Page 17 of Catch
Ihatedthat dress. I hated the song I’d been nominated for. And most of all, I hated that I hadn’t been allowed to thank my brother in my speech.“He’s deceased, and mentioning him willtake focus off the songwriters. They’re the ones who deserve the praise and celebration.”
I was glad I lost.
“Hey, I was thinking—” Miles started, but his voice faltered when he saw what I was holding. “Oh…”
“Doing some research?” I teased, but my voice landed more on the side of sad rather than playful.
Miles didn’t answer right away. His jaw twitched as if he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Then, with a sharp breath, he reached out and snatched the picture from my hand. “That’s actually something we need to talk about. But I was going to wait until after dinner.”
“We can talk about it now,” I shrugged, bending to pick up the rest of the folder. I handed it to him without even glancing at the contents. “I wouldn’t blame you for looking into things. I just wish you’d picked any other picture but that one.”
“I didn’t choose this one, Lox.” His voice was steady, but there was something weighted underneath it. He slid the picture back into the folder and tossed it onto the counter like he wanted it out of sight.
I watched him in the dim kitchen light, taking in his appearance. He put on black athletic shorts, a plain white t-shirt that clung to the shape of him, and bare feet were against the cool tile. His hair was tousled, as if he’d run his fingers through it a few times. It shocked me that he was alone in life. No girlfriend or wife. He told me he had two brothers and crazy grandparents, but he seemed like the kind of smalltown guy that would want a companion. Someone to come home to and love.
It didn’t make sense.
Then again, I knew what it felt like to have people assume they understood my life just because they’d read about it. It wasn’t fair to assume Miles wanted a wife, or some perfect companion to come home to.
But it was fair to wonder more about him. Especially when everything about my life wasaccessibleto him with just a few clicks of a keyboard. Even if none of it was true.
“My captain called me into his office today. Told me it was being passed around quietly to a few departments thatLoxley Adams is missing.” He exhaled sharply. “I spent all day pretending to look for you in case whoevertookyou brought you to Harmony Haven.”
“Took me?” My stomach twisted.
“That’s what the report says.”
“Sam watched me drive away,” I gritted out, my teeth clenched so tight my jaw ached. “Heknowsno one took me.”
Miles smirked, but there was no real humor behind it. “Well, considering you’ve had a few confirmed stalker incidents, some social media threats from unhinged fans, and no official bodyguard, itapparentlyadds up to you being kidnapped.”
“Sam just knows this makes abetterstory than me being pissed off.”
“The other thingsaretrue, though,” he pointed out, watching me carefully.
“Yeah,” I sighed, shoulders dropping. “This life isn’t always a glamorous one. But IknowSam is spinning this angle for clout. That way, when he’s forced to talk to the media, he can sell asad story. Something that’ll get people downloading my music.” My voice turned bitter. “Because that’s all he really cares about.”
Miles let out a slow breath, then reached out, giving my shoulder a gentle tug so I was fully facing him. “Well, I’m not saying anything,” he said, his tone softer now. “If you want to take time for yourself, you don’toweanyone an explanation. I’m just gonna get my uniform on, climb in my car, and patrol while I look for you.”
The words settled between us for a second, heavy with the absurdity of it all.
Then, at the same time, we cracked, and laughter spilled from both of us, filling the kitchen and chasing away the tension.
“Sorry,” I said between breaths, rubbing my forehead. “I’ve created a mess.”
“Nah,” he grinned, then without hesitation, pulled me into a hug—warm, solid,safe. “But youmayneed to consider if there’s someone you trust, someone you can reach out to, so the world knows you’re okay.”
“My mom,” I shrugged as Miles pulled away from the hug and finished unpacking the pork chops. “But she’s so lost when it comes to this world. She’s happy in her small house in her small town, letting the world leave her alone. I can’t drag her into this.”
“Don’t you think she’s gonna worry about you?”
“Unless the news that I’mmissinggoes public, she won’t even know.” I shifted uncomfortably, realizing how bad that sounded. “I don’t exactly call her every day.”
“How often do you talk to her?”
“Once a month, maybe…” I winced. I suddenly had the urge to check in with her, just to hear her voice, to see how she was doing. “It’s not intentional, but I’m always doing something for someone, or there’s somewhere I have to be. Even when I’m just sitting on the bus, I’m notalone. Sam is there, making me practice interview questions, or sign pictures for him to sell at events.”
“Hey, I get it,” Miles sighed, glancing at his phone for the recipe while seasoning the pork chops. “But you don’t want them knocking on her door, either.”
