Page 46 of Taste of Surrender
The guys silently watched as he made his way toward the bathroom. Once the door closed behind him, Elliott addressed the table. “We need to keep an eye on him.”
Malachi nodded. “He said he had everything under control, but I’m not so sure.”
The server returned with my vodka soda, and I took a sip. “What’s going on with Silas?”
I wasn’t sure it was my place to ask, but he’d been best friends with my brother for years, and now I considered all of them friends of mine too.
Jesse exchanged a look with Elliott and Malachi before he turned to me. “You know we all like to have a good time and party, but Silas has sort of taken that to the extreme lately. We’re just a little worried about him.”
I remembered Silas used to hang out with Donnie Pierce who supplied a lot of the kids at our high school with weed, but I didn’t think he’d ever done more than smoke a little pot. Maybe things had changed. “Have you talked to him about it?”
Elliott nodded. “He brushed it off, but did say he’d stay drug free during the tour.”
“We’re a family,” Malachi added. “We’ll watch out for him.”
His words served as another reminder of why a relationship between us was forbidden. He saw my brother as family, and that was important to Malachi.
A few minutes later, Silas returned, and I found myself looking for any signs he had been doing drugs in the bathroom. It wasn’t because I was judging him, but I was concerned now that I was aware of what was going on. Still, I saw no evidence he’d done anything. He was alert but chill and able to carry on a coherent conversation with the rest of us.
“So, what’s your plan for tomorrow?” Jesse asked me as I swallowed another drink of my cocktail.
“Garrett and I need to go shopping for groceries in the morning, and then I guess I’ll spend the rest of the day getting used to cooking in a mobile kitchen.”
“You always did a good job when we went camping. I’m sure this will be easy compared to that,” Malachi stated.
His compliment hit me right in the feels, and a memory of our first kiss in the tent flashed through my mind. “Yeah, but you and Jesse eat pretty much anything. I’ve got more people to please now.”
“Just promise me you’re not going to make us all eat vegan shit because of Savannah,” Elliott teased.
“What’s wrong with vegan meals?” Savannah stuck out her tongue at Elliott and he winked.
“Nothing.” I grinned in Savannah’s direction. “I’ve got some damn good recipes I plan on making.”
She peered around Malachi and smiled at me. “Thanks, Jasper. I really appreciate it.”
As much as I hated the idea of her fake dating Malachi, I’d gotten to know her a little bit over the past couple of weeks and her sweet personality made it impossible not to like her.
“Not a problem at all.”
We ordered another round of drinks, paid the tab, and then Jesse and Olivia were the first to head back to their room. It didn’t take long for Elliott and Silas to follow, leaving me alone with Malachi and Savannah. I was just about to excuse myself when Savannah’s phone buzzed on the table.
“Oh, that’s my agent. We’re in negotiations for some sponsorships, so I’m going to call it a night.”
As she stood to leave, the unmistakable flash of a camera lit up the space. Her eyes went wide, and then, as if she remembered she was supposed to be dating Malachi, she bent down and kissed him. I averted my eyes, not wanting a front-row seat to their public display of affection.
“I’ll see you up in our room.” She trailed her fingers across his back and then walked away.
“I should go too,” I said, thinking Malachi might be ready to call it a night since he probably needed his rest before tomorrow.
“Jasper, wait.” He touched my arm and then pulled his hand away quickly. “We should talk.”
I looked around the bar, which was far busier now than when I’d arrived. “This probably isn’t the best place to chat.”
“Come to my room, then.”
“The one you’re sharing with Savannah?”
He shook his head. “Just keeping up appearances. Her room is connected to mine, but we have our own space.”
