WICKED GAMES | COMPLETE

FORTY TWO

Miles

Heading towards the door, Miles wondered why the partying pair were back so early. It was barely midnight, and Liam definitely wouldn't leave until the bass dropped.

He tugged at his shorts, trying to ignore the reminder of pounding Andie against the door. He made a mental note to do more unholy things to her later, and swung open the door.

"Milesy!" A clearly drunk Carly stumbled through the door, collapsing into Miles' arms.

Fuck, how did she find me? He thought. Shit. Paige's sketches are on the table.

"Carly. Why are you here?" He planted his weight, refusing to let her past the doorway.

"Milesy, let me in! I want to feel your body against me," she drooled, pawing at his chest. "I know you loved jiggling my tits. I even wore this for you!"

She stepped back and threw her coat open, revealing a white translucent top that did nothing to hide the dark circles from poking through. Her high-waisted shorts were only slightly less translucent, and Miles could see the pink thong underneath.

"Get out," he seethed. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"But Milesy, I'm sooooo wet –"

"Get out, or I'll call the police."

"Ugh!" Carly huffed, spinning around and whipping out her phone. "Fine. But you're gonna have to give me a little extra lovin' tomorrow!"

Miles slammed the door, thankful to be done with her nonsense. He turned around to find Andie fully clothed on the couch, her suitcase flung open on the floor of the living room.

"Pepper. Why are you not in my bed?"

"Why should I be?" She snapped, stuffing her yoga pants into the bag.

Okay... He guessed that he had said something wrong, but he had no idea what it was.

"Why are you upset?"

"Miles, this is all too much. Not caring that our families might be involved, your history with Jessa, and now that I'm seeing this whole thing with Carly – this is why I wanted to be casual. To avoid drama."

"And how did that work out for you, Andie?" Miles glowered, frustrated at her conflicting demands. "I held up my end of the bargain. I'm keeping things casual. How is that working out for you?"

"It's not, okay?!" She exclaimed, her grey eyes brimming with tears. "I've fallen for you, but I'm not like you. I can't just flip a switch and turn my feelings off. I shouldn't have come here. I'm flying back tomorrow."

Miles struggled to find something to say, but no words came to mind.

She was right. He had switched his feelings off. Cast them so far out to sea that he could no longer remember where he put the key – or what was even inside the box, for that matter.

Resigning to her resolve, Miles offered the only comfort he could think of.

"Alright. I'll send you to the airport."

╳◯

He'd fully intended to send Andie off the next morning, but she had flat-out refused, even hiding his car keys so he couldn't drive. She didn't even tell him what flight she was taking.

Miles only got his keys back an hour later when Liam popped open the dishwasher and found them in there.

Shit, he thought. Even when she's pissed off her pants, Andie is so goddamn cute.

Liam, though, wasn't cute to Miles.

"You should've seen your face at dinner yesterday," Liam ranted. "You looked so fucking happy, mate. All contented and shit. You gave up a whole day of work just to be with her. Now you're saying you don't have feelings?"

Miles stared at the blurred lines of code on his computer.

"And what's this shit about Carly showing up here? How the fuck did she find out where we live?" Liam fumed. "Did she see?"

"See what?"

"Our work."

"No."

"What a load of bull." Liam paced across the room. "You can't stay here mate. You have to go to her."

"And say what, Liam?" Miles shook his head. "She wants nothing to do with me. I don't know if I can do this again."

"Is this about what happened before? Mate, you can't stumble on something behind you. Andie is not her. Also, Andie is way hotter."

Miles chuckled, then sighed. "I really fucked things up, didn't I?"

Liam raised an eyebrow at him.

Miles shook his head. He couldn't believe he was going to do this.