14. Chapter 14 #2
It's the right thing to have said, because he squeezed the bat plushie to his chest, looking flushed and so happy.
We’re the last to pull up to the cabin, which in fact is a towering dark wooden A-frame structure that looks big enough to host a hefty guest list. Already sitting outside in chairs around a firepit is Harris, Em, Teddy in a soft brown fleece sweater set and his other housemate Micah who I met briefly, wrapped up in a massive coat.
Two other friends I recognise from their English lit course are here too.
The only female is Faye, who is here with her boyfriend, making me a little nervous because she's close friends with Grace.
As we exit the car and I open one of the backdoors to pull out our bags, everyone waves and whistles, Faye smiling over so I don't read any apprehension from her.
Like I said, I don't care; but Miles seems incredibly bothered when we bump into her.
I know Grace said something to him at the meal, but I didn't ask.
I get the feeling Em didn't take to Grace much, but he's so excited whenever I talk about Miles or they get to spend time together.
“Take your time!” Teddy hollers, lifting up a flute glass of sparkly liquid. Everyone seems to have popped the alcohol early, even Harris who toasts with his own glass.
“I am not an early riser! You know this.” Miles shouts back, offering to take his bag from me but I just shake my head and sling it over my body with mine.
He holds his bat to his chest still and we walk together up to the cabin, which upon coming closer to, extends off into two sections at the back which I assume are bedrooms. The back is stone, but the main building is all dark logs and a full glass front which will be perfect to look out into the woods.
String lights hang over a patio and there’s more seating, which I bet will be so cosy at night.
I see an uncovered hot tub, wafts of steam coming off the water and if I'd have known I'd have brought my swim shorts.
“Oh man, I didn't bring anything to go in with.” I eye the tub, not realising how close Miles is to me till I feel his hot breath ghost my ear.
“Don't worry, we can just go in naked.”
My entire body arches at his words and the sensation of his tongue brushing the side of my jaw makes my toes curl.
“Fuck, you're not fair.” I whine and he chuckles rather manically.
Squeezing my hips from behind, he lets me go and starts towards the cabin, only turning his head to wink at me. “C’mon, let's go find our rooms. This place has enough we all get one each—Faye and Mason are obviously sharing.”
My heart dips a little, but we’d never spoken about sharing a room, so I won’t be a sulky baby and respect the boundary he’s dropped.
My friends and Teddy walk over to us as we reach the front of the house, Em pulling me into a quick hug and he already seems a little tiddly, but he’s always been a lightweight.
“Harris got the best pictures this morning! Eerie,” He turns to Miles, “Some Dracula inspired shit right there.”
We all laugh and Harris just shakes his head.
“Micah and I grabbed the food and alcohol on our way up here, so we’re just going to split it even between us, that ok?”
We nod, but considering they invited us and we didn’t have to pay for the accommodation, I place a hand on Miles’s lower back. “Just send me the amount for the both of us, you guys didn’t charge us anything to join you. This place is amazing, how did you even find it?”
Miles attempts to argue but I tickle my fingertips into his waist, smiling at Teddy who is not subtle about holding in his smirk at his friend.
I don’t think he’s used to being pampered as he’d say, but he needs to get used to it because it feels euphoric to take care of him.
He wasn’t joking when he called it a kink of mine.
“I am very good at finding hidden gems on the internet. A friend of mine suggested it.” Teddy gives me a wolfish smile, and I’m not stupid, I know he means a lover friend.
“Gotcha.” I wink, taking Miles hand to lead him towards the cabin.
Em comes inside to grab his beers from the fridge and show us around the giant house, the entrance opening up to a giant living space with a kitchen nook to one side, a long table made from what looks like resin separating it.
He points to where the rooms are, but my eyes are trained on a games area with a pool table, shelves of boxed games and yep, someone’s brought beer pong.
“We’re staying in tonight, ordering food and playing games,” Em says, stopping just short of the sofas.
“Perfect, I didn’t factor in going wild drinking with coaches diet regiment.”
Miles snorts, probably not aware of our ball busting rugby coach who treats the university league like we’ve already reached the top.“You’re serious?”
“Our coach is intense. This is our last year at the university and he’s treating us like we’re retiring from playing for twenty years.”
I laugh, “Oh god, I swear he’d have little cameras installed on us at all times to make sure we’re keeping in shape, eating right and practising.”
“What?” Miles laughs a little more caution, but Em waves him off.
“Don’t worry about it, he’s more like an overbearing dad that no one listens to. It’s not like the three of us have any interest in going pro, so we’ve learnt to indulge more this year.”
That word makes Miles bite his lip at me and I shake my head laughing, running a palm through my curls. He slowly drags his eyes up my body, then focuses on my face. “You poor babies. What if—god forbid—you binge on takeout, drink a few beers and gasp, don’t hit the gym all weekend?”
I shrug, “Panic three hour gym session when we get home.”
Miles continues to laugh before he senses we’re not joking, pointing a finger between the both of us. “This is why I will never join a team sport. Y’all crazy.”
Em’s attention is snagged over his shoulder as he looks back at the campfire, deciding against grabbing a beer, heading back outside quickly to where Harris and Micah are deep in conversation.
We head off to the bedrooms to see which ones are free.
“Poor boy is spooked.” Miles coos, continuing to tease me about the tragic war of playing university sport, as he refers to it now.
There are a few free rooms, but we pick two next to each other on the side of the house where the forest presses the closest. I chose the room with dark wooden slots behind the headboard and the bed is a deep dusty blue; a simple space with an armchair matching in colour, string lights around a large window facing the trees and a soft fur rug under my feet.
The opposite walls are painted a pale stone and above a basic wooden dresser are the bones of a stag's head. Rustic.
Miles goes for a plaid themed room because he wants the true cabin vibe and honestly the entire place is so snug.
Dumping our stuff, we both grab drinks; cola for me and Miles uncorks the wine because it’s five o’clock somewhere, right?
Joining everyone outside, there’s a nip in the air which explains why Micah is curled in on himself in a giant coat, his tiny frame willowy as most male trained ballet dancers according to him, and he looks thankful when I suggest we all go inside.
Time speeds on as we all get settled on the leather sofas, the first of many board games being turned into drinking games until we’re all fighting over the mountain of Chinese food to soak up the alcohol in our systems. Whilst Emery is treating this like a holiday and sloppily clings to Harris’s shoulder from his perch on his knee as he eats, I’ve stopped after four drinks.
Everyone's having a great time, and at every opportunity I can’t hide the heart eyes probably emanating out of my eyeballs when I watch Miles with his friends.
He’s adorable, giggling and sending me those flirty smirks when he slowly takes a spring roll in his mouth.