That maybe, just maybe, he'd felt this way about her all along.
Chapter 7
Silas woke up a little later than usual the following morning. Taking a moment to stretch, he headed for the bathroom and began his daily routine. A half hour later, he was sitting in front of his computer scrolling through his Facebook feed when a status update caught his eye.
Dallas Andre is in a relationship with Veronica Wood.
Silas's first thought was that he wasn't even the least bit surprised that Dallas already had another girl on his arm. His second, more urgent, thought was of Joy and whether or not she knew this little tidbit of information yet. Heading downstairs, he found her sitting behind the island counter in the kitchen indulging in a stack of pancakes.
Joy looked up when she heard him shuffle in, greeting him with a warm smile.
Maybe she doesn't know after all, he thought, suddenly worried that he'd have to be the one to break the news to her.
"Eat up," Joy said, gesturing towards the stack of pancakes on the griddle. "There's plenty."
Taking her up on the offer, Silas slapped three pancakes on a plate and drizzled them in syrup before digging in. "Good work," he called out to Vincent when he entered, pointing at them with his fork. "These are great."
"Thank you, Sir, but I'm afraid I didn't make those."
Silas looked surprised by this. "You didn't?"
"No..."
"I did," Joy told him, taking another bite. "But thanks for the compliment."
This impressed Silas considering she had a reputation for burning water. He was just about to tell her so, but he didn't have a chance to before his phone went off. Looking down at it, he realized it was his father and excused himself to answer it. "Hey, Dad," he said, making his way into the living room. "What's up?"
Not wanting to eavesdrop, Joy finished eating and set about on cleaning up the mess she'd made while cooking. Why he'd felt the need to leave the room for the call, she wasn't sure, but it did make her happy that Peter even bothered calling to check in on him at all. She was starting to think he and Silas never really communicated, which she found especially unfortunate considering his mom had died just a few months prior.
Not wanting to bother him, Joy decided to explore the grounds the property sat on. She'd seen most of the inside with the exception of Silas's bedroom, but most of the outside was still a mystery to her. Making her way out through the back door, she stooped to enjoy the breeze for a moment before starting towards the pool.
Joy didn't make it that far though. She stopped short when she noticed Silas sitting on a swing set he'd clearly outgrown years ago staring off into space. Cautiously, she approached him, knowing full well that whatever talk he'd had with his father hadn't gone well.
"Hey," she whispered, taking a seat on the empty swing beside his.
Silas looked over at her, offering her a half-hearted grin. "Hey."
"Is everything-"
"Everything's fine," he cut in, but his voice was tight, a clear indication that he wasn't telling the truth.
"Oh … okay … " Joy sighed and started to get up, but she ended up deciding against it. "Dallas didn't break up with me," she admitted, crossing her fingers that he'd be more willing to talk if she revealed something about herself first.
Silas looked over at her, his confusion written clearly across his face.
"I mean, he did," Joy continued, beginning to swing. "But he didn't just break up with me."
"What?" Silas frowned, still not following. However, Joy couldn't tell if his confusion stemmed more from the story itself, or the fact that she was telling it to him now of all times.
"He cheated," she admitted, turning to look him in the eye. "Multiple times, and like an idiot, I stayed. I … I guess I figured he just needed to get it out of his system. That when we graduated and walked down that aisle, he'd change, and that it would all work out in the end. Turns out, I was wrong. I was never the one he wanted. Not really, anyway."
Joy paused and shook her head, laughing in reflection. "But you know what? It did work out in the end. Just … not the way I thought it would." Looking up at the sky, she began swinging again, this time with more force. "When I saw his relationship status on Facebook this morning, I was sure all the pain would come rushing back, but it didn't." Pausing, she turned to look at Silas again. "And honestly … I owe that to you."
Silas blinked a few times, clearly still trying to digest this information. "Really?" He sounded uncertain, but Joy was also able to detect a little bit of joy in his voice as well.
"Yeah." She nodded. "I might not have realized it at the time, but this? You making sure I didn't spend all week sulking by myself? Helping me start fresh? It was exactly what I needed. So … thank you. Really."
Joy stood up then, giving Silas a small smile before starting back towards the house. She didn't get more than two steps in, however, before he called out for her to wait.
"My dad's gonna be in LA for the next eight months," he said, waiting until Joy sat back down in her swing before continuing. "It's nothing new. He's always prioritized work over family. I guess I just wanted to believe he cared enough to spend this one break with me. It's the first one since my mom passed, and I … "
Silas trailed off, shaking the thought from his head. Her expression somber, Joy reached out to rub his shoulder.
"I know he's busy," he continued, not making eye contact with her. "And trust me, I'm well aware of the fact that everything I have, I owe to him. I just … I don't know. Sometimes it seems like he cares more about his musicians than he does me."
Joy's eyes softened the moment the words left his mouth. He never showed this side of himself to anyone, let alone her, which was why she couldn't help but give into the sudden urge she felt to comfort him. Leaning forward in her swing, she reached out to engulf him in a hug, feeling him stiffen against her as she did. It was clear that he didn't expect it, but eventually he gave in, relaxing against her.
"You know," Joy whispered, causing him to pull back just far enough to meet her gaze. "I think I wanna burn Dallas's stuff tonight. If the offer still stands, I mean."
Silas grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that," he said, taking hold of her hand and starting for the house.
Chapter 8
"You sure about this?"
Silas wasn't clear on just why he was so nervous. It wasn't like what they were about to do had any affect on him. Except, he realized midway into that thought, it kind of did. He could no longer deny the fact that he really liked Joy, which made the fact that he was bearing witness to such a pivotal moment in her personal life all the more poignant.
Joy nodded, dropping the trash bag to the ground. "Definitely," she said, turning to face him. "I'm ready to be done with that prick once and for all."
Silas fought to hold back a grin as he lit the fire. It took a little while for it to get big enough to burn everything, but neither of them seemed to mind. It was a beautiful night, the kind of night worth savoring, and they were both content with just sitting and enjoying the silence.
With that said, Silas couldn't shake off the feeling that Joy could see right through him. She didn't say anything to that effect, but she didn't have to. He could sense it.
"I love looking at stars," she confessed as she slid off her patio chair and took a seat in the grass, looking up at the night sky.
"Yeah?"
Joy nodded, glancing over at him as he came around the fire pit to join her. "They fascinate me," she said, feeling her inner astronomy nerd pushing its way through. "Most of them are so much bigger than the sun, yet you'd never know it. And they're dangerous too. If a person was to see a star up close, they'd burn before they ever got close enough to touch it."
Silas grinned at that. "You're rambling," he informed her, his voice low.
Joy fell silent then, taking a minute to consider his words. "Yeah, sorry," she said, blushing. "You know how I get about science."
"It's cool," Silas told her, watching the fire thicken. "Anyway. I think its good enough for us to start tossing stuff in."