Chapter 2

2

"Miles, your sister said you were bringing your secret girlfriend home for dinner. She's in the living room, isn't she?"

"I'm just curious. If this Mia girl is your girlfriend, then what exactly am I?"

Miles shifted his gaze, unable to look me in the eye. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, okay? But today is really important for me and Mia. Can you just not cause a scene?"

My heart took a sharp hit, but I didn't let it show. I pressed him. "So, she's the one you're going public with? Not me?"

Miles bit his lip and kept his head down. Finally, he gave a slow, pathetic nod.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh. I wasn't just laughing at Miles anymore; I was laughing at how stupid I had been.

With one nod, he had stripped me of my title and turned our entire year of romance into a bad joke.

"Look, maybe you should just leave," Miles said, his voice full of audacity.

Before I could even respond, Hannah burst into the hallway.

"Miles! What the hell are you saying to her? I'm the one who invited Jade!"

She hopped over the glass shards and smacked Miles on the back of the head.

"Are you seriously being shy around Jade? Are you that embarrassed? She's basically your sister!"

Hannah had no clue what was going on. She smiled and looped her arm through mine.

My legs felt like jelly, but I used Hannah's strength to keep myself upright.

"She's right, Miles. I want to meet your girl. Don't be so stingy," I said, looking him straight in the eyes.

From the living room, a soft, dainty voice called out. "Miles? Can you come here? I think my blood sugar is getting low."

Miles didn't even look back at me. He rushed to the living room, his voice dripping with concern. "What's wrong, Mia? Do we need to go to the ER?"

Hannah was worried too, so she pulled me along into the living room.

There she was. A girl in a white sundress, looking like a fragile little bird as she leaned into Miles's arms.

She gave us a perfectly timed, apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry. I skipped lunch and got a bit lightheaded. A piece of candy should fix it."

Then, she turned her eyes toward me. "And who is this?"

Miles spoke up quickly, terrified she would suspect something. "She's a friend of my sister's."

"We aren't really close."

......

Not close?

That was hilarious.

The truth is, I never thought I'd end up dating Miles.

I'm three years older than him. I watched him go from a crying toddler to a dorky teenager. Before he confessed, I never even saw him as a man.

Everything changed one winter night two years ago.

I had a terrible flu and had worked late. I found Miles shivering outside my apartment door.

I didn't know how long he'd been waiting or how nervous he was to ask when I'd be home.

He lit up the moment he saw me. He pulled a bouquet of roses from under his coat, worried they'd wilt in the cold. He didn't care that he was freezing.

At his feet was a massive bag filled with every cold medicine imaginable.

"Jade, I saw your post. I don't want you to be sick and alone anymore. I don't want to hide how much I care about you. I love you."

He was so sincere, so vulnerable.

Back then, I just thought he'd lost his mind from the cold.

I laughed it off and tried to go inside, but he grabbed me from behind. I turned and saw his eyes were red. He sounded like he was about to cry.

"Jade, please. Don't reject me."

"I'm begging you..."

In that moment, something in me softened. The way he looked at me made me realize he wasn't just the kid from next door anymore. He was a man.