The Perfect Storm 2

Chapter 180

"Shit." Cody presses a hand against his red cheek.

"I'm sorry," I say for the third time tonight. I don't know what I'm sorry for, but the words seem appropriate right now and since it's the only comfort I can offer him, I'm willing to say the words.

"No, no, it's, uh, fine." He says, rubbing at his cheeks a little harder now until he finally lets his arm drop by his side.

"I shouldn't have done that." He says, breathing the words out.

"I should probably go," I say, not knowing what to reply to his words.

"Can I at least drive you home?" He offers but I shake my head.

"No, that's okay, I . . Stephanie is probably wondering where I am anyway," I tell him with a small smile and he nods, forcing a small onto his face.

AFTER ELEVEN AGONIZING MINUTES Stephanie is finally parked outside. I wave a small 'bye' to Cody and he nods his head my way with another forced smile.

"So what happened?" Stephanies eyes gawk at me from the rearview mirror while Elijah stays still next to her, his hand on her thigh.

"We just hung out," I tell her but she raises a brow.

"What about that awkward wave?" She smiles and I roll my eyes, trying to make myself feel better about Cody's lips being so close to me but it doesn't work and so instead, I spill out the words that Stephanie wants to hear, "He tried to kiss me." She breaks harshly and we all shoot to the front, but thankfully our seatbelts pull us tightly back.

"Ouch," Elijah says, rubbing his neck.

"Sorry," Stephanie says, an awkward smile on her lips.

"What did you just say?" The car is now practically parked in the middle of the road as she takes her time to look back at me.

"And I . . . Miles texted me that we needed to talk and everything just spiraled out of control."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on. So Cody tried to kiss you? Knowing you have a boyfriend?" Stephanie asks, her eyes frantically searching me for an answer and then everything goes black.

Miles's POV

I hear my phone ringing and I jolt up from the bed, feeling instantly like something isn't okay and when I look at Stephanie's name on the screen, I know something is wrong. Why would she call me?

"What the fuck?" I pick up the phone and I can hear crying on the other line.

"It's Madison . . ." My heart drops and I don't hear the rest until I come back from my blackout to the words that kill me, "She fainted." And then, "We're at the hospital, closest to the beach—" Before Stephanie can say anything else, I shut off the phone and hurry the fuck out of my apartment, rushing and banging my feet down the stairs, it's one fucking am and I don't give a fuck who the hell I wake up. 

I feel for my keys in the pocket of my jeans and quickly get them ready to take me all the way across to Washington state. I press the gas pedal as soon as I'm only halfway in the car and shut the damn door as I reverse out of the stupid parking lot. I put my seatbelt on and floor the damn gas pedal to Washington state. I find myself coughing but only small drops of blood come from my throat.

"Shit." I wipe my hand into my black t-shirt, thankfully the blood doesn't look like it's even on the shirt.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! I shout as I enter the damn hospital, looking for my girl. I clench my jaw so hard that I swear my teeth are seconds away from bursting into pieces.

"I feel just as bad about this as you do." I find Stephanie who attempts to bark back but her guilt runs over her before she can get a proper sound off.

"She was talking about the kiss and then I asked her about it and then—" I cut her the hell off.

"What the fuck did you just say?" I peer into her eyes, mine almost closed shut at whatever stupid shit just came out of her damn mouth. Who the fuck kissed her?

"Miles." She shakes her head as if it's fucking ridiculous that I have no clue what the fuck she's talking about.

"It was Cody, she hung out with him," Stephanie says firmly and I clench my fists and my jaw as I sare straight, not bothering to ever meet her eyes. I ignore her and walk into the room she's facing, Madison must be there. I open the white door and stare at the long dark-brown-haired girl there, laying like a fucking angel. 

My eyes start to tear up and I can't help but wipe a few tears with the black sleeve on my arm. She's unconscious, sleeping there, unaware of everything around her.

THE DARKNESS ROAMS OUTSIDE OF THE window and pears into the room as I sit there, hoping for Madison to wake up but she hasn't; she didn't and she won't, not now. I hear the door behind me open and I know it's no one else but Stephanie who's walking in. 

I don't bother to look at her this time either, she's not worth it. She sits on the chair next to me and lets out a deep breath.

"You know, she was so worried about that text you sent her . . ." Stephanie breathes again, this time lighter.

"She thought it was over between you two." She gulps and all of a sudden I feel the words paralyzing me as if I'm in a situation I can't escape. I feel something foreign flood over me, into my shoulders then my arms, my hands, then my thighs, knees, and feet and I can't move. 

I physically can't fucking move. Stephanie stands up next to me, she takes a breath and then finally says, "Look, I know she means a lot to you, but she's precious, she's not like anyone I've ever met and I can say for certain that, that's the truth with you too. You have to be careful with how you word things, her whole life is about you, it really is and you're leaving for New York and sending her texts like this. I know you think I don't care, but I do, she's the only real friend I have and I need you to start seeing that, Miles. I'd never leave her behind as you did me, but I'm not so sure you wouldn't." Stephanie says, her tone light but serious and I can tell that every word is coming from the deepest pit of her, the heaviness of how she felt when I broke our friendship is now being translated into words but I can't find the strength in me to care, nothing has even meant anything to me until now.

"I've never fucking felt this way. I fucking love her and I always will. She's not you, I'm not leaving her, ever." I tell Stephanie harshly before glancing into her soft eyes with my hash ones and then I look back at my baby.

"I think it's time you show her that," Stephanie emphasizes before leaving the room like a ghost that was never really here. How could Madison think that; how could I have made her think that? To make her feel like it's all over just like that over some stupid fucking text.

"Fuck!" I slam the table next to her, to think that I've hurt her in this way, she thought it was over and she still didn't kiss that fucker. I find myself breathing heavily, I'm dating a fucking angel and I can't help but play the devil behind her back.

"Miles?" Her voice is soft, hurt, and soft but before I can reply, she stops again, leaving me alone in this dark room with my darker thoughts.