Page 56 of Ex- Factor
I paused. “What you mean?”
She shook her head.
“Tell him yes and don’t do it. I bet you when you tell Silas what happened, that’s what he say.”
“Oh shit,” I groaned.
“What?” Angel asked, voice high-pitched.
“Silas is just getting back to normal since his parents popped up.”
My stomach turned. Because I knew him—he’d either explode or shut down, no in-between. And either way, his father would’ve gotten exactly what he wanted: chaos. And Silas didn’t need more chaos. Not now. Not ever.
“Now I gotta tell him this shit.”
Angel nodded slowly.
“I see what you’re saying.”
Chapter thirty two- Silas
Dr. Bailey’s office always smelled the same—cedar and paper—but it didn’t feel the same.
I was slouched on his couch, one leg bouncing, eyes locked on the bookshelf like if I stared long enough, the spines might rearrange themselves into answers. Eshe sat beside me, her hand warm against my thigh. I loved Eshe. God, I did. But I didn’t want her here. This was my church. My confessional. And I wanted to be the only member.
She had just finished telling me about her encounter with my father. The mahogany desk. The envelope. The hundred grand. The “legacy” speech. With every detail, a cold, familiar rage began to burn in my gut. It was an old friend, that feeling. The one that made me want to break things.
Dr. Bailey steepled his fingers.
“Silas? How are you feeling right now?”
I looked from the therapist to the woman I loved. The rage was a fire, but her face was a bucket of cold water. She’d stood up to him. For me. She’d looked that powerful, terrifying man in the eye and told him no.
A laugh burst out of me. Harsh, surprised even me.
“You should’ve taken the money.”
Eshe’s jaw dropped. “Really?”
“I’m serious.” I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. “You should’ve said yes, taken the cash, and then just... never left. What’s he gonna do, sue you for breach of verbal contract? He’d have to admit he tried to pay you off. That’s a hundred K you could’ve blown on me.”
I was joking. Mostly. It was the only way I knew how to process it without letting the rage out. If I let it out, it would consume everything.
Eshe stared at me, then a slow smile spread across her face.
“Angel said you’d say the exact same thing.”
Dr. Bailey almost smiled.
“So you’re not angry?”
“Oh, I’m pissed,” I said, the humor fading from my voice. “Angry that he’s still trying to pull my strings. That he thought he could get to me through her. That he looked at the best thing that’s ever happened to me and saw a transaction.”
I looked at Eshe. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, her shoulders relaxing.
“It didn’t bother me at all. The worst part was trying to figure out how to tell you without you crashing out.”
