"I thought I'd just go home."
"Why would you go home?"
I shrug. "Don't you have things to do?"
"I could work, but I don't want to."
"Don't you have to?"
"I'd rather do something with you." He turns to me. "How about a movie? It's supposed to rain later. Rainy days are good days for movies."
"I can't, but you could go." I set my plate down and lick the sugary glaze off my fingers.
"Want another?" he asks.
"I'll save them for later. That'll be my lunch."
"Let me take you out. I've been wanting to try this Mexican place by the mall. Now I finally have someone to go with."
"Miles, you can't keep doing things with me. You're not going to make any friends if you're always hanging out with me."
"I already made a friend. We're friends, right?"
"Yeah, but I mean friends who are more like you. People who have jobs and apartments and cars."
"Having that stuff doesn't mean I'll want to be friends with them."
"I know, but those are the people you need to hang out with." I push the covers back and get out of bed. "Mind if I take a shower?"
"Go ahead. It's yours whenever you want it. Same with the washer and dryer. You want me to go back to the tent and get the rest of your clothes so you can wash them?"
"Maybe." I glance around for my jeans. I find them on the floor and pick them up. "Or just wait until I'm done showering. I'll go get them myself."
"I might as well get them while you're in there."
It's not worth arguing about so I nod and say, "Okay."
He comes up to me. "About what you said earlier. How I need to find other friends? It's true, but that doesn't mean things will change between us. Even if I get out there and meet people, you and I will still be friends. I'll still be showing up in the alley trying to help you and you'll still be telling me to get lost."
I smile. "Sounds about right."
His hand wraps around mine. "I like you, Raine, probably more than I should. More than you want me to. That's not going to change."
It will. He just doesn't want to believe that yet. But it will. When he makes new friends, starts going out with them, meets a new girl he likes, everything will change.
21
Raine
After the shower, I go out to the living room just as Miles is getting back.
"Any special instructions?" he asks, holding my clothes up. "Or should I just toss them in?"
"Just toss them in. And hey, thanks for doing that."
He heads down the hall to the washer while I go upstairs to get dressed. I put on the same clothes I wore yesterday since my other ones are now in the wash. I didn't bring extra clothes because I didn't think I'd stay here last night. I'd planned to sleep in the tent, but the thought of going back there just wasn't appealing when I had a warm soft bed waiting for me at Miles' place. And I didn't want to leave Miles. I'm getting attached to him, which I know is bad but it's how I feel. I tell myself it's because Gladys is gone so I've made Miles my replacement until she's back. But I know that's only part of it. My attachment to Miles is because I care about him, maybe even love him.
"Raine?" Miles says from the bottom of the stairs. "You dressed?"
"Yeah, what do you need?"
He runs up the stairs to the bedroom, his phone in his hand. "Just got a text from Zoe. She's going to stop by the tent today to get more of Gladys' stuff. She asked if we want to meet her there."
"Is she bringing Gladys?"
"Not sure. I'll ask." He texts Zoe and waits for her to text back. "She said yes and that she wants to see you. I assume she means Gladys."
"Did she say what time?"
"Noon, but she wants us to confirm we can be there."
"Tell her yes."
He texts her, then walks up to me and gives me a hug.
I hug him back. "How'd you know?"
"How'd I know you needed a hug?" He hugs me tighter. "I could tell. I know you think I don't know you, but I do."
"I know you do. I find it annoying."
He chuckles but keeps me in the hug. "It's going to be okay."
"Maybe for Gladys but not for me."
"You don't know for sure she won't be coming back."
"She won't. Zoe won't let her. She loves her too much to let her go back on the streets. It took Gladys getting sick to make this happen and now that it has, Zoe won't let her be out there again."
"I know it'll be hard to adjust to her being gone but it'll be so much better for Gladys to be in a warm house. A real bed. Have food to eat."
"I know all that but it doesn't make it any easier." I pull away from him and walk to the window. "I'm being selfish. I know I am, but it doesn't change how I feel. I'm so freaking mad right now."
"At Zoe," Miles says.
"Yeah. And stop reading my mind like that. It's weird."
"I'm not reading your mind. I just know how you feel. When someone takes away the person you love, even if it's for a good reason, you get angry. It's totally normal. I'd be angry too."
I squeeze my eyes shut, tears threatening to fall. "She's all I had."
Miles comes up behind me, wrapping me in his arms. "I'm sorry, Raine. I know it hurts to have her gone."
"What if I never see her again?"
"You will. If you want me to drive you to see her every single day, I will. I promise."
I turn and hug him. I love him for saying that. And for helping me through this. Making me feel better. I think I really do love him. I feel like I do but I've misread my feelings in the past so I can't be sure what I'm feeling is real. But it feels like love, and it feels more real than it ever felt with Rob.
Miles and I spend the morning lounging on the couch, watching TV, then just before noon, we head to the alley to meet up with Zoe. She's pulling up when we arrive. I race over to her van and open the passenger door. Gladys is there, dressed in a warm wool jacket with a scarf and a hat. Zoe must've given her that because she didn't have it before.
"Gladys!" I help her out of the car and hug her. She smells nice, like floral scented soap instead of the musty smell I'm used to. Her white hair is clean and has been cut short in a style that looks really good on her. Her eyes are bright and her cheeks have color. She looks so much better. She looks happy, and best of all, healthy. It proves how much she needed this. How much she needed to get off the streets.
"I missed you, honey," she says, squeezing me tight.
"I missed you too." I pull back. "You look great, Gladys. I love the hair."
"Zoe's sister did it for me. She's a hairdresser at the mall."
"She did a good job. It looks great."
"She'd cut yours too if you want," Zoe says, smiling at me. "Free of charge. Whenever you want to go, just let me know."