Page 158 of The Addict

Why did it seem that all of the decisions I ever made were idiotic ones?

“I forgot what I was going to say…” I murmured quietly. I realized that we were in a compromising position.

“Perhaps, you brought me here to discuss your breakup?”

Like a car smashing into a brick wall, any coherent thought I might have had was destroyed. “My—what?”

“Your breakup? With your boyfriend, Alex?” I could picture his tiny head tilt and raised eyebrows as he asked me a question for which he already knew the answer.

There were no words I could use to respond. I was taken aback that Silas even knew about the little façade.

“Serenity had a lot to tell me about that one. You took him to the movies and strung him along? How shameful.”

“I—”

“Go on, because I’d love to hear it.”

“It was a lie…” I confessed, unsure if Silas was angry or just wanting to understand my reasoning.

“Oh? A lie?” His hands outlined my suit, coming to rest on my chest. “Why did you need a pretend boyfriend, hmm?”

“A girl at my school…she…was too much.” I was careful of the information I shared. I didn’t want to reveal details about Delane’s friends or anyone associated with her. “I didn’t want her to think I was available. So Alex pretended to be my boyfriend so she wouldn’t hit on me.”

Silas laughed at that. “But you are available, no?”

This was the first time that the answer didn’t roll off my tongue with ease. This almost sounded like a trick question. I wasn’t in a relationship with anyone, but I knew that Silas wouldn’t want to hear that. His ego was too big.

I could tell from the way he snarled out his next words that they were meant to hurt me. “You turning down free pussy? Who even are you?”

He was pissed at me for lying and wanted to get under my skin. In a way, it worked, because I was about to match his same energy. I didn’t need a lecture about being a sex addict from a literal man whore. I clenched my teeth together. “I could have that girl at any time, if I want to. I am bound to no one, and I don’t have to explain anything else to you!”

“Good, you can stop,” Silas avowed. “Because there is something I need to do.”

I stiffened. “And what’s that?”

Silas’s fingers slipped onto my face, tracing the pattern of my mask until he found the string and pushed back, gliding it off. “I love your little disguise.”

His pivoting emotions caused my head to spin. He was a fucking whirlwind.

“Couldn’t fool me, though,” he purred.

“Nothing gets past you, huh?”

Silas’s hand found its way to my throat, enclosing it tightly. “Come here,” he demanded, pulling me in.

The next moment our tongues were mingling. It felt wrong, especially knowing I was here with someone else. I had brought Delane into this mess, and I knew how afraid she was of Silas.

And here we were, in the closet together.

“Mm– not here,” I mumbled, breaking away from him.

Silas still persisted, his hands taking hold of my face. He was breathing hard. “Shut up. You’re about to be punished.”

Normally, I’d be intrigued by such a threat. “Oh? Am I?”

His chuckle was deep and throaty. “You have no idea.”

It was quiet for a long time.