Page 105 of Home With You

"And how do I look at you?"

"Like a piece of meat."

She holds back her laughter. "What kind of meat?"

"Filet mignon, of course. Only the best."

"I was thinking hamburger."

"You're such a liar." I grab her and pull her into a hug. "I'm better than hamburger and you know it."

"Let me go!" she says as she laughs. "I'm being attacked by hamburger!"

I loosen my grip on her but keep her in my arms. "Is that better?"

She takes a breath and turns to lean back against my chest. "Why are you really here, Miles?"

"Because I was worried about you."

"Why?"

"Because I care about you. But you already know that."

"But why? Why do you care so much?"

"Because..." I don't know what to say. If I tell her how I feel about her, there's a good chance she'll freak out and tell me to go away. "I just do, okay? I care about you."

"I care about you too," she says, just loud enough for me to hear.

It's in that moment that I feel like things suddenly change between us. It's the first time Raine's admitted she has feelings for me. Until now, I was never really sure. The whole time I've known her, she's tried to pretend she felt nothing for me, or she'd say things to make me think I was only imagining she had feelings for me when she really didn't.

But hearing her say that just now, and the way that she said it, like she wasn't sure she wanted me to hear it, I know it's real. That she really does feel something for me.

I pull her closer and kiss her head, and mouth the words I desperately want to tell her but can't. I love you, Raine.

23

Raine

Resting against Miles' chest as he holds me in his arms is messing with my head. I keep trying to convince myself I don't have feelings him but when we're together like this, I can't deny it. I love him. And I love how he makes me feel.

My whole life, I've felt ashamed of who I am. People looked down on me because of my loser dad, and having a mom who didn't want me made me feel worthless. I didn't do well in school. I couldn't play sports. I had friends, but not many. Most people ignored me and acted like I didn't exist. I felt like I didn't matter. Rob took advantage of that, preying on my need for attention. My need to feel special. But I never felt special with Rob.

With Miles I do. He acts like I'm the most special girl in the world. I have no idea why he sees me that way but he does. And that's why my efforts not to love him keep failing. Every time I try to shut off my feelings for him, they keep coming back.

"You want to sleep?" Miles asks.

His voice startles me from my thoughts. "Yeah." I turn and smile at him. "Thanks for stopping by."

He chuckles. "Raine, I'm not leaving you here. You're either coming back with me or we're sleeping here."

"You'd stay with me?"

"Of course. There's no place I'd rather be."

I look down, and am about to tell him to leave like I normally would, but instead I lay down on the sleeping bag and pull the blanket over me.

"So I guess we're sleeping here," he says with a laugh. He lays down beside me, pulling the blanket over both of us.

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