He was letting me get away with hiding. He didn’t drag me out by my hair. He wasn’t yelling.
He was just waiting in a way that made me see him differently. If only for a moment.
Sabastian stepped away, fiddling with things once more.
Could I move and get the paci? Was that the trap? Was I stupid enough to test that out?
The phone rang caused me to jump. But thankfully, no sounds came out.
“Hey, Blaise.”
Maybe, if he was busy, I could be sneaky. Just for one more time.
“Not exactly. Why? What’s up?” Sabastian’s voice didn’t sound very far away. Like he was standing right there by the closet. “No luck on that part. But I don’t have that file. Let me…Na. I can send it by email.”
Sabastian’s voice moved away, as did his feet.
I waited for a extra second to make sure he wasn’t coming back in, before quickly scooting out from under the bag and grabbing the paci.
But then, because I couldn’t help myself, I looked around the room, seeing the bed had been moved. Now, it’d look right into the Sabastain’s room.
Not wanting to think about what he was up to, I stuck the pacifier in my mouth before going back to my hiding place.
Chapter19
Sabastian
A small smile lifted the corner of my lips. I knew exactly where Oakley was. His toes had been sticking out, despite his best efforts. But even then, his small whimpers weren’t helping him, either.
I wished I could read his mind, but that’d mean he’d actually have to look at me for me to do so.
So, instead, I played his game. I could wait him out. Forcing him to talk about what was going on wasn’t going to work for many reasons. He needed space, and I’d happily give it to him. But that didn’t mean I was going to leave him totally alone.
Taking more time than needed, I rearranged the bedroom, washed the blankets, dusted, and set out some toys. I hoped the stuffed animals would entice him out of hiding.
I talked about random things, knowing he’d be at least listening. I talked about things that he could help change in the room. I rambled about how the stuffed animals needed a friend.
There were moments of quiet, too. There hadn’t been noises from the closet, but he was still in there. I’d check often, seeing his toes under the bean bag.
I ended up putting all the books back on the shelf in my room because this room would become Oakley’s safe spot. Who knows if he’d be willing to use it, but I’d offer it to him.
After the phone call with my brother, who was doing a horrible job on his own sorting some products at a warehouse across town, I made my way back to the room, not empty-handed.
Oakley had to be starving since he didn’t exactly eat breakfast, and it was past lunch. It was closer to dinner, and the boy hadn’t once come out for anything.
Back in the room, I took note that the paci was gone, and felt a small bit of relief. That was his choice, one that only he could take.
I wanted to offer him so much more. The entire world, if he’d let me. But for now, I’d take the small win. Small wins were bigger and more meaningful anyway.
Sitting on the floor, leaning against the side of the bed, legs stretched out in front of me, I opened the book to the first page.
I couldn’t begin to guess where Oakley had left off, or if he even really started reading this one. It was a good book, though. Full of adventure and make-believe. Perfect for a younger audience, but written in a way for adults not to be put off by the childish ways.
The cup of water sat beside me, almost under the bed and hidden from his view. That was if he’d even come out.
I knew that offering him food or anything for that matter, wouldn’t entice the boy to come out. So, I’d read aloud and waited.
It took halfway through the second chapter when he slowly peeked out from around the closet door. I kept my eyes on the book, trying and most likely failing at keeping them there.
