Silence, Lila learned, had layers.
There was the silence Adrian chose.And the silence he hid inside.
One afternoon, she found herself staring at a painting turned toward the wall.Unlike the others, this one felt… different.
Carefully, she turned it around.Her breath caught.It was unfinished but alive.
Bold strokes.
Movement.
Emotion.It felt like a memory trying to survive.
"Don't."
Adrian's voice cut through the air.
Lila froze. "I was just"
"Don't touch it."
His tone wasn't loud.
But it was sharp enough to sting.She slowly stepped back. "Okay."A long pause followed.
Then, more quietly:
"That was before."Before.The word lingered.
Before what?
Before who?Lila didn't ask.
But she understood something important in that moment.
Adrian wasn't empty.
He was holding everything in.