Vivid Lies by Alyne Robers Read Free Book Online Page B

mine and I soften under his look.  
    Miles has always had that effect on me. Around him, I didn't have to be the hard ass or the stronger one. I didn't need to balance out the extremes of my twin sister. Miles was the only person who could see the layers that made up what was between us. With him, we were free.  
    "London is already somewhere," I tell him.  
    "That's fine."  
    I give him a questioning look. "Hungry?" I ask him, because he always is. The poor guy probably can't cook to save his own life.  
    "Starving."
    Lucky for Miles, my sister and I have been fending for ourselves most of our lives. Dad didn't come home early enough to make dinner, and if he did, it was hot dogs or cereal. Even hot dogs he managed to burn or ruin. What recipes we do know, Miles's mom taught us.  
    I grab my coffee from him and head to the kitchen. Our fridge is bare but I have enough to throw together spaghetti. The breakfast of champions. I make note to go grocery shopping later with my tips from dancing this week. With the stage show, I made more than enough to fill the fridge. Maybe even a cheap bottle of wine.
    Miles watches me closely while I move around the tiny kitchen. I'm aware that I'm not wearing a bra and my shirt is thin enough I'm sure he can see my nipples. He doesn't comment or let me catch him staring though. Never does.  
    "Who was the dude in the hallway the other day?" he finally asks as I drain the noodles.  
    "What dude?"
    "He said he knew you from the club. Lives on this floor. He gave me shit for being outside your door the morning after that bad storm."
    "Must have been Kane."
    I hand Miles a plate and we go to the couch to eat. I pull my legs up underneath me and flip on the TV. We only have basic cable so I settle on the morning news.  
    "I don't like him. I think you should stay away from him."
    I look over at him to see his serious stare burning into me. My skin prickles with the intensity. Miles is protective of us both, especially since we moved to Florida, but he's never flat out inserted himself in our business.  
    "Pardon me? I don't think I caught that. I swear you just told me what to do," I grit out.  
    Miles sighs and sets his empty plate on the coffee table. I see he's uncomfortable in the way he's running his hands through his hair and avoiding looking at me.  
    "I don't think he's good for you. Either of you."
    "What the fuck does London have to do with this? You don't know anything about him, Miles, so don't be a douche."  
    Kane isn't the worst guy I've brought around. While London went on few dates with the smart kids in school, I slept with older men. Guys with criminal records and more issues than Playboy. Every man I was involved with wasn't good for me. This isn't new.  
    Miles stares at me for a long time, seemingly debating what to say. He knows better than to tell me what to do. Like any good rebel would, I tend to do the exact opposite. I see the regret on his face and I almost feel bad for making him put up with me. With both of us.  
    He's been our best friend through every girly spat, teenage meltdown, and every bad day. Who knows how many tears he wiped, boys he beat up, or nights he worried over one or both of us? I used to wish we were his little sisters, bound by blood. He would tell me being bound by choice was stronger than blood. He said he loved us because he wanted to, not because he had to.  
    He's a good guy. Taking pity on him, I retract my claws. I won't do a damn thing I don't want to do, but I can set his worried little head at ease.  
    "I will take your suggestion under consideration," I say with a smile hoping to break the tension.  
    His grin is my reward and my heart pumps at the sight. For some reason, pleasing him has always been an accomplishment for me. Not for London, because she was naturally everything she should be. It took some effort on my part to make Miles smile like that.  
    I loved it. I craved it some days.  
    We relax into the couch