Sin & Salvation

Chapter 32

I'm still sitting there, slumped in my seat with a hand over my mouth when he says, "Did you really think I was talking about Gia this whole time?"

I nod and finally sit back up when I see the waitress approaching with our food. We both begin silently eating, but I find myself picking at it more than anything.

"Is the food not good?" He asks, looking down at my plate. I immediately panic and begin shoving food into my mouth, afraid that he's going to be pissed I'm wasting the food he got me.

"Woah, slow down, slow down, you're going to choke, Jesus."

I stop chewing the food that's in my mouth and look up at him.

Silas. Not Brett.

I chew the rest of the food that's in my mouth slowly, pushing away the anxiety I was feeling a second ago. "Sorry, just used to—"

"Brett?" He says, his voice clipped as he takes a bite of his chicken.

"Yeah," I reply, picking up a fry and eating it slowly.

"If you're not hungry you don't have to eat. You can save it for later. Or let them throw it out for all I care. It's your food and your body. Okay?"

It feels so good to not have to worry about little things like that and I nod, giving him a small smile. I take another fry, finding myself with more of an appetite now. But I still have questions about his Mom, especially after hearing that she was murdered.

"It's not that I wasn't hungry, I was just taken back by what you said, that's all." He looks at me, his eyes questioning me without even having to say anything.

"I'd like to know what happened, if you're okay with telling me."

He steals a fry from my plate, popping it into his mouth and chewing slowly as if to consider my question. "Okay."My back straightens and my ears perk up, eager to hear the story.

Until he says with a grin, "But over dinner tonight. At my place."

I gasp and throw a fry at him, watching as it lands in his lap. "Did you really just bait me into hearing a story about your dead mother so I could have dinner with you?"

"Maybe," he says, flashing me that pussy-aching grin. I watch as he picks the fry off his lap that I threw, eating it slowly and torturously.

I consider his offer briefly, but remember I told Payton and Jason that I'd make them dinner tonight.

"I would, but I already told Payton I'd cook shrimp scampi for her and Jason tonight. And tell her how seeing Brett went."

As much as I love Payton, I also have spent the last few days with her and Jason and could use a little bit of a break.

"On second thought, let me text her and see what she says."

He shakes his head. "No, no, if you already made plans, don't cancel them for me. Enjoy your dinner with them, we can plan it for another night," he insists.

"You sure?" I have my phone out ready to text her anyways just to make sure we're still on for tonight.

"Of course I'm sure. Friends come first."

I grin at him, happy that I don't feel pressured into canceling my plans to see him like Brett has made me do so many times. Over the years, I lost countless friendships trying to make Brett happy and it feels good to not have to worry about that with Silas.

Not that he's my boyfriend right now anyways– but still good to know.

I send Payton a quick text while we finish eating just to let her know I'm okay and to remind her of dinner tonight. It sounds awful, but a part of me is kind of hoping she has plans or wants some alone time with Jason.