Silent Scars - Chapter 9: Chapter 9
You are reading Silent Scars, Chapter 9: Chapter 9. Read more chapters of Silent Scars.
The quiet knock at Aria’s door startled her, echoing loudly in the stillness of her room. Her heart skipped a beat at the sound,her body instinctively tensing.
She took a shaky breath, forcing herself to stay still as the door creaked open.
Kendric stepped inside, his movements almost tentative, like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to be here. He paused for a moment, taking in the sight of his sister standing by the window, her figure small and almost frail in the dimming light.
He had expected her to look different, more confident, less...afraid.
He cleared his throat, offering a small, awkward smile.
"Hey."
He said, his voice light, almost cheerful. He had been the one to volunteer to get her, eager to be the first to make a connection. He didn’t know why, but there was something about the idea of a sister that made him feel excited, curious. He’d never had anyone to look after before, and the thought felt strangely nice.
"Uh, dinner’s ready."
Kendric continued, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Leonardo asked me to come get you. Thought we could all eat together tonight."
Aria didn’t know who he was, not really. She had assumed this boy must be one of her brothers. Leonardo had mentioned she had more brothers, but he hadn’t told her how many, and she hadn’t asked. It wasn’t that she didn’t care, she just didn’t know what she was supposed to feel. This was all new, terrifyingly new.
Kendric took a step closer, watching for any sign of recognition or response from her. When she didn’t move or speak, he forced another smile.
"You must be hungry, right?"
Aria didn’t respond, she didn't look up. She slowly walked towards him, her hands trembling slightly as she smoothed down her dress.
Kendric noticed the way her shoulders hunched inward, like she was trying to make herself invisible. He frowned, the thought passing through his mind that maybe she was just shy. He decided to try another approach.
"You don’t have to be scared."
He said softly, his voice kind.
"We’re family now. It’s okay." He took a step back, gesturing toward the door. "Come on. Everyone’s waiting for you."
Aria hesitated, her eyes darting from Kendric to the door. She could feel the anxiety building up inside her like a wave, threatening to drown her. She wanted to say something, to tell him that she wasn’t scared of them, but of herself, of the voice she hadn’t used in over a decade. But she couldn’t. The words got stuck in her throat, choked back by years of silence.
She nodded slowly instead, hoping it would be enough, and followed Kendric out of the room.
He seemed relieved, giving her a quick smile as he led the way down the hallway.
"I’m Kendric, by the way."
He added, as if realizing she might not know.
"I’m your...uh, one of your younger brothers."
𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘤. 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.
She swallowed hard, trying to make sense of it all.
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦?
She didn’t know their names, their faces, only Leonardo had been introduced to her properly. The rest were still strangers, and it made her stomach churn with nerves.
As they approached the dining room, Aria’s heart pounded harder, the familiar tightness in her chest returning. The voices of her brothers drifted out into the hall, low and indistinct, but she could sense the tension in the air.
When she stepped into the room, all conversation stopped. Three pairs of eyes turned toward her, and the sudden attention made her freeze, her body locking up like it always did when she felt trapped.
Leonardo was at the head of the table, his expression unreadable as he looked at her. Marcus was beside him, his brow furrowed, already analyzing her as if he was trying to decipher a puzzle he didn’t quite trust. Luca sat farther down, his gaze soft, unlike the others.
"Finally."
Marcus said, his tone carefully neutral, but his eyes were watchful, calculating.
"You made it."
Aria flinched slightly at the abruptness of his words, her eyes dropping to the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to look up, to see their faces and the judgment she was sure was there. She knew she was making a bad impression, but she didn’t know how to fix it.
Leonardo gestured toward an empty chair, his expression calm but firm.
"Come sit. "
He said.
"We want to get to know you Ariana."
She moved toward the chair with slow, careful steps. She could feel their eyes on her, every glance like a weight pressing down on her shoulders. She sat down without making a sound, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her eyes glued to her lap.
The room fell into a tense, expectant silence as the brothers waited for their new sister to speak. Kendric’s face was tinged with confusion, while Luca’s gaze softened with a flicker of curiosity. Marcus leaned back slightly, watching Aria carefully, as if waiting for her to make a move.
Kendric felt an uncomfortable knot twist in his chest. He had expected this dinner to be different, maybe awkward, sure, but not this tense silence. He kept sneaking glances at Ariana, trying to figure her out. He couldn’t help the thoughts that bubbled up, doubts whispering that maybe she was just being difficult,maybe she was trying to draw attention.
“So....”
Kendric started, forcing a smile onto his face.
“How do you like the house, Ariana? It’s big, right?”
Aria’s shoulders tensed, and she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. The gesture was stiff, almost mechanical, like it was the only thing she could do to survive this moment. The idea of speaking, of voicing anything, was too terrifying.
Her mind screamed the rules she had been taught: Don’t speak. Don’t look at them.
The rules her mother and stepfather had drilled into her echoed in her mind, tightening their grip on her heart.
Kendric glanced between Ariana and Leonardo, his brow furrowing.
Luca's eyes did not leave Aria’s face. He noticed the way she seemed to shrink into herself, as if she were trying to disappear. There was something there, a hesitance that went beyond shyness. But he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
Leonardo sat at the head of the table, his eyes fixed on her. He had been watching her closely, and he couldn’t ignore the way she seemed to curl inward, as if protecting herself from unseen blows. It made something twist painfully in his chest, a feeling he wasn’t used to. He didn’t like it, didn’t like the way it made him want to reach out and comfort her.
This could still be a trick.
He reminded himself.
You can’t let your guard down.
But despite his suspicions, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her silence than simple reluctance.
Kendric, growing increasingly uncomfortable with the silence, tried to lighten the mood. He offered a small, tentative smile.
“You don’t have to be so quiet, you know.”
He said, his tone encouraging.
“We’re family now. You can say whatever you want.”
Aria flinched at his words, her fingers clenching into fists under the table.
Say whatever you want.
It was a foreign concept to her, something she’d never been allowed to do. The idea of speaking freely, of voicing her thoughts, was terrifying.
Her stepfather’s voice thundered in her ears: “Keep your mouth shut unless you’re spoken to.”
The fear it instilled was so deep, so visceral, she couldn’t even attempt to speak now.
Kendric exchanged a glance with Marcus, his face scrunched in confusion.
“Why isn’t she saying anything?”
He whispered, his voice tinged with frustration.
“Is she just trying to get attention?”
Marcus gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of his head, his expression unreadable.
“Maybe.”
He said, though there was doubt in his voice. He wasn’t sure what to make of her silence, but he knew enough to realize that assuming the worst wasn’t going to help.
Luca, however, was watching her with a different kind of intensity. He saw the way her fingers twitched, the way her shoulders curled inward like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. It reminded him of the stray animals he often found, the ones who had been mistreated and didn’t know how to trust kindness. He felt a pang of sympathy, a deep, instinctive need to protect her.
"So..."
Marcus began, his tone as measured as ever.
"Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself, Ariana?"
Her heart lurched at the question, panic flooding her veins. Her lips parted, trembling as she tried to form words, but they were trapped behind the walls she had built so long ago. She looked down, her hands beginning to shake.
Kendric, noticing her hesitation, frowned slightly.
"Hey, it’s okay. "
He said gently.
"You don’t have to be scared. We just want to talk."
Aria’s breathing hitched, the sting of his words making her chest tighten further. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. They thought she was being difficult, that she was doing this on purpose. She wanted to scream, to tell them she couldn’t speak, but her voice wouldn’t come. It was like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.
Luca, who had been silent until now, leaned forward slightly, studying Aria with a furrowed brow. He could see the way her hands trembled, the sheen of unshed tears in her eyes. It clicked into place for him then, the way she had acted, the silence, the fear in her expression. It wasn’t shyness or nerves. It was something deeper, something that made his heart twist.
"Wait..."
Luca said softly, his eyes meeting Aria’s.
"You...can’t speak, can you?"
Aria’s breath hitched, her eyes wide with shock. She hadn’t expected anyone to notice so quickly, to understand her silence.
She nodded slowly, almost imperceptibly, the gesture so small it was almost lost in the room’s stillness.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Kendric’s eyes widened, his face paling as realization set in.
"You mean...she hasn’t been talking because she can't?"
Marcus’s expression shifted from suspicion to something like regret, his jaw clenching as he exchanged a glance with Leonardo.
Leonardo’s face hardened, the lines of tension deepening as he absorbed this new information. He hadn’t known, none of them had.
Luca’s gaze softened even more, filled with a quiet understanding.
"I’m sorry, Aria."
He said gently.
"We didn’t know."
Aria nodded weakly, her throat tight, her hands trembling. She wanted to disappear into the ground, to vanish from their gaze.
Luca realized just how much they had all misunderstood her. And for the first time since she had entered their lives, he felt a fierce, protective urge rise up inside him. He wouldn’t let her be alone.
She took a shaky breath, forcing herself to stay still as the door creaked open.
Kendric stepped inside, his movements almost tentative, like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to be here. He paused for a moment, taking in the sight of his sister standing by the window, her figure small and almost frail in the dimming light.
He had expected her to look different, more confident, less...afraid.
He cleared his throat, offering a small, awkward smile.
"Hey."
He said, his voice light, almost cheerful. He had been the one to volunteer to get her, eager to be the first to make a connection. He didn’t know why, but there was something about the idea of a sister that made him feel excited, curious. He’d never had anyone to look after before, and the thought felt strangely nice.
"Uh, dinner’s ready."
Kendric continued, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Leonardo asked me to come get you. Thought we could all eat together tonight."
Aria didn’t know who he was, not really. She had assumed this boy must be one of her brothers. Leonardo had mentioned she had more brothers, but he hadn’t told her how many, and she hadn’t asked. It wasn’t that she didn’t care, she just didn’t know what she was supposed to feel. This was all new, terrifyingly new.
Kendric took a step closer, watching for any sign of recognition or response from her. When she didn’t move or speak, he forced another smile.
"You must be hungry, right?"
Aria didn’t respond, she didn't look up. She slowly walked towards him, her hands trembling slightly as she smoothed down her dress.
Kendric noticed the way her shoulders hunched inward, like she was trying to make herself invisible. He frowned, the thought passing through his mind that maybe she was just shy. He decided to try another approach.
"You don’t have to be scared."
He said softly, his voice kind.
"We’re family now. It’s okay." He took a step back, gesturing toward the door. "Come on. Everyone’s waiting for you."
Aria hesitated, her eyes darting from Kendric to the door. She could feel the anxiety building up inside her like a wave, threatening to drown her. She wanted to say something, to tell him that she wasn’t scared of them, but of herself, of the voice she hadn’t used in over a decade. But she couldn’t. The words got stuck in her throat, choked back by years of silence.
She nodded slowly instead, hoping it would be enough, and followed Kendric out of the room.
He seemed relieved, giving her a quick smile as he led the way down the hallway.
"I’m Kendric, by the way."
He added, as if realizing she might not know.
"I’m your...uh, one of your younger brothers."
𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘤. 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.
She swallowed hard, trying to make sense of it all.
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦?
She didn’t know their names, their faces, only Leonardo had been introduced to her properly. The rest were still strangers, and it made her stomach churn with nerves.
As they approached the dining room, Aria’s heart pounded harder, the familiar tightness in her chest returning. The voices of her brothers drifted out into the hall, low and indistinct, but she could sense the tension in the air.
When she stepped into the room, all conversation stopped. Three pairs of eyes turned toward her, and the sudden attention made her freeze, her body locking up like it always did when she felt trapped.
Leonardo was at the head of the table, his expression unreadable as he looked at her. Marcus was beside him, his brow furrowed, already analyzing her as if he was trying to decipher a puzzle he didn’t quite trust. Luca sat farther down, his gaze soft, unlike the others.
"Finally."
Marcus said, his tone carefully neutral, but his eyes were watchful, calculating.
"You made it."
Aria flinched slightly at the abruptness of his words, her eyes dropping to the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to look up, to see their faces and the judgment she was sure was there. She knew she was making a bad impression, but she didn’t know how to fix it.
Leonardo gestured toward an empty chair, his expression calm but firm.
"Come sit. "
He said.
"We want to get to know you Ariana."
She moved toward the chair with slow, careful steps. She could feel their eyes on her, every glance like a weight pressing down on her shoulders. She sat down without making a sound, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her eyes glued to her lap.
The room fell into a tense, expectant silence as the brothers waited for their new sister to speak. Kendric’s face was tinged with confusion, while Luca’s gaze softened with a flicker of curiosity. Marcus leaned back slightly, watching Aria carefully, as if waiting for her to make a move.
Kendric felt an uncomfortable knot twist in his chest. He had expected this dinner to be different, maybe awkward, sure, but not this tense silence. He kept sneaking glances at Ariana, trying to figure her out. He couldn’t help the thoughts that bubbled up, doubts whispering that maybe she was just being difficult,maybe she was trying to draw attention.
“So....”
Kendric started, forcing a smile onto his face.
“How do you like the house, Ariana? It’s big, right?”
Aria’s shoulders tensed, and she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. The gesture was stiff, almost mechanical, like it was the only thing she could do to survive this moment. The idea of speaking, of voicing anything, was too terrifying.
Her mind screamed the rules she had been taught: Don’t speak. Don’t look at them.
The rules her mother and stepfather had drilled into her echoed in her mind, tightening their grip on her heart.
Kendric glanced between Ariana and Leonardo, his brow furrowing.
Luca's eyes did not leave Aria’s face. He noticed the way she seemed to shrink into herself, as if she were trying to disappear. There was something there, a hesitance that went beyond shyness. But he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
Leonardo sat at the head of the table, his eyes fixed on her. He had been watching her closely, and he couldn’t ignore the way she seemed to curl inward, as if protecting herself from unseen blows. It made something twist painfully in his chest, a feeling he wasn’t used to. He didn’t like it, didn’t like the way it made him want to reach out and comfort her.
This could still be a trick.
He reminded himself.
You can’t let your guard down.
But despite his suspicions, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her silence than simple reluctance.
Kendric, growing increasingly uncomfortable with the silence, tried to lighten the mood. He offered a small, tentative smile.
“You don’t have to be so quiet, you know.”
He said, his tone encouraging.
“We’re family now. You can say whatever you want.”
Aria flinched at his words, her fingers clenching into fists under the table.
Say whatever you want.
It was a foreign concept to her, something she’d never been allowed to do. The idea of speaking freely, of voicing her thoughts, was terrifying.
Her stepfather’s voice thundered in her ears: “Keep your mouth shut unless you’re spoken to.”
The fear it instilled was so deep, so visceral, she couldn’t even attempt to speak now.
Kendric exchanged a glance with Marcus, his face scrunched in confusion.
“Why isn’t she saying anything?”
He whispered, his voice tinged with frustration.
“Is she just trying to get attention?”
Marcus gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of his head, his expression unreadable.
“Maybe.”
He said, though there was doubt in his voice. He wasn’t sure what to make of her silence, but he knew enough to realize that assuming the worst wasn’t going to help.
Luca, however, was watching her with a different kind of intensity. He saw the way her fingers twitched, the way her shoulders curled inward like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. It reminded him of the stray animals he often found, the ones who had been mistreated and didn’t know how to trust kindness. He felt a pang of sympathy, a deep, instinctive need to protect her.
"So..."
Marcus began, his tone as measured as ever.
"Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself, Ariana?"
Her heart lurched at the question, panic flooding her veins. Her lips parted, trembling as she tried to form words, but they were trapped behind the walls she had built so long ago. She looked down, her hands beginning to shake.
Kendric, noticing her hesitation, frowned slightly.
"Hey, it’s okay. "
He said gently.
"You don’t have to be scared. We just want to talk."
Aria’s breathing hitched, the sting of his words making her chest tighten further. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. They thought she was being difficult, that she was doing this on purpose. She wanted to scream, to tell them she couldn’t speak, but her voice wouldn’t come. It was like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.
Luca, who had been silent until now, leaned forward slightly, studying Aria with a furrowed brow. He could see the way her hands trembled, the sheen of unshed tears in her eyes. It clicked into place for him then, the way she had acted, the silence, the fear in her expression. It wasn’t shyness or nerves. It was something deeper, something that made his heart twist.
"Wait..."
Luca said softly, his eyes meeting Aria’s.
"You...can’t speak, can you?"
Aria’s breath hitched, her eyes wide with shock. She hadn’t expected anyone to notice so quickly, to understand her silence.
She nodded slowly, almost imperceptibly, the gesture so small it was almost lost in the room’s stillness.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Kendric’s eyes widened, his face paling as realization set in.
"You mean...she hasn’t been talking because she can't?"
Marcus’s expression shifted from suspicion to something like regret, his jaw clenching as he exchanged a glance with Leonardo.
Leonardo’s face hardened, the lines of tension deepening as he absorbed this new information. He hadn’t known, none of them had.
Luca’s gaze softened even more, filled with a quiet understanding.
"I’m sorry, Aria."
He said gently.
"We didn’t know."
Aria nodded weakly, her throat tight, her hands trembling. She wanted to disappear into the ground, to vanish from their gaze.
Luca realized just how much they had all misunderstood her. And for the first time since she had entered their lives, he felt a fierce, protective urge rise up inside him. He wouldn’t let her be alone.
End of Silent Scars Chapter 9. Continue reading Chapter 10 or return to Silent Scars book page.