“For fuck’s sake, Miles.Jesus.” I’d heard their dad curse when he missed a shot on the golf course or dropped a wrench on his toe, but it was rare. He raked a hand through his hair as he paced.
Mrs. Beckett sat down and held her son’s hands on his knees. “Miles, has she said that kind of stuff to you before?”
“I just… she just… it’s not like… she’s not…” Miles cried and squeezed his mom’s hands, but wouldn’t look at any of us.
“Miles, honey, look at me.” She guided her son’s face to hers with a feather touch on his chin. “This is important. Does she speak to you that way often? Calling you names?”
“She has a temper, yeah.”
“What does that mean? Can you explain it to me?”
Miles sniffled and took a breath, calming down. “She calls me names sometimes, yeah. But I know it’s just because she gets frustrated with me. She’s under so much pressure trying to makeit as an influencer. So, I get it. It’s not a big deal. It’s my fault for pissing her off.”
After hearing what she thought of her friends, that wasn’t surprising in the least. I wished Lena had been in the car with me. She’d have far more interesting things to say to the blushing bride.
“Has she…” His mom was unwavering, never letting her eyes slip from her son. “Honey, has she ever hit you?”
“No. She shoves me when she’s really upset sometimes, but she’s never hit me.” He chuckled through his tears. “She’s so small. It’s funny.” The wetness on his cheeks kept catching the light, making his breezy tone sound insane.
I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, my stomach turning. Shoving wasn’t hitting. But it also wasn’t the way someone should treat their future spouse.
His mom shared a pursed-lip, tight-eyed look with her husband. “Okay. Okay. Would she… Does she get mad at you when you hang out with your friends or us?”
Miles swallowed. “She doesn’tloveit when I go out. Men are supposed to be providers. The breadwinner and leader. You know? Like… I can’t… I shouldn’t be going out anyway. What for? Spend money and drink and look at girls? No way.”
I’d heard him say something like that before. What a gross sentiment. The vast majority of us hanging out before he met her was video games, pizza, and beer. I dragged a hand down my face.
“Dinner with your family isn’t the same as a damn strip club, bud,” Mr. Beckett said from behind me, startling me again.
“Hank, please,” Mrs. Beckett said. Then turned back to Miles. “Has she ever tried to get you to stay when you wanted to leave? Or taken your phone?”
Miles laughed. “We have a total open phone policy. It’s how it’s done today to create a healthy relationship.” He blinkedand smiled. “We also go on phone diets, but she has to be on hers since that’s her job, so I get it.” He took his hands back and looked at the ground as his brow came together. “There was a time we fought about Ryder, actually,” he squeezed his eyes, “and she wouldn’t let me leave, then said I’d have to move her from the door, but if I touched her, she’d call the cops and tell them I hit her.”
“Oh my God.” It was the first time Lena didn’t sound enraged.
I sat back in the chair so hard that the front legs lifted off the ground. Holyfuckingshit. That was… She was… Holy FUCK. The back of my neck burned just as hot as my face. My jaw flapped, trying to find words.
The only ones I found were, “Holy crap, man. That’s beyond messed up.”
“Miles, honey…” His mom rubbed his arm. “Would she be angry if she knew we were talking about this?”
The color drained from Miles’s face, and his eyes went wide, while his leg bounced on its sole. I’d only ever seen that look one other time, at the VIP pool party, when he was terrified that the guys had posted things to social media.
I wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him. How could he be that blind? It was obvious tome,for fuck’s sake!
“No… you’re not gonna tell her, right? This is just between us, right? It’s family business. No one needs to know. This stays between us.” He smiled. “I’m just joking, anyway.”
Lena and their dad had taken the two remaining seats around us. Miles’s eyes were wild, flicking back and forth between all of us.
Mr. Beckett said, “We’re not gonna tell anyone, buddy.”
Miles let out a breath, but his shoulders looked so tight they buzzed.
“Honey, look at me,” His mom said, and Miles did. “That’s not someone with a temper. It’s not stress. It’s abuse. Your father and I wouldneverspeak to each other that way, or let anyone speak toyoulike that. We’d never belittle or demean one another, or ever,evertry to stop them from seeing their loved ones. Even when your aunts and uncles drive us crazy.” She smiled and brushed Miles’s face with her thumb.
Lena said, “Yeah, Mi. That’s not okay. Why didn’t you tell us all this before?” Her anger had faded into concern.
“There’s nothing to tell.”
