Runaway - Chapter 19
Miller’s skin was bronze from the summer sun. And I had a hard time not staring at his six-pack. It wasn’t my fault. He was sweating because we were running. And his abs were practically glistening. I was pretty sure I was about to do something stupid if I stayed this close to him.
It was hard not to be this close to him though. Ever since I’d had a meltdown on the beach a month ago, he started running with me instead of trailing behind to make sure I was safe.
I didn’t mind it. I liked looking at him.
I just needed to make sure I didn’t touch him.
And it was getting harder and harder. We did everything together, especially in the summer since neither of us had online classes.
It gave me barely any time alone. And I needed time alone to plot out our perfect escape plan.
I stopped and put my hands on my knees, pretending to be completely out of breath. “Go ahead. I need a minute.”
But instead of continuing on down the beach, he plopped down in the sand. “I have a confession to make.”
“And what is your confession?” I couldn’t help smiling when he was smiling. His good mood was contagious.
“You’re going to find it very shocking.”
“Oh, I’m going to be scandalized?” I asked and put my hand to my chest, feigning shock.
He laughed. “Probably. Drumroll.”
I just stared at him.
“Don’t make me give myself my own drumroll, kid.”
I wanted to roll my eyes. But I was actually having fun playing along with whatever ridiculous confession this was. I patted my thighs, giving him a perfect drumroll.
“I hate running!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, like the truth was just bursting out of him.
I started laughing.
“God, it feels good to admit that.”
“That was hardly a scandalous confession.” I sat down next to him. “You really don’t have to come with me on my runs.”
“Actually I do.” He leaned back in the sand and stared up at the clouds.
“You’re going to be completely covered in sand now. It’s going to stick to all your sweat.”
“Oh. Like this?” He rolled over so he basically looked like a sugar-coated doughnut.
“Miller what are you doing?!” I couldn’t stop laughing. “You’re never going to be able to get all that sand off. It’s going to be all over our house for weeks.”
“Our house,” he said. “I kinda like the sound of that.”
My smile faltered. I kept doing this. Flirting with him by accident. It happened so often that I wasn’t even sure it was by accident anymore. But he was very good at distracting me when my smiles faded.
He tickled my side and I screamed and rolled over. He kept tickling me until I’d turned every which way, getting completely covered in sand. And then he grabbed my hands and pinned them over my head so I couldn’t squirm away anymore.
We were both breathing hard from our laughter.
And the laughter in the air had been replaced with something a lot heavier.
His body pressed firmly against mine. I’d been trying to avoid exactly this.
And I was starting to wonder why. Matt had moved on pretty easily.
Stop. Why did I always think of Matt when I knew he wasn’t thinking about me?
I wanted to be brave and kiss Miller. I could easily close the distance.
I swallowed hard. But I wasn’t ready to tell him he was my first choice.
I wasn’t even sure I knew how to make a logical decision anymore.
“Now you’re going to track sand all over our house,” he said. “What were you thinking?”
I looked down at my stomach. I’d been just as sweaty as him and now we were matching sugar-covered doughnuts. “Damn it.” I really loved the beach. But I hated that no matter what we did the sand refused to stay outside.
He laughed. “Don’t sweat it. It’s definitely my turn to sweep.”
“I’ve never seen you pick up a broom.”
“Which is how I know it’s my turn.” He smiled down at me. “Come on, we better go rinse off,” he said and pulled away from me. He kicked off his socks and shoes. “You coming?” he asked.
“Yeah. I just need a minute.”
I watched him run into the water.
I took a deep breath. I needed a minute to calm down.
My heart was beating too quickly. It was like I could feel it hammering against my ribcage.
I wanted to think it was because I had just run for miles.
But it wasn’t that. Miller made my heart race.
When he was close. When he was far away. Whenever I thought about him really.
My stomach twisted in knots. Was Matt staring at some new girl the way I was staring at Miller? Probably. Most definitely.
I closed my eyes for a minute.
But Matt thought I was dead.
I needed to see him. I needed to clear my head somehow. But that was a little hard to do. Because when I opened my eyes, Miller was standing above me.
I screamed as he lifted me over his shoulder. “Put me down!”
Instead of listening to my very reasonable request, he sprinted back into the water, carrying me with him.
“It’s freezing!” I screamed as he pulled me down into the cold water.
He laughed as I splashed water in his face. “Sorry, but I couldn’t let you track all that sand into the house.”
I gave him an exaggerated scowl. “I’m still wearing my running shoes.”
“I’ll buy you a new pair. Besides, it might be kinda fun to run barefoot on the sand. It’s probably better for your feet.”
“My feet are fine, thank you very much. And you just confessed that you hate running. I don’t trust your running advice at all.”
“Fair point. Do you want to swim back?”
“No. It’s a little hard to swim in sneakers.” We weren’t in very far, so my sneakers were awkwardly sinking in the wet sand beneath me. Swimming would be impossible.
“You’re really not letting up on the sneaker thing, huh? Don’t you have like a million pairs of shoes in your room?”
Yeah, there were tons of shoes and clothes in my closet. But I barely spent any time in my room. I spent way more time in his. Or out here.
It was strange. I knew my dad was keeping me in a well thought out cage. But it was hard to feel that way when I was out here. I felt…free. Especially when I was next to Miller.
I was pretty sure it was what my father wanted.
To keep me in a cage willingly.
“It’s not a big deal,” Miller said and lightly touched the side of my face. “Like I said, I’ll buy you a new pair. But to make up for it…we can head back to the house however you want. Swim, run, crawl…”
I laughed. It was going to be a squishy walk back in these shoes. “I have a better idea.”
“That look of pure evil on your face… What are you going to make me do?”
I smiled up at him. “Nonsense. I’m not the evil sister. But I am going to demand a piggyback ride.”
“Done.” He turned around and I climbed onto his back.
We laughed the whole way home. Especially when he kept threatening to roll us in the sand. He slowly walked up the stairs of the deck and pretended like he was going to open the sliding glass doors and walk right inside.
“What are you doing? You need to rinse off your feet!”
“They’re not even that sandy.”
So maybe he wasn’t pretending like he was about to open the door. “The outside shower is right there.” I pointed to the side of the deck.
“I’ll sweep. I swear.”
“It’s going to get everywhere. Miller…”
He somehow managed to open the sliding glass door while battling me. I started laughing because he really was ridiculous. Or maybe I was ridiculous. I didn’t even know anymore.
“Stop,” I laughed and tried to wrap my leg around his arm even though it was too late. He’d already taken the inevitable first sandy step. “All is lost!”
He started laughing even harder.
Someone cleared their throat.
Miller and I both froze. My dad was standing in the middle of the living room.
“Dad.” My voice died in my throat when I saw his expression.
My father’s face was…cold. Hard. Terrifying. “What are you doing?” he said.
I wasn’t sure which one of us he was talking to.
I slid off Miller’s back. “I got my shoes wet. Miller carried me back so I wouldn’t get them all sandy too.
” But I didn’t really know how to explain away our little wrassle back there.
I knew how that probably looked. It looked exactly like it was.
Like Miller and I were flirting. Being handsy.
It looked like we were more than friends.
Which was strictly against my dad’s rules.
I smiled at Miller. “Thank you, bodyguard,” I said formally.
“That’ll be all. Away with you.” Away with you?
What the hell was I even saying? Miller was my bodyguard. Not a houseboy.
Miller cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am. And I’ll sweep this mess up immediately.”
“Good. Make it snappy.” Seriously, what was I saying? I turned back to my dad. Our little display did not seem to pacify him at all. I tried to think of another strategy. “Hey, Dad.” I walked over to hug him but he held up his hand.
“You’re soaked. Go change. We have a lot to discuss.”
I nodded. Fuck . I really hoped I didn’t just get Miller in trouble. I kicked off my wet shoes and ran up to my room to change as quickly as possible. I didn’t bother to rinse the saltwater off my skin. I threw on a t-shirt and shorts and ran back down the stairs.
Miller and my father were talking heatedly in the living room. I watched in horror as my father pulled a gun out of the back of his belt and lifted it toward Miller.
“Stop!” I screamed as I ran down the rest of the steps. “Don’t hurt Miller.” I stepped in front of him and put out my hands, as if that would somehow protect us from being shot. “He’s done nothing wrong!”
My father ignored me and proceeded to reach around me and…hand Miller the gun.
Miller didn’t make eye contact with me. He just slid the gun into his waistband.
I looked back and forth between them. “What’s going on?”
“There’s been a little hiccup in my plans.
I told Isabella the news that she was going away to get help.
But she thinks the only reason she’s going is because you’re still alive.
She’s convinced you’re out there somewhere.
I tried to tell her otherwise. But I don’t know if she listened.
The security at the institute she’s going to is good.
But I’m worried it’s not as good as my own.
She’s heading there on Monday. And I just wanted to make sure you’ll be safe just in case she…
gets out. And finds you. And tries something.
Or maybe even tries something before she arrives at the institute. ”
“She thinks I’m alive?”
My dad nodded.
That was bad. Really bad. And yet…I wasn’t even really concerned about that.
I was concerned about the fact that this afternoon could have gone very differently.
My dad was a violent man. He easily could have shot Miller a few minutes ago.
He wouldn’t have even blinked an eye. And it would have been all my fault.
“So no more leaving the house until I say otherwise.”
What? No. I needed to be outside. This house was stifling. The only reason I wanted to stay here instead of going to someplace new was because I got to be outside all the time. “But…”
“No buts. There’s a treadmill in the gym. You don’t need to leave for anything.”
Except my sanity. “She won’t recognize me. I cut and dyed my hair.”
He shook his head. “You have no idea what you’re up against here. You will not step foot out of this house. Do I make myself clear?” His voice was so icy. He hadn’t been this angry with me since before Christmas. Before I started playing nice.
I swallowed hard. “Yes.” He’d made himself perfectly clear. My cage had just gotten significantly smaller.
“Look at me.”
I hadn’t even realized my eyes had gravitated to the floor. I looked back up at him.
“And if I ever see something like I saw this afternoon between the two of you again? We will be having a serious discussion .”
But he didn’t say the word discussion normally. He’d basically just confessed that he’d murder Miller if he saw him touching me again. I clenched my hands into fists and glared at him. God, what I would give to be able to punch him square in the nose.
“I don’t have time to stay today. I just needed to make sure you were both briefed on the situation.” He pulled out his wallet and handed me a credit card. “Buy yourself a new pair of sneakers. And anything else at all you need.”
I looked down at the credit card. It wasn’t my name. I looked back up at him.
“It’s untraceable.”
Untraceable. To everyone? I wondered if that meant including him. I had an idea running through my head. Isabella was insane. I knew that. We weren’t safe here. But not because of Isabella. Because of my dad.
Miller hadn’t followed my father’s rules. Because I hadn’t let him. I climbed into his bed almost every night. I made him feel obligated to hug me and hold me, even though my heart was confused. I was going to get him killed.
I needed to get us out of here. I needed to fix this. “Thanks,” I said and gripped the credit card a little tighter. I was pretty sure I’d just found our out.