Disney Got It Wrong

Chapter 13

When I still didn't hear from Myles by Friday my worry quickly morphed into irritation that was more or less directed internally.

I'd known better from the start. From day one I had told myself that Myles and I would be a bad idea. Even through all the seemingly harmless flirting there had been alarm bells that I had blatantly ignored in favor of the little thrill it gave me to see his name on my lock screen. Knowing I wasn't ready for a relationship, I had gone right along with every little comment and compliment, every flirtatious joke and nickname, and had more than once entertained the idea of something more. And worst of all is that I had led Myles on to turn right around and disappoint him.

We were working on two days without a word spoken to each other, and through my frustration with myself was a measure of the same for him. I couldn't blame him for following my lead, but I could and did find fault with him ignoring me when he'd assured me that we were okay. His sudden silence had me suspecting that it had all been just a ruse to get to me, like something someone like Derek would do just as a means to an end. And now that I'd made it clear that he wouldn't be reaching that end, the whole friendship thing wasn't worth his time anymore.

But then I told myself that I couldn't believe that Myles would do a thing like that. He'd said things to me that just didn't fit with the motives of your typical sleaze. His anger on my behalf over the confrontation with Derek had been genuine. No rouse would have had him hell bent on throwing blows. And he'd sounded genuine enough for me to trust him and his promise that I could call on him for anything. So, I was about to test that promise, and, thanks to the speedy work of the insurance agency Natalie and I dealt with, I had an excuse to talk to him.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I should have sucked it up and called him or marched myself next door to just ask him what the deal was and been done with it, but I'm a big fat chicken who doesn't take rejection well. And we already know how much I don't like confrontation. Aaaaand I don't like the idea of being a bother to anyone, especially to someone I had just dealt the rejection card to. But, damnit, I really liked the guy, actually cared about how he might be feeling, and it was eating at me. 

I mean, I would have handled it eventually on my own... 

Probably... 

Okay, so, most likely not until he finally decided to reach out. But the insurance company just happened to come through with a repair budget before I worked up the nerve to just come out and ask.

It was just past lunch time when I decided to head home from Double Doozie. I'd thought about sending Myles a quick text to see if he was home, but I chickened out on that, too. I'm not sure if I was afraid he'd continue to ignore me, which was actually starting to piss me off, or if he'd answer just to blow me off or any number of insecure worries. But whatever the case, I didn't have to ask.

When I drove by his house to get to mine, I saw the Rubicon parked in the driveway and the garage door open, and I caught a glimpse of him bent over his table saw that he had set up just inside the garage door. He was hard at work on his house, and I hesitated about asking him to do more work while I sat in my parked Tahoe and listened to the shrill whine of the saw.

I reconsidered sending a text to see if he was too busy for me to bother him, even opened the messaging app and stared at our last messages from two nights ago and winced.

"This isn't high school, Rae," I groaned aloud. "You're a grown ass woman, and he's a grown ass man. Put your big girl panties on."

I heaved a sigh and hopped out of the vehicle and marched myself down my driveway and back up his. The saw gave it's loud whirring report again and turned shrill when Myles pushed a piece of wood against the blade. I watched him apprehensively as I approached.