The Perfect Storm 2

Chapter 120

This is the first time, the first time where leaving Ohio hasn't made a hole into my heart, instead, it has filled me, showed me that Miles is welcome and that my mother accepts him even if it's just for now. 

The first time I left Ohio, I felt like I didn't belong anywhere but here, I wanted to go back home and when I had to face Miles, I wanted nothing more but to disappear back to here. And now, now there's nowhere I want to disappear to, I want to face it all, I want to face it with Miles by my side.

Miles smiles at me as I fold the clothes that belong in my cabinet. This is the old me—the me I was before Miles. I look at his eyes as I open the cabinet and they almost look as they're glimmering and a smile spreads across his face.

"Seashell socks?" He laughs and I roll my eyes as his fingers pick up the rolled-up socks. He continues to chuckle and dig in further into the cabinet.

"I've never seen you wear them any of this stuff. You should wear this stuff more often, seashell socks, strawberry socks, there's plenty of good stuff in here." Miles jokes and I roll my eyes again.

"It's not funny." I try to hide a smile as I force his hands away and manage to close the cabinet. He smiles at me and I can tell he's trying not to laugh as we head into the kitchen where my mother is standing, waiting for us.

"I'll wait in the car." Miles says before telling my mother 'thanks' for letting him stay. He exits the room and walks toward his car while I smile at my mother.

Instead of coming yesterday to drop off a gift for my mother, Jace has decided to do it now and I want nothing more than to leave before he shows up but as I look out through the window, I realize it's too late and that Jace is already here. I take a deep breath and glance over at Miles who's waiting in his car. He's clueless, staring at something by his side. I roll my eyes with a small smile before slipping into my shoes.

"Have a safe trip, Madison." My mother hugs me tightly and I smile as I hug her back even though my heart is pounding while knowing that Jace is a few feet away from the front door. I give my mother one last smile before opening the door, thankfully not bumping into Jace.

"I will," I say as I slowly close the door behind me. My eyes dark quickly onto the ground as I try to avoid an approaching Jace.

"Madison." He says but I keep looking down at the floor and now, Mile's eyes are on me. He watches the situation carefully with his dark hazel eyes that now almost seem green. I keep walking, ignoring Jace but he pulls lightly at my arm.

"Madison, what's going on?" he asks, his voice calm and his ears ready to listen.

"Nothing, Jace. Leave me alone." I say and pull away from his light grip, He parts his lips to say something and before he can, I recite his infamous line, "I'll see you when I see you." My feet take me away closer to Miles's Lamborghini but Jace won't let go and instead follows me.

"Madison wait!" He says and this time I can't ignore him. The last thing I want is my mother to try to find out where the yelling is coming from.

"What? what do you want?" I ask, tears welling up in my eyes at the thought of Miles's ribs and the tears are desperately trying to fight me especially when it's all my fault. I needed Miles to change, and he has—he's trying his absolute hardest to change to the point where he's letting Jace punch him without defending himself. And that's never okay, not even if Miles has beat up Jace before. Jace has a right to be angry but he doesn't have the right to hurt Miles back.

"I want to talk to you." He says and I feel like our roles are reversed, instead of me trying to connect with Jace while I'm trying to get away from him and this whole situation.

"I don't," I state bluntly even though it doesn't feel like myself, I know I have to. I have to get far away from Jace.

"Madison, what the hell is wrong?" He asks and I flinch at his cussing, he really isn't the same Jace.

"What's wrong is that you're obviously insane!" I yell, not caring if my mother hears or not but when I glance at the window to see if she's watching, her face isn't there and I breathe a little easier.

"Here you are, trying to convince me of how bad Miles is and yet . . . you're . . . you hurt him and he did nothing back, he didn't even defend himself!" I practically scream.

"But he—"

"I was so stupid to think that Miles did anything to you, he's trying his hardest while you're tearing it all into pieces. What I needed was for you to support my decision of being with him and instead, you've been trying everything to get me to choose you instead." I defend before looking away from his grey eyes, the ones that sometimes look green if you look closely but now, they look light gray, almost ghost-like.

"You're not my friend anymore, Jace," I say in an almost whisper, and without looking at him, I walk over to Miles's Lamborghini, get in the car and drive away through the empty hills and roads of Charm, Ohio.

I can't believe you, here you are, trying to convince of how bad Miles is, but you . . . I can't believe you. You're not my friend anymore. I was so stupid to think that Miles did something to you.