Chapter 40
CHAPTER
FORTY
MILES
"Miles?" Annie looks up from my uncle's couch, a book clutched in her hands. "What are you doing here?" She sets the book aside before I can see what she's reading and stands.
I laugh, the sound thick with sarcasm. I am not amused. "Why do you think I'm here?"
"Uh... to drop off my stuff?" Her voice is laced with uncertainty, creases forming at the corner of her eyes.
I shake my head. Like hell will I just drop her stuff off to her without a conversation. This isn't a cheesy romcom where a miscommunication sends two people careening in opposite directions because they don't speak up and say what they want. I gave her some space but that's over now.
"Are you breaking up with me?" I ask, sounding pathetic. "Because we're still dating until you break up with me." She isn't going to get away with ghosting me after everything we've shared in such a short time.
She recoils a little, her lips pursing. "What?" She blinks rapidly, looking like she's fighting off tears. "I don't think a fake relationship needs a real breakup." She gets choked up on her words and has to pause for a second. I fight the urge to go to her. "I took the hint when you disappeared on me without a word."
I'm too dumbstruck to react immediately.
Annie's tears begin to fall as she rushes out of the room, heading for the stairs. I follow her slowly, trying to wrap my brain around the fact that we stumbled into a stupid miscommunication trope after all.
I wasn't trying to disappear on her. I thought she was the one who needed space and should come to me when ready. Now I see that's been a mistake.
I catch up to Annie in the guest bedroom where she must have slept last night, the bed still unmade. She looks back at me with a frown and rushes into the attached bathroom. I shove my foot in the doorway before she can shut the door on me. She grunts as she tries to push the door closed anyway. I only have to push on the door with one hand to force her backward.
I step into the bathroom and shut the door behind me, turning the lock in case anyone comes home though I doubt they will. I'm grateful Luca gave me the heads up about Annie asking her mom to arrange to get her stuff back.
Otherwise, I might have waited a few more days before reaching out to Annie, and that would only have given her more time to spiral.
"I wasn't trying to disappear on you," I tell Annie, trying to keep my voice even as she turns her back to me and stares at the wall. I watch her reflection in the mirror. She's biting her bottom lip.
Annie shrugs. "You don't owe me anything. You don't have to lie."
"I'm not lying and I don't want any more lies. This thing between us hasn't been fake since practically the beginning. And I thought I was giving you breathing room by staying away yesterday. I thought you would still come home to me." I feel like my ribs have cracked wide open to expose my heart. All the work I've done to be distant from people has gone out the window.
She whirls around and looks me in the eyes, showing me the hurt in hers.
"Why weren't you honest about the fake dating arrangement? We were starting a lie together, the least you could have done was be honest with me about why." She crosses her arms over her chest.
I have to rack my brain to connect the dots. I forgot all about my second, unspoken motive for suggesting the fake dating arrangement. Fucking Brynne. Of course, she couldn't go quietly into the night never to be heard from again.
I hope her next husband gives her a timeshare in the Bermuda Triangle in the divorce.
I blow out a frustrated breath. "You're right. I should have told you that one of my dad's ex-wives started prowling around because she found out you stayed over at my place that night after I took you home with me from frat row." I can't fucking believe Brynne managed to upset Annie. "I did think the appearance of being committed to someone would scare her off. She doesn't like competition."
Annie snorts out a miserable laugh. "Yeah, I got that impression when she showed up here hoping to seduce your uncle and I answered the door instead."
"Shit." I wince. "Luca is going to be pissed if he has to deal with her."
"I... may have given her the impression my mom is a permanent fixture in the house. Sorry," Annie says sheepishly. A little of her defensiveness has faded, her arms hanging loose at her sides, but the distance between us still feels pointed.
"You don't look that sorry to me," I dare to tease. "You shouldn't be, either. Luca will probably kiss the ground you walk on for saving him that headache."
"Is that what you've been doing?" She raises an eyebrow haughtily.
"I've been kissing something for you but it's not the ground." If she hasn't been able to read my genuine appreciation for her the rest of the time, surely she realizes everything in the bedroom was real. Very real.
Annie blushes, her cheeks instantly going bright red. " Miles... "
"No more lies, Blue." I stalk closer to her. She tries to back away and then sidestep, playing right into my hands as she backs herself into the bathroom vanity.
I put a hand on the counter on either side of her, caging her in.
"Does that mean you're going to tell me the truth about M. Duffy, too?" she asks, her voice barely a whisper. She tries to turn her head to avoid eye contact. I shift my weight to lean in front of her gaze.
Shit. "You know?"
"Yes, I know." She tips her chin down to look at me with disappointment in her eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Miles. I knew there must be a reason you were so weird about the book. Then I opened one of Luca's copies, and I noticed the signature looked eerily similar to yours."
"When did you?—?"
She smiles ruefully. "I saw your signature on the tutoring sign-in sheet."
"How the hell do you even remember that?" I shake my head, trying to refocus. "Never mind, that's not important. Yes, I write quirky, cheerful mystery novels as M. Duffy. I'm a little embarrassed that you know that, but it's how I pay my bills. And I like writing that stuff even though the books aren't exactly high-brow."
I need to stop talking.
Blue puts her palm against my chest. "I don't care about high brow. The books are good. I'm reading the third book in your first series now. That's what I was reading downstairs."
"If you're reading my book, does that mean you'll forgive me for the secrets?"
Her hand falls away. "I don't know. Things feel complicated. A lot has happened this week."
That's quite an understatement. She's dealt with something traumatic, watched her mom reconcile with estranged family members, faced off with Brynne, and now is trying to wrap her brain around this conversation with me. I can't blame her for feeling like things are complicated.
"Look, I'm not asking you to come back to the apartment with me if you don't want to." I would hate for her to stay here instead, but I won't pressure her if she isn't ready to jump straight to living together. "I'm asking you to give the dating a real chance. It's been going pretty damn well so far, don't you think?"
She takes a long time to answer. So long that my heart climbs its way into my throat.
Finally, she asks, "There won't be any more secrets or hidden agendas? We would be trying this for real?"
"That's the last secret I've been keeping, I swear to you." I will never hide anything from this woman ever again if she only gives me a chance. I'm less of an asshole with her. Being with Blue makes me... happier.
"I have a secret."
I didn't expect Blue to say that. "What... What is your secret?"
Blue grabs a fistful of my shirt and tugs me closer. She whispers, "I don't want to be mad at you."
"That's your secret?"
"No." Her lips are so close to mine that we're almost kissing. "My secret is that I don't want to be mad at you because I think I might have accidentally fallen in love with my fake boyfriend."
I move my hands to her waist and tug her in to close the distance, kissing her firmly. I would jump for fucking joy if I wouldn't make a fool of myself doing it. Her secret is a hell of a lot sweeter than anything I kept from her.
I don't deserve to be this damn lucky.
When I pull back, I saw her full name. "Annie Kirkpatrick, your secret is a little funny because I don't think it's a secret to anyone else that I have definitely fallen in love with my very real girlfriend. In fact, my girlfriend is the realest person I've ever known. Nothing fake there. And I never stood a chance once I met you. I was supposed to be the tutor but you've been the one teaching me all the big lessons."
"Miles Morino, you sound like a cheesy Hallmark movie." She tucks her head bashfully.
The words make me laugh, throwing my head back for a deep laugh that works its way all the way up from my gut. Before I met Blue, that would be the worst insult imaginable.
"I don't care how cheesy I sound as long as you believe me."
I hold my breath until she looks up at me with her sweet, blue eyes and says, "I believe you."
I've never felt such relief as I feel at this moment. I'll never assume I should give Blue space again. A stupid lack of communication almost lost me the most important thing I've gotten out of college thus far.
"I'm glad you came here to talk," Blue admits, twisting her lips thoughtfully, "but I'm kind of sick of talking."
"What would you like to do instead?" I ask her, surprised she would want to go out and do anything after the week she's had so far. I'll take her anywhere she wants to go, though.
She pushes at my chest so I oblige and step back. I take several steps before she drops her hand... and then drops to her knees. I gape down at her as she smiles up at me, her hands going to the buckle of my belt.
"You don't have to do that," I tell her, my voice clipped.
She rolls her eyes up at me. "You asked me what I'd like to do instead. Well, this is what I want. Are you going to deny me?" She exaggerates a pout until I shake my head emphatically, her mouth giving way to a wide smile. She's pleased with herself.
Fuck, I'm lucky.
I keep my gaze trained on her as she carefully undoes my belt, unbuttons my jeans, slides the zipper down with excruciating slowness, and then tugs my pants down my legs.
A groan escapes me when she studies my rising cock intently. Then her tongue pokes out for a moment to lick her lips and I nearly drag her up off the floor to fuck her immediately. I want to give her what she wants though, despite how much I'm pained trying to show restraint.
Blue has this innocence about her. Seeing her reach for my cock and then lean forward to lick the head nearly undoes me.
She lets out a happy hum as she tightens her grip around the base of my cock and slips her lips over me. I moan her name and reach for her hair to wrap my fists around as her tongue strokes the underside of my cock. She genuinely seems to enjoy herself as she settles in, sucking at my cock like she's been waiting for this moment for too long.
My gaze moves to the mirror, the view catching the back of Blue's head before cutting off at the tips of her shoulders. I can't see all that much but I keep my eyes focused there. It's easier not to come too soon and embarrass myself when I'm not looking directly down at her lips wrapped around my cock.
The sensations are incredible. The enthusiasm is what really gets me, twisting my stomach in knots as I let her take control. She doesn't need a bit of direction from me.
She sucks my cock for way longer than I expect before pulling back to desperately try to breathe in more air.
I can't wait any longer. I don't want to bust in her mouth.
"Let me fuck you," I beg her.
Those gorgeous blue eyes look up at me, narrowing as she frowns. "I'm not done."
"You'll have more chances to suck my cock, trust me," I vow.
"Fine." With a smirk, she rises to her feet. I reach out to help steady her and then use my grip on her arms to spin her around. She gasps as I bend her forward over the vanity.
Her yoga pants slide easily down her legs and she's not wearing any panties underneath. I touch her between the legs and find her already wet. She genuinely liked sucking my cock enough to be turned on. Blue reads and gives blowjobs—she truly is the perfect woman.
As I move my cock between her legs to press at her pussy, I'm struck by how much I genuinely love this woman. She can match me in nearly any conversation and is always besting me in modern-day pop culture. And she's tough. Tougher than she looks with such delicate features.
I'm going to take good care of her. Blue doesn't need me to give her material things now with her grandparents in the picture, but I can love and appreciate her in a way that's uniquely my own. Blue is one of a kind, and I'm never going to take her for granted.
Blue gasps as my cock slides deep inside of her.
I might not be Blue's tutor anymore, but there are still plenty of things I can come up with to teach her.