Chapter 8 - Miles
"Miles, I swear to god, if you touch me with that utensil one more time, I'm going to stab the bloody thing into your shoulder."
I paused as I waved the poker over Lucas's shoulder. Owen, standing next to me, snorted. "I'd love to see that."
Lucas looked up from the stove and snatched it from my hand. I took a step back, throwing my arms up. "Hey, hey. Ayden said no roughhousing in the kitchen."
"Quit antagonizing him then," Owen grumbled from the island as he moved. "It would be nice for you two to get along."
Weslie and Thomas laughed hard from their chairs. Weslie looked up, blowing his brown hair out of his face. "Those two are like fire and ice. They can't. Have you ever seen them get along?"
"We get along," Lucas said, throwing daggers at all of them. "When he isn't acting like he's five." Lucas glared at me before placing the poker down on his other side.
I moved, swinging into a seat next to Thomas, who was looking at his phone. I leaned over, and he moved his phone, but I could see the start of a dirty message being sent.
"Who are you messaging?" I asked eagerly, trying to hear more.
"A girl I met," he said, shrugging. "She's not from here."
Just then, I heard heels, and my eyes snapped up to find Laura coming up the stairs. Her red hair was in a messy bun with a few strands falling free. She was wearing a pantsuit that hugged her waist and curves. She looked absolutely stunning in her work attire.
"Wow, look at you," Owen said, raising an eyebrow. "Hot date?"
Laura looked at her outfit and then back at us. "No. I was just having lunch with the girls. What are you all doing? I could hear the laughter all the way downstairs."
"The normal," Thomas said, smiling.
She looked at me, and I gave her a quick smile, hoping my eyes didn't give away the fact I was staring. I couldn't help it. My wolf was practically panting in my head.
"I'm guessing you don't want a taco then," Lucas said, turning away from the stove.
"I'm full," she said, slipping her heels off, shoving them into her purse, and pulling out flats. "Didn't you guys say you were busy today?"
"We were," Weslie said, "But we also needed food, so we figured we would get back to it before Ayden gets back."
"Where is Ayden?"
"Meeting," Owen said, "Should be back later today."
The room fell silent for a moment, and I moved back towards Lucas. "So, you make sure to season these better than last time? I don't feel like eating something that tastes like ass today."
Lucas raised an eyebrow at me with a smirk, pulling at his lips. "So, you've eaten ass before?"
The guys erupted in laughter.
"All right, smartass," I glared at him. If anyone has disturbing things they are interested in, it's you. Shall I remind you of the girl you dated who loved for you to call her daddy?"
Lucas continued to smirk. "Clearly, you've never been called daddy in bed; otherwise, you would realize how much of a kink that is."
"All right, you too, there is a lady here. We aren't getting into who fucked who better."
Everyone looked at Laura, who looked rather comfortable. She shrugged. "Don't stop on my account. This is a side of Miles I've yet to see."
I felt my stomach twist up, knowing she was being honest. She didn't know this person, and I was a little embarrassed.
"About that," Thomas asked, "How did you two know each other?"
My entire body froze. I had a feeling they would eventually put two and two together. Laura and I knew things about each other that were too detailed for strangers to know.
When Owen and I picked up coffee one morning, I knew she liked iced coffee. When Thomas and I bought her flowers to be with us for her first month, I knew she was allergic to lilac. And when Weslie and I ordered dinner, I knew she loved spicy food, so I asked for extra hot sauce.
I knew they would eventually learn the truth, and I tried not to say anything since she had requested that we not tell them.
I glanced at her, wondering what to say. If they knew we dated, how would everyone feel? How would she feel if I told them?
"We…are friends," I said simply.
Laura made a face. "Really? That's what you want to go with?"
"What do you want me to say?" I asked.
She made a face. "The truth."
"We are," I said, shrugging. "That fucked on occasion."
All the guys went quiet for a solid second. Owen was the first to talk. "Wait, you guys fucked or dated?"
"We dated," Laura said, leaning onto the counter. "This was years ago when we were in college."
"You guys knew each other in college?" Weslie said. "What was Miles like?"
She looked at me, and I could see she remembered. I wondered what went through her mind. What version of me did she remember?
"Different," she said.
"I think the word is normal," Lucas added as he moved the pan off the stove towards the island.
"I wouldn't go that far," she said with a chuckle.
"How long were you guys together?" Wesley asked, grabbing a taco.
"Uhmmm." She looked at me.
I tried to remember our timeline for how everything played out: "We were friends for a year before we started dating. We officially have been dating for two years."
"Why did you guys break up?"
We both fell quiet. I remembered our breakup and the yelling. I was sure the entire dorm could hear us. Finals were done, and I decided to move home.
I had a fight with my folks about her. I wanted to ask her to come back, and my father said if I did, if I continued to have a relationship with her, they would cut ties with me.
I remembered feeling the need to puke as I looked at her that night. I was ready to tell her everything and ask her to stay with me, but I couldn't. So, instead of trying to move our relationship to the next level, I brutally ripped it apart.
After a moment, she shrugged. "Because. School was ending, and he was moving back home. It wasn't anything serious."
I looked at her, trying to keep a neutral face, but I was shocked. Why wasn't she telling them the truth? I broke things off.
"I'm going to check my email and water the flowers. You guys enjoy your food."
As she walked towards her office, I sat frozen. My mind was flooded with questions.
After eating, I headed outside. I found her in the back, watering the flowers. She was bending over, her top gaping open. She looked at me as I walked over.
"You look angry," she said, pulling herself back up.
I reached out, gently grabbing her top and pulling it together to cover her better. She blushed, embarrassed.
I focused on her top, trying to find the words. I should have thanked her because if the guys knew the truth, they might have thought differently about me.
"Why didn't you tell them the truth?" I asked, taking a step back.
She shrugged. "Because it's in the past, and we can't change anything about it."
He frowned. "But I hurt you. And you…" I stopped, not sure what I wanted to say. I rubbed my hand over my face. "I hurt you, Laura. And I hate how I ended things. I was an ass."
Her eyes softened. "It's in the past, Miles. But thank you."
Staring at her reminded me why I loved her so much. Laura was soft and forgiving even when you didn't deserve it. I remembered the stress of trying to be perfect, and with her, I felt that I was. I wanted that again.
Laura had always made me feel good enough. Whenever I fought with my family, she held me together. Laura had been on my side even when I probably didn't deserve it.
"Will you go to dinner with me tonight?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. "What?"
"Dinner tonight?"
She stuttered. "I don't have anyone to watch Michael."
"I can find someone to watch him. I'm sure one of the guys wouldn't mind."
She chewed on her lip. "I don't know. Is that a good idea considering our history?"
"Please," I said. "What's the worst that could happen? You fall back in love with me again?"
"Whoever said I fell in love with you before?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Fine," I said, taking a step towards her. "Don't fall back in love with me. But I should warn you, I'm ten times more amazing than I was before."
Her eyes stared at me, and she swallowed. Her voice shook. "I doubt that."
I leaned closer, my face just inches from hers. "Why don't you find out?"
I caught a whiff of her perfume, and it took everything in me not to grab her and hold her. She stared at me with those soft, caring eyes, and after a moment, her lip curled up slightly. "Fine. Let's see if you're as amazing as you say."
I felt my wolf growl, so desperate to be near her. If only she knew the things she did to me.