Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
LOXLEY
My heart was racing as I walked away from Miles. I couldn’t believe I had asked him if he was going to kiss me, but at that moment, it felt like that was exactly what should have happened. We were both so clearly drawn to each other, swaying to Sammi Smith in a dimly lit living room.
Maybe it was the emotions of the day, but I felt closer to him than I had to anyone in a very long time. I wanted him to kiss me—I needed to know what it felt like to be kissed by Miles Brooks. It would have been another layer of freedom, another piece of the solace I had found inside his home.
But I couldn’t blame him for being hesitant. We both knew I would eventually have to return to Nashville. I was under contract, and would already be facing consequences for running away.
Plus, I had only known him for a week.
I retreated to my room, forcing myself to create space, to tamp down the temptation of falling any deeper into him. If getting closer to him was a bad idea, then swaying in his arms had been downright reckless.
But I knew he was still awake. I could hear his footsteps against the wooden floor, pacing, sometimes passing my door. I sat cross-legged in the middle of my bed, waiting. Hoping. I just wanted one of us to decide that it was okay to act on what we both so obviously felt.
I was just about to give up and lie down when I noticed a shadow under the door. Miles was standing in the hallway, lingering. My heart pounded as I silently urged him to push through, to put an end to the uncertainty.
But as I was staring at that thin strip of light beneath the door, something darted across it. A dark, fast movement.
I screamed.
The door burst open, and Miles came rushing in. But instead of pulling me into a passionate kiss, he frantically looked around, trying to figure out what had caused my panic.
I was standing in the middle of the bed, pointing toward the dresser near the door, my breaths coming in sharp gasps.
“A mouse,” I finally managed to squeak out.
“A mouse?” Miles asked, turning in the direction I was pointing.
I nodded, tears welling in my eyes. There wasn’t much that scared me, but the thought of a rodent scurrying across the floor while I was trying to sleep was more than I could handle.
“Shit. It’s okay, Lox,” Miles tried to soothe me. “We’re surrounded by a million trees. The little guy probably just got lost.”
“The little guy?” I shrieked, staring at him in horror. He was acting like that thing wasn’t capable of training four turtles to become crime fighting ninjas.
He crouched, peering behind the dresser. “It’s behind here,” he confirmed, preparing to move the heavy piece of furniture.
I watched, petrified, hoping the thing wouldn’t decide to scurry up his body and latch onto his gorgeous face.
As soon as Miles nudged the dresser, the mouse squeaked and bolted—straight under the very bed I was standing on.
I screamed again, and for reasons beyond my own understanding, grabbed a pillow and hurled it at the floor. I barely missed Miles as he dropped to one knee, peering under the bed.
“Lox—” he started, but I was already scrambling onto the highest point of the mattress, preparing for battle against the tiny terror lurking beneath me.
“Don’t ‘Lox’ me, Miles. I’m not okay.”
“I was just going to say I can trap it with one of your shoe boxes. Can you grab me one?”
“Miles,” I warned. “I think maybe we should just burn this house down. I’ll buy you a new one. There will be cats and owls everywhere for mice control.”
He laughed as he let me panic-talk, and walked to my closet himself to grab a shoe box. Bending back down to his knee, he silently made a plan and then looked back up to me. "Alright, let’s do this. If I die, tell my Grams I fought bravely."
"This is not funny, Miles!" I whisper-yelled, eyes darting around the floor like the mouse might launch an aerial attack.
“It’s just sitting there, probably just as freaked out as you are."
"Doubtful."
In one swift move, Miles slapped the box down. I couldn’t see what was happening, but I heard the mouse move and Miles cursing under his breath. Then I heard the box slam down again. "Got it."
"Are you sure?" I peered over the edge of the bed feeling incredibly skeptical.
“He’s under the box, I just need to slide it out.”
"What are you going to do with it?"
"Slide it all the way to the door." He carefully pulled the box from under the bed, then pushed it across the floor. I stayed still, too scared to move in case it escaped.
Once Miles got to the back door, I listened as he opened it and told the mouse, "Run free, little fella."
A few minutes later, he returned to my room, holding the empty box up as if I would want it back. "All gone. It’s safe to come down now.”
"What if it had a family? What if they're planning revenge?"
He rolled his eyes, but instead of arguing, he crossed the room in two strides and scooped me up into his arms.
"Miles!"
"You clearly won’t be sleeping well in here tonight, so you’re coming with me."
He carried me effortlessly down the hall, and I knew I should have protested, but honestly? I didn’t want to. Not just because of the mouse, but because I didn’t want to be away from him, not even to sleep.
He nudged his bedroom door open with his foot and placed me down gently on the bed. "Just for sleep, Lox. No mice, no panic. Just sleep."
As I watched him move toward the couch, disappointment flared inside me. I wanted him to stay. To hold me. To make this confusing, overwhelming situation feel simple, just for a little while.
“Miles?” I whispered. He turned, his expression unreadable. “Stay with me?”
His jaw tightened, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. “Lox…”
“Just to sleep,” I added, using his own words even though we both knew how thin that line was.
For a long moment, he didn’t move. Then, with a sigh that sounded like surrender, he climbed onto the bed beside me, keeping just enough space between us to remind himself why he shouldn’t pull me closer.
And yet, even with inches between us, the air still crackled with everything unspoken.
Turning to him, I smiled hesitantly, propping my head up on my hand. “Sorry I wanted to burn your house down.” I didn’t add as much, but I was thinking that after learning about his parents earlier that day, wanting to burn his house down was insensitive.
Miles turned to face me, and propped his own head up as well. “I’d have struck the match if I thought it was the only way to keep you safe.”
My cheeks turned red and I bit my lip, attempting to look away. But Miles grabbed my chin and forced me to look back into his eyes. We stayed quiet, both laying our heads back down and staring at each other in the dimly lit room.
Before long, I was sleeping soundly, dreaming of Miles and me hand in hand, running away from Chuck-E-Cheese as we laughed. When I woke up, there was a smile on my face, and I expected to see Miles sleeping in front of me.
But he was gone, and I sat up quickly, looking around his empty room before getting to my feet and making my way to the kitchen. There was a pot of hot coffee already made, along with a note.
I scoured the house before I left. My gun was drawn, my badge was flashed. No signs of mice, but even if they were lingering around, I put them on notice and you should be safe. See you after work. -Tomcat