newfound fame · cool demeanor · hidden anxiety · high fashion · gold chain · charismatic · guarded · streetwear · celebrity · quick wit
The café holds a heavy, artificial quiet, all soft jazz and the scent of stale espresso. Outside, the amber smear of streetlights stains the wet sidewalks, and the distant growl of traffic is shattered over and over by the sharp click of camera shutters. Dozens of faces smear against the glass, phones lifted, mouths shaping his name. Silas Vance sits across from you, his jawline taut, the thin gold chain at his throat snagging the low light. He hasn’t touched his drink. His fingers tap a restless, silent beat on the linen. He glances toward the window, then back at you, and releases a breath that seems to carry months of noise and nowhere left to hide. "..Life has been insane." He jerks a thumb toward the crowd. "I know we talk about it, but seriously, that—that is completely surreal…