A Brighter, Darker Art by Halli Starling

Author:Halli Starling [Halli Starling]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amanda Fensch
Published: 2022-12-27T00:00:00+00:00

Watching Silvan and Bonnie together was fascinating. Raf saw the bond, the love, the care. It was hard not to; they clearly got along and were more alike, personality-wise, than either seemed to understand. He was quickly learning about this other side to Silvan - the doting father, the worrywart, the easy sense of humor. Sure, he’d seen flashes of it at work, like the obvious pride on his face when he spoke about Bonnie. But sitting across from them in a tiny booth in a refurbished warehouse over steaming bowls of noodles was an entirely different experience.

It was also intimate in a way he hadn’t been expecting. Then again, he hadn’t expected the invitation at all. From the way Silvan had grimaced at his slip-up, Raf had figured he was sunk. He’d inadvertently let the proverbial cat out of the bag, but instead of anger or confusion, Bonnie had simply said, “Dad, you should have told me.” And on the walk over to the restaurant, Silvan had drawn Raf aside to whisper, “Please don’t worry about it. It was my fault for not telling her.”

And now he was being peppered with questions from a very smart twenty year old college student whose bright eyes betrayed her enthusiasm.

“So you started Ablaze when you were…thirty?” Bonnie caught some noodles in her chopsticks and slurped them down before continuing. “That’s incredible.”

Pride coursed through his system. “Ah, well, thank you. The dream, and the word, started before that, but yes. It was right after my thirtieth birthday, in fact.”

Silvan shot him a grin. It was a warm, wonderful thing that curled up in Raf’s chest in response, so he held tight to that sensation. Those blue eyes knew too much, and at the same time, promised something secretive, enticing. “You celebrated a milestone birthday by opening a business. So what happens at forty?”

Raf groaned. “That is the last thing I wish to think about. Give me some credit, I’m a few years away from that.”

“Better start planning. Trip of a lifetime maybe?” Silvan turned to his daughter. “Remember mine, Bon?”

“Dad took me to Scotland,” she replied. A waiter dressed in tight jeans and a crop top bustled up to refill their waters and give Silvan a beer he’d ordered. When they left, Bonnie said, “It was really fun. Though I wish you’d done something more for yourself then.”

“I did what I wanted to,” Silvan countered with a pat to her hand. “I took you with me.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes playfully. “I tell everyone I have the best parents but I don’t think most people believe me.”

“Well, I certainly do,” Raf said after another bite. “Just like I believe I owe Camilla a favor for introducing us to this place. It’s astounding.”

“So…Camilla.” Bonnie was biting her lip and toying with the end of her napkin.

Raf tried very hard not to laugh at the way Silvan’s eyebrows went up. “Yes?” he replied.

Bonnie was going for subtle and failing hard. So she didn’t have her father’s smooth charm, but she was young.

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