Page 46 of All Our Secrets

I flinched. “Steven’s wife?” I rolled my eyes. “She’s tellingeveryone.”

“King cause a scene?”

If she was asking, she already knew but wanted to confirm.

“Yeah… But if he hadn’t, I’d still be dealing with hell.”

Sarah tucked her hands in her lap. “I want to ask you something, but I don’t want you to get upset.”

My nerves climbed up my throat. “What is it?”

“Has King made a move on you since Theodore passed?”

My hackles rose. “No! God, why would you ask that?”

I caused Silas enough problems. Despite my own inner confusion with the man, I didn’t want anyone spreading false rumors about him.

“It’s just… he’s different with you. I mean, don’t you think he’s a little strange?”

“He lost Theodore as well. He wants to be there for me because his best friend can’t be, even if he’s trying too hard.”

Despite my words, though, wild flutters blossomed inside my stomach. Tingles danced all over my skin.

“You’re probably right.” Sarah hummed, but she didn’t sound convinced. “But you do realize you’re the only one who calls him Silas, right? Why?”

“Because…” He told me to. But I didn’t dare tell her that.

∞∞∞

I shouldn’t have gone to Silas’s store after leaving Sarah’s. Her comment about Silas treating me differently was stirring up thoughts. Thoughts I’d already had but did my best to ignore. He really did do too much for me. If he didn’t stop, he would confuse everyone. Most of all,me.

I had to confront him about something, though. His mom. That little bit of news had been bothering me since Sarah told me.

With T.J.’s car seat hooked in the crook of my arm, I stormed into the building. Devin’s eyebrows jumped to his hairline. He lifted his arm, but something in my expression halted his greeting, and he lowered it quickly.

“Where is he?” I asked him.

He didn’t even ask for clarification. He pointed toward aisle six just as I heard the grumpy asshole.

“Does this look like where the nails go?” Silas barked at someone.

I rounded the corner, catching sight of a younger boy flinching under Silas’s tone. When the boy turned, he smiled.

“Timmy.” I grinned back. The kid was one of my sophomores.

“Mrs. Johnson, I see you’ve had the baby. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” I told him, glaring at Silas. “Are you being mean to one of my students?”

Silas swore under his breath before lifting a box of nails. “Look around. Does this look like the aisle these belong?”

The shelves were lined with paint cans, making it obvious that the nails didn’t belong there.

Before I could respond, Timmy jumped in. “I set them there while I went and checked out a customer. By the time I was finished, you had already found them.”

“Oh Jesus, Silas.” I scowled, letting my disappointment show.

Silas’s mouth dropped, then snapped shut. He rubbed his temples, as if I was causing him a headache. “What are you doing here, Peyton?”

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