When she uncovers his plan to lead an entirely uneventful life, Mia Evian is determined to teach Preston Maddox how to stop living like a ghost, but Mia and Preston have history, tension, and a lot of complicated feelings.
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The other side of Preston's bed is empty when I wake up the next morning, and I'm sobered by the light of a new day. I don't even attempt to kid myself into believing we didn't cross a line last night. We didn't kiss, let alone do anything beyond that, but what happened somehow feels more blurred. I squint at my phone to see Dad's sent me a long, apologetic text but I ignore it, and instead, head downstairs.
As I'm passing the living room, I notice a duvet hanging off the sofa. He definitely didn't sleep in the bed with me, then. That's a good thing, I think, but I'm not sure my heart is quite in it.
'Hi, lovely,' Anwen greets me as I tread into the kitchen. 'Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Breakfast?'
She's filling a blue kettle with water, her head swivelled over her shoulder to smile at me from where she stands over the sink.
'I'd love a hot chocolate, thanks,' I reply as I pull up a chair at the kitchen table behind her.
Anwen shoots me a warm smile, then turns back to the sink. She's humming as she prepares two mugs and waits for the kettle to boil, although she stops at least four times to check I definitely don't want her to prepare me a three course meal. Meanwhile, I'm listening out for any sign of movement elsewhere in the house and glancing towards the kitchen doorway every few seconds.
My attention is stolen from the doorway when Anwen drops a mug of hot chocolate in front of me, and I thank her.
'He's taken Matty to Roath Park,' she says.
I sometimes forget where Preston gets his mind reading abilities from.
'Matty's teacher mentioned Boxing Day walks to him before they broke up from school, and he's been obsessed with the idea ever since.' She chuckles. 'I said we'd meet them there when you were up, if you fancied it.'
'Oh, you didn't need to wait.' I stammer. 'You should've just woken me up!'
Anwen brushes the air as she sits into the wooden chair opposite mine. 'I appreciate the peace.'
I laugh into my hot chocolate as Anwen sips at her coffee. In hindsight, the situation with Dad yesterday was a blessing. I've had a much better time with Preston, Anwen, and Matty than I would've with Dad, and after talking it through with Preston last night, I don't feel particularly guilty about admitting that. I just wish I could get through to him about his own dad.
I glance at Anwen as I contemplatively chew my lip and think, fuck it. Preston told me it was her who gave him the letter, so she's definitely aware of the situation.
'I'm trying to convince Preston that contacting his dad isn't the worst idea in the world,' I say, and a knowing look flashes through Anwen's green eyes. 'But I'm getting nowhere.'
'Mia, you've made more progress over a couple of months than I have in a year. He shuts down every time I try to float the topic.' She sighs as she cradles her mug. 'He's not said it—he never would—but I think he's frustrated with me for not trying harder with Rhys, and it's—I should've, I just—I don't know, I wasn't quite nineteen, it was a holiday romance, and I couldn't find him. I tried; of course I tried, but I should've tried harder.'
