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“You were all over her,” I hear Alana say, her tone accusatory. “You know she has a little crush on you. Why are you encouraging her like that?”
Well, at least I know she’s not yelling about me. I’ve avoided Silas all week.
“It’s nothing,” Silas reassures. “I’m totally into you, babe. You know this.”
I make a face. I hate the way he just called her babe, and not because I’m jealous. It just sounded so insincere.
“No. I don’t know it because I’m constantly catching you flirting with other girls. It’s like you want their attention because it makes you feel better. You make me feel like I’m not enough and that’s unfair. You did it with me and Willow, and now you’re doing it with Margaret and it’s not fair, Silas. If you want to be with her, then go for it. I’m not going to stand in your way.”
“I don’t want to be with Margaret. She’s only a sophomore for Christ’s sake,” he gripes, sounding totally unlike himself.
But maybe that’s the real Silas, what I’m hearing. He was putting on some sort of fake persona to impress me.
Alana goes dead silent and I can practically feel the fury vibrating off her. “Are you saying that because she’s younger, you’re afraid she won’t put out? Is that the issue?”
“One time,” he mutters. “One time you catch me fucking around with another girl and you’ll never let me forget it.”
“I can’t forget it! You’re not loyal, Silas. As a matter of fact, you’re a terrible boyfriend. I don’t know why I ever thought this would work. We’re done. I mean it this time.” Alana storms from behind the bush, and I’m so shocked by their revelations that she catches me standing there, unable to move.
She spots me because, of course, she does, and she comes to a stop, staring at me for a moment before a faintly hysterical laugh leaves her. “I guess you win, Willow. You can have him.”
Silas stops just behind Alana, a smile appearing on his face when he spots me. “Oh hey, Willow.”
Alana jabs him in the ribs. “She was spying on our conversation.”
“I wasn’t spying. I couldn’t help but hear it, you two were so loud,” I retort.
Silas winces. “I guess I don’t look so good to you right now, huh?”
“No, you definitely don’t. But both of you revealed your true colors to me a long time ago.” I wave at them. “Bye.”
I rush away from them, eager to get to Iris so I can tell her everything, but I hear footsteps behind me, and oh my God, it’s freaking Silas. I come to a full stop and turn to face him, ready to shove at him if need be. I don’t want this guy near me.
“Alana is just—jealous,” he starts. “Of you. Of Margaret. Of any girl I speak to or even look at. She can’t help it. I guess I bring that out of her.”
I roll my eyes at his remark. Is he for real right now? “There’s no point in you chasing after me or trying to change my mind. I’m not interested, Silas.”
“But we could’ve been so good together—”
“Get the fuck out of here, dude.”
We both go still at the angry male voice coming from behind me. Slowly I turn around to find Rhett standing there with a furious expression on his face, which doesn’t distract from his attractiveness. No, in this moment, he’s even more appealing, rushing to my defense, looking ready to tear Silas apart with his bare hands.
All because Silas won’t leave me alone. Rhett is protecting me when he doesn’t need to. When he has no reason to. After I’ve been so dismissive of him lately.
My heart swells with emotion.
“This is really none of your business,” Silas starts to say, but he goes silent at the death glare Rhett sends him.
“It’s my business. Like I told you before, she belongs to me.” Rhett makes his way toward us, stopping directly in front of me, blocking me completely from Silas’s view. “So back the fuck off.”
“I never see the two of you together—”
“Because we don’t need to flaunt to everyone else that we’re together, okay, asshole? Now beat it.”
They stare at each other, though I can’t see Silas, thanks to Rhett standing in my way. My gaze drops to his hands, the way they’re curled into fists. Like he wants to use them against Silas, and my heart drops.
Here I am avoiding Rhett completely and I’m still somehow a complete distraction to him. If Westscott saw us right now, he’d blame me, and I guess he’d be right. It doesn’t seem to matter what I do. Rhett is still going to run to my rescue. And deep down …
