The Dark Thoughts Behind His Silence

My sister married into money, and at a dinner party at their house I set my sights on my brotherinlaw's mute little brother.

He couldn't speak, couldn't tell on me, and I used that for everything it was worth. Every night I'd slip into his room and wind him up.

One more night, just as I'd gotten him red in the face all over again, the comments came scrolling past: [This side character is so gross, she's been sexually harassing the male lead this whole time!] [Relax, she's getting written off soon.

Our yandere ML has hit the end of his patience with her, and he's about to start setting her and her sister up so he can destroy them both.] [That ending is so satisfying.

After the side character and her sister get thrown out of the Sorrell house, the ML sends people after them until they've got nowhere left to go, and the two of them jump off a building together.] I didn't believe it.

But a second later I heard what Rowan was thinking. [I can't take this anymore!] Chapter 1 Couldn't take what? Me teasing him? I hadn't believed the comments before that.

Every time I came on to Rowan he looked like he wanted no part of it, and every single time he let me do it anyway.

I figured he had to be into me too and was just too embarrassed to show it. Now that I'd heard what was actually in his head, I started to waver.

I thought it over for a minute, then decided to test him. I leaned in without warning and kissed the corner of his mouth.

Rowan went red to the roots of his hair, shoved me off, and bolted into the bathroom. The comments came scrolling past: [Has the side character lost her mind?

That was the ML's first kiss and she just took it, I'm sobbing…] [One kiss on the corner of his mouth and he was so grossed out he ran to the bathroom to throw up.

That's a physical revulsion response to her.] [No wonder later on, when she's on her knees begging, the ML doesn't even look at her.

He just has someone beat her up and throw her out.] I walked over and stood outside the bathroom door. And I heard Rowan again. [This is driving me crazy!

I really can't take it anymore!] I froze where I stood. That settled it. I believed the comments now. He couldn't stand me.

Chapter 2 The first time I ever saw Rowan was at a dinner party at the Sorrell house. It had always been just my sister and me. We were the only family either of us had.

After she married into the Sorrells, she brought me over to live there too.

On the drive to their place, my sister filled me in. "Your brotherinlaw has a mute little brother named Rowan Sorrell.

He's two years younger than you, eighteen now, and he just got into that school of yours." "He's exactly your type, but don't get any ideas.

He's got a childhood sweetheart, and the two of them are close." I scoffed at that. "Sis, come on. I don't hunt in my own backyard.

I'm not going after family — if it ended, we'd be running into each other morning, noon, and night, and how awkward would that be?" Then I laid eyes on Rowan. That backyard?

I'd made up my mind. I was hunting in it. The boy was wearing a white sweater, and everything about him gave off an air of innocence.

Fine features, hair with a little natural curl in it, like a cute curlyhaired puppy you just wanted to pick on.

My sister caught me gawking at Rowan like an absolute creep and let out a defeated sigh. At the table, I sat directly across from him and kept glancing up.

He noticed, I think, because his brows drew together a little. Which made me want to mess with him. So, under the table, I hooked my foot around his calf.

Rowan's head snapped up and he stared at me like he couldn't believe it. I gave him my sweetest smile and kept working the toe of my shoe against his leg.

He went tomato red in about half a second and shot to his feet, flustered.

My brotherinlaw saw it and asked him quickly, "Done eating?" He nodded at my brotherinlaw, shot me one hard look, and turned and left like he was making a break for it.

So he'd hated me from the very start. He'd only sat there letting me harass him because of my sister and my brotherinlaw. That was over now. His patience with me had run out.

If I kept this up, I'd drag my sister down with me. Chapter 3 I left Rowan's room before he came out, and went back to my own. The comments came scrolling past. [Huh?

Why is the side character back in her own room so early tonight?] [Normally she harasses the ML until the middle of the night and then drags herself out, and then she keeps messaging him from her room to harass him some more.] [This won't do.

I've been waiting for her to finally push the ML over the edge so I can watch our yandere boy deal with her.] I checked the time. Nine thirty.

This time last night I'd still been sprawled on Rowan's bed, breathing in the faint scent on his sheets and working him over. "Rowan, your sheets smell like you everywhere.

I love it." Rowan sat at his desk with his head down in a book and didn't give a damn about me. His red earlobes had already given him away, though.

I leaned over, stole the book out of his hands, and kept going. "What's so great about this? Is it more interesting than I am?" "Come on, little Rowan, look up at me.

I don't believe there's nothing behind those eyes." When he wouldn't look up, I bent down and put my face right in front of his, wideeyed and shining. "Am I pretty?" He stared at me and said nothing.

When it got late enough, he opened the door and stood in it, waiting for me to go. I didn't go. So he started signing at me in ASL.

I couldn't read a word of it, so I answered with whatever I felt like. "What? You're scared of the dark?

You want me to stay and sleep in here with you?" Rowan came at me stonefaced, hauled me off the bed, and marched me out of the room. No harassing Rowan tonight. I was so bored.

But for my sister's life and mine, and for the house we were living in and everything that came with it, I absolutely could not do this ever again.

I picked up my phone and started a game to take my mind off it. Then Rowan sent me a message out of nowhere. [?] A question mark? What was that supposed to mean?

I sent a question mark back. He didn't answer. He'd probably just hit the key by accident. I made a face and went back to my game.

Chapter 4 The next morning I was eating breakfast in the living room when Rowan came through in running clothes, ready to head out.

Any other day I'd have been up and after him already, jogging along behind him and running my mouth the whole way.

My stamina being what it is, I never made it half a mile before I had to stop and stand there waiting for him. He usually did five, and he didn't quit until he was soaked through.

Then I'd come at him with a paper towel to wipe him down. Not innocently, obviously. I'd push his shirt up and wipe the sweat off his abs. I kept my head down and went on eating.

Rowan stood next to me for a moment before he went out to run, his face dark.

By the time I'd finished breakfast and was on the living room couch with my phone, he was back, dripping.

He opened the fridge, pulled out a bottle of ice water, and tipped his head back to drink. I watched his Adam's apple bob and swallowed.

Then I thought about the comments and made myself look away. Silently, in my head: Thou shalt not covet. Thou shalt not covet. Thou shalt not— Rowan pulled his shirt off.

The sweat ran down the grooves between his abs, over that sharp Vline at his hips, and disappeared into his waistband. I couldn't look away.

But right then the comments came scrolling past. [The ML is the classic skinnyinclothes, jackedoutofthem type. That lean muscle is perfect.] [Side character, no looking!

Look again and I'll rip your eyes out!] [The ML has to be so annoyed right now, getting stared at nonstop by someone he can't stand.

If that isn't harassment, what is?] I got a grip on myself and hurried for the stairs. Behind me came Rowan's voice in my head. [What is going on?] [This is killing me