Page 40 of The Addict

Then I looked at him.

Silas lifted his hand in a little wave as the car drove off.

NOAH

Problem number one: Damian and my mom still hadn’t left.

The entire walk back to the house and I was trying to plan an elaborate way to cover all of my lies. It was getting a bit difficult to keep up with what my excuses were.

“My mom and Damian are here.” I explained to Silas as we rounded the corner to the main entrance.

“Oh, family night?” Silas queried with a sneer.

I glared at him from the corner of my eyes. “You know what I mean. You know why you’re here, and well– until they go, we can’t–” I stumbled on my phrasing. Silas watched with enjoyment as I awkwardly beat around the bush of what he knew we were about to do.

“What am I to do with that information, Noah?” Silas inquired with sarcasm. “Figure something out and get them to leave.”

Problem Two: Silas was useless.

“What help are you, huh?” I scoffed, turning the doorknob and ready to face the bullshit. Apparently alone, since Silas didn’t care.

Silas snorted.

“My goodness, Mr. Thorne, hello!” My mom gushed, her overdramatic kindness not to be outdone by anyone. She was practically waiting at the front door for us.

Damian stood off to the side, his signature expression of skepticism on full display, including the crossed arms of parental disdain.

In the blink of an eye, Silas’s chivalrous businessman persona took effect. “Good evening, Mrs. Hansen, you’re looking lovely as ever.” He approached my mom with a respectful dip of the head, taking her hand and giving it a gentle kiss.

My eyes nearly twitched.

“It’s been a long time,” my mom chirped excitedly, ogling him. “Oh goodness, you’re all grown up now.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Damian narrowed his eyes at me and I had to remind myself to fix my face. It was like I was in an alternate universe. Silas interacted with my family on a level that hadn’t really happened since we were younger. In my head, I kept hearing the phrase, “He’s literally here to fuck” and he was mingling with my family like he was here for the holidays. The whole situation was absurd, and if I didn’t get it together, Damian was about to see right through me.

“Okay, mom, can I use the conference room while you and Damian head out?”

That comment perked Silas’s attention.

Before mom could speak, Damian interjected. “Mr. Thorne?”

The atmosphere around us shifted. Everything became more tense. My mom faltered, but she didn’t cut Damian off. She stood back, allowing my brother to address our guest, effectively ignoring my question all together.

And now I was shitting bricks.

Silas’s pleasing smile didn’t disappoint nor waver. “Mr. Hansen, hello.”

Damian approached us, offering Silas his hand for a shake. “Noah says you two have business?”

I swallowed hard.

“That we do,” Silas confirmed, accepting his gesture and shaking his hand. I could feel the sweat forming between my shoulders from the nerves.

“So, what exactly are you encouraging him to invest in? We weren’t aware that Noah was interested in buying stocks,” Damian said.

Shit. That’s what I had forgotten. Brief Silas on the plan.