for, liar

Chapter 48

Lauren and Penny prepared a literal feast. For the main course they made sautéed vegetables of broccoli, carrots, onions, zucchini, bell peppers, and mushrooms that were served with ribeye steak, hibachi-style chicken, and white rice. Penny baked a delicious coffee cake for dessert and I was in heaven.

We ended up playing a few rounds of Heads up with them before they both decided it was their bedtime around 9:30. I finished loading the dishwasher for them after dessert, which they couldn't stop thanking me for. It was the least I could do.

As I was loading up the last dish, Miles walks up behind me and snakes his arms around my waist. He leans his chin on my shoulder and kisses the side of my head.

"I'm almost done, I promise. I just didn't want to leave anything behind."

I'm not necessarily a clean freak but whenever I'm in someone else's home I have too much respect to leave a single trail of my existence. I don't expect the same from others when I have people over, I was just always taught by my mother to clean up after myself no matter where I am.

"Did you want to watch a movie or are you tired too?" he asks and pulls away.

I start the dishwasher and dry my hands off on the small towel hanging on the oven door. "Whatever you want. I definitely just want to lay down and relax. My feet hurt."

"C'mon, let's go upstairs and I'll give you a massage."

He puts his hand out and smiles. No way he means that.

He leads me upstairs to the bedroom and shuts the door behind us. I pull the covers back and climb under them to get comfortable. Miles tosses me the remote and climbs in bed next to me.

"I have no idea what to watch. What are you in the mood for?" I ask and start flipping through a few categories on Hulu.

He shrugs and pats his lap. "Give me your feet."

Oh my God, he was serious?

"You don't have to massage me, Miles. I'm okay."

You don't have to but damn that might be exactly what I need.

"I want to. Seriously."

I contemplate for a moment and end up giving in. I thought it would be weird to get a foot massage because everyone has this weird thing about feet where you either hate them or like them a little too much. I rest in the middle where I accept that they're just slightly less useful than hands and still need nice treatment every once in a while. We're on them a lot throughout the day and mine always ache by nighttime.

I didn't realize exactly how sore my muscles were until Miles started digging his fingers into every nerve. I could feel my tenseness easing with every movement. I can't remember the last time I've even gotten a massage. Ben would never offer to do that and it somehow feels even more intimate than sex. He offered to do this with nothing in return. I should be ecstatic but I wanted to at least do some sort of favor for him. I have a feeling he won't let me if I tried.

"Do you want a massage too?" I ask and look at him.

He moves his attention away from the TV and shakes his head, keeping a steady hand movement. "No, I wanted to do this for you. I'm perfectly fine. Want me to get your legs?"

Fuck, yes I do.

"Only if you want to." I respond and smile slightly.

His hands move up to my ankles and down my calf. He keeps his hands from going any further past my knee even though my thighs are probably the most tense right now. I don't want to say anything because he's literally doing me the best favor so I don't get to be nitpicky.

"That feels really good." I whisper under my breath and lean my head up against the pillow.

He chuckles and moves onto the other leg. How are his hands not tired from all of this?

"Here, lay down on your stomach." He says after a couple of minutes and lets go of my legs.

"Why?"

I didn't mean to sound suspicious. I know I probably did. I kind of am.

"Let me get your back. I'm sure it hurts."

"Oh my God, Miles! You are not about to give me a full body massage. I'm not letting you do that."

He giggles and sits up. "Why not? You're obviously enjoying it. Let me treat you."

I don't know why but I suddenly feel guilty. I feel like I don't deserve to be treated like this. There's no reason that would be the case. Everyone deserves to have this. I need to stop thinking so lowly of myself.

I throw the pillow down at the end of the bed and lay flat on my stomach with my arms under the pillow. I turn my head, resting it on the pillow as Miles starts at the bottom of my back and works his way up.

"Damn, you are tense." He whispers and keeps going.

I wanted to respond but I was so relaxed that I couldn't get any words out. I can't believe how amazing this feels. No wonder people pay an ass load of money to get them.

By the time he reaches my shoulders, my eyelids get too heavy to keep open. Sleep creeps up on me out of nowhere and holds me captive.

"Bree. Hey, Bree. Wake up." Miles whispers.

I jolt and roll over. I was still laying at the far end of the bed. Miles is standing over me dressed in black shorts and a t-shirt.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" I mumble and rub my eyes.

I look over at the bedside clock and see that it's 5:15 AM. I can't believe I conked that hard.

"Can you get dressed? I want to show you something." He says softly.

What could he possibly want to show me at 5 o'clock in the morning? I don't question it and climb off the bed to get dressed. He walks to the bathroom and brushes his teeth while I change my clothes. I put on one of my sweatshirts and keep on the shorts I slept in. He walks back out and smiles.

"All ready?" He asks.

I take a deep breath and nod, sliding my feet into my flip flops. He walks me quietly out the door. All the lights in the house are off and it's dead quiet. Lauren and Penny must still be asleep. I don't see why they wouldn't be this early in the morning.

He walks me out the back door and down to the trail that leads to the beach. The sun wasn't even up yet. I had no idea where this was going.

Revised;