Chapter 4 Let's Catch Up

• Kerry's POV
• Silas and I didn’t speak for two days. Well, more like he didn’t speak to me. I tried. I really tried. I’d corner him in the kitchen or on the stairs, but every time, he’d breeze past me like I didn’t exist. One second he was there, and the next, I was staring at an empty hallway. He acted so human most days that I forgot he wasn’t—until moments like this, when his supernatural ability to avoid me came into full display.
• It was infuriating. Especially because I hadn’t done anything wrong. Sure, Carter and I had a history, but that was ancient history. I wasn’t a cheat—I would never stoop that low. Silas knew that. He had to know that. So, what was his problem?
• To make things worse, we were living with our parents. Bill and Sarah had to have noticed the tension by now. Sarah had given me a look earlier, the kind that promised she’d corner me for a motherly chat about "understanding men." God, the last thing I needed was advice from her about "winning my man back." My man—who was also my stepbrother. Yeah, that made everything a thousand times more awkward. Maybe this was why people didn’t date within the family. Even stepfamily.
• At least Octavia wasn’t my problem right now. Sarah had fully embraced her role as grandmother, and honestly, I was a little jealous of how effortlessly she handled the baby. Meanwhile, I was sitting in the living room, nursing a glass of Bill’s stupidly expensive wine, and half-watching a trashy romance movie.
• Then Silas walked in.
• I heard him before I saw him, his leather jacket creaking as he descended the stairs. The scent of his cologne hit me next, rich and sharp, and even though I was mad, my head turned automatically. He didn’t glance my way, didn’t acknowledge my presence at all. He crossed to the shelf where Bill kept his car keys, grabbed one, and headed for the door.
• “Silas?” I called out. He kept walking.
• “Silas!” I stood, abandoning my wine on the coffee table. “You jerk!”
• I chased him to the car, but he slammed the door shut in my face before I could reach him. The engine roared to life, and he started backing out of the driveway. Desperate, I did the only thing that came to mind—I threw myself onto the hood of the car.
• The brakes squealed as the car lurched to a stop.
• Silas jumped out, his face twisted in anger. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
• I slid off the hood, my legs trembling a little as I stood to face him. “Why haven’t you been talking to me?” My voice cracked, and I hated how vulnerable I sounded.
• “I don’t feel like it,” he said coldly.
• “Where are you going?” I demanded.
• “Out with friends,” he replied, his tone dripping with indifference. “Or am I not allowed to do that either?”
• I froze, staring at him. Part of me wanted to throw myself into his arms and beg him to stop acting like this. Instead, I clenched my fists and forced myself to walk around the car. I opened the passenger door and slid in.
• “I’m coming with you,” I said firmly.
• Silas rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
• The drive was silent. Painfully silent. I stared at my bare feet, realizing I’d forgotten to grab shoes in my rush. My gaze flicked to Silas, his hands gripping the wheel, his jaw tight. The space between us felt unbearable.
• “Silas,” I said softly, leaning toward him. I reached out, hoping to close some of the distance.
• “I’m driving,” he snapped, his eyes glued to the road.
• I leaned back, biting my lip to stop myself from pushing further. The silence stretched on until the car pulled up outside a building I recognized immediately.
• The Night Dweller.
• My stomach twisted. I’d only been here once, but I could never forget this place. I glanced at Silas out of the corner of my eye. Why would he come here? Why now?
• He got out without a word, and I followed. The bar was dimly lit, with soft jazz playing in the background. If I didn’t know what went on here, I might’ve thought it was almost respectable. But I knew better.
• Silas walked straight for the back door. My skin prickled with anxiety as we descended the stairs to the VIP area. This was where the real "fun" happened—fun by vampire standards. I stuck close to Silas, practically glued to his back. He glanced at me briefly, his eyes flicking down to my bare feet with a frown.
• “Don’t wander off,” he said sharply, then strode away.
• I moved to follow him, but stopped in my tracks when a woman darted forward and threw her arms around him.
• “Silas, baby,” she drawled, her voice slurring slightly. “It’s been too long.”
• My stomach dropped. My gaze locked on her hands, where they rested on his shoulders, then moved to her face. My hands clenched into fists as I recognized her.
• Tammy.
• “Get off,” Silas said, pushing her away. But Tammy just laughed, clinging to his arm and dragging him toward a group of vampires lounging in the corner.
• I followed slowly, my feet heavy, my heart even heavier. The scent of blood filled the air, metallic and overwhelming. I felt dizzy, out of place.
• And then I saw Silas sit down next to Tammy like he belonged there. Like he was comfortable. My chest ached as I stood frozen, staring at the scene before me. Tammy looked up and noticed me. Her eyes narrowed in displeasure, clearly she wasn't happy to see me here, that's fine, I didn't like her either. I glared right back. "Silas, baby," Tammy cooed, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "I didn’t know you’d be bringing your sister. She might cause a scene like last time. How about I take her out for you?"
• "Fuck off. Mind your business," Silas snapped, not even looking at her.
• "Aw, always so damn protective," she said with a smirk, but there wasn’t a hint of humor in her eyes. Her hand slid onto Silas’s lap like it belonged there, and her gaze shifted to me, taunting. Daring me to react.
• I rolled my eyes, refusing to give her the satisfaction. Silas, meanwhile, downed his drink like neither of us existed.
• What was I even doing here? He clearly didn’t care if I was around or not. If he wanted to act like this—like I didn’t matter—then fine. Let him. My stomach churned with anger and hurt as I turned on my heel and marched toward the door.
• I pushed it open, only to collide with someone on the other side.
• "S… sorry," I stammered, stepping back without even looking at who it was. I tried to sidestep him, but a hand on my arm stopped me.
• "I can tell," a familiar voice said, calm and steady.
• My head shot up, and my eyes widened. "Deric? What are you doing here?"
• He smiled faintly. "I own the bar, remember? The real question is, what are you doing here?"
• I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder toward Silas. He was still seated, chatting merrily with his so-called friends. He hadn’t even noticed I was gone.
• "Silas," I muttered, nodding in his direction.
• Deric followed my gaze, raising an eyebrow at the scene. Then he turned back to me, his lips curling into a knowing smirk. "Well, he seems to be having a good time without you. How about I help you take your mind off your little love for now, hm?"
• I narrowed my eyes at him. "You’re not going to bite me, are you?"
• "Not unless you want me to," he said, his grin widening.
• "Don’t kid," I snapped, though my lips twitched despite myself.
• My gaze drifted back to Silas and Tammy. She was leaning closer to him now, batting her long lashes like she thought it would impress him. Silas ignored her, knocking back glass after glass of blood, but he didn’t even glance in my direction.
• I scoffed, my chest tight with frustration. "Let’s catch up," I said to Deric. At least he seemed to care that I was here.