2. Miles
2
Miles
I breathe a sigh of relief as we pull into the hotel parking lot. As someone who’s always had a passion for cars, driving is pretty much second nature to me. It certainly helped that we spent most of the drive with the roof down and the wind in our hair. For once, I wasn’t bothered that we had no concrete plans. It just felt nice to be out on the open road. Yet, despite being so in my element, I never could quite shake my worry for the woman sitting beside me.
She’s not my favorite person and is someone I usually choose to avoid, but one thing I know about Veronica Prescott is that she never shuts up. She constantly has to be babbling on about something , and while I know I should be grateful, the fact that she isn’t saying, well, anything is concerning.
I wasn’t exactly expecting her to be yapping the entire drive or anything like that, but still, I expected more than the few words she muttered here and there. I probably should’ve taken over and asked if she was okay, but, number one, that’s not me. And number two, the last thing I want to do is force her to talk about the traumatizing day she just had. The lady just ran away from the altar, that has to be normal, right?
One can’t exactly expect someone who just ran away from everything she ever knew to be thrilled about it. While I suspect she made the right choice, that doesn’t mean it was the easiest one to make. If anything, I’m sort of proud of her—not that I’d ever admit that out loud.
I’m sure the last thing she needed was my opinion anyway. Plus, every time I stole a glance in her direction, she looked far away, lost in her own little Veronica world, her legs curled up on the seat and her knees tucked close to her chest as she gazed out at the passing scenery.
With the car finally in park, I unbuckle my seatbelt. “I’m going to go and get us checked in,” I announce, pulling her out of the fog she’s seemingly been lost in.
“I can check myself in,” she insists, stepping out of the car and stretching her arms above her head.
“Don’t worry about it. Consider it a wedding gift,” I say, but as her face contorts into a worried frown, I immediately backtrack. “I’m sorry, that was a bad joke. Either way, I’ve got it. Tonight’s on me.”
“You sure?” she asks, the crease between her brow deepening.
“I promise,” I call over my shoulder as I head toward the entrance. It’s not like I picked some fancy-ass hotel, anyway. While the town we’ve landed in looks somewhat small, it’s bigger than Evergreen Grove, so that has to count for something.
Back home, there’s only one place to stay: a small bed-and-breakfast. Here, there at least seems to be a few familiar chains, along with some unknowns. Playing it extra safe, I opted for one of the bigger and more well-known brands.
Heading inside, check-in is easy and I get us each our own king-bed suites. I suppose we could have saved some money by sharing a two-queen-bed suite, but I’m pretty sure both of us have had enough of each other’s company for one day.
Plus, it’s clear she’s going through something, and if she’s teetering on the edge of a full-on breakdown, I’m not sure I want to be there for it. I have a sister. Pretty sure I’ve dealt with enough of those moments to last me a lifetime.
With the newly acquired keys in hand, I make my way back outside, where she’s leaning against the passenger side door, phone in hand as she seems to be typing.
“I got our rooms,” I say and she snaps to attention before shoving her phone into the pocket of her jean shorts.
“You know, I really could have gotten it myself,” she reminds me, walking around the front of the car before holding out her hand.
I pass her the key card and set it gently in her palm. “I know, and like I said, I’ve got it. If you really want to pay me back, you can fill up the first tank of gas tomorrow.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes, and I hate that I notice. Normally, I wouldn’t give Veronica’s moods a second thought—whatever trouble she’s gotten herself tangled in is usually her own doing and well-deserved—but today, I can’t help it. Maybe I should’ve let her bring Blair instead. She’d know the right things to say to make her feel better. Me? When it comes to Veronica, she’s as much of a mystery to me as why anyone would willingly order pineapple on a pizza.
“So, after we settle in, do you want to grab some dinner?” I ask. While we’d stopped for some McDonald’s a few hours ago, I noticed that she’d only picked at her fries, leaving her burger completely untouched. With it now being almost eight o’clock at night, I have to assume she’s starving. I know I am, and I actually ate my entire meal.
“I’m actually not feeling all that hungry,” she admits, reaching into the backseat to grab her packed duffle bag.
My brow furrows. “You sure?” I’m not usually one to care about others’ eating habits, and she’s probably telling the truth, but just because she isn’t hungry doesn’t mean she shouldn’t eat.
“Positive. I think I just want to lie down and sleep away the rest of this awful day,” she explains. I quickly reach for my bag and follow her inside, toward our rooms on the bottom floor.
“So, uh, I guess I’ll just see you tomorrow morning for breakfast?” I ask once we reach our rooms, which are side-by-side.
“Sounds good.” She nods, tapping her key on the keypad before disappearing inside.
I tell myself not to worry about it. She’s not my problem, but I know that’s not quite the truth. While Blair likes to say that she’s a grown woman and can take care of herself, as her older brother, I’ve made it my duty to be there for her. And I know her well enough to understand that making Blair happy means keeping her best friend happy, especially after such a crazy day.
Walking into my own room, I’m at least relieved to see I didn’t pick out a total dump. In fact, it’s kind of nice. Sure, it’s your standard hotel setup with a bathroom immediately to the right, a bed dressed in a loud, overly patterned comforter, and cheap artwork adorning the walls. But it’s clean, and right now, that’s about all I really care about.
I set my bag on the dresser across from the bed before collapsing onto the comforter with a loud ‘oof.’ Okay, so the bed could use some work. Maybe I’m just spoiled since my bed back home is much softer and way more comfortable, but this should work for one night.
I reach for the remote on the nightstand and turn on the television, casually flipping through the channels. While I want nothing more than to relax and shut my brain off for the remainder of the night, my mind betrays me as my thoughts once again drift toward Veronica.
Settling on a random baseball game I hit mute before reaching into my pocket to pull out my phone and begin typing out a message to my sister.
Miles: We found a hotel for the night in some small town in Utah. Just wanted to let you know we got here safe.
Almost instantly, my phone lights up, the familiar three little dots appearing on the screen letting me know she’s already typing a reply.
Blair: Good. How is Ronnie doing?
Miles: Not sure. She hasn’t said much and went straight to her hotel room. She’s also barely eaten anything.
Blair: That’s not like Ronnie. That girl loves to eat. I’ll send her a text, but I think you should make her go out tonight whether she wants to or not.
Miles: I’ll take her wherever, but I’m not forcing her to do anything. It’s already weird enough. Just text her and keep me updated. I’m sure she’d much rather talk to you than me anyway.
I assume she takes my advice as my phone goes silent for a few minutes, until my phone buzzes once more.
Blair: She told me she’s too tired and doesn’t want to go anywhere. She wants to spend a night in, so just go grab her some dinner and bring it to her. I’ll Venmo you the money for it.
Miles: Don’t even think about Venmo’ing me. I’ve got it.
After sending me one final ‘thank you’ text, I reach for my wallet and keys and make my way out. Apparently, a getaway driver’s work is never done.
With a Taco Bell bag in hand, I knock on Ronnie’s door. I hear some shuffling, followed by what I assume is her looking through the peephole before I hear the locks being undone and the door opens.
It’s clear she wasn’t kidding when she said she just wanted to relax. The T-shirt and jean shorts she’d been wearing are now replaced with a big, white fluffy robe that she’s holding tightly around her. Her short, shoulder-length wind-blown brown hair has also been pulled up into a ponytail, with a few tiny strands escaping to frame her face.
“What are you doing? Is everything okay?” she asks, folding her arms across her body.
“Brought you dinner. Blair said you’re a sucker for a Crunchwrap Supreme and a bean and cheese burrito, so here you go,” I announce, lifting the bag.
She purses her lips and shakes her head but eventually gives in with a small sigh. “Blair just couldn’t help herself, could she?”
“No, no, she couldn’t,” I agree. “But I couldn’t either. I know today was shit and that you’re going through it, but you have to eat something.”
“Well, if it helps put you two at ease—since I’m sure you’ll be reporting back—just before you got here, I made a quick trip to the front desk’s little gift shop and treated myself to a bag of Skittles.”
I shake my head, less than impressed. “Candy is not food.”
“Sure it is. It might not be the healthiest food choice, but it is, in fact, food. Red food dye and all,” she proudly proclaims, lifting her hand under her chin as she wiggles her fingers.
“Well, I guess Taco Bell probably isn’t the healthiest of choices either.” I slightly give in, doing my best not to smile at her ridiculous assessment. “But I think it’s better than straight-up sugar, so will you please just eat it?”
She lets out a small huff as she motions for the bag. “Fine. I’ll eat it. But even Taco Bell sounds a bit rough right now, so if I get sick and you have to spend the entire drive tomorrow stopping at every rest stop you’ll only have yourself to blame.”
“Oh shit,” I curse, handing it over. Why does she have a point? And why did I let Blair make me think Taco Bell was the perfect choice for tonight? The woman had it wrong—Taco Bell is not the food of the gods and is, in fact, not the ultimate cure for a broken heart.
“Yeah, see. Taco Bell may be the food of the gods, but it must be chosen wisely,” she tsk-tsks.
“Fuck, you and Blair are way too alike,” I mutter, shaking my head. “But I still stand behind it being better for you than Skittles, so just this once, can you do the reasonable thing and go with it? Humor me for a change.”
She scoffs. “Nothing is better for me than Skittles. A food that is dedicated to tasting like a rainbow? Come on now. They’re magical.”
“Oh, for the love of—” I groan, raising my hand to rub at the bridge of my nose. “I take it back. You two aren’t alike—you’re way more annoying than Blair,” I declare, doing my best to fight off the fresh wave of annoyance. This is exactly why I’ve always gone out of my way to ignore her. Sure, she’s undeniably gorgeous—practically a bombshell who could rank a solid ten on any scale, and not just by small-town standards like Evergreen. But looks can only go so far.
“Oh, come on, you know you love me,” she says, playfully pinning a hand on my chest and giving me a light shove. “And hey, maybe my delightful personality will rub off on you during our little trip, and you’ll finally stop being a boring old man.”
I raise an eyebrow. “A boring old man?”
“Yes, a boring old man. Seriously, what do you do besides go to work and come home every day to your dog? Not that there's anything wrong with Bubba, because Bubba is a perfect little angel who...” She trails off before her eyes go wide. “Oh shit. Bubba!”
“Bubba is fine,” I quickly assure her. “Blair agreed to look after him while we’re gone.”
Relief visibly washes over her as she places a hand on her stomach. “I’m glad you thought about it, because earlier the only thing on my mind was getting out of Evergreen as fast as I could. Hell, for a moment there, I sort of felt like Blair.”
I let out a genuine laugh. Evergreen has always been home, but it hasn’t always been easy. Growing up with a mother who ran off and a father who preferred the bottle to raising his kids, my sister and I ended up being cared for by our deadbeat grandma—until we lost her too. Despite everything, that town still holds its roots deep in me.
For Blair, though, Evergreen was a place she couldn’t wait to escape—at least until recently. After rekindling old feelings for her childhood friend during all the wedding festivities these past few weeks it seems as though we might have her back for good. If nothing else, at least one good thing came from all this mess.
“But, uh. I should probably get to eating this. There’s nothing worse than soggy Taco Bell,” Veronica says, holding up the bag one final time.
“I could think of a few worse things,” I reply, feeling compelled to disagree with her a bit more—it is our way after all. “But I’ll leave you to it,” I add. Nodding toward my room before turning to leave.
“Miles,” she calls after me as I tap my electronic key to the door pad.
“Hmm?” I hum, looking back in her direction as the light on the door blinks green and I turn the knob.
“Thanks. Not just for the food, but for driving and coming with me. I know I’m a pain in the ass, but it really means a lot.”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever. It’s no big deal.” I shrug, even if in many ways, it kind of is.
Is this how I imagined spending the next few weeks? Hell no! Especially considering the wrench it’s thrown into my carefully planned schedule at my shop. But deep down, I know I’m exactly where I need to be.