Myles (Carter Brother#3)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  “Don’t you dare! I’m not going in there if you call him,’’ I tell him, then groan when I realise I just told him I’d be going in there.

  Shit!

  I really wasn’t joking about the destruction I caused when I came to one of these the last time. I swear, I was only thirteen, but everyone around me looked like professional freaking dancers, like they had been doing it for years and years. They definitely didn’t look how I looked at only thirteen years. It drove me nuts.

  “I won’t. Come on; let’s go pay for our ticket. I’ve booked us some skate hire too,’’ he laughs.

  “You should have got Life Insurance while you were at it,’’ I mutter, and he laughs in return, guiding me to the small line waiting to enter.

  By the time we’ve paid and got our skates on, I’m shaking like a leaf and ready to bolt. I can’t do this! I tell myself everything will be okay, but then we enter and I freak out.

  “Oh my God, they are professionals. Look at him skating backwards, and I’m not going to go there with that bloke over there. I can’t do this. This must be an advanced session or something. We’re in the wrong place,’’ I ramble. I get so lost trying to talk him out of taking me that I don’t feel him sliding me across the wide open hall. The place is where they must play ball games and stuff. It’s like a huge school gym.

  Music is blaring through the speakers around the hall and I can barely hear what Myles is saying.

  “What?’’ I shout.

  “Just hold on to me and you’ll be fine,’’ he grins, and I look at him confused. Does he seriously believe I’ll be vertical at any point during our time here? I should have made it clear I’ll be on the floor, horizontal, the whole time.

  I wobble when he moves me forward, his arm no longer around my waist to keep me up and I end up failing to kick up right. I try to grab onto Myles so we don’t fall the same time he tries to grab a hold of me tighter, but I end up smacking him in the mouth and taking him to the floor with me. We land with a loud grunt, Myles lying on top of me. We haven’t even made it to the group of skaters, skating around in a circle, clockwise.

  “Shit, girl. As much as I love this position we are in right now, now isn’t the time,’’ he smirks. I just roll my eyes and push him away. My face flames beet red when I notice a bunch of lads and girls staring our way. Some are laughing out right, and some are trying to hide their amusement.

  They haven’t seen anything yet.

  “Why don’t I just walk while you skate?’’ I ask hopeful.

  “Not allowed babe unless you’re a member of staff,’’ he grins. He’s totally freaking lying. I just saw a group of girls wearing ten inch high heels. I playfully go to punch him when he has us standing up right, but end up wobbling and falling on my ass again. At least he didn’t fall with me this time.

  Jesus, my ass is going to be bruised.

  He holds his hand out to help me up and I gratefully take it. When I’m up, I shove my hair out of my face and puff out a breath.

  Right, we can do this. Just one time around the circle, and we can go, I chant to myself, hoping one circle will be enough to make Myles happy. Let’s face it, we’ve been here ten minutes already and haven’t even made it to the circle.

  “Don’t move a second,’’ he shouts near my ear over the music. I listen to what he says, I really do, but I’m on freaking skates for Christ’s sakes. They have round wheels. I end up rolling a little, but thankfully he’s ready for it and places his hands around my waist. I silently thank him, not caring he can’t hear me.

  When he’s behind me he presses his body against my back, his hands firmly on my waist. He kicks my feet together gently, not enough to make me topple, then leans in again.

  “Keep your feet still, don’t lift them or try to move. I’m going to skate and you’re going to…roll with it,’’ He chuckles, the sound deep and husky in my ear.

  He starts to move and I squeal, and with a mind of their own my feet start to separate, sliding away from each other.

  Like I said. Bambie!

  “I can’t do this,’’ I whine, and curse myself for becoming that girl. You know, the types that whine at the most stupidest things.

  “Come on, you can do it. Let’s try it this way,’’ he tells me before skating effortlessly in front of me. He skids to a halt and takes my hands and starts skating backwards. “Keep your feet together,’’ he shouts and I concentrate hard on keeping my feet together with my hands gripped firmly in his.

  We finally make it to the circle and I squeal with happiness and that’s when the first incident happens. I end up flying forward, but to catch my balance I use Myles’ hands to pull myself up, the same time he does the same thing, which causes me to fly backwards. I roll backwards, my arms flailing everywhere before landing into a hard body. Before I know it, I’ve caused a pile up in the circle.

  Myles skates over to me grinning ear to ear before helping me up from the floor. I look behind me to apologise, but gasp when I see the lad I bumped into hold his dangly arm grunting in pain. I look to Myles, horrified, but he just shakes his head, and turns away looking amused.

  Then I look to the chaos around the lad I hit and feel like crying. A girl not far behind has a nose bleed, another one is clutching her red fingers for dear life and another lad is rubbing frantically at his leg, while his head has an egg shaped lump on it.

  “We need to go,’’ I tell him before trying to skate off, but end up falling on my knees. Staff members come rushing over to the injured and my face flames in embarrassment. When one asks what happened the one with what I think is a broken arm turns to me with a thunderous expression.

  Oh, shite.

  I rip my skates off, not bothering to pick them up before running out the hall. I’m so freaking embarrassed.

  Myles rushes out behind me on his skates, his face full of amusement. He’s carrying my skates and I’m glad he picked them up when I remember that I can’t get my shoes back without them.

  He hands the guys are skates and we wait for him to bring back our shoes.

  “So, do you want to talk about…’’ Myles starts, but I hold my hand up to stop him.

  “Not now. Not now,’’ I warn.

  It’s quiet for a couple of seconds until I hear him laughing all over again, his hands on his knees bent over and gasping for air.

  “Oh my God, that was… that was. How could you be that bad at skating?’’ he asks amused.

  “I just am, okay? Can we not talk about it? I want to forget the whole ordeal,’’ I moan, feeling my face heat up when a couple come out of the hall and glare at me. “Oh God, they’re cancelling the rest of the session aren’t they?’’

  When more people come walking out with grumpy faces I can tell I must have caused some serious injuries in there. I look to Myles with wide eyes, but he just laughs handing me my shoes. Before anyone can jump me or start spouting nasty words off at me, I slide them on and rush out of the building, sighing when the cool air hits my hot face.

  “Come on. It was funny. You should have seen your face. I have a fat lip, a guy has a broken arm and I’m not even sure what the other’s injuries were. I had tears blocking my vision,’’ he laughs, wiping those imaginary tears away.

  “Funny,’’ I snap, then notice a cinema over the road and an idea forms in my head. My favourite author has just released another film this week, and I’m just betting it’s not something Myles usually watches. “Come on, we’re going there.’’

  He looks over to the cinema and smiles. “Babe, there isn’t anything good on. There’s only some crappy chick flick, and some cartoon crap.’’

  “But, babe, we’re seeing that chick flick,’’ I tell him sweetly. He just looks at me shocked before grinning. He then takes the few steps to stand directly in front of me and bends down and lifts me over his shoulder. I half squeal and half laugh when he rushes over the road with me still over his shoulder.

  “It’s like a hide out while the skater crews calm the
ir skates down,’’ he shouts over the traffic and my laughter.

  Even with nearly killing a room full of people on skates, he still makes me laugh. Only Myles could do that to me and I’m thankful every day I have him in my life.

  Chapter Nineteen

  MYLES

  Kayla and I walk out of the cinema hand in hand, both comfortable with our own thoughts. When she said she couldn’t skate I didn’t believe her. Charlie had called me telling me to get her out, of her comfort zone and that skating is one thing she’s always wanted to do. I have a feeling Charlie is playing tricks on me and knew exactly what she was doing when she called me.

  We walk over to the deserted taxi rank to wait for a taxi and I’m surprised she hasn’t mentioned the movie. Usually when we’ve watched something new she starts telling me everything like I wasn’t right there next to her. Lately she’s come out of herself more. I’ve also noticed her attitude is more confident since we found the bruises on her last week. She’s sassier, braver; it’s a real change in her and one I think she needed.

  “So, shall I address the elephant in the room, or street,’’ Kayla mentions and I look down to her confused.

  “Huh?’’ I say wondering if I was spaced out enough to miss some of the conversation. I do that a lot when I’m thinking of her. Spacing out that is.

  “Oh, come on,’’ she laughs pushing at my shoulder. “I saw, Myles. I’m not blind.’’

  “I didn’t say you were blind and I have no idea what the hell you’re going on about.’’

  “The tears; you totally cried.’’

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

  I thought I hid that well. How can she tease me? That would make someone suffering with emotional disorder.

  “I had dust in my eye,’’ I lie, not looking at her. She laughs. The little minx laughs. I look down at her and laugh with her. I’m totally busted. “Okay, okay, but so did you, so you can’t tease me.’’

  “I totally can,’’ she giggles. “You said before it started that films like this are so unreal it would make Essex girls look real.’’

  “Let’s not get into that right now, okay. Let’s just take you home, enjoy the rest of our Saturday with pizza and a movie,’’ I tell her just as my phone starts ringing.

  I answer it with a ‘hello’ when Kayla’s starts ringing too.

  “Hi, Denny…’’ she answers, but her conversation drowns out by the annoying twit in my ear.

  “Dude, you have to come right now. Hope said ‘ma ma’,’’ Max squeals like a girl.

  I grin big; though I feel sad I missed it. That girl is just something else, and cute doesn’t even begin to describe her. She’s looking more like her dad every day, the poor sod, but thankfully at the moment she still has her mother’s looks.

  I look to Kayla who is staring at me, smiling. I know what she’s going to ask before she even speaks. “We’ll be there in ten,’’ I tell him before cutting him off. A taxi pulls up the same time Kayla says her goodbyes. We give him Denny’s address and sit back.

  “I can’t believe she said ma ma,’’ Kayla coos.

  “She probably just had wind,’’ I laugh.

  “No, she’s seven months now, she’ll be talking more and more,’’ she smiles.

  “True, when she first walks they’ll be throwing a party. When she first smiled it was to Max and we never heard the end of that shit. Took her another day before she did it again.’’

  “He really loves her doesn’t he?’’

  “Yeah, we’ve always wanted a sister, but having a niece is so much better. She’s going to be spoiled rotten.’’

  We pull up to the house and we barely pay the taxi driver and get out when Max is running down the driveway with Hope in his arms.

  “Say ma ma,’’ he coos, talking like an idiot.

  Hope giggles, smacking his mouth with her tiny chubby fist before repeating his words.

  “Ma maaaa.’’

  “Oh my God, aren’t you a clever girl. Yes you are, aren’t you,’’ Kayla says and I have to chuckle. I don’t know why I’m laughing; I talk to her the same way. I can’t help it. Plus, Hope loves it when we do. I think she knows we’re all off our rockers.

  Hope repeats it again, making it into a game and loving the attention she’s getting.

  “You’re going to be the cleverest girl in the world. Aren’t you, Hope? ‘Cause, you’re a Carter aren’t you? Yes you are, yes you are,’’ Max starts and leads us back to Denny’s.

  “We’re ordering pizza for dinner, you want in? We thought we’d wait for you before we ordered anything,’’ Mason says as we walk in.

  “Yeah, I’m in. We were having pizza anyway,’’ I tell him as I take a seat.

  Kayla is now holding Hope in her arms, so when she comes to stand next to my chair I pull her down to my lap, bringing Hope with her.

  “Who’s your favourite uncle, Kid?’’ I ask, lightly running my finger down her soft cheek. She’s so freaking cute.

  She rambles some ‘goo, goo, ga ga’ back and I smile. “I know, Kid. I love you too.’’

  Kayla chuckles and brings her lips to Hope’s neck and blows raspberries. Hope laughs loudly, her fist clinging to Kayla’s hair. I try to untangle them, but it causes Hope to hold on tighter.

  “Hey, princess, can you let go of my girl’s hair?’’ I ask, still trying to pry her hands away. I hear Kayla’s breath deepen for a second before she lets it out. Every time I’ve called her my girl she’s had the same reaction. It’s like she doesn’t believe it, and whenever she hears it, it’s like a shock. I’m just going to have to work harder for her to realise that she is, and she always will be my girl.

  Hope finally let’s go of Kayla’s hair, but only so she can reach her arms out to me, her body flying towards me. I laugh and grab her from Kayla, who doesn’t move from my lap. I tickle Hope under her arms and watch as she throws herself backwards, nearly flying off the chair altogether.

  “So, what have you two done today?’’ Denny asks and before I can think of the consequences I open my big mouth.

  “Kayla took out a whole hall full of skaters by just being there,’’ I laugh and they all look at me smiling.

  “What happened?’’ Mason laughs.

  “She literally caused a huge pile up that you’d see on the news, but with skaters. Oh my God, the one dude had a broken arm, and the rest were all blooded and injured. She was so freaking cute. She said she couldn’t skate, that she caused accidents before, but I didn’t believe it. Look at this video I got before she stormed out,’’ I tell them, then lift up reaching for my phone. Hope tries to make a grab for it, the same time Kayla does.

  “No, no, no! You didn’t. You can’t show them that,’’ she squeals horrified. She tries to grab the phone off me, but I lift it up out of her reach laughing.

  “Oh, come on, Babe, they have to see this. This shit belongs on YouTube,’’ I laugh as I move the phone to the other side before she can grab it. She tries to tickle me into dropping the phone but it doesn’t work. Hope thinks it’s a game and starts smacking her fists against me whilst laughing.

  The phone is ripped from my hand and I turn to see Maverick looking at the screen before laughing his head off.

  “Shit. How the hell did you manage all that?’’ he laughs.

  Mason and Max walk over and ask him to replay it. They all crack up laughing and Kayla sighs, sulking in my lap. I pull her to me, still laughing.

  “Babe, it was funny,’’ I chuckle. She doesn’t say anything and it makes me laugh harder.

  “Come on, how did this happen and why didn’t you record it from the beginning? I’m sending it Malik,’’ Maverick grins, while typing on my phone.

  “I can’t skate. It took us ten minutes to even get me into the actual room I was that off balance. Then when Myles finally got me to move without falling over I got excited and you know the rest,’’ she pouts not looking happy. “Just please don’t post it on anything else,’’ she pleads to me, and the
look in her eyes tells me she’s been serious.

  “I promise, Babe,’’ I tell her, and hope she can see the truth in my eyes. I know she’s been on the receiving end of a bully’s pranks, which they’ve recorded for their own amusement.

  Her phone rings, vibrating against my lap. She scrunches her eyebrows up in that cute way that she does before grabbing it out of her bag.

  “It’s my dad,’’ she mutters before answering. “Hello. I’m with Myles at Denny’s, why? Oh no! I’m so sorry dad. No, I’ve not eaten. Okay. See you in a sec,’’ she says before hanging up. “It’s my dad. I forgot I have that meal tonight to meet Katie.’’

  “Oh crap,’’ I say forgetting all about. I know she’s been worrying over it, not knowing what to expect. She’s got nothing to worry about, though, Katie is a lovely woman.

  “Yeah,’’ she sighs. “He’s going to pick me up in a sec, but I feel bad for forgetting. Well, I knew, but with everything that’s happened this afternoon I forgot.’’

  “That’s what happens when you take a whole hall of people out,’’ I laugh and she smacks my arm. I rub where she hit me, pretending to be hurt, but she sees right through me and rolls her eyes.

  A horn beeps, and Kayla sighs, standing up. “I’ll see you all another day. I’ve got to go. I forgot I had a meal with my dad,’’ she says to the room before bending down and kissing Hope on the head. “Bye clever pants.’’

  She stands back up, looking unsure, before I stand up ready to hand Hope over to Maverick, but Max is there prying her from my arms. I give him the ‘what the fuck’ look, but he just shrugs and starts talking to Hope.

  I walk her out, but before we get to the road I grab her arm and pull her backwards against me.

  “Want me to come after your meal?’’ I ask softly, my hands wrapping around her waist.

  “Can I text you and let you know?’’ she asks shyly, and I smile nodding my head. I’d do anything she told me to do, so if she wants me to wait around for her to text then I will. Some might call me pussy whipped, but I call it knowing what is worth waiting for. And anything Kayla will give me will definitely be worth all the time in the world.