Page 13

CHAPTER 13

MILLER

The longer we walked through the booths and stalls of the Farmer’s Market, the more I wanted to hold Lathan’s hand. It was a stupid want, though. He made it clear nothing could happen outside his apartment, so wanting more was a recipe for disaster.

Tell that to my stupid heart.

I still didn’t know how to process the incident this morning. Was it wrong that I wanted to push him more to see what else he’d do? Yeah, that screamed toxic, and while it was hot in fictional books, it wasn’t in real life.

Not to mention how dangerous it was for my heart. I had to remember that. It didn’t matter if he acted like a caveman in his apartment; we were barely buddies outside of it.

On that depressing note, I needed something to take my mind off all the things I couldn’t have. I zeroed in on a booth with homemade fudge and bread and beelined for it. The smell assaulted my nostrils the second I stepped under the canopy. It alone settled my frayed nerves.

“That smells amazing,” I groaned.

“Baked fresh,” the little girl standing behind the table said with a gap-toothed smile.

“My favorite kind!” I rubbed my hands together and returned her smile. “What’s your favorite?”

“Hmm.” She tapped her chin in thought, and the cutest dimple popped out. “The banana chocolate chip bread.” She leaned forward like she wanted to tell me a secret. “Momma doesn’t feel as guilty because it has fruit in it.”

“Ah, that is a good point. I’ll take two loaves!”

“Yes!” She fist-pumped her little fist in the air, and that was when I noticed her bracelets.

“Cool bracelets. Did you make them?” She nodded as her mom bagged up the bread and took my card. “I made these with my little sister.” I showed her my right wrist. “And these, I made for my hockey team.”

Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped. “You have so many!”

“Want to trade?”

“Really?” she asked.

“Absolutely, that’s my favorite part.” I held out my two wrists so she could see them better. “I’m Miller, by the way.”

“My name’s Savannah.”

“Nice to meet you, Savannah. So, which one is your favorite?”

She scanned them all with a critical eye before picking a pink and purple one with letter blocks spelling out SUNSHINE. “Good choice.” I moved it off my wrist and placed it on hers. It was a little big, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Your turn,” she said and showed me her bracelets again.

“How about you pick for me?” I offered.

Savannah nodded again and looked them over carefully before selecting a green one that spelled out SMILE and a blue one that spelled YOUAREbrAVE. She motioned for me to come closer and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “For your friend. It matches his eyes.”

“That it does. He’s a bit grumpy today. Let’s see if I can get him to wear it,” I whispered back.

She giggled, and I put her bracelet on my wrist. Savannah motioned for me to give the other to Lathan. I turned to him, and he lifted a brow.

“Done yet?”

“Just about. Here, this is for you,” I said. I placed the bracelet on his wrist. He blinked down at it. “It’s from Savannah, not me. So maybe don’t be a butthead and take it off until she can’t see you.”

Lathan swallowed as he glanced at the bracelet. The blue was sparkly in the sunlight and eerily close to the color of his ice blue eyes. He ran the pad of his fingers over the letters. I was surprised when he met Savannah’s eyes. “Thank you.”

Savannah’s mom handed my card back and the bag with my goodies. She smiled in thanks, and I waved bye to my new friend.

Lathan was quieter than usual as we walked through a few more booths. “Why did she give me one? I didn’t have one to trade,” he finally asked. His brow was pinched, and I had to stop myself from reaching down and smoothing it out.

“That’s not what friendship bracelets are about, Silver. She gave it to you because she wanted you to have it. Simple as that.”

“But why? I didn’t even talk to her or buy anything.”

“Again, that doesn’t matter. Friendship bracelets are a form of expression, and everyone’s reason can be different. Don’t ruin her gift by questioning it to death.”

His scowl deepened, but he let it drop. I visited a few more booths and bought peanut butter fudge, strawberry jam, local honey, and goat milk soap. I was just about to leave when I spotted a booth with beads. Lathan hung back as I chatted with the owner and traded a few more bracelets. I ended up buying some new beads and agreeing to stop by their store for one of their bracelet-making nights.

It was odd to think how I already felt at home in Austin despite only living here briefly. I’d struggled in Chicago to connect with the team, and the city had always felt too overwhelming to venture out on my own. Having Lathan with me was more fun, even if he was a grumpy shadow most of the day.

“Are you done yet?” he asked.

“Just about. Come on, the food truck is close by. But first, I got you a treat.”

His eyes widened, and butterflies exploded in my gut at the expression. It was nice to catch him off guard for once. Smiling, I led him to a coffee booth I’d spotted. His eyes sparkled at the coffee beans on display.

“Greater Goods Coffee is a woman-owned, small-batch roasting company based in Dripping Springs, Texas, that I thought you might like to try,” I said.

Lathan’s gaze jumped to mine, and something swirled in the depths, but before I could ask, we were interrupted.

“Good morning! What can I help you with?” the saleswoman asked.

Lathan’s gaze shifted to her, and I instantly missed the connection. I stepped out of the tent to gather myself. I had to remember what this was—a situationship. It wasn’t a relationship.

“Thanks,” Lathan said a few minutes later. His hands were loaded with bulging sacks.

“Buy them out?” I teased and loved how his cheeks reddened.

“No.”

“Sure.” I laughed, and we walked to the food truck. The silence had returned, but it was easygoing this time. We both ordered and took a seat at an empty picnic table. I looked out at the crowd and watched the couples and families as they perused the market. Some people might want expensive dinners and fancy trips, but not me. This right here, doing normal everyday things, was what sang to my soul.

“Thank you for inviting me,” he said, shocking me.

My head swiveled to him. “I get an apology and gratitude on the same day!” I gasped and checked my watch.

“What?”

“Just checking the day.”

“Why?”

“Making sure it wasn’t my birthday and to note it down as the day Lathan Silver acted like a human.”

“Asshole. This is why I don’t have friends.”

I laughed, and despite the grumpy frown he wore, the corners of his lips twitched upward.

“Oh, are we friends now, Silver?”

Lathan’s eyes traveled over me and lingered on my lips. I licked them and noted the heat that grew in his eyes. He lifted his gaze to mine, and the world appeared to stop. “Yeah, Bambi, we are.”

My stomach somersaulted, and I had to remind myself to breathe. Do not let him know how affected you are . When our food was called, he stood to grab it, giving me enough time to recover.

“I knew you couldn’t hate me forever. I’m irresistible,” I teased as I took a bite. Ketchup fell from my burger onto the table and I just shrugged and kept on eating.

Lathan, on the other hand, snorted, shook his head, and proceeded to cut his burger into four pieces. I bet his table manners rivaled any royal.

I inhaled the burger and fries, enjoying how the flavors melted in my mouth. I understood why this food truck was so popular. The food was delicious.

Once I was done, I sat back and rubbed my belly. Lathan was still eating his with a fork and knife. He was focused on his food, allowing me an unobstructed view of him. I kept waiting for the day that his utter beauty would not take my breath away. That day was not today.

He turned, and I pretended not to be staring. “You ready, Silver?”

“You got something…” he trailed off as he lifted his thumb up to swipe something off my chin. His touch was gentle, and the brush of his skin on mine in public had tingles racing over me from head to toe. His thumb halted, and his eyes lifted to meet mine. We stared at one another, and I forgot we weren’t in his apartment or that I couldn’t kiss him. That I wouldn’t kiss him.

Thankfully, he came to his senses before I did anything I couldn’t take back and dropped his hand. I cleared my throat and busied myself with picking up my trash. Lathan followed suit, and we walked side-by-side toward where James was picking us up.

The crowd had gotten thicker, so I was glad we were leaving. I didn’t get noticed much in Austin, but Lathan did. It was a miracle we’d been here for hours and hadn’t been spotted yet. I didn’t know if it was because of his family or if Austin just loved him that much for his hockey skills, but it could get rowdy if the wrong people noticed him. Thankfully, we made it to the car unscathed and slipped into the open door without incident.

My mind buzzed as we rode back. What had that moment been? Was it anything or just another thing I was reading wrong? It couldn’t be what I wanted it to be. There was no way.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Lathan said as we stepped into the elevator. I turned to him, my brow lifted. He chuckled and sent my body on high alert. I loved that sound. Each time I heard it felt like a rare gift. “I know I wasn’t excited about it, but I’m glad I went. It was… fun.”

I smiled and knocked his shoulder with mine. “One of these days, you’ll realize I’m all fun, Silver.”

“Hmm, something like that.” He unlocked the door, and I followed him into his apartment. I wasn’t surprised the TV had already been replaced, but I was shocked when a new phone sat on the counter with my name on it. “I had it replaced,” he said in response.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” I shuffled on my feet, unsure what to do now. The dynamic had shifted, and where to go from here was unclear.

“I should put this—” I said.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” he interrupted. “I mean, if you’re free.”

“Oh, um, sure. I’d like that. I’ll just…” I lifted my bag of goodies.

“Yes, of course. And there’s the clothing rule to adhere to.”

I grinned. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

Lathan rolled his eyes, but the smile was evident on his face. “Meet you back here in a few.”

I nodded and put my goodies away before returning to my room. I dropped the new phone onto the bed. I’d set it up later. Pulling my shirt off my head, I dropped it onto the floor and kicked off my shoes and pants. I sniffed my armpits and cringed when the smell wasn’t as fresh as I wished. Turning on the shower, I waited until it was warm and stepped under the spray to wash and rinse off the sweat. It only took me a few minutes, and then I was drying off. I debated not wearing anything, but sitting on the leather couch for that long without clothes would be uncomfortable. So instead, I opted for my sluttiest pair of boxers. The ones that were so short my butt cheeks practically spilled out and gave my dick a nice bulge.

At the last second, I grabbed the newest bracelet I’d made Lathan and strolled into the living room. Lathan was fiddling with the remote and settled it on something as I entered. He was sitting far away from me, but I wouldn’t let that deter me. Once I was settled, I reached over and hauled his big body into mine. I spread my legs and placed him between them so he was leaning back against my chest. He stiffened but didn’t move away.

“Don’t deny you like cuddling, Lath,” I whispered into his ear.

“You wish, Bambi.”

If he only knew. The movie started, but I wasn’t paying any attention. I was more focused on his wrist and the blue bracelet he still wore. Taking it as a sign, I lifted his wrist and slipped on the one I’d made with black and silver beads.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“New rule. You’re to wear that at all times while in this apartment.”

“And if I don’t?” he challenged.

“Play around and find out, Lath. But I don’t think you’ll like the consequences,” I promised.

“Whatever, Bambi.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his chest. He tensed at first but relaxed when I didn’t do anything more. When the credits rolled, I had no clue what the movie had been about or who was in it. I’d spent the entire time staring at the bracelet on his wrist. The one that read MINE.