Chapter 24
Milow
Scottie and I went to the bathroom after we finished our burgers and fries, and when we came back, she stopped at the counter to order dessert for both of us. She picked apple pie without hesitation, and because it looked too good to pass up, I went with the chocolate cake.
[It’s too much for me alone,] I signed once the waitress set the two plates down in front of us.
“That’s fine,” Scottie said easily. “You can share with Ash. He likes chocolate too, right?”
I nodded. I’d always shared food with him without thinking twice.
Still, the idea of it now made me feel strangely uncomfortable.
No one knew about how close we’d been lately, and no one would’ve suspected anything either, but just thinking about sitting there with the cake between us made me feel exposed.
We both reached for our plates and turned around, only to nearly bump straight into Hailie and Aspen. I frowned without meaning to. It was an automatic reaction whenever they were near, and I never quite knew how to hide it in time.
“Oh, look,” Hailie said, her voice louder than necessary, “the bitch and the mute.”
Aspen laughed like Hailie had just said something genuinely clever, her amusement coming too easily.
I let the words slide past me because I was used to their cruelty by now, but my attention immediately shifted to Scottie.
She hated the two of them. Actually, she disliked more than a few people, and everyone knew that once you crossed her, she didn’t let it go quietly.
She made sure you remembered it every time you met her.
Hailie and Aspen clearly thought they were untouchable. They said whatever they wanted without stopping to consider how ugly their words were or who they might hurt. I kept glancing at Scottie, hoping I could somehow keep her calm, but I already knew it was too late.
A slow, dangerous smile spread across her lips, and she tilted her head slightly as she looked straight at Hailie. “What did you say?”
Hailie looked startled for just a moment before her expression shifted into a smug and pleased smirk. She thought Scottie had taken the bait, and she was ready to start a fight.
This won’t end well.
“I said it’s the bitch and the mute,” Hailie repeated, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at Scottie without a hint of shame.
“Oh, okay,” Scottie said with a laugh. “For a second there, I thought I didn’t hear you correctly.”
“No, no. You did. And if I’m honest, you’re totally in my way.”
“Oh, am I?” Scottie clicked her tongue and waved her free hand. “Gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you.”
I stared at her, unsure if she was being serious or just putting on a show.
It was hard to tell, and even though I knew my best friend inside and out, she was now hard to read.
But before I could question whether she had just lost it completely, her expression shifted.
Her eyes narrowed, and her jaw tightened.
It happened fast. The apple pie flew through the air and landed squarely on Hailie’s face.
I slapped my hand over my mouth in shock, but there was something new that stirred in me—a dangerous sort of satisfaction.
I felt a rush of something I hadn’t allowed myself to ever before.
It was a small, guilty thrill at seeing her get a taste of what she’d dished out for so long.
After all the years of their bullying, maybe it was okay to feel this.
Schadenfreude. I had read it in a book once, and I thought it was the right word for how I felt.
Gasps and “oh shit’s” erupted through the diner as Stan and Ashby rushed toward us.
I quickly set my plate on the counter and grabbed Scottie’s hand, intending to pull her away from the two girls who seemed determined to make other people’s lives miserable.
But she planted her feet firmly, refusing to back down.
“You want to repeat that for me?” she said, her voice sharp. “Your words might sound sweeter now that you’ve got apple pie all over yourself.”
“Milow, come here,” Ashby said quietly next to me, sliding his hand into mine.
My body relaxed immediately, letting him guide me aside while Stan stepped in front of Scottie, putting himself between her and Hailie.
He gently took the plate from her hands and set it on the counter.
“Let’s go,” he said to her. He wasn’t angry at her at all, which showed that even when she did something extreme, he would protect her.
I had to admit, throwing pie at a bully felt completely justified.
It had been years of torture without any consequences for them.
“No, I want her to apologize first,” Scottie said, trying to step around Stan.
“They won’t mean it anyway, Scottie. Come on, let’s go,” he said, holding her steady, his hands sliding around her waist.
“You slut!” Hailie screeched, finally making sense of what had happened. “You’ll pay for this! I’ll tell my dad. He won’t let you walk away if he finds out!”
Scottie laughed, throwing her head back in delight before she dared her to follow through. “Tell him,” she encouraged, still trying to get out of Stan’s hold.
“Baby,” Stan said, keeping his voice calm as he slipped his hands around her waist again, “they’re not worth it.”
“Step aside, asshole!” Hailie shrieked. “I’ll kick this mentally ill slut’s ass.”
Those words made Stan go rigid, and everyone in the diner understood it was a mistake to call Scottie that. Now she had fully unleashed the beast in him.
I squeezed Ashby’s hand tightly, bracing myself for what came next. He stayed calm next to me, but I could feel the tension. We all knew Stan wouldn’t actually hurt anyone, but the way he turned to Hailie, his eyes locking on hers with a deathly glare, made my stomach turn.
“Listen here, you trashy, attention-seeking goblin—”
“Damn,” Ashby muttered with a chuckle beside me.
“If you ever, and I mean ever, mess with my girls again, I will personally drag you to your house and tell your daddy exactly what you’ve put all of us through over the years.
No one likes you, you’re a brat, and your mouth is open way too much for nothing smart ever to come out. Now, apologize to Scottie and Milow.”
He didn’t give them an ultimatum. He didn’t need to. He meant every word, and the scariest part was that his voice stayed calm.
“You too,” he added, shooting a sharp glare at Aspen. “I know what you did back at the pool, so don’t think you’ll get a pass here.”
Ashby tensed beside me, and I looked up at him, catching the pained expression crossing his face. What had she done at the pool? Did I even want to know?
“Apologize. Now.”
Hailie wiped her face, shaking her head as her eyes watered. “I can’t believe she did this.”
“I said, now!”
Aspen muttered a barely audible “I’m sorry,” without looking at us.
Hailie still resisted, but when she finally looked at Stan and saw the seriousness in his eyes, she mumbled an apology. It sounded forced, completely lacking sincerity, but at least she said the words.
“Good. Now stay the fuck away from my girls. Both of you.” Stan released Scottie and guided her away, then called back to Marjorie, the waitress. “Sorry about all this, Mar. Those two will clean up.”
Ashby led me outside, keeping his hand in mine. When we reached his car, I watched Stan cup Scottie’s face with both his hands. She had adrenaline written all over her face, and her eyes were glimmering with tears she refused to shed.
“I’m okay,” she muttered, sniffling.
Stan nodded, studying her carefully before pulling her into a tight hug.
I looked at Ashby, who was still holding my hand. His eyes were filled with concern, and I couldn’t help but smile to reassure him. I let go of his hand and signed, [I’m okay too.]
“Good. I’m sorry they always bother you like that.”
[It’s fine. I’m used to it.]
His jaw tightened. He hated that statement, but I couldn’t lie. It was the truth. I was used to the bullying, and I learned to live with their cruelty.
“But you shouldn’t be.”
I gave a little shrug. It was all I knew, and nothing would change, anyway.
He sighed then, not pleased with any of what happened. “I think it’s best if we just go home,” he suggested, glancing over at Scottie and Stan, who were still wrapped up in each other’s arms.
“I don’t want to go home,” Scottie murmured, her voice quiet but firm.
Stan looked down at her for a moment, then back at Ashby. “Mind if we hang out at your place for a while? We could watch a movie. Get their minds on something else.”
I liked that idea.
“Yeah, sure,” Ashby said with a nod. “Let’s go.”
We all got into Ashby’s car. Scottie and Stan settled in the back, while I took the front seat, still feeling my heart race from the chaos at the diner. I was glad the boys had been there, and that the situation hadn’t escalated into something worse.
Even so, a knot of worry twisted in my stomach.
Thoughts of going back to school on Monday crept in, scared that Hailie and Aspen would come after us for revenge, and I felt that familiar urge rise again.
My fingers drifted to my thumb, and I started picking at the skin around the bandage still wrapped around it.
The anxious habit took over before I could stop myself.
At home, we found Wes and Evie on the living room couch. Wesley was sitting upright, and Evie was lying beside him with her head on a pillow in his lap. Wesley looked up when we walked in, and he caught the tension right away.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Two girls were bullying Scottie and Milow,” Stan said. The anger was still written all over his face.
Wesley sighed. “The same two?” He looked from Scottie to me. “Are you girls okay?”
I smiled at him and nodded. Scottie answered for both of us. “Yeah. Thanks. Stan handled it.”
Wes gave a tight nod, then said, “You guys wanna stay down here? We were just about to head to bed.” His hand moved gently through Evie’s hair. She looked asleep.
“Yeah, I think we’ll hang out here,” Ashby said. “Where are Mom and Dad?”
“Mom’s sleeping. Dad’s at the fire station.” Wesley carefully stood up, lifting Evie bridal-style without any effort.
Now that I could see her face clearly, it was obvious she still wasn’t feeling well. The TV was on mute, which meant Wesley was making sure not to worsen her pain.
I looked at her, worried, and signed, [How is she feeling?]
“Better than this morning,” he said quietly. “She just took her migraine meds. They’re knocking her out.” His voice stayed low. “Try not to be too loud, okay?”
“We won’t,” Ashby assured. “Night.”
“Good night.” Wesley carried Evie upstairs, and I watched until they were out of sight.
“Poor Evie,” Scottie said with a sigh. “Migraines suck.”
I nodded. I had watched Evie suffer migraines for years, and I wouldn’t wish that kind of pain on anyone. Not even my bullies.
Scottie and Stan were already getting comfortable on one of the couches. Ashby stood there for a moment, scratching the back of his head, thinking something through. “I think I’m gonna change into something more comfortable first.”
I wanted the same thing, so I signed, [Me too.]
Without waiting for a response, we headed upstairs toward our rooms. When we reached the last step, Ashby caught my hand and pulled me toward him. His eyes searched my face, and my heart started pounding hard against my ribs.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. His voice was low and filled with worry.
He was standing too close for me to sign comfortably, but I didn’t want to anyway. I wanted to stand here with him and look into his eyes for as long as we could.
“I’ll look out for you on Monday,” he added. “I know you’re worried about that.”
He read me too well. There was no point in pretending otherwise, so I nodded.
He kept his eyes on my face a moment longer. I watched him swallow hard before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek. I closed my eyes, holding onto the feeling, and without thinking, I leaned into him. My hands came up to his stomach, resting there to steady myself.
He pulled back slightly so he could look at me again.
I met his eyes, and that was a mistake. Heat rushed into my cheeks, and the urge to lean in closer and kiss him hit me hard.
I didn’t know if I should, or if I would be any good at it.
He had only ever kissed my cheek or my neck.
Maybe he knew that anything more would cross a line.
Or maybe he didn’t want to kiss me at all. Maybe I was reading this wrong. Maybe he didn’t feel what I felt. The thought ripped me out of the moment, and my body stiffened as I took a step back. [I’m going to change now.]
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. “Me too.”
Neither of us waited. We disappeared into our rooms, and I took my time changing into my pajamas. I didn’t want to run into him in the hallway again. I didn’t want to risk making this awkward.