Page 31

Chapter twenty

Silas

Finally home.

~ The Next Day / November ~

Waking up with Cecilia in my arms is my favorite part of the day. I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t like this. Even though it’s only been a month, she’s inhabited every corner of my mind, and I hope to never go back to a time where she isn’t there.

Evidence of her now lies everywhere in my penthouse.

Her fluffy koala slippers by the door that she puts on the minute she gets home from work.

Her favorite coffee cup and travel mug that she brought up from her place, her toiletries in the bathroom.

She even started leaving clothes and shoes in the walk-in closet, and I love it all.

But the one I love the most is her scent. How even if she hasn’t been here in two days, it’s always present. Always lingering in the air the minute I walk in. I’m addicted to her.

I look down at my beautiful girlfriend still sound asleep, head buried into my chest as I lie sideways with my arms around her. I kiss the top of her head before stroking my fingers down her long brown curls.

Last night, her hair was straight for the party, but after the shower we took when we got home, it’s now back to its natural waves. I love them like this, certainly in the morning with her bed hair. She looks disheveled and sexy.

As I watch her, I think back to last night, one moment in particular... Greyson. I know I overreacted. I shouldn’t be so upset about something that happened between them years ago. But it still sucks to know that he’s had her the same way I have.

That even if it was just for one night, he was hers, and she was his. That every time he looks at her, he remembers what it felt like to be inside of her. Those thoughts have been tormenting my mind all night, and I don’t know how to shake them .

He’s reached out a few times during the night, a couple texts saying he fucked up and that he’s sorry. That he should have said something sooner and wants to talk to explain himself. I haven’t replied, I need a little space to wrap my head around it all.

Tonight should help with that or at least take my mind off of it. We’re having dinner with my family. Although, Cecilia doesn’t know it yet since I texted my mom last night to let her know I would be bringing my girlfriend to dinner. I hope she’ll be okay with that.

Cecilia stirs in my arms, her head coming up to brush her nose against my neck, inhaling my scent.

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

“Mm, Good morning, Big Guy,” she breathes against me, her voice raspy from sleep. “Have you been staring at me while I sleep?”

“That’s a ridiculous question. Of course, I was,” I tell her, shaking my head at the fact that she would think anything less.

“You’re ridiculous,” she says as she tries to push up from the bed, but I grab her before she manages to untangle herself from me and roll us over, my body lying above hers.

“No, just obsessed with you.” I kiss her perfectly plump lips.

She giggles and puts her arms around my neck, eyes boring into mine with love. I love this woman. “I think I may be a bit obsessed with you, too.”

“Good, remember that and how much you adore me, because we’re having dinner with my family later,” I say, stroking her hair.

Her smile instantly falls. Not exactly the response I was hoping for. “Oh,” is all she says.

I pull back a bit to get a better look at her expression. “Do you not want to meet them?”

Oh God, please don’t say you don’t... have I been misreading things? Is she not as serious about us as I am?

“No, I do. I’d love to meet them, it’s just that I’ve never met a boyfriend’s parents before. Well, technically you’re my first boyfriend, so I guess that’s normal. I’m just... nervous. What if they don’t like me?” I can see the emotions shining in her eyes, she’s afraid.

Afraid of what could happen if she isn’t what my parents want for me. What she doesn’t know is that they already refer to her as their daughter-in-law, even my brother took up calling her his sister. I’m going to have to tell them to refrain from their comments tonight, that might freak her out.

“Minnie, I promise, they’ll love you. They already do.

” I offer her a reassuring smile. “Anyway, my parents aren’t some rich snobs.

They’re decent, normal people. Well, as normal as they can be.

” I chuckle because my parents aren’t what I would describe as normal.

Hell, I already know they’re preparing to spill embarrassing stories tonight.

She breathes in deeply, then lets it out. “Okay, are you sure this is what you want?”

“There’s nothing I want more. Well, that’s not true, but we can start with that,” I tell her just before taking her left hand in mine and kissing her ring finger while keeping my eyes on her, so she understands what I’m not saying.

Then I let go of her hand and bring mine down to her stomach, resting it over the lower part of her belly.

Her eyes widen comically. Oh, she got the message, all right. “Silas. Your mind is wandering way too far. Let’s back it up, Big Guy. Back it up.”

She pushes against my chest as she attempts to get me off her. I let her, rolling onto my back. She gets up and walks to the bathroom to do her business, leaving the door open.

I smile at the realization that we’ve gotten to that stage in our relationship where she’s comfortable enough to leave the door open. Once she’s done, she brushes her teeth by the sink, and I climb out of bed to join her. I love this, how everything feels so natural when we’re together.

“I don’t know what to wear,” she states as she brushes her teeth. I can hear her mind going a million miles an hour.

“Baby, it’s just my family. Jeans and a shirt are fine.”

“I am not dressing in everyday clothes to meet your parents for the first time!” She points her toothbrush at me, foam around the corners of her mouth. I find it weirdly sexy.

“You wear dresses and skirts every day of the week. Not jeans.” I lift a brow, looking down at her.

“Why do you always have to be a smartass?”

I laugh at the angry kitten look she’s throwing me. “Because you love my smartass,” I say proudly. Wrong move.

She flings the end of her toothbrush at me, projecting foamy toothpaste on my face and chest. I’m momentarily stunned, mouth hanging open. But then she starts to giggle with her mouth closed, spitting paste all over as she puts her hand up to try and stop the sputter from happening.

“Oh, you are going to pay for that!” I throw my toothbrush in the sink and grab hold of her face.

She shrieks as I bring my foamy mouth down and rub it all over her skin.

Once we’re both covered in toothpaste and laughing, I bring her lips to mine and devour her.

Most people might think it’s nasty given we haven’t rinsed our mouths out, but I couldn’t care less. I want her in every way I can have her.

After having thoroughly explored each other, we head into the shower to clean up. What should have been a thirty-minute shower, turned into a two-hour one, with multiple orgasms. The water had long turned ice cold by the time we made it out.

We then get dressed quickly and run downstairs to the kitchen, both starving and in need of actual food rather than the feasting we’ve been doing on each other.

As I park my car outside my parents’ townhouse, I notice Cecilia fidgeting with the hem of the dress she borrowed from Emma.

It’s a baggy brown sweater dress with a turtleneck, ending a few inches over her knees, just above where her thigh-high black heeled boots end.

It’s effortlessly sexy, yet still pretty casual.

Her pretty hair is in her natural wavy curls that I love passing my fingers through, and she decided to forgo makeup altogether. She doesn’t even try, and she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

“We’re here, baby.” I take her hand in mine to stop her from playing with her dress. She lifts her lost gaze to me before turning to look out the window at my parents’ dwelling. Her eyes become glossy instantly, making worry claw at my skin.

With my free hand, I grab her chin, turning her back to me. “Minnie, what’s wrong?”

“You have people in there, waiting for you. People who are excited they get to see you every Sunday. I don’t have that.

..” She swallows and lets out a shaky breath.

“I don’t have someone calling me every other day to check in or know when I’ll come home to visit.

Jesus, Silas, I don’t even have a home.” Tears begin to stream down her cheeks, and my heart breaks for her.

I’m such an idiot, I didn’t think how much being around my family could affect her.

“Fuck, baby.” I unclip her seatbelt and lift her off her seat onto my lap. It’s not a simple maneuver, but I make it happen. A sob leaves her pretty mouth as I cradle her to me. “Shh, it’s okay, Minnie. I got you. ”

“I just hate that you’ll never get this, that I’ll never be able to introduce you to them. That they’ll never get to know how amazing you are to me.” The words tumbling out of her are barely audible.

But I hear them, every single one, and I hate it all. I hate that she has to feel this way, I want to take all this pain away from her and make it my own. She needs to know she’s not alone anymore, that she’ll never be alone again.

“I’m sorry it has to be this way, baby. I wish things could be different for you. If there were a way to bring back your parents, I would do it in a heartbeat. But know that you’re not alone, Cecilia. You have me now, and my family. You have Emma, Morgan, and Clay.” I kiss the top of her head.

“You even have the guys, I know you don’t know them well yet, but you will. We’re all a big family, and now they’re your big family, too.” I want to tell her that one day we’ll make a family of our own. But I know she’s not ready for those words, so I hold them in. For now.