Page 32 of Relapse

“Spilling the drinks on purpose and calling her names? She was only doing her job.”

Silas scoffed, shaking his hand free of some of the spilled alcohol. “Oh you’re defending her now, are you? What, did she give you a good fuck or something?”

I let my eyes pierce into his. “Not yet she hadn’t. If you hadn’t showed up, I could have had her by the end of the night.”

Silas sipped his new drink, eyebrow raising slightly at my boldness. “Cocky. But trust me,” he winked. “I saved you the trouble. Why fuck a working class slut, when I’m right here?”

I gawked at him. He did in fact, just say that out loud and he was dead serious. His eyes twinkled—baiting me. Temptation in the form of smoky gray skies.

I needed to look away before he reeled me in. Again.

“Delane hasn’t been answering my texts or calls,” I spoke out bluntly, noting his expression. I hoped to gain information from him, and if he reacted, then I’d know he had something to do with it.

Silas’s face held stern. “Why do I care?”

I was silent. Maybe he didn’t know anything. I guess it was dumb of me to assume he did. I twirled the whiskey in my cup, staring down into the golden depths.

“Wait,” Silas cracked a smile and my heart thumped without my control. “You think I’m involved with her lack of interest in you? Ridiculous.”

“Well, you are the one that hates me for bringing her around,” I shrugged. “I just thought you might have some idea why she stopped talking to me after the dance.”

Silas let out a little sigh and finished his shot. He studied the inside of his empty glass, similar to me. The thudding of my heart jumped into my throat, and I was suddenly nervous about what he was preparing to say.

“I could never hate you, Noah. It pissed me off that you lied and told me you were busy when you were planning to be with Delane. Do what you want to do, but don’t treat me like an idiot. I know the chemistry we have. I’m not intimidated by your redhead.”

My eyes cut to the side, widening, and he winked at me again. My face flushed but I didn’t turn away. Silas leaned in closer, his eyes flickering to my lips.

“That’s what your little damsel in distress will never understand,” he whispered, “There’s nothing you can do that will push me away anymore. Now that I’ve had a taste—I’m hooked.”

He stared into my eyes, trapping me there. His look was irresistible, really. His eyes were hungry. Like the night in the alley when he sank his teeth into my lip. Like we hadn’t touched each other before. I couldn’t help but catapult back into memories of what those eyes had seen, what that mouth had done.

To be honest, I was still pissed at him for his little “punishment” in the closet. But I didn’t know how to stop indulging him. He was a car with no brakes, and the one drug I didn’t know how to quit.

“When are you going to tell her?” he breathed, looking at me through half-lidded eyes.

My jaw tightened. “Tell her…what?”

Silas’s gaze cut from my eyes down to my lips. “That you’re hooked on me, too?”

I nervously drank from my cup, absolutely flushed. He was close. Too close. I could feel his breath on my cheek. What was worse—this was the first real conversation about us that I’d ever had with Silas. What this whole thing was. He was being more open than I’d ever expected him to be. He was forcing me to talk about my feelings.

I hated that shit.

But I owed it to him to try.

“I don’t know how to tell her,” I admitted, shakily. “I don’t even know how I’m telling you.”

Silas inched ever closer. “You can tell me anything.”

“I like Delane a lot,” I said with a shuddering exhale.

What those words didn’t explain to Silas was that Delane was actually my breath of fresh air. I never thought I could find someone like her who would even look at me twice without wanting drugs, sex, or money. Delane was different—she cared about me, about our conversations. We connected in a way that felt so natural.

I’d never tell her, but she terrified me with how perfect she seemed. She was my total opposite. And that dragged me to her like a damn magnet because… how? How could someone so perfect, like a freak like me?

My comment and pause caused a falter in Silas’s confidence. I rarely caught it, but I knew my confession about liking Delane caused his head to spin. His hand clutched his glass a little tighter.

“But…” I paused, pursing my lips. I took a deep breath in. Shit. Now, I have to say it.