"Avery," he said, his tone suddenly stripped of playfulness. His voice was deep, firm. "I don't have any girlfriend. I don't have anyone in my life other than you."
The sincerity in his words, the raw honesty in his eyes, made Avery's heart stumble. A strange warmth fluttered inside her, rising too quickly for her to smother.
She pressed her lips together, trying to suppress the foolish happiness bubbling within her chest. She could not, must not let herself fall deeper into these stupid feelings.
"Then who lives here?" she asked, her voice softer now, betraying the slight tremor of nerves.
"My grandmother," Silas answered quietly, a fondness slipping into his tone as he said the word. "My mother's mother. She lives here."
Avery's eyes widened. Grandmother? Her heart thudded in panic. She glanced down at her outfit, her gaze sweeping over every seam and detail.
