Chapter 23 #3
“You never know if you never ask.” I shrug. “Come to lunch with us and I’ll call my friend. Maybe he can get us something set up for next week. Miles and I can come back and take you if you want.”
Nolan seems to consider my offer and shrugs, trying to play it cool. “Sure, I’d like that.”
“So would I,” Miles hums, reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze.
“Well, come on, food isn’t going to eat itself. Once we eat, I’ll call my friend and see what we can get figured out.” I wave my hand at him and smile.
He steps out of his room finally and leads us down the hallways and back outside with Miles and I behind him, hands intertwined, the entire way.
Several hours later, Miles and I are driving back to my apartment after spending the afternoon at Fresh Start.
As promised, I called George and told him what I needed and he was ecstatic about the prospects of connecting local youth interested in the arts with local artists.
As expected, he called me back not even half an hour later with the contact information of one of his friends who said they’d be happy to meet with Nolan and give him a lesson or two.
Once he heard about his lesson, Nolan opened up and became a totally new person.
He even drew a quick sketch of Miles and I sitting next to each other in the mini sketchbook he keeps stashed away in his pocket.
The art is messy and a little disjointed, but you could make out two people sitting next to one another fine enough.
He ripped it out and handed it to me, promising to draw me a better one once he learned a thing or two.
He might not believe it, but I think it’s perfect just the way it is.
Sitting next to him, I realize that Miles also started to show more of who he truly is today, just like Nolan.
Getting to watch him with Sam and Patti and play with the kids showed me that there’s a whole different side of him that, for whatever reason, he keeps tucked away most of the time.
One that laughs loudly and chases a football like he’s still a kid.
I thought I was going to melt into a puddle when I saw him throw one of the youngest kids at Fresh Start over his shoulder and sprint towards the invisible end zone while the kid held onto the football for dear life.
The team cheered and laughed and dog piled on top of him once he set the kid down and fell into the grass.
His eyes found mine quickly once they got off of him and he stood up.
“Thank you for taking me today. I had a lot of fun,” I say as we pull into the parking lot of my building.
“Thank you for coming. I told you it wasn’t ominous,” he jokes with a wink.
When he pulls up to the curb, he puts the truck into park and jumps out to get me.
I’m perfectly fine to get out on my own but I can tell already that he prefers it this way.
When he helps me down, my foot catches on the curb and I start to fall.
Catching me, he holds me close and grips my hand a little harder.
My free hand is on his other arm as I look up at him, frozen and unable to move.
“I hope I get to go back there sometime soon. I’d like to see Nolan again.” My voice is soft as I speak. Being this close to him is making it hard to form words at all.
“Of course you get to go back. You promised Nolan we would take him to his art lesson, remember?” He dips his head lower.
“Oh, right,” I say and snort out a laugh, embarrassed that I’d forgotten I said that.
Conjuring up any sense of bravery I can manage, I push up on my toes and press a kiss into his cheek.
I know I shouldn’t have done it but I wanted to.
Needed to. Even though I shouldn’t. “You’re a really good guy, Miles.
Thank you for sharing this piece of you with me today. ”
His eyes linger on mine for half a beat too long and I panic, thinking I made the completely wrong move.
Then, he spins me around and presses my back into his truck, pinning me against it.
When I don’t flinch or try to get away, he takes it as his sign to continue.
Leaning down, he presses his lips to mine.
Slow at first, like he’s waiting to see if I’ll object.
Bringing a hand to my waist, he presses into me harder than before and I feel myself melt into his body.
I grip at his shirt and let him kiss me harder.
Even though I don’t want it to end, to make him stop or sever my connection to him, I push him away gently.
“I have to go,” I whisper as our foreheads press together.
He steps forward, bringing his body flush with mine, our lips gently grazing against one another’s. “I don’t want you to go.”
When he goes to kiss me again, I press my hand into his chest to stop him. “I have to go.”
I bring my eyes to his and look at him above the brim of my glasses.
They slipped down my nose while he kissed me and are hanging on for dear life.
Just like I’m trying to do with any sense of reason I still have.
Taking care of them for me, he pinches the sides of them and props them back up where they belong.
“You have to go.” He sighs, looking defeated. I nod my head.
Moving out of my way, he lets me take a few steps.
I head for the door to my complex but turn my head over my shoulder to look at him.
He hasn’t moved away from where he’s leaning against his truck.
He smiles at me as I go and crosses his arms in front of him, forcing his muscles to stretch his shirt almost to the brink.
Waving at him, I’m grateful he can’t read my mind.
I have to go.
Not because I want to but because if I don’t, I’d invite him into my apartment and his stupid tight T-shirt wouldn’t stand a chance.