for, liar

Chapter 77

The snow hasn't stopped. The weather channel said it might not stop until morning, crushing every plan I had for the next few days. Mom was upset about it but I think I calmed her down and explained we would get together as soon as possible, even if it won't be until tomorrow. The only thing about that is having to stay the night at my father's house.

"We have plenty of rooms. You're all more than welcome to stay here until we can ride this storm out."

The last thing I want to do is stay stuck in my dad's home with my ex boyfriend and his family. Granted,this would be a good opportunity to somehow make amends with Ben to stop all this childish bantering.

It's not that I have to or even should, but any sort of closure would be wonderful just so I can stop reliving it every time I see him. How can I be so in love with someone else and still have all this resentment built up inside of me as if it still matters?

I drag my hands down my face and exit the living room to meet Miles in the foyer. He just got off the phone with his mother to wish her a happy Thanksgiving.

"We might have to stay the night."

He glances out the window and nods. I think he already expected that would be the outcome.

"Would your dad let us sleep in the same room or is he going to be uptight about it?"

I shrug and lean against the wall. "I'm not sure. They have three guest bedrooms and neither of us is sharing a room with Ben so he can get over it."

"Have you talked to him yet? About all of this? What is he trying to do by inviting them over here?"

George Taylor is not the type of man to be sneaky or vindictive. It doesn't fit his character for him to want to bring me back together to the asshole who played a huge part in my college depression.

"I think he was genuinely trying to be nice and he's always liked Ben so..."

"So he won't even give me a chance? He just brings him up here and expects us to be fine with it? He doesn't even know me. Why would he think this was a good idea?"

"People talk in the town. Maybe he just heard something about you like Ben. I don't know, Miles. I'm sorry this day got completely ruined."

He shakes his head and pulls me against his chest. I'm starting to love the familiarity of this spot.

"This day is not ruined. I'm fine with spending the afternoon locked away in this giant house. As long as we can avoid Benjamin at all costs."

I chuckle, pressing my forehead into his shirt. "We can try but he has a way of popping out of nowhere when he's unwanted."

"What even happened between you two?" He whispers.

He pushes my hair back with both of us hands.

I let out a deep breath, shrugging my shoulders and taking a step back from him. "We kind of grew up together. We got very close and started dating early into high school. When Selena died, our relationship got really difficult and he just wasn't supportive enough for me so we ended things."

"You ended things or he did?"

I can't blame him for wanting to know the details. "He did." I admit.

Miles shoves his hands in his pockets and anxiously looks around. "You don't still have feelings for him do you?"

Of course he would ask me that. I don't know how else to prove it to him that I don't.

"No, definitely not. That was forever ago and I've moved on, obviously."

My dad walks out of the living room to where we are. We both faced him and waited for whatever he was going to say.

"Your room is clean and ready whenever you are. Derek and Natalie have the room down the hall and Ben took the one across from yours."

"Are they really spending the night?" I grumble.

He sighs and drags his fingers through his beard. I can't get over how different he looks.

"Yes, they are. No one is getting out in this storm."

"They shouldn't have even been here in the first place." I mutter.

He looks taken aback by my remark but I meant what I said, even if it was selfish. My dad should've consulted me first.

"They're my friends, Bree. They're welcomed here as much as anyone else. I'm sorry your little feud with Benjamin has gone on for this long but don't you think now would be a good time to be friends? You're grownups."

I told myself I would try to do that coming into this. Now I don't want to.

I ignore his comment and sigh. "Come on Miles." I grab his hand and lead him to the stairs.

"Are you two sleeping in the same room?" Dad asks as if it wasn't already kind of obvious.

"Well he's not sleeping on the couch. If everyone else gets a room I don't see why he shouldn't. I'm almost 23, dad."

He sucks at his teeth and lifts his hand in the air to shoo us away. I chuckle and walk Miles upstairs to my old bedroom.

It looks the same when I left it last, but a bit tidier and more empty. Each time I would come over here I would grab something else to bring to my dorm or to mom's house.

Miles lets go of my hand and closes the door behind us. He smiles when he starts examining the walls and laughs at the Ed Sheeran poster in the corner.

"Don't judge me." I hiss and sit down on the edge of the bed.

He grins and plops down next to me. I drag my hand across the comforter and lay back.

"I'm not judging you. It's cute." He says as he lays back.

I stare up at the little glow in the dark plastic stars glued to my ceiling. Stars always fascinated me growing up so dad thought it would be a great addition when he moved in. They may be juvenile but I think they're adorable.

"It always feels like I never left when I'm here. Everything is exactly the way it always has been."

He turns his head towards me. "Why did you leave?" He asks.

There was no exact reason. It was an accumulation of things. I had just started college and was at my dorm for most of the year. When I came home, it felt different. My mom had broken up with the only guy she dated after the divorce and she needed me. Dad was so wrapped up in his job and his wife that I didn't really have a good enough reason to stick around.

"It had stopped feeling like home."

Revised;