Page 94 of Between Hello and Goodbye

“We did.” Silas leaned against the counter and faced me, arms crossed.

“You and I have something in common. Besidesher.”

His stance relaxed. “Oh yeah?”

“I used to live in New York. Worked on Wall Street. Had a little too much fun, if you know what I mean. And my mother…” I cleared my throat. “She had less fun. Hurt her back and was prescribed Oxy-Pro.”

Silas stared a moment, then his head bowed. “Shit. I’m sorry for that. That doesn’t mean much after the fact—”

“It’s okay. From what Faith says, it happened before your watch. I didn’t tell you to make you feel like shit, I told you because you’re important to Faith and maybe this is my way of saying I appreciate it. Because she’s important to me too. I’d rather there not be any bullshit between us.”

Silas nodded, arms crossed and leaning against the counter. “You’re awfully generous, man. For what it’s worth, I sampled the company product myself. That’s what the NA comment from Max was about. So I know what that addiction feels like, and sure, it might not have been on my watch, but I’m really fucking sorry about your mom all the same.”

I nodded. “Thanks. Strange, though. I feel like this isn’t the first time we’ve met. I know that’s nuts but…”

“No, I get it,” Silas said with a wry smile. “That’s a strange side-effect of addiction. Closes distances. Like we’re members of a secret club and we all know the password.”

“Pretty much sums it up.”

A short silence fell in which any weirdness evaporated, and we relaxed into what I thought might be the start of a friendship.

“How long are you in town for?” he asked.

“Couple more days.”

“And then what happens?”

I thought my hackles would go up at his pointed question, but he was being upfront too. No bullshit.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what the fuck’s supposed to happen next.”

“I don’t want to get all up in your business—”

“Yes, you do because Faith is your business,” I said. “I’d be a dumbass to get in the way of that and wouldn’t want to, anyway.”

“I just don’t want her to get hurt. You’re the first guy she’s ever wanted me to meet. The first guy she’s ever mentionedby name.”

“She’s the first woman I’ve stepped onto the mainland for in years,” I said. “The only one I’d do it for.”

Silas nodded. “I know she really cares about you. Probably more than she’s willing to admit. But…I hate to point out the obvious; you haven’t been together all that long.”

He was right. Faith and I were new, but how I felt about her seemed like it was set deep down in me. As if it’d been there forever and had just been waiting for her.

“It’s hard to remember that sometimes.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Silas said. “She seems really happy. But you’re there and she’s here and that’s fucking rough. I get it. But maybe you don’t need to figure it all out in these few days. Maybe let things happen the way they’re supposed to happen.”

That was the opposite of how I operated. Being in control and staying that way had been my life’s goal. The second you let your guard down…

Silas broke me out of my thoughts with a hand on my shoulder. “You’re a good guy, Asher. I can see that.”

I smirked. “And if I hurt Faith, you’ll kick my ass.”

“Correct,” Silas said with a grin. “But that’s not what I was going to say. I was going to say, because you’re a good guy, I’m not worried. Things will work out.” His grin widened and his eyes softened. “If you don’t believe me, go talk to Max. He’s positivity personified.”

We clasped hands, this time without the death grip of suspicion on his part and rejoined the others. The conversation flowed even easier now, and Max and Silas didn’t leave until close to midnight.

When they’d gone, Faith and I cleaned up, then curled up in her bed.