Page 16 of Yearner

"Are you seeing someone?"

His blunt question caught her off guard.

Allison stared at her brother, momentarily at a loss for words. Shane had always been gentle and kind, and the thought of telling him that she was dating Silas, the man protecting them who also happened to be involved in the firearms business, made her hesitate.

‘How am I supposed to tell Shane that I'm seeing Silas? He's involved in the firearms business, for heaven's sake. That's hardly going to be an easy conversation. Besides, I can't tell him yet. I don't even know if Silas and I are going to work out.’

She quickly locked her phone and shrugged as casually as she could.

"No. It's nothing. Just spam."

Shane studied her face, clearly unconvinced, but thankfully, he didn't press her. Instead, he slipped his hands into his pockets and asked, "What are your plans for tonight? Do you want to come over to my place and hang out for a while before going home? You can stay at my apartment if you want."

Allison shook her head.

"I'm going to meet Summer. She asked me to come over as soon as I landed. I'll meet her first, then head home and crash. I have absolutely no energy left in my body. All I want to do is sleep."

She gave him a tired smile before gesturing toward the exit. "Come on. Let's go."

They walked out of the airport together and headed toward the waiting cabs. After saying goodbye, they went their separate ways. Allison climbed into one cab while Shane got into another and left for his home.

Once she was settled in the back seat, Allison called Summer Garfield. Her best friend immediately told her that it had been far too long since they'd gone out drinking together and insisted they meet at a Club.

The cab dropped Allison outside, where she found Summer waiting for her. Summer stood out even in the crowd, her long honey-blonde hair falling in soft waves over her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes, sprinkled freckles, and rosy lips gave her a cute, youthful charm, while her fitted black top, stylish jeans, and delicate gold jewelry reflected her effortless sense of style. Summer always managed to look put together without seeming to try too hard, and her playful smile made her even more attractive.

Allison greeted her with a hug before following her into the club. The two of them found a place to sit and settled into their seats.

After chatting about their lives for a while, Summer finally leaned closer and bumped Allison's shoulder with hers, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

"So, what about your love life? Have you been in any relationships lately? You didn't have any before, right?"

Allison nearly choked on her drink. She quickly raised her glass to her lips, using it to hide her face while she gathered her thoughts.

‘Should I tell her about Silas? No, I can't tell her about him right now. What if things don't work out between us? We're only seeing each other for now. There's no point in making a big deal out of it yet.’

She took another sip of her drink, hoping Summer wouldn't notice her hesitation.

"That's what I thought!" Summer exclaimed triumphantly, setting her glass down. "I knew you wouldn't have dated anyone!"

Before Allison could respond, Summer leaned forward again, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"What's your type, anyway? Is there anyone you like? Have you ever had a crush on someone?"

The moment Summer asked the question, Silas's face appeared in Allison's mind, bringing back the memory of him standing so close to her that she could feel his breath against her skin. She remembered the way he had leaned down, his eyes fixed on hers, and how he had looked at her as though nothing else in the world mattered.

Her heart skipped a beat at the memory, and she found herself holding her breath.

‘Why the hell am I thinking about him now?’

Allison immediately scolded herself and shook the thought away. She bit her lip, then looked at Summer and answered as casually as she could.

"No. Not yet."

Just as she finished speaking, four men dressed in white shirts and trousers suddenly appeared around them. All four were handsome, with well-built physiques, and before Allison could figure out what was happening, the music changed to a different, more energetic beat.

She lifted her head and looked around in astonishment.

Then she turned toward Summer, who was grinning from ear to ear.