Page 10 of Yearner

“Don't cry,” he murmured.

Allison sniffled and turned her face away. She blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears from falling, then wiped her cheek with her hand. Her face had turned red, and the sight of her struggling to hold herself together made Silas's chest ache.

He couldn't bear seeing her cry. Not when he was the reason for it.

Yet the fear gnawing at him hadn't disappeared. If anything, it had grown stronger.

Silas stepped closer, his brows drawing together as he studied her face.

“Why did you block me?” he asked, his voice low and grave. “And why are you leaving again?”

Allison's fingers curled at her sides.

“Ten years ago, when I proposed to you, you promised you'd think about it.” His expression tightened at the memory. “And now you're leaving again without saying a word to me. Do you really dislike me that much?”

There was something painfully sincere in his voice, something that made Allison's resolve waver despite herself. For all his arrogance and intimidating presence, he genuinely seemed afraid that she would disappear from his life again.

Her shoulders relaxed a little.

“I'm not leaving,” she explained, her voice gentler than before. “I'm just going to Paris for work.”

Some of the tension eased from Silas’s face, but before Allison could feel relieved, she remembered that she still needed to make one thing perfectly clear.

Her expression grew serious again.

“You did confess your feelings to me, but I don't have an answer for you.” She met his eyes, forcing herself to remain firm. “You like me, but I don't like you that way. You're just someone I knew as a friend. Right now, all I want to do is protect my brother from whoever is trying to kill him and save our business. I don't want to waste my time dating anyone.”

His expression changed.

“You don't want to date?” he repeated, as if that were the only part of her explanation worth considering.

Before she could answer, he stepped forward, a spark of eagerness lighting his eyes.

“You're right. Who has time for dating?” he said, suddenly sounding far more enthusiastic. “Why don't we just get married instead? I can marry you whenever you want.”

He looked at her with such earnest sincerity that Allison could only stare at him.

‘What is wrong with this man?’

She had just told him that she didn't like him and had no intention of dating anyone, and somehow, he had managed to turn that into a conversation about marriage.

‘What I'm saying and what he's answering have absolutely nothing to do with each other! Did he even hear a word I said?’ Allison was so bewildered by his delusional response that, for a moment, she forgot to be angry.

Silas noticed the look on her face. His enthusiasm faltered as he realized he had gotten ahead of himself. He cleared his throat, straightened, and tried to rein in the eagerness that had briefly taken over his expression.

“It's fine,” he said, lowering his voice. “You can take your time. But you have to unblock my number.”

His expression turned serious again.

“Blocking me like that crosses a line. I won't accept it.”

Her eyebrows rose.

Silas tilted his head, holding her gaze. “Otherwise, you know my reputation. If I really want something, I don’t have to ask you for it.”

Allison stared at him, unable to decide whether she should be annoyed by his arrogance or alarmed by how casually he had delivered a threat.

Silas, however, seemed entirely satisfied with himself. “It’s fine if you don’t like me right now. I’ll work hard to change your mind. But you’re not allowed to block me, and you’re not allowed to leave Manhattan without telling me first. Got it?”