Unfortunately for me, Miles stuck around for the rest of the unloading and then some.
Between his backhanded comments about Ellie’s eating habits and the way his gaze lingered on places it shouldn’t, jealousy burned like a low flame in my chest. But I held my ground.
Ellie wasn’t bothered—or at least, she didn’t show it—so I couldn’t exactly go caveman and turn it into a problem if she didn’t see one.
About thirty minutes ago, Miles took a phone call and stepped outside. Something told me he wasn’t coming back, and honestly, I wasn’t complaining.
Ellie and I had moved on to unpacking her boxes, starting with the kitchen. She was on her tiptoes, stacking bowls into a cabinet when the words tumbled out of me.
“I need to ask you something.”
“Shoot,” she said, balancing the last bowl before turning back around.
“Was it just me, or is that Miles guy a complete tool?”
Ellie gave me a look that was half amusement, halfreally, Logan?
“The comments he made, the way he kept looking at you…” I shook my head, still not over it. “I mean?—”
“Logan,” she interrupted with a laugh, brushing it off. “He’s just some guy. It’s not a big deal. He can say whatever he wants. I’m choosing to believe he means well. He’s just… different.”
“Different?” I echoed, incredulous.
“He’s not from here. He’s from the city. People there are more…” She swirled her hands in the air, trying to catch the right word.
“Condescending? Asshole-ish?” I offered.
She snorted. “No. Just… straightforward. I kind of like it.”
The words hit me square in the chest. My jaw tightened, but I swallowed everything I wanted to say. I didn’t want to overstep, especially not after what she’d been through in Faircloud. She needed to trust her gut again. Not have someone else tell her what it should be saying.
So instead, I exhaled, grabbed another set of items from the box, and placed them carefully on her counter.
“I just want to make sure you’re okay with it,” I said, quieter now.Because I sure as hell would never treat you like that.
“I’m okay,” she replied, reaching out and placing her hand on my arm. The warmth of her touch settled something restless in me.
“I have to say, though,” I added, unable to stop myself, “when he made that comment about you eating too much processed sugar and blowing up like a balloon, I nearlydidblow up.”
Something in Miles’s eyes shifted every time Ellie brushed him off, like he didn’t like being laughed at. It wasn’t just irritation; it was something deeper. Something darker. Something I didn’t trust.
“He’s different,” Ellie said again, softer this time, like she was trying to convince herself. “He’s not some small-town guy wanting to settle down with the small-town girl. Maybedifferentis what I need. And who would I be if I didn’t at least try something new?”
Her smile was gentle, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
I stepped forward and cupped her face with both hands, holding her still so she’d really hear me.
“I don’t like him. Not even a little.” She rolled her eyes, but I didn’t let her look away. “But if you trust him, I’ll back off. I’ll respect that. If he does anything that feels wrong, you come to me. Immediately. Got it?”
Ellie’s grin softened into something real, something warm. She nodded.
“I will,” she muttered. “I promise.”
I lingered for a moment or two longer before I let go and took a step back toward the open box.
“We are going on a date this weekend, so I can tell you more about him after that.”
My stomach dropped to my feet, and I paused. It felt like a dozen elephants sat on my chest, weighing me down with my feelings.
