for, liar

Chapter 53

The Coke cake tasted a lot better than I initially expected even though it was mainly a glorified chocolate cake. I gave Miles the credit he deserved on my Snapchat story. It's rare that I post anything on social media, but I feel like his cake was worthy of the attention from the twelve people who actually view what I post.

We're all settled in bed watching a rerun of one of the Avengers movies. My head is resting on his chest while our hands are locked and pressed against his stomach. We are supposed to be going home tomorrow and I'm already dreading going back to work on Monday. I am anxious to see Maddy though. I've been worried about her all weekend though I had no choice but to put all of my trust in her mother. I just know I'm going to regret that.

Miles runs his thumb across the back of my hand and kisses the top of my head.

He yawns and slowly sits up. "I gotta use the bathroom. Sorry."

I nod and move off of him. He gets up from the bed and walks into the bathroom. I rub my eyes, rolling onto my side. I'm not sure what time it is, but I know I won't be able to last much longer before I pass out.

Miles comes back from the bathroom shortly. He climbs in bed and slides under the covers next to me. I turn to wrap both of my arms around his torso, unpurposely falling asleep.

The next morning I woke up alone. It's a little past eight and I can't see or hear Miles. I get out of bed and walk to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I rinse off my face and dry it off on the hand towel I've been using over the weekend. Miles must be downstairs with his mother.

I tie my hair up and walk down the steps to the kitchen and dining room. Lauren is standing at the stove cooking bacon with Miles next to her flipping pancakes on the griddle. They're talking and laughing so I'd feel bad if I interrupted. I walk to the living room instead where Penny is watching the morning news.

She looks at me and smiles. She's taking small sips of her hot tea. "Good morning, Bree. How'd you sleep?" She asks.

I give her a thumbs up and yawn. I slept great but I still feel exhausted. I think I just need some caffeine. Penny chuckles and looks back at the television.

I start mindlessly scrolling through my Instagram feed. There's not a whole lot happening with anyone this summer. Everyone I went to college with is just posting about their apartments or new car purchases. It's comforting to know that still no one really knows what they're actually doing. That way, we can all remain relatable.

My phone buzzes, popping up a text notification from my mom.

"When are you coming home? I'd like to see you."

I don't think I mentioned to her that I was going to the beach this weekend. I had told her about Miles the last time I talked to her, but other than that she hasn't really been keeping up with what I've been doing. I blame myself equally for not telling her.

"We can have lunch on Wednesday? I get off early." I text back.

She sends me a thumbs up emoji, followed by another message.

"I'd really like to meet that boy you've been with."

I bite down on my lip and take a deep breath.

"At some point, definitely."

Obviously it's going to happen at some point but I'm still going to push it off as long as I can. I know I shouldn't be worried about them meeting. I just feel like it would be weird for my mother to see me with another guy after she got attached to the idea of me and Ben staying together. She always really liked him. She would even take his side when she knew damn well that I wasn't in the wrong. I just know It's not fair to Miles to keep him from meeting my mom because of Ben.

"See you soon then!"

I lock my phone and set it on the coffee table. Miles walks out of the kitchen with a mug in his hand. I look up at him and he kneels a little to meet my height. He pecks me on the lips and smiles.

"I knew I heard you. Good morning." He whispers and hands me my own cup of black coffee.

I gladly take it from him, returning a smile. He looks well rested and genuinely happy. He's so handsome even after just waking up.

"We're making breakfast and then I think after that would be a good time to head back to Charlotte? I want to avoid the traffic as much as possible." He says.

I swallow my first sip of coffee. "Yeah, I just gotta pack everything back up."

This roast is incredible, I need to know what it is. I'm a sucker for trying new coffee. Everyone thinks black coffee tastes the same but I can always taste the different flavors. Damn, maybe I do belong working at Scream Beans.

"Breakfast is served! Get your asses in here or I'm eating everything!" Lauren exclaims from the dining room.

Miles laughs and offers his hand to me. I grab it and let him pull me to my feet. We walked in the dining room with Penny where Lauren had already started fixing plates for everyone. Everything looks absolutely delicious and there's so many options I can't even decide what to eat first. Pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, hash browns, muffins, and grits (a southern speciality that I've never actually tried.)

I put a little bit of everything on my plate and try not to show any favoritism towards any specific food. Everything tasted incredible and it just made me miss mom's home cooked breakfast; the one thing she didn't screw up.

"So these are cheddar grits. My grandma used to make them every morning when I lived with her and my daddy growing up. It's her recipe but I love to add some bacon bits or sausage in them too." Lauren explains.

I didn't think it would hurt to add some meat in the grits so I took a few strips of bacon and crumbled them up in my hand to layer on top. I scoop a generous amount on my spoon and take a bite.

"Oh my God. I'm in love."

The mix of cheese, butter, and bacon melted in my mouth. It made the grits not even taste like grits. My stomach is thanking me now, but my cholesterol sure won't be later.

"Mom, this weekend really has been wonderful. Thank you for having us over and going out of your way to make this amazing." Miles says and smiles warmly.

The more I see them interact, the more envious I get of their relationship. Not even in a bad way; it really is a beautiful thing.

Revised;