Miles leads the girls over to the hole, where other volunteers are placing the tree. After the tree is set, Miles directs the girls to collect scoopfuls of dirt in their hands and pack it in around the base of the tree.The girls get dirt on their knees, elbows, and under their fingernails, but thei
As the day goes on, the girls grow tired of planting trees and want to start playing in the nearby wide open field with other kids their age.“Is it okay?” Violet asks me. Iris stands nearby, glaring at the ground like I’m about to say no.“Just stay where I can see you,” I tell them.They agree and
Violet may have skinned knees, but if Miles wasn’t as fast as he is, she would also have a red face from a slap. I would have done my own screaming if he didn’t intervene when he did.“Let’s get you to first aid,” I say, lifting Violet up. She’s a bit heavy for me, but after what just nearly happene
I’m out of my mind with worry. The nurse agrees to stay with Violet, so Miles and I split up to fully search the fair. I go to the fair security and explain what’s going on. They gather more people for the search and make announcements for Iris to meet me at the lost and found.She never shows. No o
She shakes her head again.“Your father is there,” Miles says, in case she’s refusing just because of her current dispute with her mother. Miles doesn’t like Garnar by far, but getting Iris to safety is his top priority at the moment, even if that safety is also where Garnar is.Iris shrinks into he
“You did?” Iris asks, her voice soft with wonder while her eyes narrow with disbelief.Miles can understand her doubt. Nowadays, he gives off the impression that he fully follows the straight and narrow. Even back then, he pretended to be a good kid to everyone outside of his home. To his parents th
“I do.” Because I’m still worried he won’t take me seriously, I stop and look right at him. “I do, Miles. Truly. Thank you for this.”He stops walking too, to meet my gaze. His attention lifts to the top of my head. Suddenly, he reaches out and gently plucks something out of my hair. As he withdraws
Monday morning, I’m called into Kimberly’s office once again.“Everyone is still buzzing about who Miles Hamilton blew that kiss to,” Kimberly says. “Speculation has run rampant. Every article about it is gaining traction. The public has maintained interest.”I nod along, agreeing but not sure what
“We should watch the rest,” I tell him, though my voice is shaky. “No,” Miles says, more firmly. I breathe a sigh of relief. For my job, I know we have to hear it. But personally, I would like to go the rest of my life without even thinking about Edward Zimmer again. “The numbers are already u
Edward’s response comes in the form of a video message. Crystal set it up on the television on the wall, while Miles and I huddle closer to the screen. Miles holds tightly onto my hand. “Whatever happens. Whatever he says. We will stand against him and we will win,” he says. I believe him. Last
How could I say anything but yes? A thousand times over, yes, yes, yes. I’ve tried so hard since that first night, sleeping with Miles while thinking him a call boy, to not fall in love with him. Yet, as hard as I tried not to, my heart kept pulling me straight back to him. My love for Miles is so
We hold the press conference in front of the headquarters, setting up a podium outside the double doors. The news media organizations have been notified, so they send reporters and cameramen, who have set up around the podium. The release we sent out already told them that the conference would be
Later, I’m going to have to have a meeting and call in all the employees to discuss this. Their care is appreciated, but I need to be able to do my job. For now, though, it seems as if Crystal gets the hint. With a shallow nod, she continues her report. “Mr. Zimmer has been quiet since the inter
Garnar, knowing I was giving a difficult interview tonight, offered to watch the kids. Since they are at Garnar’s house, I expected the house to be empty when I finally returned. Instead, I see Miles’s car parked in my driveway and the additional security staked out around the premises. It’s a rel
Jean was warned about the story, but she still gasped. My eyes went a little wide. We came here to talk about this, but Daphne’s direct wording leaves me speechless. Daphne didn’t come here just to tell a story. She was ready to reveal her truth, once and for all. “Esther and I were victims,” Da
In the Harbinger HQ, in one of the studio sets arranged to look like a fancy living room, Daphne and I sit side by side on a white couch, facing an interviewer, a woman interviewer named Jean, who sits on an arm chair facing us. The setting is intimate, and Jean is a kind, middle-aged woman, who i
“Miles…” Emotion overflows within my heart. There are so many things I want to say, to express – my gratitude, my own affections, explanations about why this has been so difficult for me to accept – yet in the moment, everything gets tangled up in my throat. “Miles…” My tears fall from my chee