Page 44 of Bound to You

I nod, not wanting to interrupt her.

“He was who we were supposed to stay with you know,” she gives me a watery smile, “He’s that accommodation in Sorrento that fell through.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to thank him profusely when I meet him.” I let my hands fall from her face and step back, giving her a little space now that I know she’s somewhat okay, even though all I want to do is wrap my arms around her and stay like that for as long as she’ll let me.

“You probably know who he is anyway,” she says. “Miles Beckett.”

The puzzle pieces slowly connect in my mind, I should’ve guessed from the last name. I’ve met Miles before, shook the guy’s hand at a function in Sorrento. He’s a high-profile pilot, if I remember correctly, and a really nice guy at that. I look back at Isla now taking notice of their similarities, or their lack thereof. I like knowing this small piece of information about her, about her family.

“I do,” I say simply.

“Well, that’s my brother, now you know.” She says she misses him, but something in her manner and the way she’s speaking feels almost resentful?

“Anyway,” she diverts the conversation. “We should probably get back out there.”

“So you’re okay?” I need to be sure.

She nods giving me a forced smile. I hate those, I want the real ones, the ones she can’t hold in even when she tries her hardest.

I know in my bones that she’s not really okay, but she’s right, we need to get back, and I don’t want to draw any attention to her being upset.

“Okay, then let’s go. I have to make my speech soon.”

“Your speech?”

chapter seventeen

ISLA

When I sawMiles’s name flash up on my phone, I ducked away to the bathroom so I could take his call, I don’t hear from my brother nearly as much as I used to, and hearing his voice tends to ground me wherever I am.

“Hey little sis,” he said. He can never just call me by my name.

“Miles, what’s up?”

“I’m just on a stopover in Tokyo and I can’t sleep, I thought maybe hearing you drone on about your boring life might help,” he teased.

I debated whether I should tell him what’s going on or not. I don’t know if I want a lecture from my big brother right now. “Well, actually…”

“What did you do? Have a fight with Mom and went to stay with Brandon for a week, oh the rebellion.” His voice oozed with sarcasm through the phone, and I couldn’t help but bite back.

“Actually, I broke up with Brandon,” I blurted out.

“Thank fuck, I had an inkling that was perhaps the reason you fled for an Italian holiday. I’ve been waiting for the day youfinally dumped that guy. Are Mom and Dad pissed?” He reacted way more chill than I’d expected.

“Mega pissed considering I’ve barely heard a peep from them since I got here.” My mom has called twice over the last week, but I haven’t had the guts to pick up.

“Wait, you’re still in Italy?”

“Yeah, May and I have got jobs at a local bar here.”

“Shit, you really have gone rebellion style.”

“Shut up Miles.”

“No, it’s a good thing. You’ve spent way too long doing what everyone else wanted you to Isla, you deserve to do something for you, you deserve to find your happy.” Tears welled in my eyes at his approval.

“Says the son who did exactly what his parents dreamed he would, got a high payoff job that they can parade around to their friends,” I joked. Sort of.

---