Page 10 of Before This Ends (Before)

“I live right across the street.” I motion with my head toward my building.

“Miles.” We both turn our attention back to the bar, where the woman I saw him with is now standing outside the doors with her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her pretty face.

“Give me a minute, Brit,” he tells her, and her back straightens with annoyance. But he misses it when he turns to face me once more.

“You should get back to your date,” I tell him quietly, sending her an apologetic glance.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asks, ignoring my comment.

God, he really is a nice guy. I know he and Miranda talk, so without a doubt he knows I was just inside with Eli, and he probably knows why he and I were in there talking.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I say softly, wrapping my arms around my middle when a cold breeze begins to pick up, causing me to shiver.

His gaze drops to my arms, then he glances toward where my building is. “I should let you go. It’s too cold to be standing out here.”

“I’ll see you around. Give Winter a hug for me.”

“Will do.” He tucks his hands into his pockets, and I turn on my heels and head for the crosswalk, feeling eyes on me until I get across the street. When I reach the door to my building, I turn and see he’s still standing where I left him, only now he has Brit at his side, with her body curled around his.

CHAPTER5

miles

“Jesus,” I mutter under my breath when Winter steps out of her bedroom wearing one of the princess costumes she got for Christmas. The yellow, frilly dress is hanging haphazard off of one shoulder—probably because she couldn’t manage the Velcro in the back on her own. The crown on her head is not the cheap plastic one that came with the dress but something her mom got her from some fancy boutique that sells costume jewelry in Colorado. Then, there are plastic heels on her feet that are hot-pink and barely stay on with each step she takes.

Any other time, I might think her outfit is cute, but on a school day when we have limited time to get out the door, not so much.

“You gotta go change, Win,” I tell her before she even begins to walk across the living room to where I’m standing in the kitchen at the island, slathering cream cheese on her bagel.

“Today is Dress Up Day at school,” she informs me, getting closer, and I take my eyes off her and go to the fridge to look at the calendar for her class. Something I print off every month, so I can pretend I know what the hell is going on.

“It’s Dress Up Like Your Future Profession Day.” I look back at her.

“I know, and I’m going to be a princess when I grow up.” She pulls out one of the chairs at the island and clumsily climbs up onto it. Judging by the sound that accompanies the task, she loses both shoes before she’s got her bottom on the cushion.

“That might be true, but you still can’t wear that dress to school.” I walk back to the island and slide her plate across the marbled surface toward her.

“Why not?” She picks up one of the strawberries, shoving the whole thing in her mouth and keeping her eyes locked on mine.

The question is a good one, and one I don’t have an answer to. Or I do, and it’s “because I said so,” but since I know that won’t slide, I go for the truth.

“It’s too cold out for that dress.” And it is. Summer might be coming up, but it’s still cold in the mornings.

“I’ll wear my jacket.” She shrugs, picking up the bagel half on her plate.

“The jacket you forgot at school yesterday?”

Her nose scrunches. “I’ll wear my sweater.”

“Your legs will still be cold.”

“I can put on tights,” she tells me with a mouthful, and I inwardly groan. If I had a wife, I’d pass this argument on to her and hope she’s better at thinking on her feet than I am. But I don’t have a wife, and Hazel, her mom, is halfway across the country in Colorado, so not even she’s going to be able to bail me out this morning.

“You’re going to have to change, Win. Why don’t you wear the doctor costume you have in your room?”

“I don’t want to be a doctor; I want to be a princess. Holly and Tapia are going to be a princess too. We have a plan.”

Fuck it.

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