I managed to dodge Ezekiel's questions about what happened with Steven, and eventually he stopped asking. Yue kept quiet about the weekend too, which was a relief. The last thing I needed was Ezekiel worrying about me on top of everything else.
Despite his flawless reputation at school, I was the only one who truly knew the weight he carried. His mother had been negligent ever since his father passed away, drowning herself in alcohol instead of facing reality. That left Ezekiel shouldering the burden of managing their family business. He was drowning in responsibilities, and I couldn't add my drama to his plate.
The day dragged by with Steven trying to corner me between classes, but he never got the chance with Ezekiel and Yue running interference. After my last class, I texted Silas to let him know I was ready to be picked up. To my surprise, he arrived barely two minutes later.
Had he been waiting outside the entire day?
As Silas got out to open my door, I heard footsteps behind me.
"Aurora!"
I turned to see Ezekiel striding toward us, his brows knitting together the moment he spotted Silas. He stopped a few steps away, his sharp gaze flickering between us.
"Who's this?" The suspicion in his voice was clear.
I hesitated for half a second before answering. "This is Silas, my butler."
"Your butler? Since when did your grandpa decide you needed a new one?" Ezekiel's frown deepened.
"Grandpa thought I could use the extra security." I tried to keep my tone casual, but Ezekiel wasn't buying it. I could tell he knew I wasn't telling him everything, but for once, he didn't push.
"Just... be careful, okay?" he said with a sigh.
"Want a ride?" I offered, though I already knew the answer.
"Can't. Got to head to the office." He gave me a tired half-smile. "But we're talking tomorrow."
I settled into the backseat as Silas shut the door with a soft click. As he slipped into the driver's seat, our eyes met briefly in the rearview mirror.
"Did you actually wait outside all day?" I asked, only half-joking.
"I go where you need me to be, Miss," he replied simply.
Something about his answer made my pulse quicken. The silence that followed felt heavy, and I found myself wanting to fill it.
"Most drivers ask how my day went," I said, even though that wasn't exactly true. I never cared to make small talk with them. I was usually too drained after school to entertain conversation. But something about Silas made me want to keep talking.
"My apologies. I didn't want to intrude on your personal matters." He glanced at me, "But if you'd like to share, I'd be delighted to listen."
I laughed softly. "You don't have to be so formal all the time. You're stuck with me every day now – might as well get comfortable talking."
His lips twitched slightly, almost like he was amused but too disciplined to fully show it.
So I told him about my day. About my ex trying to approach me, and how Ezekiel and Yue shut him down before he could get the chance.
Silas listened without interrupting. But I could tell he was paying attention because of his occasional glances in the mirror, and the subtle shifts in his posture.
"You have good friends," he commented after a while.
"Yeah," I smiled. "They're protective, even when I don't ask them to be."
"Would you like me to handle the situation?"
His question caught me off guard. "What exactly do you mean by 'handle'?"
"Whatever you deem necessary," he replied smoothly, as if he was discussing the weather.
"That's... a little scary, you know that?"
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "My job is to ensure your comfort and safety, milady. By any means required."
I stared at him for a moment before shaking my head with a small laugh. "You're something else, Silas."
He didn't respond, but I caught the ghost of a smile on his face, like he took it as a compliment.
By the time we got home, the sky had opened up completely. A stark contrast to this morning's sunshine. The rain drummed against the car roof as we pulled up to the house.
Before I could even reach for the door handle, Silas was already out with an umbrella. He opened my door and held out his hand to help me, positioning the umbrella carefully over my head.
"Silas!" I exclaimed, noticing how the rain was already soaking through his coat. "You're getting drenched!"
He remained perfectly composed, despite water running down his face. "Please don't concern yourself, milady. Let's get you inside."
"Don't be ridiculous." I spotted Martha, our housekeeper, appearing in the doorway. "Martha! Could you bring another umbrella, please?"
"I assure you, I'm fine-"
"You're literally dripping wet," I cut him off. "I'm not going to let you stand in the rain like this."
He gave me that look again - the one that seemed almost amused by my insistence. "Your consideration is unnecessary, milady. My comfort is secondary to yours."
"Well, I'm not comfortable watching you get soaked," I replied stubbornly, just as Martha hurried over with a second umbrella.
I couldn't help but notice how his shirt was already clinging to his shoulders as he finally accepted the umbrella from Martha.
Something about the sight made me quickly look away, my cheeks feeling unexpectedly warm despite the cool rain.
"Shall we head inside?" he asked, seemingly oblivious to my reaction.
"Yes," I managed, grateful for the excuse to escape whatever this weird moment was. "Before you catch a cold."