Page 45 of Ex- Factor
Bailey nodded slowly. “There’s no version of love that doesn’t come with risk, Silas. And what happened to Anna and Freja—what your parents did—is not your shame to carry.”
“I know that logically,” I whispered. “But it lives under my skin, in my chest, like it belongs to me.”
Bailey leaned back in his chair, set his notepad down. He looked at me like a friend—not a patient.
“Can I say something unprofessional?”
I blinked, startled. “Okay.”
He tapped his fingers against the armrest once.
“Your parents are evil. Not complicated. Not misunderstood. Evil.”
My throat closed up.
“They don’t deserve your silence, and they damn sure don’t deserve to be the ones who make you question your worth.”
Something in me cracked. My chin trembled before I could stop it. A single tear slid down my cheek. I wiped it fast, but another followed. Then another.
Bailey didn’t say anything. Just let me sit there. Crying.
“I hate them,” I said finally, voice shaking. “I hate them so much.”
“And that’s okay.”
When the session ended, I stood up slowly, still wiping my face.
“Thanks,” I said, voice low.
He gave me a nod. He hadn’t written anything down, and I appreciated that.
When I stepped into the daylight outside, it felt a little warmer than before. I didn’t feel lighter—not yet.
But I knew I would eventually.
Chapter Twenty-Five- Eshe
Silas was quiet the whole ride, staring out the window like his thoughts had more weight than the road under us. Usually, he’d be talking or joking, but he hadn’t been himself since his parents showed up. I wanted to shake him, force the words out of his mouth, because the silence felt like a third party in our new relationship—but I didn’t want to be pushy. I gripped the wheel tighter and bit back the urge to just ask,“You gon’ keep shutting me out, or you gon’ let me in?”
The tires crunched over gravel as we turned past a carved wooden sign that readSerenity Forestin curly letters, then another that saidLuxury Wilderness Retreat.Pines lined the road, tall and dark, until the trees broke open to reveal glass-front cabins tucked back in a clearing.
I leaned over and tapped his shoulder. “We’re here.”
He blinked like he was just noticing, then pushed his door open. The air hit him first—crisp pine and damp earth—and he raked a hand through his hair, eyes sweeping the cabins like he couldn’t decide if it was real or some trick. A low whistle slid out of him.
“This is the surprise?” he asked.
I hopped out and came around the hood, flashing him a grin. “You like it?”
He looked at me then—reallylooked—and his whole face shifted. Like he wanted to kiss me right there in front of God and everybody.
“You did this?”
I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “You’ve been down since your parents came. You kept bringing up that camping trip with Angel and them. This is the second part of your birthday. Everybody can celebrate together since me and Chef Vixen monopolized your actual birthday.”
His hand slid around my waist, tugging me in close. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and my heart sped up.
“You really thought all this out?”
