She gotme—a pathetic, heartbroken girl—to feel lighter.She may have been joking about being an influencer, but I think it’s her calling in life. It fueled the courage I needed to do what’s next.
With every footstep that leads me closer to the trailer, I plead it won’t be Miles who answers my knock. To my pleasant surprise, the door swings open, and it’s just who I’m hoping to see.
“Teddy! It’s so good to see you.” Shep leans in to hug me, swallowing me up in his arms.
“You too.”
He keeps a firm grip on my forearms and pulls back to look at me. “You haven’t grown an inch.”
“That’s the thing about middle school puberty… when it’s over, it’s over.” I shrug.
He chuckles, pressing his palms into the door casing. “Are you looking for Miles?”
I shake my head. “You, actually. I was wondering if my summer job is still available? I think I need to keep myself busy.”
I know that means I’ll have to work with Miles sometimes, which sounds like another form of torture right now, but sitting at home doing nothing sounds worse.
“Of course! I’m about to head there now if you’d like to start today. You can catch a ride with us,” he offers.
Us?
A throat clears behind me, and I turn around to find Miles naked from the waist up in a pair of running shorts, sweat dripping down his chest. I swallow. It’s not like I haven’t seen him like that before, but it throws me off-kilter when there’s no warning.
“Teddy, what are you doing here?” It sounds accusatory as he pulls a pair of headphones back to rest on his shoulders.
I can’t stop staring at his shirtless torso. “You took up running.”
He drops his focus to figure out what I’m looking at, and then makes matters worse by sweeping a hand down the defined planes of his midriff. “Oh… yeah. I decided to run track at school last year.”
He bends over at the waist to untie his shoe and slips it off.
You started a lot of new things it would seem,I think to myself.
“Cool.”
“What do you say we give Miles five minutes to shower and wait for him in the truck?” Shep asks.
I knew I’d have to face Miles at the shop, but being smashed inside his dad’s truck next to him was not what I had in mind.
When my eyes settle on Miles, I regret ever coming over here.
Why did I think working with him all summer would be a good idea?
But now I’m at a crossroads. His dad is waiting for me to answer, and I’m backed into a corner. Literally. On the steps between them. I offer him an out hoping he’ll take it.
“Only if it’s okay with you.”
Miles brushes past me. “By all means.”
I deflate.
He didn’t take the out.
“Are yousurethis is okay?” I ask Shep.
“Oh, yeah,” he chirps. “The more the merrier.”
I can’t tell if he’s oblivious to that little exchange we just had or if he’s egging this on. He reaches for a pair of keys dangling from a hook on the back of the door and holds them out. “Why don’t you wait for us in the truck. We’ll be right there.”
