The Perfect Storm

Chapter 79

The rain taps lightly on the window as I look outside into the darkness and the few trees surrounding campus.

"Is everything okay?" Stephanie asks.

"You've been staring at that window for a while now."

"Yeah." I shake my head.

"I just, uh . . . I guess I have a lot on my mind." I smile at her and she gazes at me with her brown eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asks, her voice low and questioning as she sits down on top of the desk right in front of me.

"I don't know." I sigh. I don't want to start rambling about Miles because I know that when I start, I won't stop. It's the only thing that has been on my mind for the past few hours. Since Jacob dropped me off, I haven't been able to think about anything else but this mess.

"Madison." She looks up at me and I give her a small smile.

"Is it Miles?" she asks and I try not to let the tears burn down my cheeks. I nod with a small smile and she parts her lips again.

"What did he do?"

"Why do you assume he did something?" I ask and Stephanie gives me a small chuckle.

"This is Miles we're talking about right? He always does something and he's known for sleeping around with every girl in his way."

"I just don't . . . I don't understand why he's like this." I gulp down my emotions.

"Oh, Madison . . . he's, he has gone through a lot." She nods slightly.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"His childhood is completely messed up." She shakes her head and I gaze at her with my wet eyes. I know that Miles would never tell me about his childhood but I need to know, I can't be kept in the dark anymore.

"His parents fought all the time . . . until they finally left Miles with Valentina for two years. He didn't see his parents at all and instead, Valentina became like his mother since he neglected his own, he hated Pamela; he hated her with all he had." Stephanie explains and the pieces in my head start to fit little by little.

"What happened then?" I ask, shaking my head slightly in disbelief. I never would have thought that the boy in my class, wearing all black wasn't just rude—he was hurt.

"His mother . . . she finally let him come back, but when he did—everything was different. He didn't have a father anymore. His mother had moved a few times and gotten rid of all of his stuff including his favorite notebooks, books, phone, and diary." Stephanie says and my eyes go slightly wide.

"Miles had a diary?" I ask, my mind wandering again.

"He still does." She simply says.

"It's that black book he carries everywhere." She says and my mind stops wandering, traveling to Miles's car and that pitch-black book next to his phone.

"Oh." I saw I can let out.

"Those diaries meant everything to him, but his mother threw it out like trash." Stephanie shakes her head before continuing, "His dad cheated on his mother with almost everyone in town so naturally, Miles was forced to take his mothers side and because he was just a kid and hearing that his father cheated, well . . . it broke him." She breathes out.

"How do you know all of this?" I ask confused and a little jealous. Miles has neglected to tell me any of this and now I'm listening to something this detailed about his life from someone he only dated for a week and claims to not care about.

"I . . . we used to be friends during that time in his life." She explains and I finally understand.

"But he . . . he changed, I came back that summer and he . . . he wouldn't even look at me or acknowledge me and for the longest time, I was so blindsided . . ." Stephanie sighs and I can tell her eyes are holding back

few tears.

"I . . . I thought we were friends but he stopped caring about me too and I've . . . I've been trying to win him back ever since, as a friend of course." She explains and I let out a deep breath. 

So many puzzle pieces have been connected in my mind. Miles who I knew to be a mean boy is hurt and confused adult who wants to call his maid his mother instead of his real mom.

"But you two date—"

"Dated? Yeah . . . we finally collided again during high school graduation and we re-connected as a short fling. But like I said . . . it was short and I . . . I've been trying to get back into his life. . .

but no matter what I do—he won't let me. He's locked, and there seemed to be no key until I saw both of you in that coffee shop that day. He looked like he had finally changed and I still believe that you're that key."

Miles's POV

I drag everything off my fucking nightstand with my forearms, letting it fall harshly onto the floor, even that black book I've come to hate so much. I grab a small glass, pouring myself whiskey before sitting down on my bed. 

I let my bloody knuckles run through the black silk sheets of my bed. None of this shit matters if I can't have her—if I can't have her in the end.

"Miles." Valentina knocks on my expensive door.

"What?" I look up at her, feeling like a tired fucking dog.

"Are you okay?" she asks with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm staying in for tonight, no parties. Big dig day tomorrow." I explain and she gives me a small smile a nod before closing the door behind her. 

As I sip the whiskey I hear her footsteps traveling down the stairs. I watch the raindrops tap against my window as I clench my jaw. 

Watching the rain has always calmed me down no matter how fucked up I've been, even with a fucked up mother it has managed to ground me but not like Madison does—nothing compares to her. 

My phone buzzes a few times but it's not until the third buzz that I check my phone.

Stephanie: "Are you competing tomorrow?"

Miles: "Yeah, bring Maddie."

Stephanie: "Not if this is history repeating itself."

Miles: "It isn't. I promise."

Lying has never even twice crossed my mind. It has always came so naturally and at times, I've even felt good about it. But now, it hurts like a fucking bitch.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jacob." I gulp what's left of the whiskey.