MILES

"Could you come to your hotel?" Dylan had asked without a formal greeting few minutes prior to my hell breaking loose. It had been way too long since I had been to Jackson's toast and though I wouldn't have minded it one bit, the sudden request made me think again.

"What have you messed up this time?" I asked in a bored expression.

I had been packing my bag to leave for France again to see if Gregory had snatched away my deals. Though it was not possible, there was a mere possibility of him taking it up.

"No." Dylan said and I could almost picture him pouting at me. "Why don't you have some trust in me?"

"The last time I trusted you, there was a girl in my kitchen, and I had to sanitize the whole floor before anyone made an entry in there. You know kitchen is off limits." I recalled.

"That is not true." Dill retorted. "It was just one kiss."

Dylan Cooper was a player and I for one knew that nothing could happen to change his ways with women. His tactics were simple and women fell for his flirty behavior and non-idealistic goals. But when he had got a woman into the kitchen last fall, claiming to feed her pork, I knew that it wasn't going to go well and the following week, I had spent a fortune to get their stench out.

"Sure." I rolled my eyes again. "Now, what do you want? I need to get to bed early tonight. I have an early flight tomorrow."

"You have become so boring these days." Dylan said. "You won't even spare some time to share it with your friends."

I sighed, finally giving in. "What time do you want me to come?"

"Yes!" I could already see Dylan pump his fist to the air. "You don't need permission to come to your own hotel or to meet your own friends."

I pulled the zipper of the travel bag and sat next to it. In a way he was right. But I didn't have the strength to fight anymore. People were leaving me, pushing me away and I could only agree with their decision and keep mine to myself.

"I'll be there in half hour." I muttered, giving in. "Tell Joe to keep my green tea ready by then."

"You got it, man." The call got cut, leaving me alone with my emotions.

Rejections were the only thing that were proudly shaking their head at me in mock agony. I wanted to overcome the fright of denial and it was the only thing that was keeping me ahead. I wanted to make sure that Mr. Long would let me have the hotel that I was capable of handling it. I didn't want him to refuse it to me, much to strengthen my beliefs.

It was the sole reason why I had asked Steve to fill my diary once again with hectic and tire schedules. He was more than happy to do the needful.

I took a deep breath and looked at the clock. It was still half past seven. Plenty of time to reach the hotel I was fond of. It was mainly because of the memories, I mulled. But then again, it was the only reason why I thought twice before entering the darned place.

With a heavy sigh, I lifted myself up and walked toward my car to get going. The faster the meet is over, the faster I would get to stay behind the closed doors of this hotel room.

I drove slower than I usually did as I maneuvered my way around the same familiar locality. I shook the feeling of the past catching up to me as I zoomed past the areas where I had spent a laughing time with Megan.

When I reached the hotel, I took the backdoor to reach the kitchen, hopefully wanting to catch my boys there without having to go through the trouble to having caught with the others.

But much to my surprise, both of them, Dylan and Joe were missing. I let out a frustrated grunt and sat on the kitchen slab waiting for one of them to magically appear. But as the time passed, my patience was wearing thin.

Dylan had called me up to meet him. I had specifically told him that I would be there in half hour and yet, he had carried on like we never had the call. As I sat there brooding, Luther came into the view.

"He's the waiter today, Miles." He pointed his thumb at his back towards the main door. Not wanting to sit idle in the kitchen, I walked towards the door, patting Luther on the way.

But what I saw as I went out there was something that churned my stomach. It felt as if someone was plucking my stomach and was throwing it out, wanting to smash it under their feet. They were my best friends for God's sake, yet they were there sharing laughs with the girl who had rejected me twice?

Anger bubbled through me and before I knew what I was doing, I was yanking Dylan out of Megan's hold, landing a punch on his jaw. There was a high-pitched scream that made me halt my assassins on the guy I called my friend.

No amount of pleas and mollified words reached me. I was breathing fire and the viewers knew it. Before I could make more damage, Joe was instructing us to get out of the hall. Without thinking, I pulled Dylan by the collar and pushed him to the empty balcony a few feet away from the crowd who were watching us.

As soon as we entered the balcony, before I knew it, my fist went up in the air once more making contact with Dylan's jaw. He was not expecting it and he took a few steps backward, holding the spot where I hit him.

"The hell, dude!" He shouted.

My breathing was heavy, and my hands were still itching to hit something. "Asshole!" I shouted at him, walking towards him with my hands up in the air for another blow.

Dylan ducked it and hit me on the eye that let me fall on the floor. The anger in me doubled and I stood up not giving up. Before I could give him another punch, he held me on to my collar while I did the same with him.

We were both inches apart from each other, breathing fire. How could he do this to me even when he knew the entire story? Hell, I should have known it when the call had come. Fuck!

"How could you?" I asked with gritted teeth. "Aren't you the one to call her here?" I shook him holding his collar and then let him go harshly. "Stop playing the fucking cupid in my life!"

"Are you freaking mental?" He asked, inspecting his lips. He wiped the blood from the back of his hand. "I did no shit like that!"

"That chick came!" He said pointing to the table.

"What did you call her?" I asked, holding my fists at him.

"Dude!" He cried. "That chick brought Megan along with her! You think I would call you here if I knew she was coming?"

I ran my fingers through my hair. What was she doing here? Why did she have to come? Didn't she say that she didn't want me around the last time she saw me? Couldn't she even figure out that I would be here in my restaurant if at all she showed up? And she seemed fucking happy!

"As soon as I came to know that she was here, I went to the receptionist to ask if she was the one to book a table." Dylan explained. "It was under the name Pamela, the one who she's with."

"Don't you dare lie, Dill." I said in a low voice. "You were the one acting to be the cupid here. Weren't you the one giving advises?"

"The hell I was!" He shouted. "Have you looked yourself in the mirror? Have you seen her? You both look as if you are living dead!"

"Dill, don't you cross your lines. I'll—"

"You have both made your share of mistakes! I know!" He continued not caring for my warnings. "Have you ever tried to stay and let her cool down?"

I turned away from him. Why should I stay when she clearly kicked me out of her apartment and said that there was nothing left between us?

"Of course not!" Dill cried. "Why don't you for once, stay!"

"Don't you fucking tell me what to do!" I cried, not able to listen to his words. They were too much for me to take in. "She was the one who's supposed to stay! And mind you. I did try to stay! She fucking threw me out!"

Dylan let out a sigh. "Just let her put everything out and hear her explain. How can you expect her to let you explain when you are not there to listen to hers?"

I closed my eyes, trying to avoid the conversation. "Dill, just go. Please go."

I heard him sigh and a few moments later he was gone. I stood in the balcony facing the busy streets. The words Dylan said was too much to hold on. How can he expect me to stay when the person didn't need me anymore?

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I walked out of the balcony into the bar. I kept a straight face and made it to the kitchen. "George, get me a glass of rum." I said.

Joe came by my side. "You haven't drunk in a long time."

As if I didn't already know that. I stayed silent, not wanting to let my anger get to me.

"The girls have gone." Joe said, not leaving me alone. "And Dill's got a bruised cheek."

"I'm sorry, alright!" I shouted. When George came to hand me a glass of rum, Joe shook his head at him, and George took the glass away. "Fine!" I said, leaving the kitchen.

I walked past the tables where people were giving me weird looks. I was sure I was making the front pages in the morning papers tomorrow, but I didn't care. I didn't give them a second glance as I strode towards my car. I pulled the door and locked myself as I ran my fingers over my hair. I looked myself in the mirror and I could see my red eyes staring back at me.

The next moment I knew I was driving the same path I hadn't taken since a very long time. The roads were leading to her apartment. As soon as I saw her apartment, I halted and wondered if I was doing the right thing. Then the words that Dill told me ran over and over in my head.

I shook my head and got out of the car. Before I knew it, I was banging at her door. As soon as the door opened, I saw her in the same clothes that she had been wearing to the hotel. Her hair was messed up and her eyes were red from crying. When she recognized me, her eyes widened, and then she tried closing the door.

I pushed past her and went in. "Megan."

"Just shut up!" She shouted. I could tell that she had been drunk. "Why are you here? Get out!"

Just let her put everything out and hear her explain. How can you expect her to let you explain when you are not there to listen to hers?

I closed my eyes, trying not to walk away like the last time I did. Hell, I could tell that she needed me back then and she needed me right now. When I opened my eyes again, she had slumped into the ground, crying. "Megan." I called again.

"Miles, please no!" She cried. She let go of the door and went back in. I silently followed her closing the door behind us. "You hit Dylan just because I was there! Do... do you hate me so much?"

"No!" Shit, her mind was working overtime and I knew it was one of the root causes of the panic attack.

"Every time I try to... try to forget things... you make it so hard." She buried her face in her hands. "How many more times do you want to hurt me, Miles?"

Even when she was putting up a fight with me, I couldn't stay away from her. A part of me had hoped that we had a future together, but it had been squashed when she had slammed that door on my face.

The moment I looked at her and the fact that I was the reason behind those red, puffy eyes, I knew I was doomed. I didn't care anymore if I was the one losing my ego first - after all she was once mine. Though she had walked over my heart, it was still with her.

"Megan, look at me." I said, crouching next to her, pulling her hands away from her face. "I have never meant to hurt you."

"Why did you lie to me?" She withdrew her hands away from me. "You went behind my back to put me in that stupid cooking class! You kissed your ex in front of me! You went to Eleanor, offered her money to stay away from me! You hired investigators to see if I was digging your gold! You... you were the one who was telling me with flowers!"

"I know, I know." I tried to pull her against me and tell her that it wasn't anything like she believed, but she hardly gave any attention to me. "I didn't hire the investigators... I just couldn't... I was only scared."

"You were scared?" She spit, laughing at me. "I was terrified. You have media hovering around you 24x7 and I had to... you know what... it was a mistake."

She stood up, pointing her finger to the door, but I couldn't move.

"After Shelly left me taking my money with her... I was scared of letting another woman enter my life." I started. I didn't care if she was listening to me. I wanted to put this out. It was one thing that I had held on to myself not letting it out. It was the simple truth.

When I looked up, Megan was looking away fighting tears. "With you... I'll be honest and say that I didn't trust you... you were with your rich friends... and I just assumed..."

"That I was after your money." She completed it for me.

"Yes." I agreed. "And I wanted to make sure... that... you were not... and that was the reason why I wrote those letters to you... I never wanted you to find out."

"But you... played with my feelings." She cried this time. "You said things in the letter, and you shouted at me... for..."

I knew where she was going with. I had written a letter telling her that I loved her and wanted something more from her, when I knew that she was with me. Yes, I was a hypocritical asshole who didn't have a heart. I had seen her getting torn apart as I sketched the designs of our terrible fate.

"It was a test, wasn't it?" She turned to me, her eyes widening in realization. "And I fucking passed! Otherwise, you would have shut me out way long ago!"

"I'm sorry." I lowered my head. It was the only thing that I could do. "When I heard about your past, your mother treating you... I just wanted to protect you and when I gave her some money, she said that she would maintain some distance. I only wanted to see you happy."

She scoffed and turned away. I stood up and reached for her, trying to find my comfort in hers. "You know I would have done anything to see a smile on your face. And when you wanted to leave... I didn't stop you thinking that it would make you happy..."

She turned to look at me, trying her best to stop her crying. She was hugging herself as she wiped her face.

"I know... I was the bigger idiot in letting you go..." I looked at her wondering if I could crack a silly joke and get rid of her tears at least for a while. "...especially when you wanted to strangle me in your bare arms."

That did it. In spite of the tears, she chuckled, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I took her hands in mine and she let me hold her without protests.

I pulled her in and wrapped her up in my arms. A content sigh let out of my lips. The one that said that it was all happening for real. That I was getting the closure I had always wished for. Perhaps, if I had tried a little harder back then, we could have escaped all the pain we endured the last few years.

But I knew that with her in my arms, it wasn't the end yet. Knowing Megan, it was only a step towards something that Peter had told me at that party. If not a happy ending, perhaps a few years from now, I would be able to hold her in my arms again when we met instead of us panicking at our sights.

"I'm sorry." I muttered again, as I held her in my arms rocking her gently. I pulled her to the nearby couch and we both sat down. This time, she never let go of me.

"I'm sorry too." She snuggled closer to me, placing her cheek on my chest. "I should've... listened to you..."

"I deserved it all." I kissed her forehead as I heard her let out a sigh.

"I'm at fault too..." She said, not looking at me. "All those... client meetings... the constant cribbing about the letters... and my jealously..."

"Shush..." I shut her down. I didn't want to relive those moments again.

I looked down at her to see her close her eyes as tears ran down her face. I cradled her, hoping that she would be okay considering the panic attacks that hovered around her like a dark shadow. I wondered about all the instants that had passed between us, all the hurdles we had to cross to be with each other at his minute to hold onto each other. If I were to come back to hold her just like this, I would go through hell all over again if she was at the end waiting for me.

As the realization set in, a flare of my emotion suddenly lit up my heart, covering it with light and blazing mirth that I had never felt before.

With a soft kiss yet again, I spoke before I could process it. "I love you." As the words were out, I panicked, wondering if I was ruining it for both of us. She had only forgiven minutes ago and proclaiming my love would be too much for her to handle. But when I saw her, she had slowly drifted off to sleep.

I smiled warmly as my heart settled down. Before losing courage again, I opened my mouth. "I love you."

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A/N: The cat's out of the bag. If you were Megan, would you forgive Miles? As for me, I still love him... do you?