🍂Miles Fairchild💀

Chapter 14😶‍🌫️

 As she is distracted hanging up the clothes Miles turns to me and looks down at my hand, he slowly creeps his hand close to mine, I shake my head whilst looking at the back of Miss Grose's head in alarm. He smirks at me before intertwining our fingers and holding my hand steadily in his. Are we together now? I need to know because I am falling hard for him. He squeezes my hand in a cute gesture to let me know that Miss Grose probably won't kill me if she sees me holding hands with him. I lean my head on his shoulder and sigh. 

Miss Grose moves slightly which in turn triggers me to take my hand out of his and back into my lap. Miles looks at me, probably a little hurt. I look him in the eyes before standing up and walking out of the room, I quickly re-enter and rush up to him, grabbing his face in my hands and quickly kissing his lips passionately before running out of the room again. I don't want him to ever think I'm just an anxious coward with a huge crush on him, I want him to KNOW I'm an anxious coward with a huge crush on him. I don't want him to know how much I adore how genuinely sweet he is or how it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside whenever he smiles as I kiss him or even when he blushes at something I say or do and his cheeks practically change to a deep red.

It has been three days now and Miles and I have continuously been making a huge effort to mask our feelings for eachother in front of Miss Grose and Flora. Quint has been extremely rude to Miss Grose lately and a bit too harsh to Miles, something is up and it surely has something to do with Miss Jessel. He probably blackmailed her or scared her away somehow, either way I can't STAND the thought or sight of him, he is disgusting and cruel, I don't care what Miles says, Miss Grose hates him, Flora seems uncomfortable in a way but still mutual and I simply despise him in every way possible. He clearly likes being in control of the Fairchild's home even though in no way does it belong to him. He thinks everyone is beneath him like we are just mere peasants and he is some rich king that spits at the mention of us. 

I am frustratedly walking down the hallway with Flora and up to my room as I think about the horrible experience that just occurred at lunch. Quint had come in, trekking mud everywhere and apparently wearing pants and a shirt that belonged to Miles and Flora's Dad again. Miss Grose scolded him saying "Those belonged to the children's Father, you shouldn't wear such a thing of personal value." Quint had responded with "How dare you tell me what I should and shouldn't do you ugly wrinkled maid, go and clean up my plate and be a good woman, quiet and obedient," He had said it in this foul gritty voice, the voice of a drunken cigarette addict. I was terrified but angry, so, so ,so angry. Miles just sat there and continued eating like nothing had happened which made me even more mad and hurt. Flora's eyes had started filling with tears and at this point I had gotten up, grabbed her by the hand gently and taken us out of the room, she shouldn't have to watch such a disturbed act of toxic masculinity, no one should. I feel bad for Miss Grose to be honest, she meant well as much as I hate to admit it, she usually does.

"Issy?" Flora says tugging at my hand lightly.

"Yes Flors?" I say, scooping her up into my arms with a tiny bit of struggle and carrying her through the door and into my room.

"Do you think Miss Jessel is ever coming back?" She asks.

"I hope so, Flora. I really do," I say, placing her onto my bed which I freshly made this morning since I don't want Miss Grose to have to clean up after me.

"Everything was so much better when she was here," Flora said quietly.

I hug her tightly and smile at her empathetically before getting out a book perched on a shelf on the other side of the room.

"Do you want me to read to you for a bit? Or do you want to read to me?" I smile while showing her the book.

"I want to read," Flora says excitedly as I hand her one of her favourite books ever.

"The girl and the Swan," Flora starts as she reads the title.

"By Anna Pottersky," She reads, smiling up at me. After we got about two thirds of the way into the book, someone knocked on the door. I don't respond, I don't care if it's Miles or Miss Grose and I certainly don't care if it's that horrible hog of a 'man'. Miles opens the door and as he peeks inside he smiles at us.

"Can I join?" Miles asks Flora as he notices her holding her book.

"Of course!" Flora says happily. Miles takes off his shoes and lays down next to me. Flora and I are under the covers, our heads resting on multiple little and big pillows. Miles is also now under the covers, blanket up to his neck, his hand fiddling around trying to find mine which is avoiding his touch.

"Go on Flora," I smile, encouraging her to keep reading. Miles is looking at me nearly the whole time, confused somehow as to why I'm acting strange. I look up at him and try to give him a look that shows I am angry at what had happened beforehand, he doesn't understand it. Miles responds with a confused expression which I respond to by rolling my eyes.

"The end," Flora finishes.

"Well done Flora, you're better at pronouncing words than I am. Go grab another book If you want and I can read to you for a bit OR you can continue showing me up with your awesome reading abilities instead," Miles says in his slightly over energetic voice which he uses when he talks to Flora. I know he is just saying this so that he casually has a chance to actually talk to me but I honestly don't know how to go about this conversation without casually saying that your perverted friend is a toxic asshole who is clearly abusive and sexist.

"I want you to read, I'm going to pick a book with long words," she chuckles. As Flora skips out of the room, Miles quickly turns to me. He reaches a hand to fix my hair out of my face. I don't want to talk to him right now, instead I curl up and turn my back to him whilst still snuggling up to his body. He wraps his arms around me and tucks his head into the back of my neck.

"Talk to me," He says, his breath hot against my bare skin due to the close proximity.

"I don't think I need to Miles," I sigh, he pulls me closer to him and nestles his head into my neck even more. A small smile creeps on my face, I hear little footsteps as Flora re-enters the room holding a big children's book. He quickly lets go and sits back up in the bed.