tatemiles bot

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

I’m also angry because here I am, standing in his apartment, looking for my pants, trying to stop my ridiculous tears, still feeling the remnants of him sliding down my leg, and I have no fucking clue why he had to ruin it.

Ruin me.

I finish getting dressed, and I leave.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

He inhales a shaky breath while looking down at my mouth. “You make it so hard to breathe.”

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

“Maybe change the sheets on the bed?” She asks “I want to get these germs out of this apartment. The last thing you need is to get sick.”

I shake my head. “No. The last thing I need is for my wife to worry about me when she’s this sick.”

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

“She’s beautiful, Miles,” she whispers. “Look at her.”

I open my eyes and inhale sharply when I see her. She looks just like he did, except that she has Tate’s brown hair.

Her eyes are blue.
She has my eyes.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

Miles smiles
For no one else
Miles only smiles
For me.

“Why are you grinning?” he asks.
Because I’m reciting embarrassing third-grade-level rhymes about you.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

“Holy shit,” he breathes. “It’s so good. This. Us. So fucking good.”

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

He brushes my hair behind my ear as his eyes roam over my face. “Anything interesting happen this week while I was working, Elizabeth Tate Collins?” There’s a playfulness in his voice.

“Not really, Miles Mikel Archer,” I say, smiling. “I worked a lot of overtime.”

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

He’s looking up at the sky, and my eyes focus on the scar that runs the length of his jaw. I want to ask him about it. I want to ask him about everything. I want to ask him a million questions, starting with when his birthday is and then what his first kiss was like.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

His fingers leave mine and move to the sides of my head, and he holds me still. “I hope you taste like orange juice again.”

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

My mother passes me the pan of boiled eggs. I begin cracking them to prepare them for deviled eggs, and she leans across the kitchen island and rests her chin in her hands.
“That Miles sure is a looker,” she says with an arch of her eyebrow.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

I feel him tilt his face up to look at me, but my eyes are still closed. I don’t know why. I don’t know anything right now. I just know Miles.

And right now, I think Miles wants to kiss me.

And right now, I’m pretty damn sure I want to kiss Miles.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

One look at Sam, and she just helped me conquer that fear.

She’s already my hero, and she’s only two minutes old.

“She’s so beautiful, Tate,” I whisper. “So beautiful.” My voice cracks.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

There’s nothing in the world that compares to the feel and smell of brand-new rain.

As soon as that thought crosses my mind, warm hands meet my cheeks and slide to the nape of my neck, stealing the strength from my knees and the air from my lungs.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

He mouths, You look pretty.

I smile and wish more than anything that Corbin wasn’t standing here right now, because it’s taking all I have not to throw my arms around Miles and kiss the hell out of him.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

She places her hands on my shoulders, then presses her lips to my cheek. “Good-bye, Miles.”

I see her lift one of her hands to wipe away her tears.
I watch her walk away.

I’m met with the only familiar sensation my heart is capable of feeling: pain.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

“Miles?” I run my hands through his hair and down his neck, then pause with them on his shoulders. “I was also scared it could have been you,” I whisper. “That’s why I’m glad you’re back.”

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

I fell asleep in my bed.
Next to Miles.
Neither of us has ever fallen asleep afterward before. One of us always leaves. As much as I’m trying to convince myself that it means nothing, I know it does.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

It’s been three weeks since I’ve laid eyes on him. Christmas came and went, but I barely noticed because I worked through it. Two Thursday game nights that Miles didn’t show up to. New Year’s came and went. Another semester of school began.

And Tate still misses Miles.

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

Tate turns around and reaches for one of the bags in Miles’s hand, but he pulls it from her.

“Don’t,” he says, his eyes falling to her stomach. “I’ll take all our stuff to the room. You go to the kitchen and make yourself something to eat, you still haven’t had breakfast.”

[tatemiles bot @tatemilesbot]

"Tate"
Once again a cold rag is pressed against my forehead.

But this time it feels different.

A hand is running though my hair. Gentle and soothing and, "Miles?"

A thumb slides across my lips. "Here. Take a drink.” He says.