for, liar

Chapter 66

Late October comes to us quickly. I've been working a lot these past few weeks that I haven't had much free time to do anything else. I also haven't really heard from Miles since he told me he was dealing with unnecessary family drama and would get back to me as soon as he could.

That was two weeks ago and this is the longest it's been where we haven't spoken since we started dating.

"Should I be worried?" I ask Maddy twenty minutes into carving pumpkins.

Halloween is only a week and a half away so we decided today was a perfect day to get our spooky shit done while we were both off from work.

"He hasn't contacted you at all?" She replies.

She digs her carving tool deep into her large sized pumpkin she chose at the pumpkin patch we visited yesterday. I didn't even know she decided on a design. It's probably going to be way too complicated and unique while I'm over here flipping through the stencil book because I don't have a single artistic bone in my body.

"Nope. All he said was he had some stuff to take care of and he might have to leave town. I'm being paranoid to think something is wrong, right?"

She shrugs and doesn't shift her focus from the pumpkin. She's being very cautious with this thing.

"Don't be paranoid but yeah, that is a little worrying. Have you tried calling him?"

I shake my head and sigh. "No, I didn't want to pressure him into telling me his business so I haven't said anything."

"Well damn, Bree. He probably thinks you don't even care about him. Who knows, this could all be a test to see how you'd react if he disappeared."

Miles wouldn't do something crazy like that. Neither one of us is into playing dumb ass little games to keep the other's attention.

"I guess I could text him to see if he's okay?"  I suggest.
I pick up my phone to message him when his name pops up on my screen. How does he always do that?

"Oh, shit. He's calling me!"

Maddy's eyes shoot up. She sets her carving tool down and jumps out of her chair to move over next to me.

"Answer it!" She yells and puts her hand on the back of my chair.

I take a deep breath and swipe to answer the call. I click the speaker button to hear his deep, mellow voice speak for the first time in what feels like forever.

"I know I probably owe you five hundred apologies, but I would be really thankful if you would accept my invitation to the State Fair tonight. It's the last night they're open and I promised I would take you so please say yes."

A lot is happening at once and I'm trying hard to form a thought so I'm able to answer. I have way too many questions but I trust him enough to wait for the answers.

"Pick me up at five?" I ask.

I hear his soft laughter and sense of relief. I guess he thought I would be angry with him. Any other girl would probably be furious, but I didn't mind the break. I was working so much that I probably wouldn't have had a lot of time for him anyway. Not that I wouldn't have made the time if he asked. I would always make time for him.

"Sounds great. See you then. I love you."

"I love you, Miles. See you soon." 

We both hang up and Maddy's staring at me with the uttermost baffled expression. That's fair enough.

"What the hell just happened? The boy hasn't talked to you in two weeks and you're going to drop everything to go to that pathetic excuse of a State Fair? Dude."

"I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I still don't know much, so I can't just assume the worst and be rude. What if it was really serious and he just couldn't tell me? Not everything is my business, y'know?"

She laughs at me and plops back down into her chair. "You're too nice. I would've called his ass out. How are you going to ghost your girlfriend for two weeks and then call and plan a date like nothing happened?"

I groan and finally decide on a stencil to use for my pumpkin. "I'll ask him about it at the fair. It's no biggie."

She raises an eyebrow at me and continues her carving.

"Don't forget to ask because I would love to know what he's been up to for that long that he can't call his girlfriend and let her know he's alive."

I groan, tearing the stencil page out of the booklet. I almost ripped the damn thing.

"Let it go, Mads. I will ask when the right time comes. Let me handle this." I plead.

"You're the first one to try to give me advice if a guy isn't treating me right. I think I have a right to share how I feel."

"One hundred percent! Just let me get the facts and get back to you. Not that I should even have to. It is his business."

She sticks her tongue out and looks back down at her pumpkin. I am definitely taking the easy way out by doing the carving of the lame haunted house instead of even attempting to create my own design. I could've had Maddy draw something on for me to carve out, but she spent enough time doing hers. I'm not trying to be here all night carving this thing that's going to die in a few days.

She finishes in less than an hour and gets up to pull the pumpkin pie out of the oven. The whole apartment smells like fall harvest and I am loving it. As much as I love Christmas, Halloween's aesthetic is like no other holiday.  Christmas always becomes way too stressful for everyone and I feel like Halloween is that one holiday where you just kind of chill. No stress, just candy and parties.

"Are we going to a Halloween party this year?" I ask.

The last four years we went to ones held at UNC frat houses. They were fun but it felt so juvenile. Besides, college students only used parties and holidays as an excuse to get completely trashed.

"Well I got an invitation for one at Peter's. I don't know who's going though so I don't want to show up and there not be anyone that we know there. We could always go to Ben's."

I scowl and shake my head. "Not happening."

She turns the oven off, sliding the mitt off her hand. "Oh my God, Bree. You can't hold a grudge over Ben your entire life. You're dating a new guy now so let it go. It's just a party and you can dress up so he doesn't even recognize you."

It's not about that. I don't need to hide myself from my crummy ex boyfriend. I would rather distance myself from anything school related, especially the people. We live in a whole new city now. It's time we make new friends. I wonder if Miles even has any.

Revised;