Page 64 of Cain
A boy shattered at the core.
No. Cain isn’t a boy. Not anymore. He’s a man who chooses to hurt, to destroy—a man who turned his pain into a weapon. And yet …
I clench my fists, trying to steady my breath.
I don’t want to understand him. Because if I do, if I start to see the cracks beneath the monster, then what? What happens when my hatred isn’t enough to hold me together?
“You’d better have a good reason you’re back already.” Cain’s voice sounds from behind Grayson’s back, making me jump in surprise.
Grayson gives him a look and folds his hands in front of him, facing him.
“I just missed your arrogance, boy,” he attests, fearless of Cain.
Cain’s lips curl into a smirk, his eyes glinting with amusement.
“Well, that makes one of us,” he hisses. “Though I can’t say I missed your old-man wisdom. Did you come back just to bore me to death?”
I can’t see Grayson’s expression because he has his back to me, but I can tell his posture is stiff. Cain, on the other hand, has his signature smirk plastered on his lips and his hands tucked into the pockets of his black slacks. He must have just come back from work.
Then Grayson takes a few steps closer to him, extending his arms to his sides. Cain’s smirk lingers for a second before changing into something else. Something real. His face lights up with a rare smile, making the skin at the corners of his eyes crease. And then, without hesitation, he steps forward and pulls Grayson into a hug, burying his face in his shoulder.
For a moment, the room feels different. Lighter. Warmer.
Does Cain actually have feelings?
I’ve only ever seen him as cold, ruthless, incapable of anything but control and cruelty. But this is something else. Something almost human.
Grayson pulls back, holds his smiling face in his palms, and studies him. “Look at you! Look how big you’ve become.”
“You were only gone for a few months, old man,” Cain replies, his tone unusually light. “You forget I’m not a kid anymore.”
So, hedoeshave a human side!
My God, I’m dying to ask, but I hold my tongue. Instead, I stay silent and let this play out, curious to see where it leads.
“How could I forget that? You’re a head taller than me.”
Cain chuckles again and pulls back. “Now tell me. Why did you come back? How is she?” He pats Grayson’s shoulder in a comforting gesture.
How is who?
Grayson lowers his eyes and shakes his head. I can feel he doesn’t have anything positive to share.
“Grayson?”
“She didn’t make it,” Grayson exhales, his voice shaking.
Cain’s jaw flexes, and his eyes remain steady on Grayson, as if trying to conceal his emotions.
“It’s for the best,” he says coldly. I already know that human lives don’t mean anything to him, but I started believing that Grayson means something to him. Apparently, I was wrong again.
Strangely, Grayson nods sharply, as if he agrees. He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. “Do you need me for anything?”
“Go and rest today, old man.”
Grayson raises his hand and pats Cain’s shoulder, just like he did before. “Have a good rest of the day, Cain.” He turns his eyes and looks at me. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ružicková.”
I press my lips together. “You too, Grayson.”
