content enough to just ignore whatever dark shit I see swirling beneath the surface.

One afternoon about two weeks after Tennessee, I get a call that I doubt he’ll be able to ignore. Silas calls me.

“Hey,” he says, sounding nervous. “Sorry to bother you, Eva.”

“It’s no bother,” I assure him, worried by the tone of his voice. “Is everything okay?”

“Um, yeah. Everything’s fine. I just…” he blows out a breath, the sound loud in my ear. “I snuck Rose’s phone to get your number.”

“Okay,” I say slowly. What could he have to talk to me about that badly? “Why didn’t you just ask your brother for my number?”

Another loud breath, this one more annoyed. “Like he’d give it to me. He barely talks to me.”

That stops me short. “Will isn’t talking to you?”

“I mean, he texts.” Silas makes a huffing noise. “Mostly on the group thread. But he’s always too busy to talk for more than a few minutes when I call. And he hasn’t been to the house in weeks.”

“You’re worried about him?” I guess.

“Yeah. I am. I just wanted to see if, you know, he’s doing okay. I asked Rose and River and they both said he’s barely at home. I don’t think he’s talked to either of them any more than he’s talked to me. And that’s not like him.”

I chew on my lip, unsure of what to say. I don’t want to tell him that I’ve had the same worries—that would just scare the kid even more.

“I know he’s been really busy with work,” I offer. “Maybe that’s all it is?”

He’s quiet for a minute. “I know you were there when he fought with dad and our uncles.”

“Um, yeah. That was…pretty intense.”

“He’s been pissed at them for a long time,” Silas says. “But he doesn’t usually keep this much distance. With them, but not with everyone else.”

“I can talk to him,” I offer. “See if he’ll open up about any of it?”

Silas laughs. “Good luck with that. Getting that guy to talk is like pulling teeth.”

“Yeah,” I say drily. “I’ve noticed.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “I just wanted to make sure he’s got someone looking out for him.”

He sounds so concerned, so sad, that it makes unease grow in my belly.

“Your brother is a strong guy,” I tell him. “But I promise I’m not going anywhere, okay? I’ll be around if he needs anything.”

He sounds more relieved when he speaks again. “Thanks, Eva. That makes me feel better.”

But after we hang up, I can’t help but feel like I gave him false hope. I know from bitter experience that you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. And I have a feeling Will is nowhere near wanting my help yet.

He comes home from work late, well after I’ve eaten dinner. Once again, he seems withdrawn, particularly when I mention having spent some time writing earlier in the day. He’s such a moody ass that I finally crack when we’re getting ready for bed.

“Are you ever going to tell me what’s bothering you?”

His hands freeze on the pillow he was adjusting. “Nothing is bothering me,” he finally says. “Just working a lot.”