2.8 | Miles Away

07 |

A / N

...and this is where the real plot begins.

x Noelle

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0 6

(aka the one where Miles is Kaden 2.0 (but better) (and hotter) (and sexier))

WINTER NIGHTS AT Caverly were almost unbearable. This town was warmer than most places during the daytime, but far colder at night. I hated them as much as I loved the sun, and avoided the beach by evening.

But it was where Miles had arranged for us to meet. I'll be at the place we first met at 11:30, his follow-up message had read. It wasn't a request, almost like he knew that I would show up.

And damn him, but he was right.

I dawdled around my apartment until eleven-ish, then made my way to the beach. Tucking my hands in my pockets, I braced myself for the inevitable cold. Although whether the chill would be from the weather or from him was debatable.

To my surprise, Miles was already there. He cut a lonely, tall figure in the distance, barely illuminated by the lamppost nearby. I took a deep breath and trudged up to him. He must've heard my footsteps because he stiffened, but his gaze was fixed on the shack several feet away.

There was a lengthy pause before he finally broke the silence. "I didn't realize this place had shut down."

I followed his gaze to the dilapidated hut. The metal shutters had been pulled down, and years-old dust covered the counter. A sharp sting of nostalgia swept through me and I quickly looked away.

"Yes." My voice was small, and I felt his gaze on me. "My parents had to close shop two years ago. This town wasn't in a good shape before Brielle opened Sereinn. Too many of our old customers had left, and there weren't enough tourists to hold onto the business. Wavelength made about five months of losses before they decided that it just wasn't worth operating anymore."

Miles didn't respond. His expression remained impassive as he stared at the shack, and I wondered what he could be thinking. Did he remember it the way it used to be—with sunlight filtered through the roof, rust on the deck chairs and sea salt lingering in the air? Or did he remember it the way I did—as a place where we first met, where we first kissed and where we first fell in love?

I ripped my gaze away from him. "Sometimes, I think we could've made it work," I admitted. "If we'd held on to the shack a little longer, or if the overhead costs hadn't run quite so high... I could've run it, I think. But I never really got the chance to try, and then it was gone." I drew in a shaky breath and let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Anyway, that's not important anymore. Did you get my message?"

Miles shot me a sideway glance. "The one about how I had to be careful or the big bad bullies of Caverly would stab me in the back?"

My cheeks reddened. I hadn't quite meant to sound so dramatic, but I'd been worried and he had refused to see me. "Believe what you want, but these guys aren't messing around. You remember Liam Tulden, don't you?"

"I remember all of them."

"Yes, well, then you'll remember how they're like. You don't want to piss them off."