Chapter 21 #2
Miller’s fingertips threaded through my hair, a spine-tingling caress that made me lean closer, my hand resting on his knee, his bare knee.
His hand covered it, holding it there while the other pushed a stand of hair back behind my ear, brushing my lobe, trailing down my neck.
Side by side, I tilted my head, gazing into his melty brown eyes and forgetting how to breathe.
It all intensified, the perfect moment, eyes locked and lingering, the inevitable about to happen, the movement slow but sure, our lips destined to unite, a heartbeat away.
But the door swung open and Mason’s voice interrupted us as he came bounding out. “Hi Quinn, I got this for you.”
In a flash, Miller’s arm disappeared from around my shoulder and we sat upright, suddenly two separate entities.
“Hi Mason,” I said, smiling up at him as I heard Miller let out a low groan.
“I meant to give it to you before but you’ve been doing the Spud Harvest.”
“Oh yeah, ooh that’s cute,” I said as he sat next to me holding out a pretty butterfly bookmark. “Thank you. You shouldn’t have.”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have,” Miller growled under his breath.
“Thanks for the Squishmallow, too. I hang it on my backpack,” Mason said. “Stanley goes with me everywhere.”
“Awww, that’s so cool,” I said. “He’s really looking out for you.”
“Quinn and I are taking Hamish for a walk,” Miller said, standing up. “Can you grab me the leash?”
“Yep,” Mason said with a nod, dashing back inside.
Miller rolled his eyes. “You wanna go for a walk?”
I smiled, nodding my head. Mason returned with the leash and Miller attached it to Hamish’s collar. “There’s some food in my backpack,” he said to his brother. “We won’t be long.”
“See ya, Mason,” I said, waving as I followed Miller out the gate.
“Completely oblivious,” Miller said through gritted teeth as we set out down the lane.
“Ahh, he’s so sweet,” I said, playfully nudging his elbow.
“His timing is lousy,” Miller grumbled, moving Hamish’s leash to his other hand as Hamish sniffed along the side of the road. At least that’s why I thought he did. But with his free hand, he took hold of mine. My heart skipped a beat and then sped up. “Okay?” he asked.
I nodded, trying to process everything. I was angry with my mother, sad about my friends but I was pumped up over this thing, this development with Miller. If Mason hadn’t interrupted, would we have kissed already?
“I’m sorry about your family’s troubles,” Miller said, squeezing my hand a little firmer, “but you’re not about to sell your house, are you?”
I shook my head, but there was something ridiculously satisfying about him being worried we might move. “No, Mom inherited it from her father so she gets to keep it. And also her business. She had started it before they married.”
“Where’s your Dad now?”
“He moved to Stanton Falls,” I said.
“You miss him?”
“Yeah,” I said, taking in a calming breath. “I mean, yeah, I do. But they had started fighting so much that it was kind of better when he left. If that makes sense.”
Miller nodded and I realized I liked that about him. Quietly strong, he didn’t talk too much.
“What about your mom?” I asked, “She doesn’t live with you, does she?”
He seemed surprised I’d mentioned her. “She left a long time ago,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” I said, pressing his hand a little tighter.
“It is what it is,” he said with a nonchalant shrug, and then smirked, “but I don’t think your mom likes me.”
“My mom doesn’t like anyone at the moment,” I said with a snort, “including me.”
“I like you,” he said, soft, smooth, breezy, like we hadn’t been enemy neighbors for the last three years.
The walk with Miller and Hamish was amazing, all my cares vanished as I enjoyed the present moment, letting my heart dictate. Because soon enough the thrill and excitement of being hand-in-hand with Miller was going to end and I’d have to come tumbling back to my real world.
Sooner than I hoped, unfortunately.
“Uh oh,” I murmured as we returned to the lane and could clearly see my mother standing outside the Trask’s gate, talking to Mr. Trask. “This looks ominous.”
Miller scowled but he didn’t release my hand and that sent a surge of total joy through me. Miller wasn’t about to hide the fact that he liked me, even in front of my mother.
“Quinn!” My mother called my name when we were within hearing range. “I’ve been messaging and calling you.”
“My phone’s on silent,” I stated, my eyes darting to Mr. Trask who seemed to be mildly amused by us holding hands.
“I was worried when you just took off,” Mom said, trying hard not to bug out at how close Miller and I were. “Luckily Mr. Trask told me you’d gone walking.”
“Well, as you can see I’m perfectly fine,” I said with an unapologetic jab of sarcasm. “I’m back safe and sound.”
Mom blinked as if embarrassed by my tone. “Uhh, Mr. Trask was telling me how you helped his son on the school bus,” Mom said.
I shrugged, biting down on my lower lip, wondering if Mom was about to flip out in some way. She sounded relatively calm, but that could change in a heartbeat. Anything to do with the Trasks raised her ire.
Mr. Trask stepped in. “Yeah, thanks to your Quinn, Mason’s much more confident riding the bus. All credit to your daughter and Stanley.”
“Stanley?” Mom asked in confusion, “Who’s Stanley?”
“The soft little toy he gave her,” Mr. Trask said. “An awesome gesture.”
“A Squishmallow, Mom,” I gritted in way of explanation.
Mom blinked, her eyes flicking back to Miller’s hand in mine. “Well, we should go home now, Quinn,” she said. “I’m sure the Trasks have things to do.”
“Actually, would it be okay if Quinn hung out here for a while, Mrs. Devereaux?” I couldn’t help smiling as Miller cut in on my mother whose mouth gulped liked a goldfish, maybe confounded by Miller’s politeness or his boldness. “I’ll walk her home later.”
“Oh. Ah, okay, I guess. If that’s all right with Mr. Trask,” Mom stuttered, I’m sure the first time I’d ever heard Annabelle Devereaux sound so vulnerable, so insecure.
“Of course she’s welcome,” Mr. Trask said, and he faced my mother, “And call me Callum.”