Bittersweet Memories (Off-Limits)

He smiles at me and offers me his hand. I’m trembling as I place my hand in his, our earlier encounter still fresh in my mind.

“Silas,” he says, correcting me. “You must be Alanna. I’ve heard so much about you.”

I stare at him in disbelief. Just today, he told me his name was Simon. Did he do that on purpose? Was he watching me because I’m dating his brother?

My cheeks fill with shame once more. To think I actually believed he was hitting on me, when all he was doing was looking out for his brother. Was he provoking me to see if I’d betray Ryan?

He shakes my hand, a polite smile on his face. I can’t tell what’s going on. Why is he pretending not to know me? I’m not sure if I’m supposed to play along or not. Is this a test?

Before I can make up my mind, he lets go of my hand and walks toward the dining table, a frown on his face.

“That’s not my seat,” he tells one of the uniformed maids in the corner. She looks up at him with wide eyes and nods before rushing forward to rearrange the table setting, placing him at the head of the table instead of Mona.

Mona and Ryan both tense, and I can’t quite figure out what’s going on. I expected to feel out of place, but this… this is different.

We’re all quiet as we take our seats, Silas at the head of the table with Ryan and me closest to him. The setup leaves Mona sitting a little isolated with no one opposite her. I guess Silas is more traditional than I expected.

I can’t help but think back to our conversation. The more I think about it, the more embarrassed I am. To think I threatened him… he’s Silas Sinclair. I can only hope he found it amusing and won’t hold it against me. Especially considering that I applied for a job at his company.

“So, Alanna,” he says. My eyes snap up to his, and I pray my nerves aren’t as obvious as I think they are. “How did you and my brother meet?”

“I… I…” I stammer, my mind suddenly blank. I’m beyond nervous and a little scared that he’ll bring up our conversation today. I’m mortified and terrified I’ll just make things worse.

Ryan wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer. Silas’s eyes drop to Ryan’s hand, his gaze chilling. “We met at the beach,” Ryan says. “Mom and I volunteered to gather plastic, and there she was. I’m not sure what I did to deserve Alanna, but I’m grateful she gave me a chance that day.”

Silas looks up at Mona, who is smiling back at him. “I see,” he says, his gaze unreadable. “So tell me about you,” he says, turning back to me. “I’m curious about the girl that tamed my wild little brother. What do you study? What are your plans for the future? I assume you have plans… or were you planning on letting my brother provide for you?”

I freeze, deeply insulted… but there’s pain there too. His words hurt, and I can’t even pinpoint why. I should be used to this by now, after all.

“I study Computer Science,” I say, my voice wavering. “I’m nearly done and I’m interviewing for graduate jobs right now.”

The way he looks at me makes me uncomfortable. He looks mad, but I’ve barely said anything. He can’t still be mad about what I said earlier, can he?

I breathe a sigh of relief when he nods and shifts his gaze to Ryan. My thoughts are all over the place, and I wish I could just sink through the floor and disappear. I expected dinner to be awkward, but this is on another level.

“I meant to ask you a favor,” Ryan says. “Some guy harassed Alanna today. She was so rattled. She was barely coherent when she called me.”

The blood drains from my face as I stare down at my plate. This can’t be happening.

“Is that so, Alanna?” Silas says, his voice tinged with amusement. “What did that guy say to you?”

His words reverberate through my mind, heightening my embarrassment. When I take you, it won’t be without your consent. You’ll be begging me for it.

My cheeks are burning as I look up at him. “It was nothing, really,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. That look in his eyes… he’s enjoying my torment, isn’t he?

Silas grins at me. “That bad, huh? What should I do to the poor sucker? Should I make him disappear?”

I bite down on my lip and tear my eyes away. He’s definitely mocking me. What would Ryan think if he found out that the person I’d been complaining about was Silas?

“I… um, excuse me.” I rise from my seat in a rush, needing a moment to compose myself.

I freeze when Silas rises too. “I’ll show you the way.” He gestures toward the large doors and walks away before I can decline. I follow him reluctantly, my heart hammering loudly in my chest.

By the time the dining room doors close behind us, I’m certain I can hear my heartbeat thrumming in my ears. I don’t remember the last time I was this nervous.

I almost run into him when he pauses abruptly in the middle of the hallway. He turns around to face me, and I take a step back.

“Break up with him,” he orders, his eyes flashing with an intensity that takes my breath away.

“What?”

Silas takes a step closer to me and places his index finger underneath my chin, tilting my face up toward his. “You heard me, Alanna. Break up with him.”

Pure devastation rushes through me, rendering me silent. I expected Ryan’s family to find me lacking, but this? I didn’t expect this.

I start to tremble and try my hardest to keep my tears from forming. I’m so tired of always feeling like I’m not good enough. All my life I’ve felt like a stranger looking in from the outside, until Ryan. To know that those closest to him don’t want me with him… it hurts. It kills me, because I know Ryan will always choose his brother over me. I see the admiration in his eyes, the regret in his voice when he talks about Silas.

Silas takes a step closer to me and tightens his grip on my chin, our bodies brushing against each other. “Break up with him while I’m still giving you a choice.”

Silas walks away, leaving me staring after him once again. What just happened? How do I even tell Ryan what his brother just said to me? He’ll never believe me… and something tells me that Silas meant what he said.

He doesn’t want me with Ryan, and I have a feeling that Silas always gets what he wants.