MILES My mother was unusually quiet for the next few days. Not a single word or glance my way. She pretty much acted like I didn’t exist, and it was slowly but surely driving me crazy. I felt like I was digging a trench in my room from all the pacing I did. Apparently, I was the least of her worries as she prepared to leave the home we’d been in for the past ten years. Mr. Black decided he just couldn’t wait until after the wedding for us to move in, stating it would help blend our family and allow us time to get to know each other. It was a bunch of bullshit but whatever. The only reason I knew this was because my mother had an incredibly loud voice when she gushed this news to her so-called friends. She’d been on the phone talking to multiple people either to brag or to sell what she could in the house. My fingernails were almost nonexistent from picking at them because of the anxiety of wanting to check my stash of money I hid in the vent above my bed. When I made it hom
MILES She returned about an hour later, with a shiny new pearl white car, and pulled a for sale sign out of the trunk. Had she gone and bought a new car? Maybe she had sold the house already? No, then she wouldn't need the for sale sign. During the hour she was gone, I used the time to collect myself. I started with cursing the ceiling and punching the shit out of my bed, then, the pacing again, trying to come up with a reasonable answer for my mothers behavior, and lastly, I sat on my bed and took deep breaths reminding myself that I was still breathing. After that was done, I took a quick shower and dressed myself. I even put on just a tad of makeup in an attempt to cover the dark crescents under my eyes. Even though my escape plan was ruined, I still turned eighteen tomorrow, making me a legal adult. She wouldn't be able to interfere. Not that I had anything for her to interfere with. I was back to square one. I had no job, I had no money, and I didn't have a college to attend
DOM It was her. I pressed the nail of my thumb into my hand to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Yes, it was her. I'd recognize those eyes of hers anywhere. Miles Valentine. That was her name, and it was just as beautiful as her eyes. Eyes that called to me like a moth to a flame, alluring and irresistible. Except, the first time I saw her didn't feel as deadly as it did seeing her seated at my family's table. She was the girl who threw me completely off kilter last night. The girl who bested me in eight-ball and spoke to me with that pretty little mouth of hers. She had to be playing me for a fuckind fool. She hadn't looked at me, not one damn time. I thought I would go crazy with how badly I wanted her to look back at me so that I could get even a glimpse of what she was thinking. I watched her as she ate if what she was doing could be called eating. She nibbled, like a little mouse. I tried to be discreet about it, sneaking glances here and there, directly looking at
DOM "What's been up with you?" questioned Marcus as we walked to the locker rooms. We had just finished practice, and I played like absolute dog shit. I had for the past few days. My mind had been completely occupied by nothing other than Miles Valentine. She threw me for a fucking loop. I hadn’t started the conversation at dinner Saturday like I had originally planned. I was just so annoyed by how she made me feel that my common sense went out the window and I fucking hated it. There was no way I was going to tell Marcus just so he could give me hell for it. "Nothing, man." "Is it about your father getting remarried?" Damn he was good. Why was he so fucking spot-on all the time? It was hard to keep things to myself when the man could see past anyone's bullshit. His observation skills were so good it was scary. "It could be," I responded, trying to be vague. "I knew he was dating someone but..." I didn't even know what I could say about her. She was meek and quiet other t
DOM My father replaced the dining room table. It was about half the size of the previous one. He said something about eating in a more comfortable setting where we could bond and get to know each other. It was bullshit. Since when did he care about creating bonds other than the ones with his law firm? Miles attempted to sit next to her mother, but Marcus beat her to it, plopping himself in the chair. The table had six chairs on each side with one chair on the ends. My father sat where he normally did, at the end, and Ms. Valentine was adjacent to him. I sat next to my father. She could either sit next to Marcus, me, or make it awkward by sitting further away. She shifted uncomfortably, looking as if she might just turn around and leave. "Come sit next to Dom, Miles," said my father, deciding for her. She gave him a nervous smile and made her way to the seat next to mine, her mother's eyes watching her with a tight smile. Marcus leaned back, smirking. He knew damn well wh
DOM I meant to casually walk past her room like I didn't give a care in the world, but instead I sort of peeked in like some fucking creeper. Miles sat curled up in a large chair in a corner of her room, reading a book, wearing some little cotton shorts and a sweater two sizes too big for her that hung off her shoulder on one side. Was that the kind of stuff she wore to bed? God, her legs were gorgeous. The longer I looked, the less I realized that I had started leaning on her door frame to watch her. She was reading what looked to be some cheesy romance book. "Dark Love"? I rolled my eyes. Did she actually believe in that stuff? I wondered if she actually thought people had happily ever afters and love at first sight. It might have been nice to read, but it was still just a bunch of bullshit. That wasn't how real life worked. 'Then why are you watching her like a fucking creeper?' I asked myself. She squirmed a little and then bit her lip, her eyes going wide. I thought maybe sh
MILES Dominic Black was full of shit if he thought I couldn't see past his asshole facade. I could see it in his eyes. He flipped like a switch and became indifferent, and angry. They were emotions I knew well. Except that lately, I found myself feeling numb to most things. I thought maybe I could spark something up by reading some dark romance and for a moment, I had escaped into the book and I could feel. Just feel. But of course, the sexy asshole who would be my soon-to-be stepbrother invaded my space and yanked me out of my peace. I didn't mean to make his nose bleed. He was the one who snuck up behind me and scared the shit out of me while I was in the middle of a steamy scene. It was his fault. I won't deny that it felt a little good, making him bleed a little since he'd been nothing but shit, but in the end, I felt bad for hurting him. I'd never made anyone bleed before. Instincts I never knew I had just taken over. At first, I was shocked. He didn't deserve any care f
MILES *TRIGGER WARNING* ANXIETY, PANIC ATTACK* When I returned home, it was late evening and I was tired. Kenzie had taken me place after place, planning the entire day. My favorite was the bookstore. She bought every book I touched. I tried to protest, but I could never get her to listen to me anyway. "You're not the boss of me Miles Valentine. I'll spend my hard-earned money how I like, thank you very much," she told me, handing the cashier her card. I didn't say another word about it after that. I made my way up my room, grunting as I carried the bags of gifts my best friend showered me with. Kicking open the door, I gently placed all my things on the floor. I would need a bookshelf soon but I didn't have any more money. My stash was still missing and I didn't think I could get another job unless it was in the next town over. School would start and I wouldn't have time. "Nice day?" I jumped, finding my mother in my corner chair with her legs crossed and her hands clas
DOM What was I gonna do with my fucking self? I was starting to feel like I was in a place between not knowing who I was and finding out who I could become when I was around this woman. It felt like fucking witchcraft or something. All I wanted to do was be inside her and stay there. That was all I wanted to do since I met her, except now, now there was more. Now I wondered what her favorite color was. Now I wondered which of all the books she's read was her favorite and why? Not to mention how I felt like shit every time that fucking tower hovered around her like a damn drone. The guy followed Miles around like a lost puppy, and it pissed me off. She wasn't waiting in front of the library like she usually did when I drove up after practice, so I went inside to find her since there was a huge possibility that she was asleep. I wished she was asleep, but no, she was there in the back of the library, at a table for two, giving silent, cute little hee hee's and pushing him playfully
MILES *WARNING SEXUAL CONTENT* He was fucking crazy. I had just told him about my flawless record, and he still wanted some action while the professors were in the room? I understood that we were just in a heated make-out session, but sometimes things can get in the way. Like these damn professors. That's how I felt, but I was still spreading my legs for him as his fingers skimmed my inner thighs. I never in a million years thought I would be doing things like this in a closet while there were people in the room, our university’s professors to boot. I knew why. It was because my core still burned for him to touch me. Because despite worrying about getting caught, the thrill of the possibility had me opening up for him. It couldn't have been anyone else. I only wanted him badly enough to do something like this. His eyes were dark like aureate as his lips parted. He was excited. I could tell by the way his pupils were blown and the slight flush of his cheeks. He wanted to touch me
DomFuck, I missed her. She'd only been mad at me for a day, but it felt so long. Miles not speaking to me or even looking at me drove me up the fucking wall. Marcus at least got a few glares from her, but I got nothing.I told her not to care about me, and that's exactly what she did. She made me feel like I didn't exist. It had only been a day, and I had convinced myself that I could live like that.Thinking about it, I wasn't being fair. I cared about her all day and night, and I knew she felt it from me. Yet I had the nerve to try to cut her off. I was an idiot.But, if I had never found out about her mother, I probably would have left things the way they were. And now, I had a sick sort of happiness that there was something in the way of our parents getting married. I had hoped and prayed that they wouldn't work out. I wanted it to be anything, any reason, big or small, to break them up.And I had gotten exactly what I wanted. I just hadn't expected it to be at Miles's expense. I
MILES I told him everything. All of her schemes, even how she threatened Momma Jay's. I told him when it started. How she handled things when people asked questions. I opened up my dusty box and pulled everything out for him to see. It had just poured out of me, and I couldn't stop myself. His eyes had remained on my the entire time, filled to the brim with a calmness I could only dream of. There was no judgment in his gaze, only understanding. I had been afraid of him not believing me, or if he did, that he would blame me or hate me for it. Or that he would go to my mother and Maverick and tell them that I must have been crazy to make up such a story. "Miles?" I blinked and tuned back into the conversation. I hadn't realized he had said something to me. "I'm sorry, I'm just... processing." Dominic gave a little chuckle even though there was nothing to chuckle about. "Me too. Did you happen to get any evidence? If we want to take her down, we'll need it." There was defini
DOM I was silent for several seconds trying to process what hell this woman was saying to me. Not even the sight of her delicious legs under that skirt I told her not to wear wasn't distracting enough. I hung onto every word, and it sounded crazy. It sounded like she was insinuating that her mother had something to do with his death. "Is that not how he died?" I asked her carefully. I had to be cautious with how I perceived this information. I needed every detail before making assumptions. "That man was as healthy as a horse. He was thirty-seven and constantly bragged about his fat percentage. His death didn't make sense. But I knew my mother worked at the hospital. She knows how to make things look." Something inside my chest was twisting in what I could only call dread. It couldn't be true. She wasn't that crazy right? I pictured Ms. Valentine's small frame in her dresses and fretting over wedding designs and catering. She didn't look or act the part. "How did you know it
MILES I felt like a different person. The moment this man got close to me, my heart went on a rampage, and my body felt flushed with excitement and anticipation. Suddenly, I wondered how I would feel if he touched me right now but quickly banished the thought. I was afraid of what would happen afterward. I was already anxious because of the little stunt Marcus pulled, but when Dominic was this close to me, when his smell dominated my senses, it was all I could focus on. It was such a stupid thing to focus on given the damn situation. "Is. It. Her?" His deep tone was making my brain fry, and the heat coming off his body was making me dizzy. All I could do was nod. The absolute rage that consumed his eyes as he looked down at me was palpable. He craned his neck to the side as if he wanted to stretch the tension gathered there. "That explains a lot." He was angry, that much I could tell. I just didn't know if it was at me for being weak or at my mother for obvious reasons. "How l
MILES "You guys coming to The Cliffs this weekend? There's supposed to be a wicked storm coming through. A buddy of mine said the view is superb for a bonfire on the north end." "Won't the waves get too crazy? The north end is too close." "That's the thing. For some scientific reason, the waves don't touch the north end. It never has. My buddy says it's Branshire's tradition to bonfire during a storm. The parties are known to be epic." "Small town folks sure are creative... but I'll take the bait. Pick me up at eight." The Cliffs bonfire. That's all the whole of Branshire University talked about. I couldn't even concentrate on my assignments in the library because students left and right were too excited about some stupid storm. I gave a frustrated sigh and dug around in my bag for my headphones. Exams were coming up, so the library had been busier than ever, and it was beyond annoying. I'd almost cussed out a few people already but decided moving to a different spot was
DOM Something was happening right before my eyes, and I had no idea how to go about it. Marcus almost never said things without reason. Even a joke or his teasing always had relevance. He liked to control mindsets and steer them in the right direction... or sometimes the wrong. He was quite good at it. It didn't take me very long to figure it out when we were younger, but when I did, I found myself much more knowledgeable about people and situations. I could read the room by looking at it from his perspective. It was a necessary skill I needed in order to succeed in law, so I learned quickly. Sometimes, I'd let him steer me, and sometimes I didn't. I knew he always had the best intentions for good people. But the ones who crossed him, the ones who stepped on the weak... Well, his intentions for them were not so good, and I knew that made him dangerous. I had known he knew about Miles's abuser and suspected Miles had told him not to tell anyone. He found out about her back
MILES Marcus came and got me for dinner. I wasn't hungry at all, but I knew Maverick would be expecting me. He now made it a personal mission to make sure I ate. If he noticed the way my mother looked at me in disdain, he hadn't shown it. "Come on, Miles. The fight couldn't have been that bad," said Marcus as we descended the stairs. The fight wasn't bad at all. In fact, I would have preferred it to be a big fight rather than these stupid feelings that caused the ache in my chest. Now I was resentful. "It wasn't," I replied. "We simply made our... situations clear." I heard something along the lines of "What a fucking idiot," but I couldn't be sure since Marcus had mumbled it under his breath. "Well, are you okay?" Before, I always had a quick answer to this question. I'd say, "I'm fine," or "Yes, but this time my heart clenched. I was not okay. I was far from okay. Everything I had built to protect myself felt shattered, and now I have given more people control over