40. Miles
40
Miles
A rare smile crosses my lips as I watch my sister give a speech before cutting the giant red ribbon with an equally amusing pair of oversized scissors. I clap my hands along with everyone else in the crowd.
I’ll be the first to admit that the people of Evergreen Grove can be annoying as hell, especially when they insist on putting their noses where they don’t belong, but one thing you can’t deny is that they know how to rally around one of their own, especially since it looks like everyone from town—or at least most everyone—has made it a point to be here.
Local businesses have pitched in with goodies and drinks to celebrate, and Blair has set up a photo booth table, which, from the looks of it, is already a huge hit, with a giant line of people waiting for their turn
I know Blair has always felt like the odd one out and like she doesn’t quite fit in, but given how the people have rallied around her, I can’t help but hope this place now feels just as much like home for her as it does for me, especially since it’s been such a relief to have her close by these past few months.
Making my way through the crowd, I head straight for the make shift bar, grab a drink and some popcorn, and set myself up as far away from the crowd as possible. While I’m here to show my support for my little sister, I plan on doing that from all the way over here. Plus, it isn’t like I haven’t spent the last eight weeks working my ass off to help make this dream come true for her.
Scanning the crowd, my eyes land on Veronica almost instinctively. Sure, it could be the striking pink floral dress, the matching heels, and white sweater that make her stand out, but deep down, I know it’s more than that. She’s magnetic. For the longest time, I thought we were mismatched magnets, constantly repelling each other, but now it all makes sense. It was always me resisting the pull that was always there—a pull I feel even now, despite how hard I’m trying to fight it.
I hate that I’ve had to keep my distance, especially when every moment apart feels like a battle to resist the feelings I so desperately want to surrender to. I know she wanted to end things before it got too deep, but I want nothing more than to keep diving in and exploring. Unfortunately, I can only go as far as she’ll allow, even if everything inside me is screaming to do the opposite.
I suppose I can’t fully blame her. I don’t want to get hurt either. Hell, this distance is already killing me, and I can’t even imagine how much worse it would be if we let this turn into a real relationship, only for it to come crashing down.
“Hey, man,” Ford says, settling into the chair next to mine.
“Hey,” I smile weakly, my attempt at being friendly as I tear my gaze away from the quirky brunette who has unsurprisingly taken over the photo booth. She poses in a princess crown and a giant pair of sunglasses as she poses next to what I assume is a group of her high school students.
“Taking a breather?” he asks, lifting his glass to his lips as he takes a sip.
“Something like that,” I agree, not really in the mood for small talk. Then again, I’ve never been someone that can just open up and talk to anybody. Truth be told, the only person I’ve ever been able to do that with is Blair, and, well, Veronica, but I’m not so sure she counts anymore.
“I get that.” He casually nods, his eyes scanning the crowd before he adjusts his glasses on his nose. “It can be a little overwhelming when the whole town shows up, but you have to admit, this is pretty damn cool, and Blair really deserves this and so much more.”
“She does,” I agree, doing my best to avoid looking back at the photo booth.
Ford clears his throat. “So...” he starts, and I glance his way. “Are you planning on talking to Ronnie tonight?”
“And what makes you think that’s your business?”
I know I should cut Ford some slack—he’s a good guy, and I’m grateful for the way he loves and treats Blair—but I’m just not in the mood to talk about this, especially not with my sister’s nosy boyfriend. I get enough of that from her.
“Well.” He fidgets, adjusting anxiously in his seat. “I guess it really isn’t, but I know she misses you.”
I raise an eyebrow. “How can she miss me? We live in the same apartment.” Okay, I get it. I’m being a smart-ass, but he’s being a nosy-ass, and to me, that’s so much worse.
“You know what I mean. Plus, I’m serious. She’s been miserable these past few weeks, and it’s easy to pinpoint her shitty mood to the night she pulled away from things.”
I set my drink next to the popcorn on the table and lift my palm to cover my face. “She told you guys?” I finally ask as I drop my hand into my lap.
“Well, she sort of tells Blair everything, and since I’m the obligatory third wheel, it just sort of happens that I get told too,” he sheepishly admits, his eyes staring down at his glass.
“Figures,” I say, shaking my head.
“Are you really going to let her get away that easy?” he presses on, and I shoot him a piercing glare.
“The only thing I’m letting her do is what she wants. I’m not going to force someone to be with me. That’s not my style.”
“But she does want to be with you. She’s just scared she’s going to end up hurt like every other time she’s put her heart on the line. If you just told her how you felt, truly and honestly, I’m sure she’d change her mind. She wants this. I know she does.”
My eyes scan the area once more, this time actively searching her out, and like usual, my eyes quickly find her, even though she’s moved away from the photo booth.
I scoff. “If anyone is going to get hurt here, it’s me. Hell, I’m pretty sure she already broke what was left of my heart, so maybe it’s time everyone takes a step back and lets us figure our shit out on our own.”
“Look, Miles,” he continues, despite my protests, putting a hand on my shoulder. I glance down at his hand before looking backat him with a sharp stare. I’m not a touchy person, and I especially don’t want to be touched by my little sister’s goofy-ass boyfriend. He thankfully sees the error of his ways and removes his hand, but that doesn’t stop him from continuing. “I’m not here to tell you what to do or how to live your life, but as someone who made a lot of bad choices in the love department, especially when I got a little too caught up in looking out for other people’s feelings over my own, it left me with a lot of regrets, and I don’t want that to happen to either of you. I really think you both need to stop acting like silly teenagers and talk this out like adults. I think you both owe it to yourselves.”
I let out a small breath. The last person I want a stern speech from is Ford Hastings, but maybe he’s right. I have regrets, and part of me knows that if I don’t tell her how I feel and lay it on the line, I’ll always wonder what if?
“We’ll see,” I say instead, not fully ready to admit that my sister’s annoying little tag-along buddy turned boyfriend may have a good point.
He nods, a pleased smile appearing on his face. “Yeah, man. Just think about it,” he agrees before standing up. “I’m, uh, going to find Blair, but I’ll talk with you later.” His usual awkward demeanor comes back with a vengeance, likely realizing that he just got a bit more stern with me, but if anything, it only makes me admire the guy a little more. It's about time he manned up and grew a pair.
I don’t think I’ll ever see myself becoming best friends with Ford, but I have to admit, he’s a pretty good guy, and if my sister has to be with someone, I’m glad it’s him.
My biggest issue now is that her “other person” is the very one I can’t seem to get out of my head, and I’m not so sure that’s a good thing. What if Ford has this all wrong? Veronica could have pushed me away for a reason, and as hard as I try to remind myself of that, my better judgment loses out. Taking a deep breath, I rise to my feet, deciding—for better or worse—to follow his advice.
My sister’s grand opening may not be the best night for this sort of thing, but if I don’t do it now, I’m not sure I ever will. Now more than ever, I know what needs to be done.