8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Ella

THREE YEARS EARLIER

"Ells, do you think your father hates me?" Silas asked, and with good reason. Dad had given him the once over when he first met Silas, complete with a scowl that said he'd skin him alive if he touched me. The Thomas family was well known in Coldstone Creek, but that wouldn't save him from my father if he got me into trouble.

"No, of course not. He's looking out for me. Besides, if he didn't like you, he wouldn't let you stay for dinner," I said, hoping it was true.

"Your sister hates my guts for sure, though," he said. "I really didn't mean to ruin her parade float last year."

"Abbie doesn't even like herself very much. She'll get over it." I wondered if he was really worried my family didn't like him, or if it was his way of telling me it was too much work, and he was reconsidering this weird friendship we'd discovered. "Is this your way of telling me to get lost?" I blurted.

Silas shot straight up on the floor and turned to face me. "What? No, Ells, that's not what I meant at all. Is that your way of saying you don't want hang out with me?"

I shook my head. "No, of course not. I've…" I couldn't figure out how to say that I was worried that I'd bore him to death. And that other thing. I'd never had a boyfriend before.

"What? What is it?" he asked when my pause lasted a bit too long.

It was a little embarrassing to admit I'd never had a boyfriend, not a real one anyway. There was that awkward kiss at camp after sixth grade, but other than that, I'd never had much interaction with guys. They were either not good enough by Abbie's standard, not smart enough by my father's standard, or they weren't interested in me. Bethany was easier to please, but her arguments with Dad and Abbie always fell on deaf ears.

"I've actually never had a boyfriend, so this is all new to me. I mean, not that you are my boyfriend, but I mean…I guess I thought…Okay, that was a dumb thing to say. Never mind," I said, blushing so hard my face tingled.

Silas's signature smirk spread across his face, a little lopsided but adorable all the same. "So, I get to be the lucky guy who gets to be your first boyfriend? Because in my mind, that's absolutely what this is." He scooted closer and settled back down beside me. Hopefully, he didn't see the crazy blush that invaded my whole face. "You never forget your first boyfriend, right? I'd like for you to never forget me."

I chuckled. "Somehow, I don't think I could ever forget you even if you weren't my first boyfriend," I said and kissed his cheek. It all seemed so normal, so comfortable and right, I never stopped to wonder exactly why it felt that way.

"Hey, would you want to," he glanced around, probably wondering if my father had somehow bugged the game room, then said, "maybe sneak out and go somewhere to talk?"

I glanced at the clock, noticing it was a little after eleven. I sighed, realizing I had gotten myself into a whole heap of trouble signing up to date him, then glanced down the hall toward Abbie's room. I bit my lip, considering all options. Technically, it wasn't my curfew yet and I was eighteen, after all. "Sure, come on."

"Awesome!" Silas leaped to his feet. He crossed the room and pushed the window up. Halfway out, he turned to see what I was doing.

"You realize we can go out the front door, right?" I asked.

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked, then disappeared into the night. I knew for a fact if he tried to jump from the roof, he'd break an arm or leg. My elbow still got a little stiff when it rained, reminding me I was not a superhero who could leap from the roof into the pool without injury, though I sure thought I was when I was ten. If you crossed the roof, you could shimmy down the downspout beside my sister's window.

I climbed out of the window and noted that, somehow, Silas had gone down the roof without breaking anything. I, however, had no desire to tempt fate. I crossed the roof and slid over the edge, then slipped down the spout until my feet were firmly planted on the ground.

"Looks like you've done that a few times," Silas joked, then took my hand and darted toward the sidewalk.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"A fun place. You like to paint?"

"Paint? You're taking me to paint?" I asked, but the smirk on his face said we were not painting, at least not in a studio with easels, canvases, and bowls of fruit.

Silas led me to an abandoned warehouse at the edge of town. It used to be a grain mill, but it shut down before I was born and nothing had moved in. Even so, it was a popular place for parties and not so legal events. He stopped in the parking lot. A few cars dotted it, but the line to get in wrapped around the building. "So, technically this place is illegal since they don't own the building or have a permit, but the cops don't bust it up because there's no drinking, no drugs, and it keeps kids out of trouble. Up for it?"

"I don't know what it is, Silas," I said, eyeing the line suspiciously. Most of the girls wore cropped shirts and very short skirts I thought might actually be for toddlers. I was cozied up in my jogging shorts and a tee shirt.

"We don't have to go in if you don't want. I'm happy to sit and talk," he offered, but I didn't want him to stop being Silas just to date me. I sucked in a breath, hoping to ease my nerves, then pulled my hair into a messy bun. I had a good idea what I was about to walk into when the doors opened, and neon lights glared at me.

"Nah, let's go!" I said and ran ahead to get in line. He linked his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the front of the line, shook hands with the guy guarding the door, whispered a few words to him, then pointed to me.

"Nice to meet you, Ella. Enjoy the party," the guy said, then let us head inside much to the dismay of everyone waiting in line.

"You know that guy?" I asked, shouting over the thumping music.

"Yeah, he used to stock shelves at Joe's grocery store. He used to carry my grandmother's groceries to the car, and she tipped well," Silas teased.

Along the far wall stood a table filled with neon paint, brushes, sponges—about anything one could use to cover themselves and everything else with paint. People danced in flashing black lights, having the time of their lives. I recognized a few people from school, a surprising mix of popular kids, football players, drama club kids, even a few faces from the chess and debate teams. Everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives, and I never even knew the place existed.

"Come on, let's make a mess and have fun, forget all the stuff we don't want to think about," Silas said. I dipped a brush in pink paint and carefully painted a heart on my own face, but Silas wasn't having any of that. He dunked a sponge in paint and smeared it over me, starting at the top of my head.

"Silas!" I shouted, then flung paint at his face. That was all it took, a little smear of paint, a paintbrush fling—and the entire party morphed into a paint throwing contest. Neon paint flew everywhere in rainbows of pink, green, yellow, orange—splattering the walls, the people, the floors. We slipped and slid everywhere, oddly in time to the music.

Silas grasped around my waist and pulled me closer to kiss my cheek, leaving smears of paint on his lips. He chuckled and wiped his mouth, then smeared it on his own shirt. He was right. It was fun, a nice break from the monotony of life after losing so much. I was excited to see what the rest of the summer held for Silas and me.

I was on cloud nine. Everything was perfect…until it wasn't.

Something brushed up against me. At first, I thought it was an accident and ignored it. When it happened again, I knew it was no accident. A hand gripped my rear and squeezed, forcing a cry from my lips. I didn't even have a moment to register who had done it before he was on the floor under Silas, who hit him repeatedly.

"Silas!" I screamed and pulled at his shoulder. "Silas, stop! You'll get into trouble!"

A group of kids from school appeared, some I recognized and some I'd only seen roaming the halls. One of the guys from the wrestling team managed to get Silas off the guy who grabbed me, but not before he suffered an elbow to the face. He shoved Silas to the ground and put himself between the two boys.

"What happened?" the wrestler, Kyle, asked. I finally recognized him by name when the music stopped, and the fluorescent lights flickered on. His lip was bloody from catching the elbow, but otherwise he was fine.

Silas sniffled and wiped his sleeve across his bloody face. "He grabbed my girlfriend's…you know, her…He grabbed her."

Kyle glanced at the other guy, someone older than us, and clearly intoxicated though there was no alcohol at the party. Kyle looked back at me. "Is that true?"

"Ye-yes…I mean, someone grabbed me, but I don't know who it was," I admitted.

"I know her," a girl said, pushing her way through the crowd. It was Millie Singleton, a girl I shared first period Chemistry with. "Ella, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay." My nerves were rattled and I couldn't think straight, but mostly I was worried about Silas. He was so angry, I thought he might go after the guy again.

"I saw what happened. It was him," another guy from the wrestling team said. He pointed to the jerk that grabbed me, half passed out with a bloody nose and a cracked lip. His face would probably swell overnight, which would serve him right.

"Okay, get him out of here," Kyle said, but it was too late. Somehow, word spread there was a fight, and the cops had been called. Three officers filtered through the front doors shouting orders. One, the same officer from prom night, stepped right up to Silas, who tensed beside me.

"Uh oh. This is not going to end well," he said, then let his head drop.

"Silas Thomas, well, isn't this my lucky night. Let's go, funny man. This is what you get for defacing public property," Officer Baker said. He turned Silas around and put him in cuffs, a bit much if you asked me.

"I did not deface public property," Silas said. "I merely left you a little snack."

"You filled my entire squad car with donuts, boy! There must have been a thousand in there!" The cop looked ready to burst like a volcano. All the while, I stood there like an idiot bump on a log, wondering what the heck I'd gotten myself into.

"One thousand and twelve, to be exact," Silas taunted, eliciting a few chuckles.

"I said everyone go home!" Baker screamed. I flinched and backed away, unsure how I'd get home. I didn't really want to walk alone, but it was clear Silas would not be heading home with me.

Silas's eyes locked with mine, and the sparkle in them died. His shoulders hunched and he frowned. "I'm sorry, Ells. I'm really sorry."

I shook my head. "It's okay, Silas. Thanks for looking out for me, I guess. Should I try to get your parents?"

He frowned. "Nah, I'll be fine. I'm…I'm really sorry. You can call Lev to get you home." The officer dragged him away. No doubt to wear him out for the donut incident before diving into the fight. I had no idea what to do, none whatsoever, so I kept standing there like a doofus. I couldn't call Lev because I had no idea what Silas' twin's phone number was. In fact, I didn't know how to contact any of them, which meant I'd have to call my father or Abbie to pick me up.

Finally, Millie said, "I'll take you home, Ella. I have my car."

My mind floored it into overdrive then, a sudden worry that I shouldn't let Silas take the heat for everything. After all, it was my honor he was trying to defend, however shortsighted it was to dive right into a physical confrontation. The guy grabbed my patootie so hard, I still felt the finger impressions. I'd probably bruise, too, so on second thought, maybe Silas didn't overreact. "Actually, can you take me to the station? I need to help Silas."

She nodded, her blond waves bouncing around her shoulders. "Sure. I'll call my mom. She's a lawyer."

Millie and I headed to her car, not a word spoken between us until we were on the road. She glanced at me, still covered with paint. Fortunately, she thought ahead and had covered her seats with plastic. I looked a little like one of those neon gummies wrapped in a plastic bag, which made me smile for a second, then thoughts of Silas took over again.

Millie cleared her throat and asked, "So, how have you been?"

I didn't dare give her any information about how I'd been since my mother got herself and my best friend killed. I kept things focused on the present instead.

"Okay, I guess. I'm worried about Silas."

"When did you guys get together? At prom?" she asked, glancing at me.

"Yeah. I mean, no. We hung out after prom, but we didn't make it official or anything until earlier today. I guess this was sort of our first date."

"Oh, okay. I mean, your sister doesn't like him much, but I guess that doesn't really matter. He's a decent enough guy."

"She's not happy about it but she's got her own problems. That's the station, isn't it?" I asked, pointing to the only building with lights on.

"Yep, and my mom should be here soon," she said.

Inside the station, Silas sat handcuffed to a chair in the corner surrounded by donuts. He sat with a frown while people pointed and laughed. I chuckled, earning his attention. His eyes drifted up, and when they landed on me, he smiled.

"Oh, Silas," I said and shook my head. I wandered over and sat on the bench beside him. "What am I going to do with you?"

He snickered and shrugged. "Thanks for coming. I'm sorry our date got ruined. I'd even planned our first kiss."

PRESENT DAY

I blink my eyes shut and erase the memory from my mind. Silas had always taken care of me, even when it got him into trouble. Thinking about our first date gives me even more flutters, and I realize I need to test the waters. I could sit around and wait to see if my heart will be ready, or I could go all in and go out with him, spend actual time trying to make it work. I'm already in so far, it's going to bust me up either way.

"Ella? You okay?" Silas taps my shoulder, bringing me out of my thoughts before I can flashback to our first kiss.

"I'm okay, but I need to tell you something," I say, trying to maintain eye contact with him. My head hurts and my throat is suddenly sore, but I try to ignore the telltale signs that I might be coming down with something. Hopefully, it's only allergies from the hay exposure yesterday, because I don't want to waste time with Silas by being sick.

"Hmm?" he hums through a sip of coffee.

I fidget with a napkin and lick my lips. "I might have changed my mind." His face falls before I add, "Would you take me on a date?"

He freezes and blinks a few times before putting his cup down. "I thought you said you needed time to sort things out? I'm trying to respect that and not push."

"I know what I said, but those old feelings didn't disappear. I can wait and see or go all in with you. Either way, I stand a chance at getting hurt. So yeah, I changed my mind. I want to date, see how that goes."

"You went through that whole thought process while I was buying donuts?" he asks, eyebrows quirked.

I can't keep eye contact anymore and let my gaze drop. "I realized while you were doing that how great we really were, and we can see what happens if we're both honest with each other this time around."

"You're sure?" he asks, tipping my face up so he can gauge my sincerity. His touch alone makes my heart rate increase.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay," he whispers, brushing his thumb over my lips. "Ells, would you like to go on a date with me?"

He called me Ells. He hasn't used his nickname for me since we reconnected, but the sound of it makes my insides gooey. I smile, then sneeze. Suddenly, the pressure in my head is undeniable. The mild sore throat is getting worse by the second, and my nose is a little drippy. I grab a napkin and wipe it, but there is no denying the truth. I'm sick.

"Your eyes are red. Are you coming down with something?" Silas asks, brushing my hair behind my shoulder. "You're warm."

"No, I'm fine." Another sneeze makes a liar out of me.

"Let's get you home and resting. I'll ask Rose to make her famous soup. It'll regrow a limb, I promise. Gimme a second." He scoots from his chair and jogs into the back room of the café, then emerges a few minutes later with a quart of something I can only assume is soup. "She had some in the fridge. I forgot Mom has been stocking it every winter."

I let Silas lead me to his truck and help me in while a haze sweeps over me, pushing me into brain fog. It's worse than I realized, but that's what I get for being stubborn and ignoring the mild symptoms all morning. Of course, I'd be sick now when my whole future is subject to change. I don't have time for a cold, but God can use even bad things for good. And if Silas' worried glances my way at every red light mean anything, it's that I'm about to see how committed he really is while my body makes me slow down.