Page 76 of Every Hidden Truth

Silas: Seriously, who is this?

I glared at my phone, but Unknown didn’t reply.

Settling back on the bed, I tried to ignore the sound of Ben’s muffled laugh. A voice in the back of my head whispered lies that I refused to entertain. It said I was a placeholder. I was a rebound. I was just something to help pass the time.

The thoughts niggled and wriggled, burrowing into my brain and sinking their teeth in.

Except none of that was true.

Ben chose me; he wanted me. And I was pretty sure I was in love with him, which meant trusting him. Whenever he was ready to talk about Patrick, I’d be all ears. But until then, Iwouldtrust him.

I hoped my faith wasn’t misplaced, because I was entirely at his mercy. He could destroy me, utterly wreck me. And if he did, I feared all the king’s horses and all the king’s men wouldn’t be able to put me back together again.

21

Encased in Shadow

For New Year’s Eve,Ben and I planned to meet our friends at a bowling alley downtown. I was terrible at bowling, but I was going to put on a brave face because the group was excited. Since everyone would sleep at Ben’s after, I packed an overnight bag before tromping down the stairs.

“I’m going to Ben’s. Probably won’t be home till tomorrow,” I said as I slipped on my shoes.

Dad shifted his attention from ESPN, one thick eyebrow arching. “You’re staying the night?”

To avoid a rerun of the worst conversation of my life, I corrected my statement. “Everyone is. It’s a group sleepover, not a boyfriend sleepover. Scout’s honor.”

He snorted as I raised my right hand, palm out. “You’re an adult now, Silas. If you want to spend the night with your boyfriend, I’m not going to stop you. Just be safe and don’t do it on the couch where I can see it.”

“La, la, la, I’m leaving now!” I sang, shrugging into my coat, and he waved.

“Have fun.”

When I got to Ben’s, I parked on the street and took my bag inside. I walked in through the garage, calling a hello to anyone who might have been home. Since Ben’s Impala had been the only vehicle in the drive, I assumed that Uncle Henry and Aunt June were still at work.

I found Ben in his bedroom, lying amidst an explosion of Legos as he listened to heavy metal music. At my appearance, he jumped and sent me a sheepish grin, hands freezing in the assembly of something round and gray.

“What are you doing?” I asked around a laugh, and he blushed.

“Building the Death Star.”

“You’re such a nerd,” I said, and his ears colored to match his cheeks. Hunkering down beside him, I knocked his shoulder with my hand. “Can I help?”

With a giddy smile, he nodded. We didn’t have to be at the bowling alley yet, so we finished construction on the Empire’s weapon of mass destruction. Ben, of course, followed the instructions. I added a hot tub on top.

“You realize that’s physically impossible, right?” Ben said as we cleaned up the Legos. “Like the water would freeze, and if it didn’t, you couldn’t enjoy it because you’d have to wear a protective space suit.”

“Ben.” I cupped his face in my hands. “I adore you, but you have no imagination.”

He scowled. I smiled and pecked his mouth.

“Now, let’s go or we’ll be late.”

With a naughty gleam in his eye, he tugged me down to the carpet until I was on my back. Straddling me, he settled his weight on my hips and smiled mischievously down at me.

“This okay?” he asked, wriggling in my lap to indicate his weight on top of me.

Framing his waist with my hands, I took inventory. I didn’t feel any type of panic or trepidation. I could still move pretty freely, and honestly, could I even pretend to complain when I had my gorgeous boyfriend in my lap?

“Yeah, I think so. If it stops being okay, I’ll tell you,” I said, and his naughty grin returned.

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