Chapter 8 (Shattered Silence)

Austin's Pov

The living room felt emptier than usual, despite the presence of my uncle sitting slumped in the dining chair. My eyes drifted toward him, tracking his every movement, or rather, his lack of movement. He just sat there, a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his hand, staring blankly ahead.

I kept staring until his bleary eyes finally met mine, but even then, he didn’t say anything. No drunken rambling. Nothing.

I waited for it, the scolding or even some tired attempt at humor, but when it didn’t come, the silence grated on me. I couldn’t take it anymore.

Frustration went through me, and I stood up abruptly, forcing a smile as if I had something witty to say, though sarcasm dripped from every word.

“How long do you plan on drinking yourself into a coma?” I asked, voice laced with venom.

His bloodshot eyes dropped on me, but he waved me off like I was a fly buzzing around his head. “Just sit down and leave me alone, Austin.”

I couldn’t sit back and watch him slowly destroy hi