The Perfect Storm 2

Chapter 177

It must be at least five am or somewhere in between since I feel like the sky hasn't turned a different color than pitch black in forever. It's like I've been staring at the open window behind me forever and it's a never-ending forever. And forever should never end, but everyone knows that it does, especially when talking about marriage. 

Everyone wishes it will last forever but forever doesn't mean for ever. 

I take a deep breath, trying to ease the nerves inside of me and trying to calm down my head. For the first time in a long while, I feel whole, I feel good and I feel calm, the rattling inside my head is gone and I feel like I'm here, I'm present and I'm with Miles. 

I'm not drifting away anymore, I'm not stuck in the endless circle in my head of never-ending answers to questions I can't answer. 

This time, right now, I'm okay with the questions that I can't answer, I'm okay with Miles and I not having everything figured out, I'm okay with our future not being perfectly planned and us not knowing what's to come, I'm okay with it and I was okay with it until I knew Miles had to leave. I don't know what obstacles we'll have to face but as long as we're together and as long as Stephanie's doubts aren't true, I'm okay with it.

Miles's POV

I breathe heavily, blood gushing out of my lip and dripping onto the fucking asshole beneath me, laying by my feet as I wipe my forearm against my face and smeared my arm with blood. I'm out of breath. Exhausted. And only now, finally, this asshole has given up. Everything has got to get back to normal and it starts here, by cleaning my damn mess and figuring out a way to tell Madison everything, I need to explain everything and I need to do it before everything fucks up again.

"Get the fuck out of here, and don't you ever fucking come back." I clench my jaw, feeling the vessels in my throat tense as my whole body feels the anger for this sucker. I clench my fists and wait for his unconscious body to stand the fuck up but when he doesn't I smirk, give myself a breath before grabbing at his collar and rising him completely up. His face is busted, his lip is worse off than mine and I can't help but smirk.

"What the fuck do you want?" I ask him as he finally opens his eyes.

"You owe me, remember?" He says and I drop him onto the floor, onto his knees but he quickly recovers and stands up.

"Consider this me doing you a favor then," I smirk at him before pushing at his chest and shoving him out of the damn door and then finally closing it shut with the remainder of my energy. I carefully take my phone out of my pocket, smearing blood over the screen and my black jeans. 

I click on Madison's phone and type a message.

Miles: "We need to talk."

Madison's POV

"Please say you'll come, it's is going to be amazing!" Stephanie squeaks.

"I don't know." I lean my head to the side as I hold my books close to my chest. It's already difficult to be without Miles and all I want to do is distract myself with homework as I always do but this time I really need it.

"Listen, Madison." Stephanie lets out a small breath.

"I kind of need a favor." She presses her lips together and I can tell this is not going to be good.

"My mom and Rebecca's mom are kinds of friends and I sort of . . . have to go to the party with her," Stephanie explains and my nerves start to tighten and my stomach starts to churn.

"But I—"I begin but Stephanie manages to jump in before I can deny the attractive offer.

"Madison, I need you. I can't have Rebecca with me all night, and with you there, she'll hopefully leave us alone and I'll force her to be on her best behavior, I know I shouldn't ask you this since you two—"

"I'll do it." I surprise myself by saying. I owe it to Stephanie to be nicer and with everything she has to deal with and being stuck in the middle of me and Miles, I really do owe it to her.

"Are . . . are you sure?" She shakes her head and I nod.

"Yeah." I smile at her.

"Great!" She claps her hands squealing.

FOR ALMOST AN HOUR we cut our hair, apply makeup and find something to wear and since this isn't formula like Stephanie kept assuring me, I'm stuck with tight black jeans and a long-sleeve button-up black shirt.

"You know, you kind of look like Miles. All black and all of that." Stephanie smiles with a mascara tub open in her hand, waving it around with a smile on her face.

"Yeah . . . I guess I do." I look in the mirror and I can't help but smile. My black jeans are perfectly tight and my top has large wood-like buttons on it. My chest is slightly revealed but not enough for anyone to want to stare.

"You might want to unbutton one button," Stephanie says as if she can read my thoughts but I shake my head.

"I don't need more boys in my life," I tell her and we both giggle. My hair is dark and curled at the very end. 

Stephanie offers me a hairbrush and I brush through my silky hair, loosening up the curls at the end and making my hair look much wavier overall. 

My lashes are long and my pearl necklace hangs on my neck perfectly.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you . . . this is a beach party," Stephanie says as we're halfway out the door. I bite the insides of my cheeks, trying not to back out now even though I know it's way too late.

"Is, um . . . is Rebecca coming?" I ask, trying to change the subject even if it is with an obvious question, something I already know the answer to.

"Mhm." Stephanie presses her lips together into a tight line.

"Yeah, she's meeting us there . . ." Stephanie trails off and I try to picture what this beach party is going to look like but all I see is the darkness and a bunch of strangers holding beers which only sends shivers through my spine. I want to be there with Miles and Stephanie not with Rebecca taunting me.

"I have one more thing, it's a surprise . . ." Stephanie breather.

"Elijah told me not to tell you but . . . Cody is there too," Stephanie explains and now I really want to turn back.

"He is?" I ask, my voice hushed.

"Mhm, and he's really into you, he's looking at this as a date," Stephanie says and I can feel how terrified she feels for me.

"But doesn't he know that Miles and I—" Stephanie shakes her head.

"I don't think anyone knows." She says and I gulp down the feeling of anxiety overwhelming my bones. 

Having to let down Jace was hard enough but now his roommate? 

I brush my fingers into my hair and push the loose strands behind my eas as we walk nervously down the hall. At least I'll know Stephanie and Elijah, I'm not completely alone and abandoned even if we'll be there with the girl that haunts me and the boy that doesn't seem to want to leave me alone.