“Why didn't you?”
There was a level of seriousness in how he asked that. I was tempted to tell him the truth; that I'd been fucked up by a traumatic event that had thrown my whole life out of orbit.
I didn't have the heart to ruin the moment.
Flicking my fingers, I erased his question. “Things just got in the way.” What's in the way now?
“What are you doing?” he asked, seeing me pull out my phone.
My thumb moved over the keys. I was acting fast, trying to keep ahead of my nerves so they wouldn't stop me in my tracks. “I'm letting my mom know I'll be in LA for the weekend. Where are we going to be staying?”
He grinned slyly. “You're telling your mom where you'll be? Are you worried I'll do something to you out there?”
Sending the text, I gave him a pointed look. “Exactly. The address, please.”
Suddenly, my phone vibrated. My mother was calling me. We both watched as I ended the call before it came through.
He said, “I thought you were telling her our plans.”
“Texting is one thing, but this...”
“You don't want to talk to her over the phone?”
“Do you want to explain to her what the hell we're doing?” What are we doing? What am I doing? “Because I'd rather not get into that conversation.”
My phone buzzed again.
I groaned, palming my face. “Maybe I shouldn't have told her, now she won't leave me alone.”
He plucked the phone from my fingers before I could react. “Hello?” he asked. The smirk he sent me went ear to ear.
Clutching at my chest, I sputtered. “W—you—oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck, hang up the phone.”
“Yes, Alexis is here,” he said, leaning back in his seat. “But she had to run to the restroom.” He was relaxed, his voice thick and gentle. “Who am I? I'm her boyfriend, Silver.”
My tongue felt like it was shrinking.
“It is a strange name, I know.” He winked at me, then went quiet as he listened. “Oh, we've been dating some time. I'm sure she had her reasons for not telling you.”
Shiiiiiit.
He sat up, and I could hear the rising tone of my mom. I thought she had to be angry, and I was working on how to back out of this whole mess.
“Yes,” he chuckled. “I'll be sure to tell her that when she gets back. Our waiter is coming with the check, here he is, I have to go. Yes, sorry. You have a good night too, Miss Willow.” He hung up, tossing me my phone.
I didn't catch it; it just bounced off my knee and hit the floor. “What did she say?”
“You look like you're going to be sick.” Leaning my way, he brushed my neck. “I can feel your pulse going wild.”
“What did she say?”
Laughing, he nuzzled my cheek and kissed my ear. “She was relieved to hear you were finally dating someone. She insisted I show you a good time in LA. Your mom is very nice, Pet.”
Pushing my hands against his jaw, I forced him an inch away from me. My emotions bubbled together in a vat, I couldn't tell one from the other. In retrospect, it made sense that my mother would be happy for me. She'd been pushing me to meet people forever.
But keeping Silver a secret wasn't just for her. I didn't want anyone to know that I was falling for a man that was more questions than answers. He'd been stalking me, how did I tell people how we met?
Just imagining that conversation was giving me hives. The instant the world cracked the shell around us and saw what we were becoming... what I was becoming...
I'd have to admit it.
Was I ready for that?
In the window over his shoulder, I saw I was smiling. I hadn't felt my lips making the shape, but now, the sensation of joy slid into the rest of me. Pushing my mouth to his, I rolled my tongue over his teeth.
The animal-sound he made set my nerves on fire.
Just as quick, I pushed him away. He was breathing hard, coiled and ready to spring back on top of me. “What are you waiting for?” I asked. “You're supposed to show me a good time in LA. Get to it.”
His rich eyes were glowing. I half expected him to ignore my request. Brushing his hair back, he straightened his jacket and smiled. “I'm going to blow your world apart this weekend. When we get back to this city, you won't be the same.”
And I laughed, and I smiled, because in that moment I was happy.
If only I'd known how right he would be.
- Chapter Sixteen -
Alexis
The jet was, quite possibly, the most luxurious thing I'd ever been inside of. We were the only occupants, minus the pilot. When I'd met him, he'd grinned so wide I'd seen his fake gold tooth.
The interior of the jet was creamy caramel. I wriggled into the heated seat, stretched it all the way out, and then looked at Silver in amazement. “How do you do it?”
“How do I do what?” he asked, sitting next to me.
“Not just fly around in this thing all the time?”