2.8 | Miles Away

26 | twenty-six

A/N

My apologies if this scene is short; it's still super necessary for plot progression. That being said, thank you for your feedback on Callum x Scout! As you all know, I have my own ideas, but I like to hear what my readers think. Notorious is one classic example where readers made me change my mind—did you know Callum x Scout were supposed to end up together until readers made me see otherwise? You guys are more influential than you think, which brings me to my next question...

Miles x Darcy, yay or nay?

x Noelle

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2 6

the one with the french ki— toast. I mean toast.

IF THERE WAS ever a place that defined the city, it had to be Angie's. Much like the rest of the city, this diner never slept. But somewhere between ten to two, the place just quietened down. Maybe it was the customers that these hours seemed to attract, but the ones who visited Angie's for brunch seemed to maintain the peacefulness of weekend mornings.

Miles's dad was one of them.

I spotted him the moment I stepped into the diner. A grey-haired man seated at a table in the centre, head bent over an array of files as he took his time to eat. I took a deep breath and strode over to him. "Mr Callaghan?"

He peered up at me through his reading glasses before he smiled. "Ms Evers. I didn't expect to see you here. Are you here with family or..." He glanced over my shoulder, as though half-expecting to see Miles behind me.

I smiled and shook my head. "I'm here alone. Actually, I was hoping I could have a word with you."

"Of course." He gathered up his files and gestured me into the seat opposite his. "Have you had breakfast? They've really good food here. I recommend the eggs benedict—"

"—with a cherry tomato salad and a side of bacon," I finished, smiling at the surprised expression on his face. "Miles told me before he went backpacking years ago. He wanted to make sure you were doing fine without him so he made me a list of places you'd often go to. Of course, I didn't want to seem too stalkerish so I just checked up on you every few months or so." I paused to flip through the menu that the waitress handed to me. "These eggs benedict looks really good, and so do their breakfast sandwiches."

"Excellent choice," he returned. "It used to be Hale's favorite."

"Really? And what's Miles's?" It didn't surprise me to see him hesitate. I quirked a wry smile and closed the menu. "French toast. His mom used to make them in the mornings when he didn't want to go to school. She'd draw him a smiley face out of cinnamon sugar, with the eyes made of banana slices and the nose of strawberries." I turned to the waitress and returned her the menu. "I'll have the french toast and coffee, thanks."

As soon as she left, Mr Callaghan cleared his throat. "I know there's something you're trying to get at, Ms Evers."

I let out a slow breath and folded my arms on the table. "What happened that day at the Riverton Carnival was my fault. My idea. Miles just executed it, so please don't blame him."

His expression turned grim. "Do you have any idea the consequences that your little idea has caused?" he asked. "We've lost a huge investor because of this. Two fraternities have been shut down due to police investigation. I've had dozens of parents calling in everyday to ask if Riverton is a safe place for their children to study in."

"It's not." I met his stare evenly, and refused to flinch under the harshness of his gaze. "At least, it wasn't when those two frats were still around. What kind of safe place did you think Riverton was when one of your students had been tied to a roof? You had a student who was forced to drink so much water that the medics had to pump it out of his system. And you have a son who almost had to fight it out with another pledge—all just for a place in the frat that his own brother created."

Mr Callaghan didn't say anything. I began to wonder if I'd offended him with my bluntness, but then he let out a sigh. When he spoke again, his voice was weary and made him seem all of his sixty years. "Hale created Corvus's new chapter when he was just a freshman. And it was my job, as a father, to ensure that his legacy continued, even though I never knew what went on behind those walls."

I considered my next words carefully. "Just because Hale was a good son doesn't mean that he was always a good person, or a good brother. And the wrong that he did in his lifetime must still be corrected, even when he's gone. I know you miss Hale and want to protect his legacy. But you've forgotten to protect Miles. And you've missed out so much of his life. I know how hard it must've been to lose a son. Which is why you can't afford to lose the only one you have left."

Silence descended between us. Thankfully, before things could get awkward, the waitress arrived with my food. I fixed my coffee just the way I liked it, before I looked back at Mr Callaghan.

"I'm sorry if I was too forward," I said at last. "It's just that Miles means a lot to me and I hate seeing him so sad."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I needed to hear that." He took a slow sip of his coffee, then peered at me. "For someone who's no longer in a relationship with my son, you seem to care a lot about him."

I almost choked. "How did you—?"

"I might not have been the best father, but I still am his father. He used to speak often about you whenever he called home, then suddenly he stopped altogether. And at my retirement party, I noticed you two weren't as close as you used to be."

I smiled faintly and looked down at my plate. "Yeah, well... It was for a good reason. I didn't mean to break his heart, I just... It was for the best, you know?"

A stilted silence followed my words, until Mr Callaghan picked up his cutlery again. "I know," he said at length. "You and I both want what's best for him, even if, sometimes, we do things that might seem otherwise." He reached across the table to nudge my plate closer to me. "Eat up, Ms Evers, your food's getting cold."

I cracked a grin at him and picked up my fork. "Call me Darcy. I think we're...almost friends now."

"Alright," he acceded. "You can call me Stephen."

"How about Stevie?"

"Not if you ever want to date my son again."