Page 71 of Brambles and Bellflowers
It was almost something of a dream—this was the first time I’d witnessed Miles with anything more than scratchy stubble, and though his beard was still wiry, it had grown much fuller than the last time I’d seen him unshaven.
So, given time, hecouldgrow a beard.
The knot in my chest loosened as the rest of the tension I’d been carrying faded away. He was finally with me again, and even though he would probably hate the idea, he was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
I was finally anchored back to earth after flying free in the wind.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. He touched my shoulders, and the warmth of his hands sank into my joints. He sat up, with me still in his lap, until our faces were close.
The shock of our meeting began to fade, and reality settled in.
We’d finally found him! Or rather,I’dfound him. Ultimately, Titus had been useless, leaving me to fend for myself. After all that posturing and the childish games. What in the world was the point of abandoning me?
“Titus found me five minutes ago,” Miles said, brushing his fingertips over my forehead. “But he didn’t tell me you were here too.”
All right, perhaps I hadn’t been the first to find Miles. No matter. I would be the first to welcome him back into the fold.
I was the one who’d missed Miles the most.
“How dare you just leave without a word!” I pushed at his chest. “How could you do that to me?”
“Ow!” Miles winced and grabbed my hands as the good-natured grin dropped from his lips. “But I didn’t! I left you a note.”
“Anote?” My voice had taken on a slightly hysterical pitch, but I didn’t care. “Are you talking about that over-dramatic letter that told menothing?”
“I put a lot of thought into my message,” Miles said as he held my hands to his chest. “Why are you upset?”
“I don’t even know what it was supposed to mean!” I twisted, trying to break free. “And then everyone kept telling me that you go off alone—”
“Of course,” he interrupted, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. “Travelling is a part of my responsibilities.” His brown eyes held mine earnestly, free of shame or remorse.
Clearly, to him, this made complete sense.
“Besides,” he continued. “Samhain is soon, and I need to graduate. This is the best season for the ceremony. I refuse to postpone it for another year.”
And that was perfectly okay! I, too, understood the value of continuing education and bettering oneself. But why did he have to be so frustrating?
He could have just explained this clearly from the beginning. “Why didn’t you justsay that?”
“I did say that!” Miles’s lips pressed together. “It was right there in my note.”
“You said you ‘left to be a better man.’”
He nodded. “That’s what that means.”
My fingers were twitching with the need to strangle him. “That is not what that means!” I growled. My heart began racing again, and my cheeks grew hot. He wasn’t even sorry. “Besides,what kind of graduation project requires you to run around in the woods all by yourself!?”
This project had better be some life-changing magical experience that would serve a higher purpose. Otherwise, I would—
“I’m looking for an artifact from Bigfoot for my spell.” Miles grinned, his expression lightening as genuine excitement lit his eyes. “I really think I’ve got him this time.”
“What?” Red flashed through my vision, and when the haze cleared, Miles was holding his face as he stared at me. Meanwhile, I was in the air, being restrained against Titus’s tight chest.
“Even though I’m enjoying this more than I ever dreamed possible,” Titus said, “I can’t let you kill Miles.”
Can’t, or shouldn’t?
“I’m not going to kill him!” I twisted in Titus’s grip, but he was too strong. “I just need to teach him a lesson!”
