Chapter 32
Ashby
Dad, Wes, and I spent the afternoon in the basement, playing video games and eating whatever snacks we could dig out of the pantry. It wasn’t something we did often. Wes and I played maybe once every other week, and only when there was truly nothing else going on.
Between school and practice, I rarely had the time, but today it felt good to shut my brain off for a while. Gaming was a distraction I hadn’t realized I needed this badly.
After a few rounds of racing cars, we switched to another game, and since it was single-player, Dad and I ended up watching Wes completely demolish every monster that came his way.
I was stretched out on one end of the big couch, watching the screen absentmindedly, and somewhat lost in my own thoughts when I heard a noise upstairs.
My heart jumped instantly. I sat up, suddenly unable to relax at all at the thought of seeing Milow again. “They’re back,” I said, already pushing myself to my feet.
Wes paused the game, and Dad turned his head toward the stairs. I did too, just as footsteps started coming down. Mom appeared first, and all three of us had the same reaction when we saw her.
“Whoa…”
My jaw dropped.
Wes let out a low whistle. “You look beautiful, Mom,” he said, while I was still trying to find actual words.
“Why, thank you, Wesley,” Mom replied with a grin, tossing her hair over one shoulder.
“Very beautiful,” I finally managed, smiling at her.
“Sweet mercy…” Dad’s expression was priceless. He slapped a hand over his eyes, rubbed his face, then looked at Mom again with his mouth hanging wide open. “You’re truly the only woman who can pull that off.”
He meant the bangs. I’d heard him complain about bangs more times than I could count—which, to be fair, never really mattered. He didn’t get a say in what anyone did with their hair. But that’s exactly what made this so funny.
“You like it?” Mom asked, stepping closer to him.
“Do I ever!” Dad wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in, his eyes still fixed on her face and hair. “You look absolutely beautiful, Iris.”
I pursed my lips and glanced at Wesley, who chuckled and shook his head.
Then Milow appeared on the last step, and my attention snapped to her immediately. She hadn’t cut her hair, but something about her looked different. Softer, maybe. I couldn’t quite place it.
“Hey, Milow. How was shopping?” Wes asked.
She pulled her gaze away from me to look at Wesley with a smile. [It was fun. Mom and I got some new clothes.]
I barely registered what she signed. Something else had caught my eye.
“You have nail polish on.”
The comment made everyone look at me, but I kept my focus on her. Milow blushed and tucked her hands against her stomach.
I smiled. I knew how big this was for her. Realizing I might’ve embarrassed her, I walked over and stood in front of her.
“Can I see?” I asked gently.
She hesitated, then slowly lifted her hands. I slipped my hands beneath hers, lightly brushing my thumbs over the backs of her fingers. Wesley stepped closer to look too.
“It’s pretty,” I said after a moment. “I really like the color.”
She smiled and pulled her hands back, glancing down at them before signing. [I like it too. But I already started picking at the polish.]
“That’s okay,” I said quickly. “It probably takes some time to get used to it.”
She nodded, still staring at her hands. That’s when an idea clicked.
“Hey… maybe nail polish could actually help with the skin picking.”
Milow frowned slightly.
“What do you mean?” Wesley asked, gently taking one of her hands to look closer.
“I mean… instead of picking at your skin, you could pick at the polish,” I explained. “That way it doesn’t hurt, and you still have an outlet for when you get anxious.”
It might’ve sounded stupid. I wasn’t sure. But it made sense to me.
Milow looked at me thoughtfully, her lips pressed together.
“Actually, that’s a really good idea,” Mom said, stepping in beside us. “People do that all the time. It’s kind of like those fidget rings. You peel the polish instead.”
So it wasn’t stupid after all. I smiled at Milow. “What do you think?”
She shrugged and glanced at her hand in Wesley’s, then slipped it free to sign. [I could try. But then it won’t always look pretty.]
“That doesn’t matter,” I told her. “You’re wearing it for you. And you can always reapply it.”
“Champ’s right,” Wes added. “Evie peels her polish all the time. I can ask her to bring some over tomorrow night if you want.”
Milow’s smile grew brighter. She nodded and clasped her hands to her chest.
God. She was adorable.
“I see you boys lived on junk food today,” Mom said, amused. “Do you still have room for dinner?”
“I could eat,” Wes said.
Dad and I nodded. “Same.”
“Okay. I’m not cooking tonight. I’ll be doing enough of that tomorrow. How about Chinese?” she suggested.
We all agreed. Before heading upstairs, she told us to clean up the basement.
While Dad and Wes went back to the couch, I turned to Milow and smiled. [Meet me in your room?]
She pressed her lips together and nodded. [Okay.]
I squeezed her hand lightly and watched her head upstairs before turning back to help clean up.
A few minutes later, I stood in Milow’s bedroom doorway and watched her by the bed as she pulled her new clothes out of the bags.
She turned when she heard me, and a bright smile immediately spread on her lips. My heart skipped, like it always did when I looked at her.
“Hey.” I stepped into the room and closed the door halfway behind me, giving us some privacy.
She bit the inside of her cheek and lifted her hand in a small wave. Her eyes stayed on mine and widened with curiosity as I stopped right in front of her. I didn’t try to stop myself. I didn’t want to. I slid both hands around her waist and pulled her toward me before I leaned in and kissed her.
She melted right into me, with her hands coming up to my shoulders, where she held on tightly. I tilted my head and deepened the kiss. I took my time. I wanted the moment to last.
Her fingers brushed my hair at the nape of my neck. The touch sent a sharp rush through me. I moved my hands to her lower back, and I wanted to go lower. The urge was heavy, but I kept my hands where they were and pressed her closer instead, lining her body with mine.
I traced my tongue along her lips slowly, and she parted them for me before I slipped my tongue into her mouth, where it met hers. I didn’t want to overwhelm her, and after one more deep kiss, I pulled back and pressed my lips to her cheek before looking at her again.
“I missed you today,” I told her quietly.
She smiled, and I knew she had felt the same without needing to sign it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me.
I breathed her in and closed my eyes, tightening my arms around her waist. I stood with her like that for a moment, pressing soft kisses to her neck, before finally pulling away.
“Wanna do a little haul?” I asked, interested in what she bought.
She nodded quickly and turned to her bed, showing me each of the six items she got. All of them were pretty, and they’d suit her perfectly.
[I like this one best,] she signed, lifting the navy blue and red striped long-sleeve shirt.
“That one’s my favorite, too,” I told her with a grin, taking the shirt from her. “Kinda reminds me of one of my sweaters.”
Her cheeks reddened as she clasped her hands together, a shy smile appearing on her lips. [It reminded me of you, so I bought it.]
“You’re adorable,” I said under my breath, chuckling softly. “When we go back to school in a week, we should both wear it.”
Her eyes widened. [Really?]
“Yeah, why not?” I smiled and placed the sweater back on the bed. “We could match.”
[I’d like that,] she signed, her eyes still wide.
“Good.” I grinned and sat down on the bed. “What else did you do at the mall?”
Her face immediately fell, and my heart stopped. Something must’ve happened.
“What?” I furrowed my brows and watched her stare down at her hands. “Did something happen, Milow?”
She gave a little shrug.
“Milow…” I reached for her hands. “Everything’s fine between you and Mom, right?”
It was a stupid question. Of course, nothing had happened between them. Milow and Mom were tight, and it even felt wrong asking her that.
She frowned, and when she didn’t respond, I said, “Sorry, that was stupid. But something happened.”
Her gaze met mine, and I saw that mix of anxiety and worry flash through her eyes. Pulling her hands out of mine, she signed, [We ran into Hailie and Aspen in one of the stores. Hailie’s mother stopped to talk to Mom.]
Ah…shit.
“Did they say something to upset you?”
She nodded. [They said mean things about Scottie.]
“In front of Mom?” But that shouldn’t have been surprising.
[They called her mentally ill, and that Mom shouldn’t let me be her friend.]
“Witches,” I muttered, pulling Milow between my legs. I rested my hands on the backs of her thighs and brushed my thumbs along them. “You know that none of their opinions matter, right? What did Stan say about them again? That their mouth is open too much for nothing smart ever to come out.”
A slow smile tugged at her lips, and I continued. “We both know Scottie is the most amazing friend, and she’s nothing but loyal to you. And vice-versa. Hailie and Aspen are just sad and lonely, and it’s clear that their friendship isn’t even as strong as the friendship you have with Scottie.”
Milow gave a small nod, her smile more genuine now.
[I told Mom that they’ve been nothing but mean to us.]
“Good. And next time they decide to be mean again, you tell us.”
She nodded again, resting her hands on my shoulders as she looked down at me.
I smiled, giving her thighs a gentle squeeze. “I love you, and I’m proud of you, Milow. Don’t ever forget that.”
She shook her head and blushed harder, then she leaned down to hug me. I held her for a while, rubbing her back and silently reassuring her that I would always be there for her.