9
Milo
I threw the paintbrush into the cup hard enough to send colored droplets of water flying and groaned in frustration. For once, I didn’t care about the mess. I cared that none of the four starts for my paintings of the cruise were coming together. I cared that every time I tried to gain inspiration from my sketches all I could see was Casey’s smiling face, which led me to thinking about his laugh, and what his lips felt like on mine, and how amazing it felt when he held me. Despite all my best efforts at distraction, he was all I could think about, and I fucking missed him. Why, oh why, didn’t I give him my information?
“Oh, babes,“
Cheryl said softly as she wrapped her arms around me from behind. “I can’t help but feel like this is a little bit my fault.”
I sniffled. “That’s because it is.”
“I just wanted you to live a little, put yourself out there. I wasn’t expecting you to get your heart broken.“
She gave me a comforting squeeze and stepped back so I could swivel on my stool to face her.
“What’s wrong with me, Cher? I knew the guy for literally five days. How can I be feeling like this?“ I grabbed the paper towel roll and ripped free a square. The rate I was going through them, I was going to have to get more soon. Should probably invest in actual tissues, too. The rough texture wasn’t doing my swollen nose or eyes any favors.
She sighed and carefully leaned against the dining table. She even repositioned some of my paints, so they weren’t in danger of adding to the mess. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Milo. Time isn’t everything. How long did it take us to decide to be besties?”
“Pretty sure you made that decision and I didn’t get a vote,“ I grumbled.
“Don’t be like that. You know what I mean. We got partnered for that charity event and someone wouldn’t stop griping about having to sell their own art.”
I tilted my head back with a groan. “God, I so did not want to be there. And why should I sell my art personally when it’s supposed to be by an anonymous artist?”
“Yeah, but you came around and a few hours later you had a new game plan for selling your art, and we were thick as thieves. Remember the dive bar we went to afterward?”
I looked at her. “You mean the bar where you tried to hook me up with three different guys and I spilled my drink on two of them?”
“That’s the one,“
she replied with way too much pep. “Besides, I’m talking more about how we spent hours chatting until we closed the place down.”
My lips twitched into a small smile at the memory. “It was fun.”
“And we were inseparable afterward.”
“Barnacle,“
I muttered good-naturedly.
She blatantly ignored the comment. “We didn’t need days or weeks, or even months to know we fit as friends. We just clicked.”
“I’m still not sure where you’re going with this. If it’s distraction, maybe bringing up your first three failed attempts to get me laid is not the best way to go about it.“
I balled up my makeshift tissue and launched it at the bin. I couldn’t even be excited that for once I’d actually made it into the trash.
“My point, M,“
she said, placing her hand on my paint-speckled arm, “is sometimes that’s just how it works. Sure, we clicked as friends, but how is that any different from the way you clicked with Casey?”
“Doesn’t make it any easier,“
I replied sullenly.
“I know, babes. Now hop off that thing and let me give you a proper hug.“
She held open her arms, and I gracelessly fell into her. Cheryl gave some of the best hugs. They were right up there with mom-hugs, not that she appreciated my saying so.
“I’m going to get some much-needed snackage. Do you want anything?“
I asked when she released me.
“You sure you wouldn’t prefer to have it delivered?”
I shook my head. “No. I need to clear my head, or everything I paint is going to end up looking as depressed as I feel.”
“Okay. Then I guess bring me back a papaya smoothie from that place I like.”
“Considering how often you get smoothies from there, you’d think you’d remember the name of the place,“
I called back as I made my way to the door. Hopefully, no one would comment on how red and puffy my eyes were, but who was I kidding? This was Oak Haven.
I opened the front door and instantly froze. Casey stood poised to knock, looking as quintessentially boy-next-door as it was possible to get. A smile bloomed on his handsome face while I struggled to get my brain back online.
“Hey Milo.“
At hearing his voice, my heart skipped and cognitive function stuttered back to life.
“Casey. You… you’re here. How are you here? How did you know where here was?”
Doubt flickered in his eyes. “Is that okay? I’m sorry if this feels like overstepping. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable. But I had such an amazing time with you on the cruise, and I didn’t like the way we parted.”
“I feel like I should be freaking out a lot more than I am about you possibly being a stalker, but honestly, I’m so fucking glad to see you. Though in the interest of self-preservation, I should probably ask how you knew where to find me since we never shared information or even last names.”
Casey’s brows pinched together in confusion. “I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?“
I asked, mirroring his look of confusion.
”I live in Oak Haven.”
“Shut the front door. You do not,“
I replied, though I didn’t actually shut the door in his face.
He chuckled, setting loose the same butterflies in my stomach he’d brought to life on the cruise. “I assure you, I do.“
He stepped back to point down the street, and I had to lean through the doorway to see what he was pointing at. “That’s my townhouse. The quirky bookshop I work at is Literary Lighthouse, and Kaleidoscope Coffee is where I bought my favorite piece of art.” He watched me with an uncertain smile as I rocked back on my heels and tried to make sense of everything he’d said. When it finally clicked, I gasped and covered my mouth.
“Me! I’m the cute twink neighbor!”
A light rose-pink suffused his cheeks, and he ducked his head. “Yeah. And my favorite artist. But I didn’t figure that out until you left me this.“
I hadn’t realized he was carrying a messenger bag until he reached inside and pulled out a paper in a protective film–my sketch of him writing. “Might have figured it out sooner if I could have gotten my laptop to cooperate that day, but there was no mistaking it once I got home.” He carefully replaced the sketch in his bag and pulled out his phone.
“But I don’t sign my work with my name.“
I was in shock. That was the only explanation for the nonsense escaping my mouth.
Casey smiled, his eyes twinkling. “I know. But you do sign them.“
He scrolled to whatever he was looking for, then held up his phone for me to see. It was a picture of a fireplace that was identical to ours in every way except for the painting hung above it. My painting.
“I… I don’t know what to say.“
Seriously, brain? Could you work with me just a little here?
“I do.“
Casey looked into my eyes the same way he had the whole cruise, the way that made me feel seen and special, like someone worth knowing. “I should have been braver years ago instead of clinging to a relationship I knew wasn’t working. I’m hoping I can make up for that now. Milo, will you go out with me? I would really like to date you.”
Never in a million-million years will I own the sound that came out of my mouth as I launched myself at Casey and almost tackled him on the front porch. “Fuck, I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Is that a yes?“
he asked, laughter flirting at the edge.
“Cheryl!“
I shouted into the townhouse. “Go get your own smoothie. I’m going to my boyfriend’s place so he can show me his favorite painting.”
“I’m sorry, your what? Weren’t you literally just moping about Cruise-Casey?“ she called back, her voice getting louder as she walked through the house toward the door.
Casey gave me a concerned look. “You were sad?”
I shrugged, but before I could respond, Cheryl screeched from somewhere behind me, “Holy smokes, babes! That’s the hottie from the bookstore!”
“Damn right he is,“
I said with a grin before tightening my arms around Casey’s neck and snaring him with another kiss.
“I told you that you should have let me meet your cruise hookup,“
Cheryl added in her usual “I told you so” way.
Casey and I laughed. “Don’t worry,“
I whispered. “I’ll kill her later. Right now, I’d like a tour of your place. Preferably without clothes.”
He snatched a quick kiss, then traded his hold on my waist for my hand. “One naked tour coming right up.”