7. Madelyn
I wake up alone in my dorm room again—I guess Gabby didn’t make it in last night. Since living here, I’ve only seen her a handful of times. We haven’t really spoken to one another, which I don’t mind all that much, but it’s kind of awkward when we’re both in here and no one is talking.
I wonder if she doesn’t like me.
I check my phone to see the time and see a text from Kaitlin.
I smile at the use of the word “slut.” She probably thinks I slept with Miles. I’d probably think the same thing if I was her. I write her back and let her know I’ll meet her at the coffee shop we saw by the boutique the other day.
It’s currently eight in the morning, so I have two hours to get myself ready and meet her.
I take a quick shower, defuse my curls, and throw my hair up into a high messy bun.
I’m wearing a pair of biker shorts with an oversized t-shirt I thrifted and my usual checkered vans.
Throwing some mascara and lip gloss on, I head out the door.
The walk to the coffee shop is short, but I had an unnerving feeling that I was being followed the entire time.
Once I get there, I rush inside and see Kaitlin sitting at a table, a bowl of oats and an iced coffee in front of her while she texts on her phone.
She looks up, her expression morphing into excitement when she spots me.
“Hey, slut! Did you enjoy your night?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me as I sit across from her, shushing her for saying that ridiculously loud in a very quiet coffee shop.
“Be quiet! Nothing happened. He just took me back to my dorm. I would have texted you once I got in, but I crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow.”
“Okay…so was he any good? He’s really tall, so his dick must be huge.”
“Shhh, you are so loud, oh my god!”
She laughs before taking a sip of her coffee, still wiggling her eyebrows at me. There’s an elderly couple at the table next to us that gets up and leaves, and as embarrassed as I am, I’m also grateful for it.
“I’m serious. We really didn’t do anything. We didn’t even kiss.”
“What?! Why not? You looked hot as hell.”
I still haven’t told Kaitlin about what happened last night, thinking it’ll be safer for her if she knows nothing about it.
I don't want to drag more people into whatever the hell is happening. But I’m starting to feel like if I don’t tell someone and I end up getting snatched off the street, it’ll be partially my fault for not letting anyone know I kind of, maybe have a stalker.
“Believe me, he tried. We were up in Chase’s bedroom and we were sitting on his bed—”
“You slut.” Kaitlin smiles deviously at me, and I roll my eyes at her with a grin.
“He was about to kiss me, at least I think he was, but then a brick flew through the window—”
“What the fuck? Bitch, why didn’t you tell me this last night? I knew you looked spooked.”
“I didn’t tell you because I was scared,” I admit. “The more you know, the more danger you’re in, and if anything happened to you because of me…I’d never forgive myself.”
I still don’t know who threw the brick through the window.
Austin is all the way in Alabama, and he didn’t know I was leaving.
He doesn’t even have a car, let alone a job to pay for a plane ticket.
Whoever I saw outside had to be someone else.
Maybe the beer blurred my vision, stitching Austin’s face onto a complete stranger.
But that still doesn’t explain the text message from the blocked number.
I debate whether I should tell Kaitlin about that too. I’ve already dumped enough on her today, but then again, if I’m being honest, I might as well tell her the whole thing and not just bits and pieces of it.
I let out a slow breath. “There’s one more thing…”
She eyes me suspiciously, her eyebrows pulling together.
“Right after the brick flew through the window…” I hesitate, suddenly wishing I hadn’t opened my mouth. “I got a text message from a blocked number.”
She sits up straighter in her seat and leans in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. “What did it say?”
I stare down at my hands, twirling my fingers together as if that’s going to make this any easier to admit.“It said the next time Miles touched me, the brick was going to go through his head.”
Kaitlin’s eyes grow wider as she sucks in a sharp breath.
A few people inside the little coffee shop start to peer in our direction, and I suddenly become painfully aware that maybe this isn’t the place for a conversation about my new stalker.
Kaitlin realizes it too when she whispers ‘sorry’ to the onlookers and takes another sip of her coffee.
“Maybe we should talk about this when we’re not out in public?” she suggests, setting her coffee down.
I nod in relief. As much as I want to talk to Kaitlin about all of this, I really just want to get my mind off of it for the time being.
My phone buzzes from where it sits on the table, a text from Miles illuminating the screen. We exchanged numbers last night when he took me home. His excuse was, “I want to make sure you’re safe, so you need to be able to call me whenever you can. And you better call me.”
The sudden flutter of butterflies twists at my insides and I can already feel myself melting just from seeing his name on my phone.
I pick it up quickly before Kaitlin can take a look at it, but there’s literally no point because she can already tell who the message is from, just by the grin that’s plastered across my face.
Miles: I want to see you, I shouldn’t miss you already.
Heat rushes to my cheeks the moment I read the message, and I duck my head, trying to hide the smile that’s threatening to grow on my face.
Kaitlin doesn’t say anything about the message, she just sits there, unsuccessfully fighting her grin as she takes slow, obnoxiously loud sips from her iced coffee until the cup is empty.
“Well, I guess I’ll go get another one of these,” she announces, shaking her empty drink at me. “Try not to make a mess of your seat with your soaked panties,” she giggles, leaving me to sink lower in my seat while a few nearby students snicker at her comment.
In the short time I’ve known Kaitlin, one thing has stood out to me the most. She doesn’t care what people think of her. She’s loud, outgoing, and unapologetically herself. It’s one of the things I already admire most about her.
I, however, am the exact opposite. I’d rather blend into the background than have any attention on me at all. Maybe that’s why we become friends so fast. We just work well together.The second Kaitlin walks away, I type out a response to Miles’ text message.
Me: You just saw me a few hours ago. Do you not have any self control?
A wave of nervousness crashes over me as my finger hovers over the send button.
Before I can overthink it, I tap it. Almost instantly, the three little dots appear, letting me know he’s already responding.
Butterflies erupt in the depth of my stomach as I stare at my phone, waiting for his response.
When his message finally comes through, my heart pounds heavily against my ribs.
Miles: Not when it comes to you, Princess.
I haven’t known Miles for very long, but the feelings he’s managed to stir up in such a short time scares me.
Is this normal? To feel so strongly about someone you barely know? How do you trust someone when you know they shouldn’t trust you?
This isn’t fair to him. I need to keep him at a distance.
Me: I don’t think it’s a good idea if we see each other after everything that happened last night. It would be safer for the both of us if we just kept our distance.
Miles: No one is going to keep me away from you, Maddie. Not even you.
Miles: Did I mention you look absolutely beautiful today?
My breath catches in my throat. Eyes widening, I glance up from my phone and spot Miles standing across the street from the coffee shop, his phone in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.
I didn’t know he smoked.
A slow smirk spreads across his face the second our eyes meet. Shoving his phone in his pocket, he takes one last drag of his cigarette before tossing it on the ground and makes his way across the street. Holding the door open for someone leaving the coffee shop, he steps inside.
Kaitlin appears behind me with two iced coffees in her hands and slides one over to me just as Miles reaches us.
“Oh hey, Miles! What’re you doing here?” she asks.
Miles plans both hands on the table, leaning in towards me. The faint scent of cedar mixed with cigarette smoke fills the space between us as I watch the pale blue of his eyes darken.
“I was just in the neighborhood when I saw Maddie sitting here through the window,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine. “Thought I’d stop by and say hello.”
Miles has this overwhelming presence about him. He doesn’t have to raise his voice or demand attention. Somehow, he commands the entire room without even trying.
“Well, Maddie, I got you a coffee, and it’s on me. I have to head out anyway, so you two lovebirds have fun. I’ll text you later.”
She gives me a knowing wink before gathering her things and disappearing out the door. Miles is still leaning against the table, his eyes still fixed on mine.
“Thought you could stay away from me, Princess?”
He quirks a brow, waiting for an answer. I look around the room and notice several people staring at us. I mean, how could they not? A giant six-foot-something guy dressed head to toe in black is towering over our tiny table, completely focused on little ol’ me. I’d be staring, too.
“Eyes on me.”
His fingers lightly cradle my jaw, guiding my attention back to him. I swallow, the small act sending shivers down my spine and warmth pooling low in my stomach.
Fuck, that was so hot.
“I-I’m sorry. I just thought it would be better—”
“Better for who?” he cuts in. “Better for you? Because it’s certainly not for me.”
He reaches for my untouched iced coffee and starts to head towards the front. “C’mon, let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” I call out for him, maybe a little louder than I intended. The moment I notice several heads turning in my direction, I instinctively shrink into myself.
Miles only answers with that devious grin of his. He reaches back, takes my hand, and leads me out the door.
And I don’t know why, but I let him.