Page 25 of Just a Wrong Turn

Miller just nodded. He hated seeing any girl upset. It always reminded him of his mom and how much she cried after his dad left.

“Look at us. Two sad, single souls.” Liza sucked down her drink until it made the bottom of the cup noise. She pushed the glass away. “Speaking of… have you heard from Abigail at all since the breakup?”

The tightness in his chest returned. “Nope.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry. Dating is the worst.” Liza laid her head back down on the counter. Maybe she wasn’t as fine as she thought. Whether it was the rejection or the concussion, Miller wasn’t sure.

“I think we should get you to bed.” He stood. “Is there someone who can stay with you to make sure you’re okay overnight?”

“No, I don’t want to stress my sister out… or my parents. I should be fine.”

Miller hesitated before saying, “You… could stay at the rescue tonight. I’d feel better knowing you’re not alone.”

Liza cocked her head. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be in your way.”

“You won’t be in the way. Besides, I’d never get any sleep if I knew you were by yourself.” Truth be told, he probably wouldn’t be able to catch any Z’s tonight knowing Liza Eckland was sleeping a few feet from him.

“Can we stop by my place? Just need to grab my PJs and a toothbrush. Liza and Miller, sleepover party!” She poked him in jest.

Once again, Miller had to tell his high school self to calm down. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought he’d hear that come out of someone’s mouth.

Chapter 13

Liza

Lizastaredatthewhite ceiling. It was strange to be lying a few feet from Miller Brooks, her high school chemistry tutor turned community service supervisor. His physical appearance had changed drastically in five years. He had gained muscle. He had filled out. The weathered look on his face made it clear that life had hardened him. Yet, he was kind if he let you in—just like he’d always been.

His room was how Liza imagined his brain. Orderly. Methodical. Meticulous. Across from the simple black futon she was lying on, a small TV perched on a black bookshelf. Two doors stood on each side of the shelf. One she knew led to a tiny bathroom and the other she assumed was a closet. The only other accessory in the room was a side table with a reading lamp. No photos. No decorations. The walls were blank except for a window with standard blinds.

In contrast, Liza's apartment was an explosion of colors and patterns. Her pride and joy was a vintage soft pink velvet sofa that she had restored and reupholstered. Artwork and picture frames covered the walls. Fabric and clothes lived on every surface. Liza smiled to herself.Miller and I are seriously opposite in every way.

Despite their differences, she was drawn to him. Even though they had only been friends for a few months in high school, Miller had made her feel seen. He never asked about the latest rumors, or if she could get him into the next party. Many guys over the years seemed to just want to date her to impress their friends. With Miller it wasn’t and never had been her about status, which was refreshing. He probably didn’t even know she had 75k Instagram followers and was an up-and-coming fashion influencer.

Liza closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep. Her head ached, but what was gnawing at her the most was having to tell Maggie that her plus-one had fallen through. No date meant no smoke screen. Liza would be the sole focus of curious relatives. She ran a typical conversation through her mind...

“Hey, how are you Liza?”

“Good, thanks.”

“What are you up to these days? Did you ever end up going to college?”

“No, I didn’t go to college. But, I’m currently nannying and pursuing fashion design.”

“Oh… that’s nice. (cue awkward silence and then subject change) So… Are you seeing anyone?”

“No. Not right now. Just really busy.”

She felt nauseous just thinking about the revolving door of small talk she had coming her way… or maybe she was just hungry.

Sitting up slowly, she covered her forehead with her hand. Her temple throbbed with the movement, but once she was standing, the pain calmed down. Carefully stepping past Miller who was sharing his pillow with Snowdrop, she slowly opened the door.

Pulling off her best tiptoe walk, she headed toward the kitchenette where the fridge held her favorite, string cheese. She really didn’t want to alarm the dogs, so she turned on her cell phone flashlight. As she extracted one string cheese from the pack she had brought from her apartment, she heard a whimper.

Following the sound, she came up to Randy’s kennel. The little chihuahua was sitting up expectantly, with his tail wagging.That’s weird. Usually he’s barking up a storm if anyone comes near.

She leaned down, still a few feet back from his kennel. “Hi, you okay?”

He licked his lips and pawed at the chain link fence.

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