Page 55 of Home With You

She looks at me like she doesn't know me. Raine said Gladys gets confused sometimes and doesn't remember stuff.

"I'm Miles," I say, shaking her hand. "I'm Raine's friend."

She smiles. "Her boyfriend."

So she DOES remember me, and she called me Raine's boyfriend. Is she just saying that or did Raine tell Gladys I was her boyfriend?

"Is Raine here?" I ask, glancing at the tent.

"No, but she should be back soon."

I sit down on the milk crate next to Gladys. "Any idea where she went?"

"I don't know, dear," she says, her eyes going to the sack I'm holding. "What do you have there?"

I smile. "Dinner. Are you hungry?"

She doesn't answer, her eyes still on the sack.

"Bacon or ham?" I ask as I take the containers from the sack.

Her eyes light up. "Bacon."

"Bacon it is." I hand her the mac and cheese with bacon, along with a stack of napkins. "Be careful. It's hot." I help her remove the lid, then hand her a fork.

"What are you doing here?" I hear a voice ask.

Looking over at the street, I see Raine coming toward me.

I stand up. "I wanted to talk to you."

"He brought dinner." Gladys smiles as she takes a bite of her food. "Oh, my, it's delicious."

"I brought some for you too," I say to Raine. "There was a food truck down the street selling different types of—"

"Get out," she says, pointing at the street.

"Why?" I walk up to her. "What's wrong?"

She grabs my arm and pulls me toward the street, away from Gladys. "I told you I didn't want you coming here."

"Actually, you never said that. And I don't know why you would. We had a great time last night. And that kiss...I don't know what to say other than—"

"We're not talking about it. About any of it. It never should've happened."

"What shouldn't have happened?"

"All of it. Dinner. Going to your apartment. What happened afterwards. None of it should've happened." She turns and walks down the street.

"Raine, hold on." I catch up to her. "Why are you acting like this? I know you had fun last night. And I know you felt something from that kiss."

She stops and turns to me. "I don't want to do this, okay? I'm trying really hard to get my shit together, which means I don't have time for friends or boyfriends or anyone else in my life."

"You don't have time?" I ask, challenging her because time is really what she has the most of right now.

She sighs. "Yes, I have time if we're talking actual minutes on a clock. What I meant is I don't have time for THIS. For dating and relationships and whatever else it is you're looking for."

"I'm not asking for anything other than time with you." I smile. "For minutes on a clock, which you just said you had plenty of."

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