A Hater's Gamble (BxB)

FORTY-THREE

"Dancing in the deepest oceans."

                                  M I L E S

The pavement of the outside patio was acquainted with little puddles from the rainstorms that swept our city. It was daylight, but I knew a new storm would be arriving in the evening. Grace convinced me to sit out here with her, she liked the smell of fresh rain.

The cafe was small, and even from the outside, the smell of buttered bread was still prominent. Only a few people dined here.

Grace swirled her coffee with a straw, a glum expression on her face. "Where is she now?"

My mother. Some part of me was glad she was gone, so I didn't have to fear her. Another part of me ached to see her again, no matter how battered she was.

"She's in jail, for now," I said, pushing my pastry aside with my fork. "Maddie told me she'll be discharged in a few days."

Grace's eyes lit up.

"To a psych ward," I added.

Maddie was turning eighteen in a few weeks, which meant that she would be old enough to legally be our care-taker for the time being. It seemed to be that way for awhile now, even before our mother left.

Her face fell. "Shit, Miles," she grabbed my hand. "I'm really sorry."

I gave her hand a squeeze but retracted it. "I appreciate you, Grace, more than you know, but I don't want to talk about her today."

She risked her clean school record for me. Yes, she was my truest friend.

Grace nodded in understanding. "Of course," she said, then added as an afterthought. "What about Liam?"

"What about Liam?," I answered, raising a brow.

She gave me a smug look. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"What do you want to know?," I asked, trying to hide my smile.

She gave it a thought, then said, "Why him?"

Why him? No one had really asked me that particular question before. I hadn't asked myself.

"I think I missed him, a lot. I hated him because he hurt me, and he hated me because he thought I left him, but when we found our way back...," I said, trailing off and looking into her glittering eyes. "It's something I can't explain."

Grace gave me a wry smile. "I can definitely see why you like him. He looks like he came out of a fucking sports magazine."

I laughed at that. She wasn't wrong.

Grace continued with a genuine smile this time. "I can see the changes he made. For you. He even got my brother to be civil," she admitted. "I'll always be here for you, okay?"

When I looked into her brown eyes, I knew she was sincere.

She said, "Even if our boyfriends don't get along, promise me we'll always get along."

Hector. He was nothing short of weird. I wouldn't tell Grace I thought so.

"I promise," I said, giving a little laugh.

Grace got hold of the cafe menu and looked it over, "I'm in the mood for Mac and Cheese," she stated.

"Sharing is caring?," I proposed.

Her eyes met mine and a grin spread over her lips. "Sharing is caring," she confirmed.

When we finished our lunch, Grace told me about a concert that was happening in the area.