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“I called the owner and asked why it was closed,” he starts, locking the door. “He said the floorboards were rotten and he didn’t have the money to replace them. I offered to fix the problem and put in new flooring that would pass safety standards, if he gave me the keys for a night before he re-opened.”
I stare at him. “You did this, just so we could be in here together for one night?”
It’s a lot of work. It must have taken him weeks.
“When did you even …”
He shrugs. “I’d do anything to see your eyes light up, Rachel. You’ve helped me so much since you got here. You’ve helped all of us. Any little thing I can do to make you happy, I would do a thousand times over.”
Goddess, my heart feels like it could burst.My vision blurs, the only hint that I’m about to cry before tears drip down my cheeks. I don’t know what to say. Words have abandoned me.
“Shit. This was the wrong thing, wasn’t it?” Silas asks as he moves over to me.
I shake my head as his worried gaze looks me over. I gasp in a breath and let a smile push to the surface. It takes a few seconds to find my words.
“These are happy tears,” I tell him, as more of them spill down my cheeks. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
Not to mention for the owner who couldn’t afford to re-open, otherwise.
Silas might not be much of a people person, but it’s not because he doesn’t like anyone. It’s because he cares too deeply. He took pills to stop spirits from speaking to him because there was no way to help all of them. It was too big of a burden to know he could only help some of them.
Finding a balance hasn’t been easy, and I’m sure we still have hurdles to get past, but we’ll get through that together. He knows he isn’t alone anymore.
I wipe under my eyes. “I love you.”
Silas smiles. “I love you.”
“I can see that,” I tell him, gesturing around.
All the machines are on, and they all look clean and shiny. The grabber machines have been filled with cute, colorful stuffed toys. There’s a candy store in the corner that looks new, too.
“And this really does look like a lot of fun.”
“So, where do you want to start?” He looks around, running a hand through his short, dark hair.
“I think I want to start by thanking my mate for this awesome surprise,” I tell him, shrugging my jacket off and putting it down on the candy counter.
He blinks at me as I step out of my shoes. “Oh … Oh!”
“Just, uh, give me a sec,” he says, before he darts to the windows and pushes buttons that make blinds come down. The door glass is blacked out, and once the blinds are down, the street beyond is no longer visible. We’re alone, and no one can see us in here.
He comes back and leans down to kiss me. Then, he looks around before he lifts me up. I put my arms around his neck, and he places me down on a cool surface.
“Feels kind of like the metal kitchen counter at the bar …” I start, making him raise an eyebrow.
“How did that even work?” he asks.
“Carter stood on a crate.”
He laughs. “I don’t have to do that here.”
I can see that he doesn’t. He’s taller than Carter and this pinball machine is the perfect height for us. If I slide forward a couple inches, I’ll be right where he wants me.
He takes off his shirt. “Here, put this under your ass. I don’t want you to be cold.”
I smile as I put his soft, warm T-shirt under where I’m sitting, shuffling a little to get it laid out behind me.
“All better,” I tell him, reaching out and using his belt buckle to pull him in close now that his shirt is under me.
