Miles apart (Man × Man) ✔

35) p r a i s e d

Miles hadn't known Zack, and yet the way Eli described his death gave him nightmares. So much so that he had bolted up in the middle of the night, covered in cold sweat and a scream ready to break out of his lips. After that the nightmare lingered, settling a heavy weight on his chest.

If the mere visualization of the death was enough to give Miles the nightmare of the year, no wonder Eli was traumatized. No wonder he had reacted so strongly, if he had remembered something so cruel happening to someone he cared about.

It was Sunday morning and Ash and Miles had decided in all silence that they would skip their regular tea gathering with Eliana and Avi. It made Miles sad, but he knew they had more urgent things to take care of. They had promised to babysit Felix and Myra while Prisca and Benjamin would take Eli to the police to give a statement.

"What if I get sentenced for involuntary manslaughter?" Eli mumbled. He had refused to eat anything that could actually count as a breakfast, except maybe in Miles' standards, but Benjamin had managed to coax him to have a candy bar. Eli was fiddling with the wrapper absent-mindedly. 

"I highly doubt that, but whatever happens, we'll work it out." Benjamin reassured Eli, whose head snapped up in surprise, like he only just realized he had voiced his thoughts. 

"Look at the bright side: if you go to a prison, you can get ripped and get rich by publishing a book about your prison workout routine." Miles blurted out. Sometimes he wished he had a filter, that could actually keep those stupid remarks inside his head.

Fortunately, this time his joke had a positive effect, when Eli started laughing. It was a brief, but genuine laughter, which seemed to take away some of the tension in the room. Benjamin shook his head, but there was an amused grin on his lips. 

"What would we do without you?" Benjamin asked and nudged Miles' arm, bringing some color in his otherwise bleak face.

When the doorbell rang, Eli almost jumped off his seat. He was on edge, startling over the smallest of noises, so Ash patted his shoulder before proceeding to let the guests in.

"Eli, we're here!" Felix exclaimed seconds later. He almost stumbled when he ran to Eli and squeezed his lanky arms around him. Eli flinched when Felix's arm accidentally put pressure on his bandaged forearm, but otherwise he seemed genuinely happy to see the boy.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite nephew, looking as handsome as ever." If one didn't know, they could have never believed what kind of a turmoil Eli was in just a minute ago, as he grinned and played around with Felix. 

"I'm your favorite nephew!" Myra pouted, shyly peeking into the kitchen.

"No, you're my favorite niece." Eli corrected her, getting up to ruffle her long braided hair. "But then again, using gendered terms is so dated. If you want to be my nephew, you can be my nephew."

"Then I'm your favorite nephew." Myra decided with a beaming smile. Then she glanced around the room and realized everyone's eyes were on them, so she went back to hiding behind the door frame. 

When Prisca appeared in the kitchen, she was smiling, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She too squeezed Eli in her arms, whispering something in his ear. Then she surprised Miles by pulling him up from his chair and hugging him next. It was such a tight embrace it knocked the air out Miles' lungs, but it wasn't the lack of oxygen that brought tears into his eyes.

"Thank you." Prisca told Miles, her voice thick with tears as well. The next words she whispered so quietly only Miles could hear them: "I lost him once and I don't know what I'd do if I lost him again. You are a godsend, and I can't thank you enough."