Page 11 of Mortala
Because he knows what I did. And after how I left things with him…
“Maddie, come on, you’ve got this. Don’t let us lose to these assholes,” Kaitlin laughs, grabbing my arm.
The shock of her cold hands against the heat of my skin has my neck snapping in her direction. I must look crazed, because she drops her hand and steps back.
Not even caring how I must be acting right now, I turn from Kaitlin and scan the crowd again for Austin.
What the hell?
He disappeared.
People around the table are yelling for me to toss the ball, meanwhile Miles is staring at me harshly like he’s trying to figure out what the fuck is wrong with me. I don’t know what to do so I just throw it, not even bothered to care if I actually make it or not. The ball lands in the grass and the crowd erupts into cheers for our opponents, only Miles isn’t smiling. He’s looking at me concerned, the gears clearly turning in his brain.
I can’t think right now. I practically run back into the house looking for Austin, bumping into multiple people as I rush through the space, but he’s not here. I know I saw him standing there watching me.
The feeling of a fist closing around my arm has my heart dropping to my stomach, my eyes closing on instinct before I turn around to face my best friend.
“Au—” I swallow my words the moment my eyes land on a set of blue ones that cause my heart to race.
Miles grabs me by both arms. “Hey, it’s just me. You alright? You look like you just saw a ghost or something.”
And maybe I had, I don’t know. I can’t shake that chilling sensation I felt when I looked at him, though. Ithadto be him.
“I just—I thought I saw someone I knew. From back home.”
Maybe I drank too much or got hot boxed by everyone smoking. I’m definitely starting to feel drunk now that the room is slowly tilting and there seems to be two of everyone. Everyone but Miles. There could only be one of him.
“And where is home?”
Miles is looking at me, his hand still on my arm, thumb rubbing small circles as if to calm me down. Heat courses through me again from his touch. I don’t want to tell him anything from my past. I’m afraid he’ll find things out that he shouldn’t about me, but I tell him anyway.
“Alabama. It was just a small little town, you probably never heard of it. I only moved here a few months ago, and I was staying with my aunt in San Francisco until I moved into the dorms.” I realize I just said a lot more than I intended to, seeming way too eager to tell him about myself, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
“Alabama, huh? Seems like you’re a little far from home, Princess.” He lets go of my arms, but instead of backing away from me, his hands drift down my arms until his fingers are gently grazing my own. I can feel my heart beating faster with every gentle caress of his fingers.
“Why do you keep calling me Princess?”
He doesn’t answer my question, he just stays silent as he looks into my eyes, one corner of his lips curling as he grins at me. When he looks at me as intently as he is, I wonder if he can see directly into my soul. If he can see the small shadows of darkness that linger there beneath the light. What would he think if he knew I killed my father?
Would he still be calling me Princess?
Probably not.
He’d probably run for the hills, and I wouldn’t blame him if he did. If the roles were reversed, I’d probably do the same.
Miles looks at me with a serious expression and asks, “Do you want to find someplace quiet, Maddie? To talk.”
I’ve seen enough movies and tv shows to know what that means, and yet I find myself nodding like an idiot. There’s that liquid courage again.
He interlaces our fingers and leads me toward the flight of stairs on our right. I glance back toward the party to see Kaitlin walking back inside. She looks up at us, eyeing Miles and me as we make our way up the stairs, a concerned look on her face. I smile at her so she knows that I’m okay, until she and the rest of the crowd disappear.
5.Miles
Maddie isthe most unexpectedly perfect interruption I didn’t know I needed in my life. She has been on my mind since I ran into her earlier this week. When I saw her walk outside in those shorts and black top, I knew she was going to be mine.
She doesn’t even realize the effect she has on people—on me. Every guy in that backyard had their eyes on her. I saw the way they looked at her, even Chase was eyeing her. The idea of anyone else’s hands on her body had me seeing red. I need to stake my claim on her now, and make sure she knows it, too.
I walk her over to Chase's room, knowing he won’t be coming up here for a while, locking the door behind her once she’s inside. Turning to look at her, I notice how nervous she looks to be in here with me—a guy she knows nothing about. Maddie is looking around the room, playing with her hands as she takes in her surroundings.
