He leans over, elbows on his knees, head in his hands.
I walk over to the fridge, pulling out a half-drank six pack left over from the crew.
“Here,” I hold out a beer towards him. “You look like you could use this.”
“Thanks.” He lifts his head and takes the beer, a small smile on his face. His finger brushes mine as he takes the bottle, and a literal spark passes between us. We both jump back a bit.
A beat of silence passes between us as we take swigs of beer. We’re sitting closer than I thought. So close I can feel the warmth radiating off of his arms. His brow furrows as he stares down at the table in front of him.
It’s the first time I’ve looked at him long enough to notice the toll the years have taken on him. He may be four years older since we first met, but I get the feeling they were rough years.
“I don’t know if he told you,” Miles starts, his rough voice interrupting my thoughts. “But, my dad is sick. Terminally sick. He has been for a few years. It’s getting worse, and he’s had a really bad week. I shouldn’t be complaining about anything while Walt is laid up in bed.”
“Oh.”Shit.A sinking feeling fills my gut. No one should have to go through something so awful. “No, I had no idea. I’m so sorry. Is everything okay? Can I do anything?”
He doesn’t so much as look up from his hands as he fidgets with the glass bottle. My heart squeezes in my chest for him. If I wasn’t positive he wouldn’t want it, I’d have already pulled him into a hug.
“It’s okay.” A dry laugh escapes his throat. “Actually, it’s not okay. But you know what I mean. It’s just… I never thought I’d have to take care of him like this. He’s always been such an unbreakable force. And now, he’s a shell of that man. It’s depressing to watch. There’s nothing I can do, nothing my mom can do.” He runs a hand down his face again, taking a deep breath.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t be telling you all this,” he waves a hand, as if that will take it all back. “It’s just been a really hard day for him and I can’t fix it, no matter what I do.”
“That’s okay, Miles,” I reach over and place a hand on his arm, unable to resist the pull to try and help him feel a little bit better. To my surprise, he doesn’t shake me off. Instead, his expression softens a little bit. “I can’t imagine how hard that is. I’m so sorry you have to go through that. You can talk to me about it anytime.”
“Thanks,” he grumbles. I can tell he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore, so I don’t push any further.
“My parents sent me to live with my Aunt when I was young. I couldn’t imagine what I’d do if anything happened to her. I’d be sick with worry. I already worry about her, and she’s totally fine. A little wild, but fine.” Another weight lifts off of my shoulders. Who knew telling someone besides Hazel about my parents would feel so nice.
“Your parents just sent you away? Why?”
I shrug. “They’re not exactly the most family-oriented people. I was a high energy kid that needed attention. We didn’t mix.”
Miles looks at me like I’ve grown three heads, “Didn’t mix? You can’t just send your kid away because they’re being a kid. There’s not a return policy.”
“No, but there is a send-to-sister policy, apparently.” A dry laugh escapes me. Miles’s expression softens so much that I can’t read it. Not pity, but something else.
“That’s shitty, I’m sorry Mac. No one deserves that.”
“Thanks.”
Our gazes catch as I look up, and linger for a beat too long. He clears his throat, sitting up. We finish our beers without another word, in a limbo we haven’t been in before. I don’t share details about my family with almost anyone, and judging by his demeanor, neither does Miles.
But, this isn’t the Miles I’ve gotten used to. This is a much softer version than the hard edges in his usual demeanor with me. Not Old Miles either, with his laughter and lightness about him. A different version altogether.
One I thought I’d never see.
“The good news is, the fence is done. I just finished the last section before I came in. Hopefully that’ll hold a lot better than the one before.”
“Oh. That’s great. Awesome.” My stomach drops a bit. I didn’t realize he was so close to being finished with the entire fence. I guess I won’t be seeing him around the cabin anymore.
“Yeah,” he says so quietly it’s almost a whisper. “I guess I better leave you to it. Sorry for rushing in here.”
“No worries,” I wave him off. “Just a weird day all around.”
“I guess so.” The corners of his mouth turning upwards just enough a regular person wouldn’t think it’s a smile. I know better.
He tucks in the chair and walks around the inside of the kitchen instead of straight towards the door. Right by the–
“Oh, watch out there’s a–” I try to warn Miles, but I’m interrupted by a grunt as his foot falls directly in the floor hole I haven’t been able to repair. “Hole,” I finish, too late.
