“We shouldn’t be.”
He takes a key from his pocket and unlocks the storage room, holding it open for me before locking us inside the way Ricardo always used to. From what I understand, it’s to prevent anyone from coming in here to steal the food gathered here, but it feels different being in here with Silas.
“Does this count as putting myself in a dangerous situation?”
Silas leans back against the door, his gaze roaming over my body, before settling on my lips. Perhaps he no longer sees me as a little girl, after all. I did have my entire body pressed against his just a week ago.
“No,” he answers, his voice soft. “I will never knowingly harm you, Alanna. I do appreciate you being aware of the situation. If it had been anyone other than me, you should’ve declined to help out today. Who knows what could happen when you’re locked into a room with a man for hours?”
I smirk and cross my arms. “You’re hardly a man,” I say, repeating the words I said years ago.
Silas chuckles and runs a hand through his hair. “Little girl,” he says. “If you weren’t so young, I’d feel inclined to defend my honor.”
He remembers. He remembers the words he said to me back then. I’m not sure why I care so much, but I do.
“I’m not so young anymore,” I murmur.
Silas’s smile melts off his face, and he looks away. “You are, Alanna. If I recall correctly, you’re about sixteen now. You’re still a baby, little girl.”
He should be twenty or twenty-one now, yet he acts like he’s thirty, just like he did back then. I’m about to argue with him, but he holds his hand up and shakes his head. “Let’s get to work, shall we? There’s a lot to do.”
I nod and join him at the table, the two of us working harmoniously for a little while. There’s something equal parts soothing and unsettling about his presence. I feel at peace, yet my heart won’t stop racing.
“That boy,” he says eventually, an edge to his tone. “Did he do or say anything to you?”
I hesitate, unsure of what to say. Ever since I boldly claimed that Silas is my boyfriend, Caleb has been spreading rumors about me, saying I’m a slut, and that I did things with him I’ve definitely never done before. No matter how much I dispute it, most people just believe him anyway.
“No,” I tell Silas, forcing a smile on my face. “He hasn’t said anything at all.”
I pick up another cardboard box to fill with food, my heart racing. I hate lying, I always have.
“Tell me the truth.”
I look up to find his gorgeous emerald eyes narrowed, a hint of annoyance in them. “I did.”
Silas takes the box from me and puts it down on the table before reaching for my hand. He holds my hand between both of his and shakes his head. “Tell me,” he repeats, his tone pleading, sweet even.
“I…” Silas tightens his grip, his thumb caressing the back of my hand. “He’s been spreading some lies about me, but it’s okay. I can handle it, Si.”
Silas looks into my eyes, as though he’s assessing my words, and then he sighs. “What has he been saying?”
I bite down on my lip nervously and look away. “Silas,” I whisper. “It’s nothing.”
“If that’s the case, then you’ll have no problem telling me all about it.”
The look in his eyes tells me he won’t let this go, and I look down in defeat. “He said that I… I… sucked, um, that I—”
“That you sucked his dick?”
Heat rushes to my cheeks, no doubt turning them rosy. “Yeah,” I whisper.
“Did you?”
I look up, shocked. “No, of course not!”
Silas chuckles, his thumb drawing circles on the back of my hand. Does he realize he’s still holding my hand? “Have you ever sucked dick, sweet girl?”
I swallow hard, unable to calm my racing heart. I’m so flustered, and I have no idea how to answer. For some irrational reason, I want to lie and say yes, so I don’t seem as young and naïve as Silas seems to think I am.