Page 58 of Britain

When we get done, it’s time to take the girls back to their house. Beth is the only one home when we pull into the driveway. I get out of the car, followed by Silas and the girls. My sister-in-law meets us at the door. “Hi, guys. Hey, my babies.” Beth squats down and the girls run to their momma. “Thanks for watching them.”

I hug her and the girls—Silas does the same. He leads me to the Porsche and helps me inside. I watch him go around to the driver’s side and climb in. “I want to take you to my dad’s, if that’s okay?”

“Of course.” We’re silent as we make our way across town.

We reach his dad’s home. He lives in a little bungalow in a quiet neighborhood near a beautiful little park. Silas pulls into the driveway, and I see the front door open. His dad steps out onto the front porch. Father and son look a lot alike.

I don’t wait for Silas and hop right out. “There she is,” his dad booms.

“Hi, Sam.” I run up the stairs and right into his open arms, being mindful of his sore back. I smile up at him. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

He kisses the top of my head. “It’s great to meet you too, sweetheart. If we hadn’t talked on the phone, I would’ve thought my son was making you up.” Sam hugs Silas when he steps onto the porch. We follow him into the house. “Can I get you guys a drink?”

“Dad, you sit and keep Britain company—I’ll grab drinks for everyone.” Silas claps his dad on the shoulder and disappears into the kitchen.

“I’m so glad you were able to finally come see me. Your brother is a good guy, and he sure speaks highly of you.” He gives me a smile that warms my heart.

“I was there the day they met, and it was like watching two people fall instantly in love. They’re really great together.” I smile broadly because I’m so happy for my brother and Heather.

He reaches out and grabs my hand. “It makes my heart happy to see both of my children with good people.”

Silas joins us and we watch the Cubs—his dad is a diehard fan like me, so we only talk during breaks. We order a pizza and sit in front of the TV while we eat. After the game, Silas’s dad makes me promise that I’ll come visit again.

While I clean up the mess from the pizza, I hear Silas talking quietly to his dad. I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but I hear his softly spoken words. “I put some money in your account.”

“Silas, I don’t need it. Please, son, you do so much already.”

“I do it because I can, and I want to.”

I come back into the living room and smile at them both. “I wrapped up the pizza for you, Sam, and stuck it on the top shelf.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

We leave shortly after and Silas has gotten quiet. I reach out and grab his hand between both of mine. “He’s really great. He seems to be doing well.”

He sighs but doesn’t say anything. I turn my head and stare out the window. I pull my hand away from his, but he grabs and holds it on his thigh.

“I don’t want to ever get married. I need to know if that’s a deal breaker, because if it is, then we should end this now.”

I turn to look at Silas. “Who said anything about getting married? What’s wrong with you?” He doesn’t say anything, but he lets go of my hand when I pull it from his.

Silas pulls into the parking garage, and as soon as he puts the Porsche in park, I hop out. I’m halfway to the elevators by the time he catches up with me. Silence fills the car of the elevator, and I stare straight ahead as we ride it up to his floor.

Once we’re inside his place, I take my bag from him and march upstairs. I should just go home—I don’t need his shit, but I’m tired and I just want to go to sleep. In the bathroom, I brush my teeth a little more roughly than I intend. When I finish, I turn to walk back into his room and find Silas standing in the doorway.

I walk toward him and stop with a few feet separating us. “Why did seeing your dad make you turn all quiet and sulky? Your dad’s fine and he seems happy.”

“That looked happy to you? He used to be so full of life before my mom left, and before the accident. He doesn’t leave his fucking house, and he doesn’t really have any friends.”

I growl in frustration. “That has nothing to do with getting married. My mother, the one who pushed me out, treated me like I was her doll and took me with her when she was prostituting herself…putting me into a position where I was made to touch a grown man. Did that stop my dad from marrying his first wife again? No, because one has nothing to do with the other!”

I push past him. “I’m done talking about this. You’re being a dick and I never, ever told you I wanted to get married.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Silas

I watch Britain strip down to just her t-shirt and panties and crawl into my bed. I want to laugh because she pulls my comforter up to her neck, but instead I take care of business in the bathroom before shutting down my place and coming back upstairs to crawl in bed with her.

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