Page 7 of Up to No Good
“Well, I’m glad you’re hungry now because we have plenty.”
As we ate, we talked about what we’d been up to over the last few years. He told me about college and the steps he’d had to take to start his own business, and I told him about my wish to open my own chiropractic office, preferably somewhere near Vintage Ridge so I could be close to my family. He thought that sounded like a great idea and even offered to help me look for an available office space, stating he knew several commercial real estate agents in the area.
“What?” he asked when he caught me smiling at him.
“I don’t know. This evening just isn’t anything like I expected.”
Miles cocked his head at me. “What do you mean?” I debated whether or not I should say anything, but then decided we were both adults and it would be best to just get everything out in the open. Especially since it looked like we were going to be seeing a lot of each other throughout the wedding.
“I’m just shocked at how easy this has all been. Talking to each other and getting along, it’s just all a bit surprising given you never liked me much.”There. Let’s see what he does when I call him out on it.
Miles frowned, looking truly confused. “You thought I didn’t like you back then? But you were the one who always took off to your room as soon as I showed up and hardly spoke to me.”
I gave him my bestWell duh!look. “Of course, I did. What did you expect? Every time I’d see you, you’d call me some name, like Squirt or Pipsqueak, just so you could make fun of my size and the fact that I wasn’t a big popular football player like you.”
His mouth opened and shut several times, but no words came out. Finally, he dropped his head back on the couch and swore as he ran his hands over his face. I watched him warily, not sure if I’d pushed him too far. Miles had never struck me as the type to get violent, but if tonight proved anything, it was that I didn’t truly know him.
He sat back up and turned to me. “I’m so sorry I called you those names and hurt your feelings. That was never about your size or the fact that you weren’t into sports.”
“What was it about?” I asked quietly.
“It was about me being an idiot. It was about me being so scared of my own shadow that I didn’t know how to respond to a guy like you,” he admitted.
“What are you talking about?”
Miles blew out a deep breath, his blue eyes boring into mine. “I liked you. LikeReallyliked you. And it scared the hell out of me because I was still struggling to come to terms with what that meant. I couldn’t risk anyone figuring it out, so it was easier to just be a jerk to you and for that, I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”
The look on my face had to be comical as I sat there frozen, my mouth gaping open. My head spun with everything he’d just said. Eventually, I managed to find my voice. “Are you saying you’re—”
“Gay. Yes. One hundred percent. I didn’t really put all the pieces together until I went away to college, or maybe I just didn’t allow myself to put them together before then. Either way, I came to the realization that I am definitely only into guys.”
“Wow! I had no...does Jayce know?”
Miles nodded. “He was the first person I came out to.”
“He never said a word.”
“He wouldn’t. He’s too cool to go around talking about private shit,” Miles pointed out and I had to agree. Jayce had always been very respectful about my private life. Not because he was uncomfortable with it or ashamed in any way, but because he respected me as a person. He would’ve done the same even if I’d been straight.
As I replayed the past few moments, something else he’d said finally caught up with me and I gasped. “Wait. Youlikedme?”
Miles chuckled. “I wondered when that was going to sink in. Yes, I liked you. How could I not with all that blond hair and your gorgeous green eyes? You were adorable back then. You still are, only you’re all grown up, so you’re more sexy than adorable.”
I swallowed hard. “You think I’m sexy?”
Miles’ face turned serious. “Yes, I do. In fact, I couldn’t quit staring at you last night.”
With that, he got up and went to the kitchen for another drink. I was in so much shock, I couldn’t move. Fortunately, by the time he came back, I’d managed to pull myself together enough to talk about our plans for Jayce’s bachelor party, but my mind kept repeating his words over and over again in my head. I’d never been so happy to be completely wrong about another person in my life.
Chapter Four
COLE
"This is surreal,"I said as Miles pulled into the parking lot of a small, brick building.
"What is? The fact that you're shopping for sex paraphernalia for your brother or the fact that you're shopping for it with me?" he asked with a laugh.
"Both. Definitely both," I murmured as I stared out the window at the sign over the front door that read Ace's Wild. A tiny pair of handcuffs had been cleverly painted to look like they were hanging from the S and the W.
