Need you | Miles Fairchild

18 | secrets?

I hear a sharp knock on the front door, loud enough to make my heart skip a beat.

"Anyone home?!" a familiar voice calls out.

Miles.

Instantly, my stomach drops. My heart races, my palms sweat. What was I supposed to do? Tell him I was standing in the bathroom, moments away from taking a pregnancy test? Absolutely not. I shove the test into one of the drawers and slam it shut, as if that alone could erase my panic.

I rush out of the bathroom, nearly tripping over my own feet as I jog down the hallway.

"Miles, hey," I say, trying to sound calm, though my breath comes in short bursts.

He studies me carefully, his brow furrowed. "Everything okay?" he asks. There's that look in his eyes again—the one that sees right through me.

"What? Yeah—no—everything's fine," I blurt out, forcing a smile.

He doesn't look entirely convinced, but he lets it slide. "Okay... cool."

"Come in," I say, stepping aside.

"I would, but I'm just dropping something off real quick," he says, holding out a worn, familiar sketchbook.

The moment I see it, my heart skips another beat.

It's my grandmother's.

"H-how did you find this?" I ask, stunned, fingers trembling slightly as I touch the cover. I hadn't seen this sketchbook in years, and I thought it was lost forever.

"It was in Miss Grose's room," he says casually, like it's nothing extraordinary.

"M-Miss Grose?" I whisper, bewildered.

"Yeah," he nods. "She told me she and your grandmother were friends. Apparently, your grandmother used to come over all the time. When I saw the sketchbook, I figured you'd want it more than I would."

"They were friends?" I ask, trying to process it all.

"Apparently," he says, shrugging. "And get this—your grandmother practically lived at the Fairchild Manor back in the day."

I clutch the sketchbook to my chest, emotions swirling inside me: confusion, awe, and a strange sense of connection.

"What... oh my God," I breathe. "This is so weird."

He smiles lightly. "Just a little."

I lean against the wall, taking a moment to process everything. But the thought of my grandmother—and the fact she went missing years ago, presumed dead after being last seen driving along the same highway we use to get to Fairchild Manor—sends a chill down my spine.

—

My phone starts ringing, snapping me out of the spiral.

"Hello?" I answer, my voice shaky.

"Oh, thank God," a voice says on the other end.

"Wait... Alice?" I ask, suddenly alert.

"Yup," she says. "And I've got some news for you."

"Well go on—spill the tea!" I urge, trying to hide my nerves.

"Alright, so I was on my way home from the library, right—"

"Who even goes to the library these days?" I interrupt with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

"Just wait, I'm not done!" she snaps.

"Okay, okay," I sigh, my heart already pounding.

"I saw Miles," she says.

"Miles?" I repeat, my stomach twisting into knots.

"Yes, and..." she trails off.

"What aren't you telling me, Alice?" I demand, my voice sharp.

A pause.

"He was with Rebecca," she says quietly.

My blood runs cold.

"WHERE ARE YOU? I'M ON MY WAY!" I shout, panic and fury mingling into a tight knot in my chest.

"No, y/n, wait—" she begins, but I've already hung up.

No way. Absolutely no way was I letting this happen. Miles and Rebecca? Together? Not a chance.

I grab my keys and storm out the door, my mind racing. I won't let this go unanswered. I won't let anyone, especially her, interfere with what I have with Miles.

And deep down, a quiet, anxious voice warns me: this is only the beginning. Things are about to get messy, and I have no idea how I'll handle it. But one thing is certain: I'm not backing down.

Boy, were they about to get a mouthful from me.