Page 49 of Unexpectedly Wanted
“Me and Milo are… something,” I said, giving in. “I don’t know. It wasn’t supposed to happen, but I like him.”
I gave a quick rundown of how I’d gotten here. How I’d pushed my way into Milo’s life and ended up with feelings. Because, yeah, I had them something fierce now.
“It was more of a mess than I ever thought. And I just left him there to deal with it tonight.” I itched to call him and check on him. I hadn’t even made sure he was okay before we left. I felt really guilty about that, but at the time, things had been chaotic and I was unsure if Milo would want me to make a big deal out of leaving him. I hope I made the right choice, but sitting in that SUV, the tires spinning like crazy over the black asphalt, I wasn’t sure that I had. “I wish they’d never come down here.”
“But if they hadn’t…” Austin’s words trailed off, and I turned my head to see him raising a smartass brow at me.
“Just because I developed feelings doesn’t mean that Milo has,” I said, then muttered under my breath, “or will.”
“I don’t know,” Austin said, that cocky, smug tone in his voice. “It looked like he was ready to kiss you too.”
I snorted.
If only Austin knew about all the things that had happened since then. All the kisses I’d had the pleasure of knowing. The way Milo wasn’t shy when it came to what he wanted. How he was excited to try new things.
And try themwith me.
At least, I’d hoped I wasn’t reading that part wrong.
“Once his parents leave in a few days, this will all be over,” I told them. “And I might not even have those few days. Hell, Milo could tell them to leave and that we aren’t real. It might be over now.”
I didn’t like the thought. It made me feel queasy.
“Do you think he’s got feelings too?” Dune asked.
“Even if he does, he’s not likely to realize it,” I said with a sigh. “Things like that are a little harder for him to grasp. He’ll end up pushing me away and going back to hating me because it’s what he knows. It’s what he’s comfortable with.”
“So don’t let him,” Austin said, like it was that simple. “Just keep being there. Keep showing up. Until he sees it.”
Blindly, I studied the road ahead.
Maybe it was that simple.
All I had to do was not let him go.
Prove to him that he was worth it.
More than worth it.
“What about you, Dune?” Austin asked, clearly seeing that I was having a mini breakdown. “What’s your love life lookin’ like?”
Dune didn’t say anything for a long time.
I was too lost in my head.
And Austin must have read the room for once. Or vehicle, rather.
Things fell silent for a long time.
The only thing I could come up with at the moment was that I needed to call Milo at some point. I had to put myself in his thoughts because I didn’t want him to forget about me. Part of that was selfish, but part of it was so he didn’t think he was going into this big conversation with his parents alone. I might not be there tonight, but he had my strength.
“You ever met someone and just felt like your world got flipped upside down?” Dune finally spoke, brow furrowed in confusion. “Like you have this connection, but that doesn’t make any sense because you don’t even know them?”
Austin and I shared a look, then we simultaneously said, “No.”
“Hmm,” Dune replied, the sound deep in his throat. “He’s not even my type.” That part seemed to be mumbled, and I had a feeling he hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
“We’re here if you need to talk, man,” Austin said.
