A Dangerous Comfort

AVA

“Neriah!” Aunt Mabel waved back happily, standing up from the table.

I didn't want to turn around and look back just yet. Miles and Riley were still seated completely still, so I didn't want to look like I was doing way too much or being overly nosy.

But just as I looked up from my phone, a girl with long, sleek black hair was already walking up and taking a seat across from us. She had striking brown eyes, and her skin looked so flawless it was obvious she spent a literal fortune on high-end skincare. She locked eyes with me, and we continued staring at each other for a long, awkward second. She was probably judging my red floral dress in her head, and I was definitely judging her right back.

Another girl walked up to the table next. She looked a bit younger than the first girl, but she looked like she was around Riley and my age. She had thick, black wavy hair and a pointier nose. She stopped and stared directly at me in complete confusion, her eyebrows knitting together as if she were wondering who the hell I was and why I was sitting at their private family dinner.

Finally, an older lady who looked a lot like Aunt Mabel walked up to the table as well. This was definitely Neriah, their mother. She looked just as bubbly and energetic as Aunt Mabel. I guess being loud and extra ran in their blood.

“What! Is this my little Riley sugar plum? And my handsome Miles?” Neriah exclaimed loudly, rushing over to pull them into dramatic hugs.

Riley forced a tight smile as she hugged her aunt back, but since I knew her so well, I could tell it wasn't genuine at all. Neriah then moved over to Miles, giving his broad shoulders a tight rub.

“And who is this gorgeous creature? How are you, darling?” Neriah asked, suddenly turning her bright eyes onto me.

“I'm very well, thank you. You are really, really pretty,” I said politely, offering her a sweet smile.

“Oh, stop it!” she giggled, waving her hand dismissively before finally taking her seat at the head of the table.

“Where is Derick?” Riley’s dad asked, looking around for his brother-in-law.

“Oh, he is going to join us tomorrow. He had some super important business meeting tonight,” Neriah explained, waving her hand as if she hadn't really been paying attention to her husband's schedule anyway.

After the chaotic exchange of greetings, everyone finally settled down into their seats.

The younger cousin, Chloe, leaned forward on her elbows and stared directly at me. “I didn't know we were actually meant to bring dates to this dinner,” she said, her voice dripping with subtle attitude. She glanced at Miles for a split second before locking her eyes onto my red dress.

My cheeks flushed with heat. “Oh, no, I’m not—”

“She’s not my date, weirdo,” Miles interrupted coldly, his voice sharp enough to cut through glass.

Aunt Mabel quickly realized the awkward tension and gasped. “Oh my, where are my absolute manners! Girls, this is Riley’s bestest friend in the entire world, Ava. Ava, this is Chloe, the younger one, and Millie is the older one.”

“Yeah, she is definitely not my brother’s date, Chloe,” Riley snapped, coming to my defense with a hard glare.

Chloe simply rolled her eyes and picked up her fork, turning her attention back to her food.

Within a few minutes, the adults became completely carried away in their own loud discussions about business and vacations. Riley and I slowly faded away from the main conversation, keeping our voices low as we stayed talking to each other. Across the table, the two sisters were trying their best to talk to Miles about his college courses or something like that.

“Are you going to be throwing a massive party for your upcoming graduation, Miles?” Millie asked, leaning forward and trying to catch his eye.

“No,” Miles said flatly, not even looking up from his water glass.

“Of course he is throwing a party,” Uncle David interrupted from across the table, chuckling.

“I’m really not, dad,” Miles repeated, his tone growling slightly with irritation.

“Oh, come on, Miles, you know you will absolutely love it,” Chloe chimed in with a fake, sweet smile.

I bit the inside of my cheek. How on earth did she know he was going to “love it”? She literally knew absolutely nothing about him or what he liked. I must have let my annoyance show on my face, because Chloe suddenly snapped her gaze over to me.

“Did I say something to completely annoy you, Vera?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

My jaw clenched. Who the fuck was she calling Vera?

“It’s Ava,” I said, my voice tight as I corrected her. “And I didn't even say a single word.”

“Well, you looked a bit pissed off,” Chloe murmured, shrugging her shoulders carelessly.

“Chloe,” her mother warned from down the table, giving her a stern look.

I felt a hot wave of pure fury rush straight to my head. Okay, if this bitch made one more slick comment about me, I was literally going to lose my mind in front of her entire family. I was getting so irritated that my hands began to shake slightly. I sharply dropped my fork onto my plate, the metal clinking loudly.

Suddenly, a large, warm, solid hand slid beneath the tablecloth.

I froze instantly, my breath  catching in my throat.

The hand slid directly onto my bare thigh, right above my knee. The heat of his palm burned straight through my skin, making my entire body go rigid with shock.

“You’re angry. Don’t make it so obvious,” Miles muttered, his voice incredibly low and calm as he kept his eyes trained on his plate. He didn't look at me, but his fingers gripped my thigh just a fraction tighter to keep me grounded.

“They only tease you more when they see that they are actually getting to you,” he whispered, his voice smooth and steady.

I slowly turned my head to look at him, my heart hammering  against my ribs. The moment I looked at him, Miles finally cut his eyes over to me. A wicked, devastating smirk played on his lips.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured softly.

Before I could even think of a response, he smoothly took his hand off my thigh, pulled his arm back above the table, and went right back to eating his dinner as if absolutely nothing had happened.