2.4 | Knight In Distress ✓

11 | knight in reality

1 1

k n i g h t   i n   r e a l i t y

Miles was still silent on the way out, and I hadn't a clue how to go about it. In other occasions, with other people, I would've reverted back to being my usual jovial self, but it seemed inappropriate to do so now. It felt like he'd been tethering on the edge for so long he'd finally snapped, and how could I even begin to pick up the pieces that he'd reduced himself into?

Taking two quick steps so I was caught up with him, I slipped my hand through his arm, curling my fingers tight around the crook of his elbow. "Guess what Ean and I did today."

Miles stared at me. "What?" he asked, sounding rather uncertain.

"We worked. At the shack." His eyebrows arched and I blushed under his gaze. "Sorry. I'm not very good at dealing with...these - " I made a vague gesture with my other hand, " - sort of things. Upset people. Arguments. And I don't exactly want to ask if you're okay because clearly you're not."

"I'm fine, Darcy, you don't have to worry about me."

I smiled wryly. "Well, you're not exactly making it easy for me not to."

He stopped in his tracks and paused. Passing a frustrated hand through his hair, he glanced at me with a pained expression. He seemed to have difficulty picking his next words. "It's just - this problem I have with my Dad. I think you already know what it's about, but I wish I could get him to understand, you know? And I tried, I really did, I tried to talk to him and be as patient as I could but I guess he just - " he trailed off, and then his eyes met mine. They held nothing but apology. "I'm sorry you had to hear what he said about you."

With a small laugh, I hastened to set his mind at ease. "Honestly, it doesn't matter, I've heard this all - "

" - all your life, I get it," he interrupted, wincing at the mere thought of it. "I've heard people call me a loser all my life too. Doesn't hurt any less each time I hear it."

His words startled me. I'd always known that Miles had a maturity far greater than mine, but I hadn't realised he'd come to this realisation on his own. He'd never really voiced his hurt before; most of the time his hurt seemed physical especially during the Hell Weeks, but now he was vocal about all the emotional hurt he'd suffered thus far.

"It does hurt, yes," I admitted softly, "but then I remember that these are people who don't matter to me. Your dad's words don't hurt me much, because I know that what he said didn't change the way you think of me. Did it?"

"Of course not," he answered almost immediately, and then his cheeks tinted faintly. "I-I still think you're amazing. I always will."

I couldn't help but smile. The stuttering, blushing Miles was back. The world seemed righted on its axis once again.

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Days flew by as Miles and I waited for the ninth round. Things seemed rather quiet. Not literally, of course, for the beach was still crowded even though the summer holidays were drawing to a close with barely a few weeks left to go.

But if the beach was still a buzzing with life and activity, then Corvus was the exact opposite. It seemed dead quiet. Marcel had no news for me, because she could hardly wheedle anything out of Liam. And that was due to the fact that Liam was no longer the person planning the last two rounds.