Page 88 of Billionaire Unexplained: Kaleb

Unfortunately, I felt like I was in hell.

“I know it’s a goodbye party, but you look like you’re at a funeral, boy,” Silas said as he walked up to my location near the house. “You’re pretty sad that she’s leaving, huh?”

I took a slug of the beer I was holding and then I looked at the older man suspiciously.

I liked Silas. I’d known him since I was a kid. That was probably why I already knew that he had something on his mind.

I really hoped it wasn’t more advice.

I was in a foul mood at the moment, which was why I was standing here alone.

“Are you worried that she might forget you when she’s back in California with all those other superstars?” he asked curiously.

My gaze shot toward him, and I lifted a brow.

“I might be old,” he said crankily. “But I’m not stupid. I’ll admit that it took me a while to place where I’d seen that face before, but I put it all together within a couple of days. She’s Annelise.”

I nodded. If he’d known about Anna’s real identity for that long, I wasn’t going to deny it.

Eventually, I hoped that Anna would be back in Crystal Fork often, and the people in this town were going to know exactly who she was, if they didn’t already.

“I assumed that some people would figure it out,” I told him.

“Most of them have nothing better to do than gossip. There’s not a lot going on in this town,” Silas pointed out. “There’s a few that know the truth. The smart ones like me. I like her. Always have. I kind of hoped she’d decide to stay.”

“That’s not possible, Silas,” I said flatly. “Anna has her own life in California, and her music is important to her.”

“Anything is possible,” he contradicted as he ran a hand over his silver beard. “I don’t think Anna really belongs in her old life anymore. I don’t think she was happy there.”

“She lost both of her parents,” I told him. “She was grieving.”

“I heard about that,” he informed me. “But I think her unhappiness was more than just grief. After her parents died, there was probably no one around who cared about her anymore. It must have been lonely for her.”

“She has millions of adoring fans,” I explained.

“Annelise has millions of adoring fans,” he corrected. “Anna must have been lonely. I hate that.”

Hell, what could I say? I hated it, too.

“Your mama is pretty fond of her, just like the rest of us,” Silas mentioned.

“I know,” I acknowledged a little irritably. “What do you want me to do? Kidnap her and make her stay?”

My mother had made her displeasure known about Anna leaving. Yeah, she understood that Anna had to go, but she was definitely not happy about it.

Silas’s eyes lit up. “Now that’s a thought.”

“No,” I said firmly. “Anna and I will still see each other, and I’d rather she didn’t hate me for kidnapping her.”

“Do you want my advice?” he asked.

It was a rhetorical question. Whether I wanted his advice or not, he was going to give it to me.

“I really wish you wouldn’t,” I said, even though I knew those words were useless.

“If you love her, I think you should marry that girl,” Silas said like he’d never heard my protest.

If I love her?

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