Page 61 of Bullied Forced Omega
“I understand,” Jace nods. “I hope that in time they see the good I’m trying to bring about.”
The rest of dinner is a lot more talkative and relaxed. We discuss the hunt and how it went. We talk about the future in excited tones. And when the pizza is finished, I stand to gather the boxes, and Jace and Jeremy are still deep in conversation about things I think they’ve wanted to share with each other for years. For the first time, they are speaking as friends instead of what they were before.
Miles follows me to the kitchen, carrying the dinner plates.
As I fold the empty pizza boxes so they can fit in my recycling bin, Miles silently rinses the plates. The awkwardness is back, but this time it’s my turn. I let out a frustrated huff, trying to ease off some of the tension.
Miles turns toward me and bites the inside of his cheek.
“I didn’t want to come,” he blurts out.
I pause, stunned that he would be so brutally honest. His words cut into me. They hurt. My brows furrow, and I pull my mouth tight.
“That’s a nasty thing to say, Miles. I know we aren’t close, but you didn’t have to be so harsh in your honesty,” I snap, angry with him. Maybe in the past, I would have turned silently away, thinking how it isn’t worth creating drama to let someone know that they’ve hurt me. But not anymore. I’ve been learning about myself, about what is good for me. And it’snotgood for me to let people say or do whatever they want to me while I sit silently and let it happen.
Miles looks horrified. His eyes shoot wide, and his mouth drops open. “No, wait, Mira, that’s not…I meant…. I didn’t mean…”
With my arms folded across my chest, I glare at him. Challenging him.
“Whatexactlydid you mean, Miles?” I ask, my gaze piercing into him.
He chuckles nervously and pushes his hand through his dark brown hair.
“I meant that I was embarrassed to come to your home and ….I don’t feel that I deserve your hospitality or kindness after what I did to you in the past.”
He is struggling to look at me, and his eyes keep darting around the kitchen.
He lets out a heavy breath and closes his eyes for a moment while I wait, understanding that there is more he wants to say, and it clearly isn’t easy for him.
At the same time, I’m riveted to his words. Eager to hear what he means.
“When we were little, after Mom and Dad died, I abandoned you. I got given this amazing life with all these perks because I was a Beta wolf, and I just sort of…left you and Aunt Rayanna to live your own lives,” he sighs.
“You were a kid, Miles. You didn’t know better,” I say gently.
“But I did. Of course I did. You are my family. And then, worse, when you were getting bullied, I did nothing. Nothing. Sometimes I even saw it happening, and I just kept walking or pretended I didn’t notice. Even if youweren’tmy sister, I should have stopped them. I just thought…” he swallows hard.
“You thought that if you helped me, they would start treating you the same, and you didn’t want to risk it,” I say, fully understanding his fear as a kid.
He nods, embarrassed.
“I’m so sorry, Mira. I still carry that guilt. I always will.”
I sigh, tilting my head to the side.
I’ve never wanted or expected anything from Miles, but him admitting these things means more to me than he might know. Or even than I might know.
“Ok, so what are you going to do about it?” I ask bluntly.
He knots his brows in confusion.
“Do?”
“Yes,” I laugh. “You feel bad. You have guilt. So fix it,” I smile.
“Mira, it’s not so easy to…”
“Bull swat. You did me wrong in the past. Fine. It’s over. We can leave that in the past and let it be. But now you have a chance to make things right. It’s not my job to chase you and beg you to want to be my brother. It’s up to you to put in the effort, Miles. Call me. Stop by and visit. Invite me for dinner. Come here for dinner. I don’t care how… just put in the effort.”
