Chapter 12
I mumbled an awkward thank you, avolding his gaze.
Miles rested his hand lightly on the steering wheel. His pal wrist, adorned with an Audemars Piguet watch, looked like a piece of art–refined, understated, and undoubtedly expensive.
Suddenly, he glanced over at me.
Flustered, I quickly averted my eyes, caught staring, and lowered my head. “Um… Woo… No, I mean… Miles, where am I going now?”
Confusion clouded my voice. “1 forgot where Dolly lives.”
Miles sighed softly. “Have you really forgotten everythin
I nodded sheepishly. “The doctor said I’ve got intermittentonnesia. They’re not sure when or if PII remember everything.”
He frowned, concern etched into his features. “That serious? Does Julian know?”
I laughed bitterly and shook my head. “He doesn’t believe me. He thinks I’m lying.”
Miles seemed visibly annoyed by my response, his gaze lingering on me longer than I expected. After a moment, he shifted gears. “Do you have WhatsApp?
Caught off guard, I blinked in confusion. “What?”
Then it hit me that he wanted to add me to his contact.
Fumbling for my phone, I apologized hastily. “I’m sorry, Miles. I should’ve thought of this sooner. My brain’s been all over the place.”
At a red light, he casually retrieved his phone.
His fingers moved deftly across the screen before he scanned my WhatsApp code. I quickly added him back, then glanced at his profile picture–a monochromatic abstract image. It was minimalist and enigmatic, much like him.
“Let me transfer the medical expenses-” I started, but Miles interrupted me by reaching out.
His fingers brushed against mine, sending a faint spark through my skin. My cheeks flamed red.
He chuckled softly. “Don’t be silly. Let me get you settled first, and we’ll sort everything out later.”
The rest of the drive passed in silence, though his steady presence was oddly comforting
Miles didn’t seem like a man of many words, and I wasn’t sure what to say, so the silence lingered.
He casually pressed a button, and soft piano music filled the car. The soothing melody unraveled the tension in my body, and for the first time all day, I felt myself relax.
Before I knew it, I had dozed off, leaning against the car window.
The sleep was deep and peaceful as if I were cradled in the warmth of an infant’s bassinet.
The car came to a stop, and I stirred, blinking groggily.
*Awake?”
The faint scent of cedar surrounded me as Miles leaned over to unbuckle my seatbelt.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 12
His closeness brought the woody aroma even stronger, and instinctively, I shifted back, suddenly self–conscious. He chuckled softly, pointing to the corner of my mouth. “Wpe that.”
Confused, I brushed my hand across my mouth. The realizon hit a second later, and I wanted to crawl under the
seat
I’d drooled in my sleep.
Panicked, I scrubbed my mouth with my sleeve, fumbling for words. “I–uh–must’ve been out like a log. Like a total pig!”
Miles shook his head, a light smile playing on his lips. “Do’t say that about yourself. Even if you were a pig, you’d be the cutest one of the bunch.”
That did it. I tried to hold back but burst into laughter, tears pricking my eyes from the force of it.
When I finally managed to calm down, he was watching me with an innocent expression, his own lips curving in an easy smile.
Catching my breath, I looked at him, sincerity in my voice. Miles, thank you. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done today without you.”
Instead of acknowledging my thanks, he said something that caught me off guard. “You should laugh more often
-it suits you.
My heart gave an unexpected lurch.
