Pieces of Nine

5. Sang and Silas, Sitting in a Tree

In the bathroom, I removed the cap and jerked off my pink t-shirt, eager to wear my new Rex Sox tee. When I glanced at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but notice the grin that wouldn’t leave my face. Silas had brought me a present and he’d been nervous about my reaction. It was comforting to know that I wasn’t the only one anxious over our afternoon together. Somehow, that knowledge helped to calm my nerves. I replaced the cap on my head, and grabbed a hair band to place in my pocket for later.

With a deep breath in and a soothing exhale, I opened the bathroom door and made my way back to the boys. When I rounded the corner, I noticed that all their heads were close together and it seemed as if they were deep in discussion. Purposefully I stepped on a creaky board and they broke apart, looking a little guilty. Were they talking about me? What was going on? I shrugged internally- it wasn’t like they would tell me.

Silas sought out my gaze, giving me a small smile, which I returned. I was ready. I could do this. Without breaking eye contact, Silas reached out and grabbed my hand, turned it over and brought it to his lips. “Ready to go, Aggele Mou?” As he spoke, his soft lips grazed the back of my hands, and when he was done speaking, Silas sweetly kissed my knuckles. I was knocked speechless. His touches were giving me the tingles, and warmth coursed through my body. He was being much more affectionate than normal and I couldn’t say that I didn’t like it. It made me feel wanted, desired, pretty even. I flushed at the thought. Silas gently tugged on my hand, snapping me back into the present. He grinned at me and spoke. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s go have some fun.” Heart rate accelerating, I followed Silas out the door. Nathan, Luke and Gabriel all reached out to touch me in some way as we passed, squeezing my arm or patting my head, and wishing us luck and telling us to have fun.

Silas guided me out to his SUV, opening the passenger door and grabbing my hips to help me in. Without fail, his touch continued to send the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzied flight. It was a wonderful feeling and I wanted more. Silas got in, and after we both buckled up, we were off. Before we had even left the neighborhood, Silas reached over and twined his fingers in mine, resting our hands on my thigh. When I glanced at his face out of the corner of my eye, I could see a satisfied smile gracing his soft lips.

Minutes later, my phone vibrated with the alert of multiple text messages. Using my right hand, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, a smile instantly brightening my face.

Silas peeked over at my movement. “Who is it, Aggele?” The curiosity apparent in his voice.

“Just the guys.” I giggled. “They’re wishing us fun, and making sure I know to be safe.” Silas chuckled at that. Tenderly, Silas gave my hand a little squeeze.

“I will keep you safe, αγάπημου .” I’m not sure what he said after his promise, but it warmed my heart and melted my bones. I adored it when Silas spoke Greek.

I cleared my throat, to help me clear my hazy thoughts. “So where are we going, Silas?” I was genuinely curious. It was exciting to think that someone had planned out a day to spend entirely with me. It was also exciting to know that we were going to be spending our date doing things that Silas enjoyed. An entire afternoon, and hopefully evening as well, devoted to learning more about him was more than I could ask for. Even after all that the boys and I had been through together, there were so many things that I’d yet to learn about each of them.