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Me: She’s my sister. Shut your face. And also, goodnight.
I silence my phone and lie back on my bed, but I couldn’t sleep again if I wanted to. Instead, I grab a book—friends to lovers, because I’ve gotta have some hope—and head downstairs. After making some hot cocoa with extra whipped cream, I sit down on the sun porch. I’m just getting settled into the book when a throat clears.
My eyes drift up, and I see Miles standing in the driveway looking at me.
Busted.
“Come on,” I say, motioning to the door.
He climbs onto the porch and slides a bag from the bakery in front of me. “Needed sleep, huh?”
“Miles—”
“Seriously, Rae. This shit has to stop. Stop hiding from him. Last night, this morning—”
“I’m not. Will you just shut up and listen?”
I stare daggers at him, and he relents, dropping into a chair and gesturing for me to talk.
“I wasn’t hiding from him last night. I was on the phone with a girl who had been sexually assaulted.” His eyes widen and apology fills them. “Yeah. And before you say anything, yes, I danced with Jesse last night, but it was dancing. Amanda was the only one handsy with me last night,” I joke.
“I can see that. She’s very touchy.” His voice is flat, but his eyes dance.
“Yeah.” A little smile pulls at my lips, and his eyes crease like he might smile too, but then he gets serious again.
“So, what’s the deal with this morning?”
“I told you I’ve been focusing on myself and trying to figure things out. One of the many things I’ve realized is that dealing with Aaron when I’m emotionally charged is not a good idea. I say mean things—things I regret later. This morning, I had a dream that we got back together, and it left me feeling a lot of complicated things, so I’m taking time for me. Time to deal with it.”
He stares at me for a moment, appraising me. Then he pulls his phone out of his pocket, sends a text, and stands up.
“Come on.”
“What?”
“Let’s go for a drive.”
I smile at that and stand up, grabbing the bag he brought me, then following him off the porch, down the driveway, and over to his car. Once I’m settled in the passenger seat, I pull the bag open to see my favorite breakfast sandwich. He shakes his head as I stare happily at it.
“Before you get your hands all greasy…” He holds out his phone.
I wave it away. “Just put on the playlist.”
He laughs a little. “You got it.”
Driveby Ben Rector blares through the speakers as I munch on my sandwich. Once it’s gone, my gaze drifts out the window as he drives into the hills.
Miles’s hand on my thigh draws my attention to him. “Hey, you okay?”
I shake my head. “That dream felt so real. It’s hard having it dangled in front of me. Especially when I’m not sure exactly where we stand with each other.”
“Do you two ever talk?” he asks, annoyed.
“Honestly, I’ve been busy these last few weeks. He walked me home last night, and we’ve been texting, just not about the big things. The last time we hung out alone, he was about to kiss me, but I got a text from the girl I’ve been helping and had to go. He didn’t try to talk to me about it, so I assumed it was just us.Blurred lines.You know. I’m trying to trust him. Believe that maybe Charleston will have the same effect it always does.”
He smiles at that.
“Can I ask you a question?”
