Page 50 of Atlas & Miles
Chapter fifteen
Atlas
My stomach had been in knots since we left my house, and though Miles’s presence usually soothed me, tonight, it wasn’t helping.
I supposed that was what happened when the person who normally calmed me was the source of my stress. Well, he wasn’t thesource. The decision I had to make was causing me all sorts of anxiety simply because he was in the picture, because I cared for him so much, because of what it would mean for us. What was I going to do?
When a lull in the conversation hit, I wandered the gym, taking in all the displays put up around the room. I ventured over to the one near the far exit dubbed the “Memory Lane Photo Wall,” where yearbook photos from all of my classmates hung on a temporary wall I suspected Miles built. The thought made me smile despite the tugging in my chest.
That smile widened when I spotted Miles’s football picture from senior year. He’d been an adorable kid.
I turned to search for my own, hurrying further down the wall to the S’s when I collided with a hard body.
“Oh!” I called as I tried to right myself. “So sorry!”
A hand reached out to grab my arm, and once I’d gotten my bearings, I scanned the face then the name tag of the man I’d crashed into. Finn, he/him.
“Do I . . . know you?” I asked, eyes appraising. He looked so familiar.
“You did,” Finn eked out, and I tilted my head to one side, smiling slightly.
“Well, yes, that does seem to be the common theme of the day.” Didn’t I know it.
Finn’s eyes lighted on the wall behind me, and I turned to follow his gaze. When I saw the picture he was studying, it only took a moment for everything to fall into place.
I’d definitely known this man in high school. Just by a different name.
“Oh,” I nearly whispered as Finn kept his eyes trained on the photo. I kept my voice low and respectful, sensing the significance of this moment, and then offered him the best I could. “I like the name Finn. I think it fits you much better than your old one.”
At that, he started talking, nearly tripping over himself. “I’ve wanted to thank you for so many years. I don’t really do social media, and I never got your number. I’m sure I could have had Chloe track you down, she’s pretty good at social media, but . . .”
I just smiled, knowing he had more to say.
“But . . . I haven’t really stayed in touch with anyone except Chloe and Kendall. I don’t even talk to my dad anymore. But you . . . I would have stayed in touch with you. That talk we had at the playground changed my life.”
My eyes shot wide. I felt tears burn the back of my throat at how humbled that made me feel. I remembered that conversation—I’d felt honored he’d opened up to me then, too. Even if it had only been what he could offer at the time.
Finn continued. “I came out to myself as trans by the end of the summer. It took me several years to transition socially—and then almost a decade to get on T and do surgery and stuff—but I credit you and that conversation for getting me started.”
I shifted my weight, cheeks heating. “I’m glad I could help, even if I’m pretty sure you did all the work. I was mostly just there to listen.”
Glancing back at the wall, I spotted another photo of Miles, this one the official football team’s photo. Again, adorable.
“I came out to Brad last night,” Finn said, drawing my attention back to his voice, though I didn’t turn toward him. “I heard him and Miles talking at the bar, and we struck up a conversation.”
I kept my eyes fixed on the photo wall in front of me as Finn continued, sharing his current predicament about Brad, his high school crush. And the more he shared, the more curious I was about how it would turn out. Given the stars I saw in Finn’s eyes when I finally caught his gaze, I hoped it worked out in their favor.
I also wondered how it was for Miles, what it was like dating the person he’d liked back then twenty years later. He’d mentioned I was his high school crush, and that humbled me, too—and honestly, just made me like him more.
Finn and I exchanged numbers before I spotted Miles’s gorgeous irises searching me out in the crowd, dual drinks in hand. Smiling weakly, I made my way through the throng of reunion attendees, heart thudding in my chest.
That man,myman, was breathtaking. And that singular thought broke my heart. Because I wanted to take that job in Seattle. It wasn’t entirely about revenge, though that was the icing on the cake—this was about reclaiming my career, my life. I might not be able to rebuild my own company, but I could help Chase build his, and in so doing, get my life back on track.
But Miles, my beautiful boy, had a life in Gomillion. His sister and her fiancée lived nearby, and who knew? They might have kids in the plan. Miles would make a great uncle.
Tears stung the backs of my eyes as he approached with my black mojito, one of the speciality drinks of the night. How could I ask him to leave here?
But how could I stay?
