17 BLACK | HS

NINE

Miller Langley

How do I keep getting myself into this position?

Another day of me playing dress up in my mind. This infuriating uncontrollable urge I have to help this man creates another day of me lying to Xavier to make time for Harry and lying to Harry that I even knew Greg.

After he texted me the other night –and I fell asleep at the Hollywood Sign– he called me the next morning. Trying to explain this idea he had in what seemed like one breath, getting out all the information and trying to convince me to help before I could say no.

And the smashing idea in question? Sparky here wants to plan a sort of charity gala in remembrance of Greg and all the good he did. He wanted to do something to honor him and to help out Margo and their daughter Orion, and he thought I might be able to help.

Agreeing to help him was something I didn't even think much about before doing. I couldn't tell you the last time I extended an olive branch to someone when I myself wouldn't get anything out of the situation, but here we are.

I guess I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little curious about it... excited even.

As annoying as the whole keeping up a ruse for Harry and lying about a connection with Greg situation is, the chance to have a little escape is intriguing.

I know that sooner or later this is all going to catch up with me though. The web of lies I've started to spin will continue to tangle around myself until the invisible string snaps, and all goes to hell.

But until then, we move.

After I agreed to help Harry with the gala, we scheduled our first little planning session for today. I suggested we start off by working on a guest list —the number of attendees being the key piece of information that we'd need to build everything off of— but he said he'd already called a few venues to tour, and today was the only day available to look for a couple of them.

So here I am, outside my favorite coffee shop, two black cold brews for Harry and I held in my hands while I await his arrival. He offered to pick me up from home, said being the one to drive around LA was the least he could do after begging me to help him out, but I asked for him to pick me up from here instead of my apartment.

My home is something so special to me. It's my safe space. No one but Eponine has been inside, not even Xavier. It's a place I can be myself fully, where I don't have to project the life I live into the forefront of my mind. I don't have to act a certain way or pretend I'm anything I'm not. In there I'm purely... Mils, not Miller Langley.

"Hey Killer!" The sound of a rusty old car horn has my attention pulling its way. Turning my head towards the road I spot Harry's head of chocolate curls peeking out of a vintage forest green Jeep Wrangler's window– a cheesy smile plastered on his face hinting that I'm in for quite the day.

I close my eyes, inhaling a centering breath and releasing it with a very miniscule close lipped smile, before opening them back up and walking towards his Jeep. Mr. Sunshine over there is going to make whatever enjoyment this escape could bring a real challenge to reach.

He opens his door, stepping out and beginning to walk with me around the front of the Jeep to my side of the car.

"I didn't know what you might want, so I just got two of my drink." I speak as I pass Harry the cold brew I got for him while continuing towards the passenger door.

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything," he says as if I just bought him some million dollar coffee.

"It's just a cold brew... nothing special." I chuckle dryly.