Page 56 of Silent Shadows

He smiles. Damn it.

He says something low into the phone, then slips his phone into his pocket, grabbing his to-go bag from the counter. He turns towards me.

Don’t come over here, asshat. I beg in my mind.

Miles confidently saunters over to me, his body backlit by the morning sun, highlighting cut shoulders and forearms I thought nerds weren’t allowed to have.

He stops in front of me, his brown eyes locking on mine. I sigh, pulling my headphones off and crossing my arms.

“Still listening to that sound?”

“How did you—no. No, I’m not.”

“Mm-hmm, sure.” A smirk tugs at his lips, and I hate how my core tightens.

“No, I’m working on my approach. How I’m going to introduce you guys.”

“Oh yeah, what are you thinking?”

“I think you guys are more… real than I thought you’d be. You’re like a cute, dysfunctional family.”

“Hey, that’s a real sentimental streak you got there, Daisy.”

“Keep it in your pants, Adler. I’m too stressed for your sarcasm and analytical…ness.” I struggle to finish my sentence, frustrated with how this man makes me feel.

He smirks. “I think you enjoy my analytical-ness.”

“Well, that’s because you’re mentally unstable.”

His brow lifts as he shifts on his feet. “Okay, well, I’ll let you sit here in denial. Actually, denial in more ways than one, because I can totally see you’re still listening to that sound clip. You can only try to conjure a reason or explanation for so long, Daisy.”

With that, he turns for the door.

I stare at the door after him, left puzzled. What the fuck was that?

There are layers there.

That’s the issue.

I’m good with people. Very good. I can clock insecurity in a fifteen-second video call. I can tell when someone’s flirting for attention versus connection. I can hear the difference between a rehearsed confession and an accidental truth.

People are my job.

Miles should be easy: earnest believer. Dead parents. Chasing Bigfoot as grief alchemy. Hyper-specific rules to maintain control. Makes jokes when nervous. Falls back on science because the emotional stakes would flatten him if he didn’t.

I see all of that, clear as day.

He’s a person who can argue about source reliability and terrain mapping, then can turn around and kiss me by a fire so intensely that it might have been the best kiss of my life. He isn’t easy at all.

My phone buzzes beside my coffee.

Marissa

First episode vibe check?

I stare at it for several seconds. Then respond:

Me