Page 63 of Eternally Yours
I groan at my parents. “Mom, stop making a big deal about everything.” I look down at the photograph once more. “That’s Griffin, he was my best friend for fifteen years.”
“Griffin, like your team?” Cecilia asks softly, sensing this is a delicate matter for me.
I chuckle. “Yeah, my love for hockey started before I could even walk. On my fifth birthday, my parents took me to see the Griffins play for the first time. I was ecstatic, I thought nothing could ever make that day better. Then when we got home, this little guy was waiting in my room, proving me wrong. It was only fitting that I named him after my favorite hockey team. We were inseparable from that moment.” I’m smiling, even though my heart still aches thinking of him.
“You never thought about getting another dog?” she questions next, placing her hand on my thigh.
“After he died, it was really hard on me. The thought of replacing him was too much, and when I was ready, well, hockey took up too much of my time. So I didn’t think it would be in the dog’s best interest with how often I’m not home. Maybe one day.”
She rests her head on my shoulder. “Yeah, maybe one day.”
We stay like this, continuing to flip through the pages and laughing with my family for the next few hours.
I’ve always felt content with my family. But now with Cecilia, I feel complete.
Chapter twenty-one
Cecilia
Did he just say…
~ One Month Later / December ~
It’s out now, everyone knows who I am. My social media accounts have been going crazy since the online article revealing my name dropped this morning. I’m not sure how they figured it out or who told them, but like Silas said, it was only a matter of time.
Even if we were careful not to draw attention to us when in public, it wasn’t always easy given Sy’s status. But when asked, we never disclosed my name, and Silas always tried to hide me from the cameras.
It’s not that I didn’t want people knowing who I was, it’s just that now I feel like my life is under a magnifying glass. Everyone is paying close attention to me, what I do, and what I say, whether it’s in person or online.
On my way to work this morning, I could feel all their eyes on me—their whispered comments. It was unsettling. At least in the office, everyone already knew about me and Silas, so that made the day a bit more bearable.
I tried to hold back from reading the article. Silas told me it was pointless to, that they will say and write whatever they want, even if it’s not the truth. I tried, I really tried... but eventually, it was too much. I had to know what was being said. So, I read it... and I instantly wished I hadn’t.
The article itself wasn’t too bad, nothing really harmful. They mention everything about me: my name, age, where I work. They mention my parents, their death, even my grandmother’s. Where I studied, my move to New York shortly before meeting Silas. It’s twisted how they know so much... whoever wrote this article did some serious digging into my past.
The article, I could handle. It’s the comments following it that I can’t. They’re nasty and spiteful. Not all, some are sweet and wish us well or claim I’m pretty. Butthe others, most are downright disgusting.
Things like I’m just using him for his money and fame. That I sought him out the minute I moved here. That he’s only pitying the poor orphan girl. Saying he could do so much better, or I’m not worthy of being with someone like Silas.
There’s even some that go as far as saying that I’m only a fantasy he wants to fulfill legally. That given my height, it would be like fucking a child. Which is just sickening, how are people even allowed to write such inappropriate things?
The list goes on and on with people’s opinion about me. People are so judgmental, and yet they don’t even know me. All they see is a picture, and with that alone they claim I’m not enough for someone like Silas.
I hate it, but what I hate most is that I’m letting it get inside my head. Now I’m questioning if maybe they’re right, maybe Silas could have someone better. Someone with less emotional baggage.
When my workday ended, I pretended to have extra things I wanted to finish before leaving. I wasn’t in the mood to walk home with Emma and hear her talk about the post. I just wanted to be alone, so I waited a good thirty minutes, then got myself a cab. There was no way I could make it through fifteen minutes of people looking at me without breaking down.
All I wanted was to go home and hide under my covers, but since I live with Em, I know that can’t be done. Then I remembered Sy telling me he had stuff to do with Clay and would only be home later. So instead of going home, I head to the penthouse since he gave me a keycard to get in and out whenever I want.
I love this place, even if it’s very masculine with all the gray and black tones, something about it still feels homey. That’s probably only because it’s attached to Silas. His place is so much larger than mine and Emma’s. His takes up the whole floor plan of the building, has a second level, and his own private outdoor space. It’s ridiculous really, but so, so beautiful.
The floors are some type of shiny black wood, but you wouldn’t be able to tell with how glossy they are. I swear, when they’ve just been washed, you can see your reflection in them. All the walls to his penthouse are white like in my place, but instead of having beige features everywhere, his are light grays and dark grays.
His kitchen is open plan like ours but bigger and has way more gadgets and appliances. The cabinets are all white, with glossy black marble countertops and high white barstools lining the kitchen island.
The dining room, which is set off to the side of the kitchen, is on a higher platform than the rest of the open space, making it feel as if it’s separated even though it’s not. A huge rectangular table sits in the center with twelve chairs, but I’m pretty sure wecould fit more with how spaced out they are.
The stairs near the entrance are dark and look like they float in the middle of the air. The top part curves to the right, landing on the upper floor where the master bedroom and two guest rooms are. While downstairs hosts a gym room, office, and library.
