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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'I'm literally so fine,' I say through sniffles as Preston takes my hand, then ushers me deeper into the garden.
We walk until the rain stops, and I don't understand. I don't understand why I'm crying, or how he's controlling the clouds, or what's even happen–We're under a huge tree. The rain hasn't stopped; we're just under cover, and I'm still crying. At this rate, it would be kindest if someone just took me out.
'What is it? Mia, what's wrong?' Preston's hands are on my arms as he glances down, his brow furrowing as he catches sight of the umbrella I'm grasping so tightly that my knuckles have turned white.
'I forgot to use it,' I reply like an idiot.
'What's wrong?' he repeats.
He's evidently not as interested in my pink umbrella as I'd assumed, so I shove it into my jacket pocket as I mumble, 'nothing.'
I don't even try to sell the lie, not that I catch much of his response through my blurred vision. Not crying would be a great start.
Preston's mouth is open again, but whatever he's thinking of saying, he decides against it. Instead, he silently pulls me into him until my head is pressed against his chest, his hands lightly stroking my back. After what I stumbled across moments earlier, a hug from him right now feels like some kind of fucked up irony. Despite this, I don't move. We stay with our arms around each other until I regain control of my breathing and my tears dry up.
'I'm sorry,' I say as I force myself out of his embrace, and I'm shaking my head, my face no doubt blushed beyond a natural colour. 'I'm really sorry. I just–I saw you and Dana, and I shouldn't have–I knew I never should've even–You hate hugs, and I know you don't just hug anyone, so obviously you guys are rekindling things, and that's great! That's so great!'
'I don't... Mia, what are you talking about?'
'In there, just now,' I try. 'I saw you hugging Dana, so obviously, you guys are trying again, which is–'
'I just hugged you,' he says, his face no less perplexed, even after my explanation.
'Yeah, but that's different,' I argue. 'You've developed a tolerance with me.'
His brow furrows again, and then he's... His lips are twitching. They're twitching as if he wants to laugh. Is he a sadist or something?
'You're going to have to explain to me how that relates to any of this,' he murmurs, implicitly referring to the fact I just sprinted a whole street to try and get away from him while hysterically crying.
Only, I can't. That's the whole point. I can't tell him anything, not now–not after seeing him and Dana. It's not appropriate, nor will it ever–
'I'm not rekindling anything with Dana, by the way, in case that's yet to make itself obvious.'
