Buy One, Get Two and Three... - 53. Chapter 53

Toby

Toby hurried from the bathroom when loud pounding came from the front door. Tara got there first and Toby sped up when he heard the obvious concern in her voice.

Halfway down the stairs Toby found himself knocked backward, and it took him a moment to realize he now had a lap full of Silas, and he was sobbing quietly.

“Silas, what’s happened? Are you okay? Is Daniel okay? Talk to me, please.”

Tara had followed and had her phone to her ear.

“Daniel is fine with Carlos,” she said after hanging up. “Carlos thought Silas was with Oliver. Apparently, Oliver wanted to talk to Silas before all of us meeting at the movie later.”

“I’ll find out what’s going on,” Toby reassured her and scooped Silas up into his arms. Wincing as he got up from the stairs, he knew he was going to have some new bruises.

Kicking the bedroom door closed he dropped Silas into one of the soft chairs by the fireplace. He crouched beside the chair and clasped one of Silas’ hands between both of his.

“Talk to me, Bro.”

“He said he loves me.” Silas’ voice was quiet and Toby had to strain to hear him. Silas lifted his face and Toby looked into his shining eyes. “He said he loves me.”

“I assume we’re talking about Oliver?” Toby said, amused at the shell-shocked nod Silas gave him. “So, what did you say to him?” At Silas’ silence, Toby had a bad feeling. “Please don’t tell me you didn’t tell him that you at least like him.”

“I…Well, I…I may have run away…a bit.”

Toby couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Let me get this straight. The man you’ve been mooning over all this time tells you he loves you, and you run away?”

A punch to his arm caught Toby off guard, knocking him to the ground. Silas landed on him again slapping at his chest. “Don’t laugh at me. What was I meant to do? I’ve never had a lover. Never had a boyfriend. Hell, except for our parents, you, and Daniel, no one has ever said I love you to me. I panicked.”

Silas slid off him and curled into a ball. “What do I do now? He won’t want to even talk to me after the display I put on. I love him, I do. But, I can’t seem to say it to him. I’m scared.”

Toby sat up and was reaching for Silas when movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He smiled and got out of the way as Oliver entered the room. How much the man had heard Toby wasn’t sure of, but he had obviously heard the last part.

Silas

Silas felt arms wrap around him and it took a moment for him to realize it wasn’t Toby. Stiffening, he slowly looked up and felt sick when he realized it was Oliver holding him. When had he arrived? How much had he heard? Oh God, what was he going to do?

“Hey, now,” Oliver's soft voice washed over him, soothing him. “Come on, let’s get you off the floor.”

Oliver picked him up and instead of putting him back on the chair as he expected, he found himself cuddled into Oliver’s lap while he sat on the bed.

Silas closed his eyes, he wanted to block out what the feared was going to happen.

“I’m scared too.”

Silas’ gaze snapped up to meet Oliver's.

“What?”

“I’m scared too,” Oliver repeated. “More so now than when I first got up the courage to say what I did earlier. Then I was only scared that you would laugh in my face. Now, I’m scared that I may have hurt you and that you won’t want to see me again.”

Silas frowned. “Why would I laugh at you? And why wouldn’t I want to see you again? I’m the one who ran away like a coward. I panicked when I couldn’t think what to say to you and ran. Then when I stopped, I panicked again about how I could apologize for running off and that you wouldn’t want me now I’ve shown how weak I am. I—”

Oliver's kiss cut off Silas’ rant and all Silas could do was melt into Oliver's welcoming embrace.

Oliver broke the kiss just long enough to say, “I think, in this case, actions speak louder than words.”

Then his lips claimed Silas’ again and they both gave up on speaking anytime soon.