Page 41 of Catch
Despite how sweet and silly Miles was being, I could tell something was off. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and weariness clung to him. Still on my knees beside him, I leaned back and ran a slow hand through his hair. His eyelids fluttered at my touch, and he exhaled, melting just a little beneath my fingers.
“You okay today?” I asked softly.
“Oh yeah,” he said, flashing a tired smile. But the way his body instinctively pressed into my touch as I combed through his hair again told me otherwise. He let out a quiet moan before telling me about his day. “Had to look for Loxley Adams again. Then had a chat with my brother about how much his girl wants to go to a Loxley Adams concert. And then, I had to save Blue from her issues with the Murphy brothers.”
I sat back on my heels, arching a brow. “Okay, that last one wasn’t my fault.”
“No,” he laughed, shaking his head. “That wasn’t your fault. Honestly, I’m just tired.”
I frowned. “Did you not sleep well?” Guilt crept in, because if he hadn’t, that would have definitely been my fault.
“I slept fine,” he assured me, though his voice lacked conviction. “Just tired, Lox.”
With a gentle tug, he pulled me down until I tumbled into his lap, my head landing against his chest. His arms wrapped around me, anchoring me to him, and I could feel his heartbeat beneath my ear. So steady, so real. The way he held me, like I was something precious, made my own heart ache in a way I wasn’t sure I was ready for. But I stayed still, hoping my presence was enough to ease whatever weight he was carrying.
“Who’s Blue?” I asked absently, my mind circling back to the way he’d said he had tosaveher.
“Are you jealous?” His fingers found my waist, poking playfully, making me squirm.
“No,” I insisted, but my mind was already conjuring up images of some impossibly gorgeous woman. If I was being honest, Iwashoping he’d say Blue was a cocker spaniel. So maybe I was jealous.
He chuckled, the sound vibrating beneath my cheek. “Blue’s the bartender down at Fiddlers. The Murphy brothers come inevery so often, drink too much, usually break some shit, and she calls me to drag them out.”
“Oh.” I exhaled, plucking at a loose thread on his uniform. “So, not a dog.”
Miles laughed again, the warmth of it wrapping around me as his arms tightened, holding me like I belonged there. His lips brushed the top of my head in a way that felt so effortless, so natural, that I wasn’t sure he even realized he’d done it.
I pushed my fingers between the buttons of his uniform, seeking out the soft fabric of his shirt underneath. The heat of his skin was just barely there, but I could feel it, and the connection settled something inside me.
I started to trace my fingers in a slow, soothing motion, but before I could do much more, Miles caught my hand, stilling it against his chest.
“I lied to you.” His voice was a whisper.
“About what?” I froze, a quick chill running down my spine.
“I didn’t sleep a fucking wink last night.” His voice was hoarse. “I just laid there and watched you, amazed by you, and made a list of all the reasons I shouldn’t let myself feel anything for you.”
My breath hitched. I wanted to lift my head, to look him in the eye, but I could hear his heart pounding, and that felt just as important.
“What was on your list?” I asked, my own voice being just above a whisper.
Miles hesitated, then exhaled like the words were being pushed with that breath. “You ran away to findyourself, not to findme. Or anyone else, for that matter.” He swallowed. “That was number one. And the only thing that really matters.”
Silence stretched between us, heavy with everything we weren’t saying.
Maybe he was right. Maybe this wasn’t supposed to happen. But as I slowly lifted myself, shifting until I straddled his waist, knees settling around the belt he hadn’t bothered to take off, I couldn’t bring myself to care.
“Maybe,” I murmured, my hands sliding up his chest, feeling the warmth beneath my palms, “this is how it was supposed to be all along.”
My mind drifted back to the night I had my concert in Harmony Haven. As the stage lights dimmed, I walked off that stage and saw Officer Brooks. I remembered the way his smile had steadied me, how his presence had made me feel unexpectedly at ease. And now, sitting here with him, wrapped in his arms, there was no doubt in my mind that fate had pulled us back together.
Maybe it was temporary. But the world worked in mysterious ways, and in that moment, being there with Miles felt like exactly where I was supposed to be.
“I remember you,” I whispered, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. A soft smile curved my lips as I let the memory wash over me. “I was walking off the stage, and you smiled up at me. Your hand reached out for mine, and when I took it, I felt something spark between us. I felt… happy.Content.And just as soon as you let go, that feeling faded.”
Miles’ eyes flickered with something unreadable. Was it worry, surprise, hope? “You remember that?”
I nodded, my heart pounding against my ribs. “It was the only thing I thought about as I drove off in Sam’s rental car. I wanted to chase that feeling, and the last time I felt it was when I was in Harmony Haven.”
