Page 49 of Falling

I laughed again at the look on his face.

“No, no way. I didn’t even have a word for it until I was in college and I met other people who were like me. And I was one of the lucky ones, who did get to meet people who were like me. I love that it’s easier now but I think people forget how quickly things changed. When you and me were growing up, things were different.”

“They were still playing George Michael on the non-oldies stations when you were growing up,” Miles said, grinning at me. “You don’t seem old enough for that to be true, y’know?”

He took my bandaged hand again and held it in his lap. I didn’t know if he knew, consciously, that he was doing it, but I didn’t want it to stop.

“You flattering me for a reason, or?”

Miles made a noise that was half disgust, half laughter, and then all in one movement curled up beside me on the couch, resting his head on my shoulder.

He was still hanging onto my hand.

“I’m not flattering you,” he said. “I came to show you the flyers for your craft circle.”

“Oh, we’re calling it a craft circle, now?” I teased.

“Kids in the library,” Miles said. “My personal opinion is that there’s no such thing as a bad word and there’s nothing to be gained from teaching a kid that certain words are a kind of forbidden fruit, but they’re not my kids and I also don’t like it when people complain.”

“Fair,” I said. “Your job is hard enough.”

Miles made a grunt of agreement. I couldn’t see him, but I knew from the way his body relaxed that he’d closed his eyes.

I felt like the luckiest man in the world right now. Like a tired hummingbird had just passed out in my hands because for whatever reason, it felt safe with me.

Damn.

I really was falling for him.

I knew, because I also knew I’d sit here for as long as he wanted to rest and let him, no matter what else happened.

I didn’t want anything other than to be a place where he found rest.

“I won’t tell anyone if you go nap upstairs,” I offered.

“Comfy here,” Miles murmured. “But I can get up if you’re not.”

“No,” I said, leaning back so he’d be even more comfortable. “No, I’m happy here.”

“Hey, Book?” Miles murmured, more than halfway to napping already. Running the library by himself was hard on him. I was amazed at how well he was doing. There wasn’t even anything in his hair today, as far as I could tell.

“Mm?” I asked, shifting at the same time he did, suddenly confronted with those pretty blue eyes.

“I really like you,” he said.

Obviously, he didn’t mean it like it sounded. Like he liked me like I liked him, like I was falling in love with him so fast it was scaring me half to death but the last thing I wanted was to hit the brakes because I hadn’t been so excited about being alive for so long.

That didn’t stop my pulse pounding in my ears or my heart swelling with hope. Even hope I knew was ridiculous.

“I really like you,” Miles repeated, which I could barely hear over the rush of blood in my ears. “And I was wondering if⁠—”

The door to the bar creaked open.

Seth poked his head inside.

If it’d been anyone but my own brother-in-law, I might’ve killed them. Or at least barked that the bar was closed.

Miles wanted something from me, and I wanted to give it to him. Whatever it was.