Page 86 of Rent: Paid in Full
“Again. You have to sayagainto make that statement true and factually correct. You have to say, ‘I’m doing thatagain,’ because you know damn well you sucked my soul clean out of my body in that alley last Tuesday.”
I bite back the choked laugh that erupts out of me. “Fine, I’m not doing thatagain. No fucking way. We almost got caught last time. Do you have any idea how bad that would have been?”
He smiles too, but for a different reason. “Yeah, yeah, I can see the headline now:Local Man Caught in Consensual Encounter with Fiancé.” He stops at a stoplight and looks at me, flashing his eyes elaborately. “Scandal.”
“Um, try,Local Parents Revolt: School Counselor Arrested for Public Indecency,” I retort. It makes him laugh, so I up the ante. “Try,Two Men Caught Bumming: Patrons left horrified.”
The memory of that night and the subtle scrape of his nail against the seam of my jeans makes me lose my train of thought. I think Miller must have lost his too because he’s abnormally quiet for a few miles.
He squeezes my thigh when he comes back to the present. “How was your day, baby? Did you get your report done?”
“I did. It was all fine. I handed it in, and Dave said he’d take my recommendations to the board, so that’s good.” My lungs fill, and I feel a quick rush of joy. I’ve been looking forward to tellingMiller about this all day. “You’ll never guess what else happened—”
“Did Ms. Magness hit on you again? ‘Cause if she did, I’ll come down there, Ryan, don’t think I won’t. Did you tell her you’re engaged? Have you shown her your ring?”
“For Christ’s sake, Miller, Susan Magness is sixty-three years old and happily married.”
“Oh please, don’t try and tell me either of those things make people immune to guys with big noses, wild eyes, and tight asses. Don’t even try. You know I’ll never believe you. That shit is potent. Once you get a taste for it, there’s no coming back from it.” I give him a long, pointed side eye that eventually takes effect. “Anyway, sorry. Please, keep going.”
“Thank you. Okay, so you know that kid, Travis, the one I’ve been worried about?” Miller keeps his eye on the road but nods. “Well, he didn’t turn up at my class at lunch today. Tasha and Alex didn’t either. Something felt off and I was really worried ‘cause he’s been going through so much, so I put Lucy in charge, and I went looking for him around campus.”
I stop to breathe it in. To steady myself and take a moment to appreciate where I started and where I am now. “You’ll never guess where I found him.” The hand on my thigh is light now. Supportive. There for me, without any force. “You know that bench near the admin building? The old timber one with the broken seat?” There’s a single nod and a soft crease around his eyes. “They were all there. Travis, Tasha, Alex, and the two kids who started the LGBTQ+ Society. They were sitting together, Mills, a whole bunch of them.” I breathe in and out quickly, but my eyes still dampen. “They don’t need to come to my class anymore. They found their people.”
The truck stops, and Miller has me in a headlock, both arms wrapped around me so tightly I can’t breathe. I shriek and try to push him away, but when you really think about it, breathing attimes like these isn’t essential. It’s more of a nice-to-have rather than a strict necessity.
“You did that, Ry,” Miller whispers, fingers caging my skull as he speaks into my hair. “Youdid that.”
The moment passes and Miller puts the car in Park.
“Oh, you know what else happened?” I sigh. “Your dad’s at it again. Had his new PA drop by today.”
“Another Cease and Desist?”
“Nah, just a ‘strongly worded letter from legal’ this time.” Miller looks up and closes his eyes as if the sun is shining on his face, ending a long, cold winter. His contented smirk tells me Derek’s latest move is exactly the outcome he’d hoped for.
He gets out of the truck and comes around to open my door for me. I let him. When we’re both outside, and I’ve been pushed up against the cab and am securely held in place by Miller’s body, I say, “Do you ever think that maybe you could try being a tiny bit less of an ass to your dad? Hmm? He’s going through a lot right now with the divorce, and your mom, and her naturopath, and all that. I mean, like, maybe just cut him a little slack. D’you think you could try that?”
“Incredible.” He shakes his head. “Trust you to take his side and see the best in him. Trust you to have a soft spot for him, no matter how much of a shit he is.”
“I’m don’t. I’m not… He’s… Fine, maybe I do have a soft spot for him, but youknowI can’t help it.”
All the light Miller absorbed a few seconds ago alters, changing direction, shining out of his face and lighting his skin until it looks like he’s glowing.
“And why’s that?” he drawls, cocking an evil brow.
Fuck. He’s going to make me say it.
History has taught me there’s no escaping this question. None whatsoever. I deeply, deeply regret ever telling him this. I wish I hadn’t. If I could, I’d go back in time and take it back.
But we are where we are, so I sigh deeply and speak through gritted teeth. “Can’t help it. Can’t hate him even though he’s a dick. Just can’t, ‘cause…”
“Say it.”
“Can’t hate him ‘cause he’s so much like you.” Miller wraps an arm around my neck and lets an absolute belter of a laugh fly free. “Like father like son.”
Like father like son. That’s what Barbara Ann always says.
“Hmph.” Miller absolutely hates it coming from his mother, but he doesn’t seem to mind it coming from me.