The Perfect Storm 3

Chapter 223

Miles's POV

I feel Hayley's hand on my shoulder and I immediately turn around with anger, but the look on her face indicates that she needs help and my features smooth over.

"I . . . I'm hurt." She says, limping closer to show me her cut-up leg. 

Fuck. 

I sigh and let my chest rise up and down a few times before I finally help her.

"Here," I tell her and lift her up into my arms, carrying her to the couch through the broken glass all around me.

"Thank you." Her brown eyes stare into me.

"Yeah." Is all I reply before heading off into the kitchen and grabbing a band-aid for her leg.

"Is anything stuck in there?" I look at the wound on her ankle.

"I don't think so." She says quietly, shaking her head at me. I smirk and then give her a small nod.

"This will hurt, okay?" My eyes are steady on hers and hers are on mine. She nods slowly, her head tilting to me, and then she closes her eyes. I pour sanitizing liquid on a cotton swab and place it on her wound but she doesn't react.

"You can really handle pain," I tell her and then regret the words immediately.

"I can handle it after you."

"I'm—"

"Don't." She places a small finger on my lips. She's my age but damn she acts like a child at times.

"You owe me, you know," Hayley says and I nod.

"I know."

"So tonight . . ." she trails off while I put the band-aid on her leg carefully.

"You'll come with me to the party." She says and my attention focuses back on her.

"I can't." I shake my head but she shakes her back.

"Yes, you can, and you're coming with me, Miles." She says firmly, her soft brown eyes looking at me and making me nod.

"Fine," I say slightly annoyed, but I know I owe her, god dammnit I owe her.

"Well then you better help me fix up this place, otherwise I'll have to be here all night." I wink before slapping at her ankle and standing up.

"Ouch." She scrunches her nose.

"Maybe pain isn't as easy for you to handle as you thought," I smirk and she throws a pillow at me. I get a broom, wishing I could just call Valentina, but I don't want to go to this stupid party, so dragging this on long enough will maybe change Hayley's mind.

She starts fluffing pillows and making sure there aren't any broken glass pieces on the couch. She vacuums everything thoroughly and I might be in more trouble than I think I am. She's fast and she's clearly more determined than I expected.

I hear a knock at the door but I ignore it.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Hayley turns to me and I stop. Thoughts of it being Madison rush into my mind and my eyes quickly go wide.

"Go upstairs, now," I tell her firmly and harshly and she sneers at me.

"Why?" Her eyebrows furrow and I glare at her.

"Now," I say even more firm and she rolls her eyes, walking up the stairs. I know that because of my reaction, she'll be much more curious in knowing who is behind that door, but I don't care. I don't want Madison to get absorbed into this mess. But when I open the door, all of my efforts were for fucking nothing.

"What the fuck?" I ask him and his grey eyes look at me. They're angry, I know that look.

"I don't want you to see Madison again," Jack tells me.

"Right," I smirk, trying not to let out a giggle as I close the door but his foot stops me.

"Leave." I glare at him and he swallows subtly.

"You and me, right now, your choice of fight," he says and a brow raises on my face. The last thing I expected was for Jack to have the stomach for a fight.

"Boxing." I tell him and add, "A good one-on-one, nothing but our hands." I tell him and he nods, his face keeping strong and calm. I smirk.

"Deal—" I cut him off. I wasn't done nearly yet.

"At the party tonight . . . in front of Madison." My tongue clicks the words onto my teeth and they roll off to his horror but he keeps his features steady. What a bad boy, I can see why Madison is swimming all over this guy.

This is one of the biggest parties of the year, Madison is bound to be there, watching him get murdered, and if not, she'll hear about it. He clenches his jaw in anger as I smirk my lips at him. Jack proceeds to pull at his shirt as a warning and I smile even more.

"Watch those guns, they might just inflate," I tell him, flexing mine and then slamming the door with my foot, letting the last thing he sees be my guns and then my face smirking right at him.

Madison's POV

The last thing I thought Stephanie would suggest was this, but she's right, I need to try new things, no more moping around, but I still have four more hours to mope around and I'm going to spend them wisely.

"You better not be trying to avoid this." Stephanie smiles as I sit in my bed, cuddled up in blankets, with a spoon and an ice cream box in my hand.

"I'm not." I lie with a giggle.

"Pre-drink." She hands me a shot, oh god, she's right, she's so right and I hate it. Ast least this will take the nerves off. I smile to thank her but place the shot glass on my desk next to my bed. This doesn't feel like me at all but Stephanie is right and all I need to do is keep repeating that to myself over and over again.

 I eat mint chocolate chip ice cream as I watch Stephanie do her makeup.

She has such a perfect relationship with Elijah, they both understand each other and they're so in love, more in love than I can believe Miles and I can feel again. I let out a deep breath and finish whatever is left of my ice cream before Stephanie microwaves us both mac and cheese.

"Don't drink on an empty stomach." She warns, "But don't be too full either." She lets me know and I nod. I don't know how much I'll end up drinking but I'm going to allow myself to do whatever I want to do. I need to know what 'me' feels like, or 'single me' as Stephanie put it.

I take a deep breath before rushing to eat as much as I can, if I want to get ready, I need to hurry and time is only ticking away. Stephanie is sitting in loungewear, with her makeup fully done and her hair wrapped inside a towel. Stephanie paints my nails as my hands are too busy eating and then she turns to paint my fingernails.

"You better make this worth it." She says, showing me she just finished the polish.

"I will." I smile and feel my cheeks blush. For the first time in a while, I feel as though I might actually have fun tonight even though I'm not in the situation I want to be.

"Makeup time!" Stephanie squeals and I nod before letting her hands work magic with the hundred of different makeup products she has.