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Story: Art of Convenience

She rolls her eyes and lays back down on my lap. “I think I’ll travel with the common people for this one.” I watch her head rise and fall as I shake her with my laugh.

CAMILA

The sweet scent of rain and pine fills my lungs immediately as we step off the plane. Miles keeps his fingers intertwined with mine as we walk up to an old Jeep. My lips purse together.

“Youknow how to drive?” I ask, suspiciously. When he tilts his head with a blank stare, I put my hands up. “I’m just saying, I’ve never seen you drive, and there's a lot of trees and probably wildlife out here. I don't want you to plow us into anything,” I say climbing in. The warmth of his body covers mine as he reaches over, buckling my seatbelt.

“Oh. I’ll be plowing intosomething.” His face hovers over mine for a brief moment before he closes my door. And I have to clench my thighs together while he makes his way around to the driver’s side.

As we drive along the tree-lined road my mind is wandering. I was embarrassed when Miles came home and found me crying. I wasn’t surprised he was so understanding, but I was surprised by how comforting I found him. I felt the anxiety creeping in for the last few days. I tried to ignore it when it presented itself as trouble sleeping, and again when I was irritable the next day. But when I woke up yesterday morning I knew I couldn’t fight it off any longer. I had canceled breakfast with Taylor over text. I knew if I saw her or even called her she would know I was going through it. And I didn’t want to put that on her. It’s hard for her to see me struggle and not be able to do anything about it. I’ve always rather ride the wave out alone, so I wasn’t expecting to release wave after wave of discomfort under Miles’s touch. His closeness alone was enough to help me relax enough to fall asleep. I’m not sure how long he rubbed those circles on my back. But the two times I woke in the night, his hands were still moving.

I’m shaken from my thoughts—literally. As our car begins to rattle around. I squint my eyes, looking out the windshield as we make our way off the paved road and begin bouncing along a dirt path.

“Are you sure you know where we’re going?”

His only response is a slight smile and a reassuringhand on my leg.

I lean closer to the dash, trying to get a better view and the crunch of gravel is loud as the car begins to slow. Through the shifting fog, I make out a stunning, large oak wood home. The way it sits on the hill, completely surrounded by trees, gives the illusion that it’s built directly into the forest.

Miles grabs our bags and I follow him up the stairs. When he opens the door, I’m in awe. A large leather sectional sits in the middle of the living room on top of a beautiful plush rug. There are vaulted ceilings and a built-in bookshelf that goes on forever. While most of the walls are made of natural wood, the back wall is made entirely of glass and the view of the woods takes my breath away. “This doesn’t even seem real,” I whisper.

His only response is a kiss on top of my head before heading down a long hallway.

I pull my phone out of my back pocket and move to sit on the couch. The cold of the leather bites through my pants and I drape a white fur blanket over my lap.

Me

Made it.

Taylor

And? How is it?

Me

Incredible. It’s like we’re up in a little tree house. It’s so cute.

Taylor

SCGKMF

Me

so cute get knifed mother fucker?

Taylor

Swooning crying giggling kicking my feet.

But close.

Me

?? What are you up to later?

Taylor

Got another hot date with Netflix.