“Actually,” I said as we walked across the campus, “my mental state is partially your fault.”
He smirked. “How do you figure?”
“That song. More specifically,yousinging that song. It had the same effect as ‘Yellow’ back at the party months ago. You could make a fortune destroying people with nothing but Coldplay covers.”
“I’d be happy just to make enough to kick Chet out.”
“Your mom’s boyfriend still hanging around?”
I hated it when people asked questions they already knew the answers to, but I was desperate to keep River out of my thoughts.
“Yeah,” Miller said. “And it’s like my home isn’t mine anymore. We’dbeen through so much shit, Mom and I, to have a real place. Now we’ve been invaded. Like he’s taken over and it’shisplace, and we’re allowed to live in it if he says so.”
“What can I do?”
Miller shrugged, but his eyes were filled with gratitude. “Not much anyone can do.”
“If you need money, you can ask—”
“No,” he said and kept walking toward the front of the school. The school day wasn’t over, but we were done. “We’ve discussed this before.”
“And my offer still stands, in perpetuity. I’m sitting on a goddamn mountain of gold, and neither you nor Wentz will touch it.”
“I’m not taking your money,” Miller said, his eyes hard like blue topaz. “Whatever I do, I’ll do it on my own.”
I wanted to argue, but Miller’s stubborn pride was immovable. Like a boulder had been lodged in him since his father abandoned him and his mom four years ago, leaving them to homelessness and desperation.
I sighed dramatically. “Having never known a lack of material wealth a day in my life, I can only guess there’s some kind of nobility in needless suffering.”
Miller snorted a laugh. “It builds character. You should try it sometime.”
I gave him a shove, and we settled into a peaceful silence…until the memory of River Whitmore’s hard body pressed to me, his mouth devouring mine, infiltrated me all over again.
Goddammit.
“You walking me home, Parish?” Miller asked as we headed down the tree-lined street.
“It would appear that way.”
“What about James?”
“He’s used to my erratic schedule. He’ll come when I call him.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Welp, we just ditched the rest of our last day of school before winter break.”
Miller shrugged. “I have to work. I’m taking more hours overthe vacation. What about you? Going anywhere with your aunt and uncle?”
“They’re going to Seattle to visit my parents.”
“You’re not going with them?”
You’re going to be alone on Christmas?
“I will be staying here,” I answered stiffly. “I was invited but I politely declined, saying I’d rather gargle shattered glass and wash it down with dog piss.”
“Subtle,” Miller said. “Well, Christmas at my place is going to be shit. Probably for Ronan too. We can hang out at the shack.”
“Maybe.”
Miller stopped walking to face me. “Not maybe. We’re meeting at the shack on Christmas Day.”
