Loose Ends | Miles | ✓

five | Miles

Missed the last chapter? Check it out on @raemckinley's profile under the story Loose Ends | Kat!
- - - - - - - - - - - -

STOCKWELL, LONDON, UK

I'D ALWAYS HATED the feeling in my stomach after being dragged off a carnival ride that had spun around particularly fast. But right now, it felt like my mind had just gotten on the ride and had yet to get off, spinning quicker and quicker into oblivion. Kat's request was eating away at my brain slowly, along with what was left of my sanity. If what Kat said was true, this Blackout threat could be so much bigger than everyone was playing at.

    It wasn't pure coincidence that she was here asking for my help. After uni, I was almost positive she would rather go on a date with Jack than be within a five-meter vicinity of me. And I would have been perfectly okay with that. She was insufferable, stubborn, and reckless. And based on what she was asking of me, that clearly hadn't changed. Kat had gotten onto a plane and flew to London to go against the CIA with this case, just like she expected me to go against MI6. And she did it secretly.

    No big deal.

    But if it was a real threat, and we saved London? I could finally be promoted to a full-time agent. It was everything I wanted dangling right in front of my face.

    But how would I hide something like this from Leo? My whole family? What was I supposed to say if I was ever caught? Apologies, I didn't mean to completely go against protocol by becoming involved in something completely out of my job description. Please don't fire me. The thought alone made me nauseous, and I felt my fingers tighten on the steering wheel, knuckles turning a pale shade. I needed advice.

    Leo was home before me today, which I saw as a good sign. I hadn't heard anything else about the cyber attack, but Max was the only person I'd interacted with all day, and I was pretty sure the most information he gave me was the time of day.

    I found Leo in the foyer, curled up onto the couch with a Calculus textbook. Behind him, Charlie and Chloe sat on the ground with a pile of LEGOs, arguing about whether they should build a city or a palace.

"Leo," I said without preamble, plopping down onto the couch beside him and extending my legs across his knobby knees, forcing him to set his book down.

He raised an eyebrow at me, though he seemed far from upset at the interruption. "Yes?"

"I'm deeply sorry to have interrupted your weird brain massage routine, but I have a girl problem." I knew better than to reveal the details, especially if there was a chance I would take Kat up on her offer, but I needed to talk to someone. Speaking of which, she was probably getting rather impatient. Too bad.

Leo laughed. "Maybe you should get Lily for this."

I held up both hands in surrender, eyes widening. "No, no. Please don't. She'll have a heart attack. I just want to have a talk, man to man."

My brother rolled his eyes. "What is it, Miles?"

"So there's this girl from uni. I've probably mentioned her because she's absolutely bonkers and makes me want to stand in front of a moving train and let it hit me."

Leo looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Vivid and slightly morbid. Go on."

"Right," I said, clearing my throat. "She came to London to... reconnect about something she thinks is important but I really don't know if it's such a good idea."

"Why?"

"Because the last time we tried to connect we both ended up suffering the consequences. I never thought I'd see her again before today, and I would have honestly been okay with that, but then she decided to just show up out of the blue and—"

"I think I've heard quite enough," Leo said with a wide grin, showing off the dimple on the left side of his face. "She obviously knows how to get a rise out of you, but it sounds like she's just asking you for a second chance."

"But," I stammered. "I don't think she understands just how much I gave up the first time she tried something like this."

Leo tilted his head to the side, as if he couldn't quite decide if he wanted to ask more questions or roll with it. Evidently, he decided on the latter. "Well whatever it was, does she deserve a second chance?"

"How should I know?" I asked, raking a hand through my hair and ignoring the curls that fell into my face. "I asked for advice, not questions to answer my questions."

He heaved out a sigh and shoved my legs off their perch on his knees before standing up and stretching. "Look," he said. "You have to decide for yourself if this girl is worth the risk to you. What's the worst that can happen?"

"London goes up into flames," I muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Leo shook his head and held out a hand to pull me to a standing position. "You won't know if you made the right decision until you do it. So, is reconnecting with this girl something you'll regret not doing?"

I chewed at my bottom lip, taking a newfound interest in the carpet fibers. "Probably."

"That's what I thought," Leo said. "Also, I want to meet the woman who is driving you mad. It's quite entertaining."

I flung a playful punch into Leo's upper arm and he grinned, but I found myself grinning back.

"Who is driving Miles mad?" Lily's voice called from the kitchen. "Does he finally need girl advice?"

Leo shot me a look and I didn't need another excuse to vacate the room. Once in the safe, Lily-less confines of my bedroom, I tugged my phone out of my pocket and pulled up Kat's contact. For a long moment, I hesitated, finger hovering over the call button.

This was just a safety precaution to make sure London wasn't in danger. We would be careful. This threat was nothing—it had to be. My finger came down on the button.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter 6 published next Tuesday on @raemckinley's account!! Keep an eye out!