The Perfect Storm 3

Chapter 283

Miles's POV

"Fill out this form, please," Bill insists but before I grab the pen and paper from his hand I need to know if she's okay.

"Is she going to be fine?" I ask and he smiles at me through his mustache.

"It might not be very understandable, but she really is like a daughter to me, I would never do anything to hurt her." He says, his words all firm and honest. I give him a small nod before grabbing whatever he has in his hands and looking through the page, filling each thing out, my name, address, phone number, current college, and everything else I don't believe anyone would ever use.

"The rest of the police department is looking into this . . ." he stops, his hands holding one another in a fist as he then reaches one of them up to run his fingers through his dark-colored barely-there beard.

"But the medical report has come in . . . and, Miles . . . your father was five minutes away from death,"

"Were you aware of that?" he asks just as I finish my signature at the bottom.

"No,"

"But you remain so calm--"

"Well he did assault the love of my life, is there anything more you need from me?" I say, my chair screeching as I push it back and stand up.

"I thought so, I've done everything in my power to get you through this and it was only with a large fee--"

"I'll pay it," I jump.

"I already have," he says and with that simple sentence, we shake hands, knowing that he's saved the both of us

"THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, you're free to go," the policeman says and I find relief wash over me describing in detail exactly what happened with David has made my heart unsteady for the past hour but anything that will help Miles get out of trouble is more than worth it even though my nightmares will probably flare up after this.

I can't believe just how much we've been through together and yet despite what anyone else sees; miles is the only person who has been there for me through it all.

I send Stephanie a quick message, letting her know what happened and how everything went, and when she sends back a simple 'oh my god' i know exactly how she feels.

She has never wanted anything more than to protect me from everything, and in a way she's like the sibling I never had; someone I'll appreciate for the rest of my life.

"You ready to go?" I hear a familiar voice that I want to fall into. Miles's soothing tone and cologne finally allow me to breathe.

"Yeah," I give him a small nod and he places his hand on my waist before scooping me into his arms and holding me tight, the smell of his cologne comforting my whole body as I smell his hot neck.

His chin digs into my neck and I feel safer than I have in so long.

"I'm going to take you home, and after that, we can forget all of this." He says and I give a small nod despite him not being able to see me.

I'M BACK IN THE FAMILIAR PORSCHE watching as the road gets swallowed below us. There's something so liberating about Miles driving so fast through a zone where barely any cars can be seen. The morning has started to be as bright as ever but yet nobody seems to be traveling these roads except for heavy trucks.

I don't want to bring up anything about Bill or the police department but I can't help but think what it was like for Miles, and what really happened. I never seemed to figure out what it was exactly but when I part my lips, I realize that I don't want to know and instead my mouth throws out another question that has been on my mind, tormenting me more than I've realized.

"Why was Lacey at the wedding?" I blurt out and Miles stays quiet until he finally brushes his fingers through his hair.

"I don't know, catering or something, I didn't pay too much attention to her," he explains quickly.

"I'm sorry," he looks at me, " I shouldn't have talked to her at all, I was just so damn mad--and I shouldn't have been," he explains and I give him a small smile.

"I don't want to talk about Lacey anymore." I look outside the window, letting this problem clear out of my head as another stirs up, making me realize just how much we haven't figured out regarding the baby yet.

"How will I finish college?" I ask, my mouth throwing out one of the million things I've now realized we haven't figured out before the baby comes. I still can't believe it's been almost four weeks, and still, the reality has only now begun to feel slightly normal.

"Easy,"

"you won't," he adds and my eyes shine wide.

"Miles, I can't just--"

"Why not?" he looks at me but I don't have an answer, then his eyes shift back to the road in front of us.

"We both know the only reason you even went here is just that you needed to do it for your mom and now that--that plans have changed, why would you? I've got everything taken care of, a house paid off, which most people pay off in their sixties, a car, a baby on the way," Miles explains, one last glance in my direction as my mind starts to take in every word he just breathes my direction.

He's right, I've always wanted to be a stay-at-home mother, my mother never got the chance to after my dad left, and I've had to follow in her footsteps; take care of everything that I have to, but now that everything went so much different than I had expected and now I have a chance to re-start that part of my life. I have no interest in learning anything but how to be a mother.

"And you--" I begin,

"I'll get a business degree at NYU and we can move there, I've got an apartment checked out--" he replies but this time I stop him.

"Santa Monica . . . it isn't something you'll ever even keep in mind, is it?" I stare at him and watch his features turn neutral and then he clenches his jaw.

"Madison--" I don't want to hear him say it, I don't want to feel the disappointment rush over me like a storm that I can't control and will never be able to control.

"I want to finish WSU, at home, online . . . I want to be a kindergarten teacher, take care of small children, and draw flowers with them all day," I answer, not allowing Miles to continue his thought. I never knew I truly felt this way until I knew I had a change of course. I've always loved children and being a kindergarten teacher reminds me of my childhood with Jace, the way it means so much to kids.

"Yeah . . . yeah, okay," he says, and then with a quick turn my way, I see a smile off his lips.