Before I have to come up with an excuse, Miranda appears at my side like divine intervention.
“Hey, Miles, can you help me with the extra chairs?” she asks, her tone light but her eyes sharp enough to make the woman step back.
“Yeah, sure thing,” I say quickly, moving toward the dining area with her.
Once we’re out of earshot, she grins. “You’re welcome.”
I chuckle. “I was two seconds away from faking a phone call.”
“I saw that. You looked like a cornered animal.”
“She came in hot.”
“That’s Eddy’s doing.” She shakes her head. “He loves to stir things up.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not interested in any of that,” I mutter.
Her eyebrows lift slightly. “No?”
“No.” I grab the stack of folding chairs and set them up beside the table. “I’m not into the puck bunny thing. Feels… empty.”
“Empty?” she echoes.
“Yeah.” I glance up at her. “All surface, no depth. I want more than that.”
Her lips part, and for a second, it feels like I’ve said too much. I clear my throat and add quickly, “You know what I mean. Real connection. Something solid.”
She nods slowly, her eyes soft. “Yeah. I know exactly what you mean.”
For a beat, the noise around us fades—the laughter, the clinking glasses, the music. It’s just her and me, standing way too close in a room full of people.
Then Anna’s voice cuts through the air. “Miles! We need you for flip cup!”
Miranda laughs, breaking the tension. “Go. They need your competitive energy.”
“Only if you’re my teammate,” I say.
She pretends to think it over. “I don’t know, Keller. You’re kind of a sore loser.”
“False. I’m a passionate competitor.”
She grins, already walking toward the kitchen island where Anna’s set up red plastic cups. “Fine, I’ll play. But if we lose, I’m not claiming any responsibility.”
“Fair.”
The game is loud and ridiculous—everything about tonight is exactly the kind of night I didn’t realize I needed. There’s beer spilled across the counter, Logan shouting about “team morale,” and Eddy booing every time he misses a flip. Miranda stands beside me, laughing so hard she can barely breathe.
When we win the final round, she throws her hands up in victory and turns to high-five me. I catch her hand—and somehow we just… stay there. Her palm against mine, warm and soft, her laughter melting into a smile that lingers.
My heart beats a little faster.
She notices, because her laughter quiets, and for a second, it feels like time slows down again.
Then Caroline squeals from across the room, breaking the spell.
“Caroline just spit up on Jaden!” Cade calls out, laughing.
Miranda squeezes my hand once before slipping away to grab napkins for cleanup.
