Page 14 of Exile

I was the one studying him now. His gaze was locked on the window.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to discuss it now. But…maybe someday?” I asked, my voice filled with hope.

He didn’t respond, his fingers tapping on the chair's armrest. The silence stretched, and I wasn’t sure if he was ignoring me or just thinking about how to tell me to leave.

“I grew up wondering about you, then I stopped when I got older because you were never around,” I said, filling the void. “Mom never really gave me answers. She’d just brush it off like it didn’t matter. Then, I stopped asking because I knew she wouldn’t give me an answer that would satisfy me. I’m glad I’m here now, though. I'm glad I finally got to meet you because I hope you’re the only family member I have left who will treat me with respect and love.”

I didn’t have a shitty childhood or anything. I just never had someone I could be close to. No family I could truly rely on. Even Mom wasn’t the kind of mother who would assure me I was loved. She did love me, of that I was sure, but she never told me.

Now, I didn’t want Caspian to give me everything I missed out on regarding love and affection. Frankly, that would be fucking weird since he was basically just a stranger.

But I still had hope that I could build a relationship with him, have him around, and maybe even try to get him and Mom back together.

I smiled gently when his eyes snapped to mine, his gaze sharp. “You think getting to know me will give you some big revelation about yourself? That’s not how this works, kid.”

“I don’t expect you to fix anything,” I said quickly. “I just…I want to get to know my grandfather.”

Caspian shook his head and rubbed his hands over his face. “And what if I told you to fuck off right now and leave me the fuck alone?”

I shrugged. A sharp feeling stung my heart. “I’d respectfully keep my distance, but I wouldn’t leave because I already paid for the tiny house for the next two weeks.”

He laughed dryly, running his hands through his surprisingly full hair. “Stubborn. Just like Julie.”

I didn’t know if that was a compliment or an insult, but I let it slide.

There was silence again. He stared at me like he was trying to decide if I was worth the trouble. Just like Theresa had.

But for some reason, Theresa was scarier.

Finally, he shrugged. “You want to get to know me? Fine. But don’t expect much. I’m not who I used to be. I’m just a grumpy old man who likes his solitude.”

“I’ll take my chances,” I said with a small smile.

Caspian scoffed, shaking his head. “We’ll see how long you last around me.”

Chapter 4

DARWYNN

I was still in his house.

Even after he threatened that I wouldn’t last long around him, I was still there.

And he even made me tea.

Well, sort of. He’d slapped a mug of hot water in front of me, along with a dusty box of tea bags. Then he’d retreated to his armchair, telling me to “help myself.”

Caspian sat back, arms crossed and gaze sharp as usual.

He was intimidating in a quiet, grumpy way, his presence heavy in this small, cluttered room.

“So,” he said, his deep voice breaking the silence, “what do you do?”

I blinked at him. “For work?”

He nodded.

“I used to work the front desk at a bank.”

---