The Girl Upstairs

AVA 

The deep voice came from behind me, making me jump.

I turned around quickly, my back hitting the wall. Miles was standing right there, having just walked out of his private bathroom. He was completely wet from the shower, droplets of water glistening on his tanned skin, and he only had a white towel securely wrapped around his low waist.

We hadn’t seen each other in months. He looked exactly the same, yet completely different. His shoulders were broader, his chest was muscular, and his tattoos looked incredibly dark against his skin.

My eyes accidentally drifted down his chest, and I quickly snapped my gaze back up to his face. A slow, arrogant grin spread across his lips, making me frown almost instantly.

“If it isn't my little sister’s favorite sidekick,” Miles said, his voice dripping with amusement as he walked closer to me.

“And if it isn't the world’s most famous idiot,” I snapped back, crossing my arms defensively.

“Sexy idiot,” he corrected smoothly, his smirk growing wider.

I rolled my eyes, feeling a heavy wave of irritation wash over me. “What are you even doing here, dork?” he asked, leaning his shoulder against his closet door.

“Your sister. She has been downstairs screaming your name for hours, and you have been acting completely deaf,” I said, glaring at him.

Miles rolled his dark eyes, looking completely unbothered. “If this is about the living room, I already told her I would clean it up later.”

“Well, then go downstairs and actually do it,” I said, my voice sharp.

Miles’s smirk instantly vanished, replaced by a dark, intense look. He took a sudden step closer to me, completely invading my personal space. I could smell his expensive cologne mixed with the scent of fresh soap. “Hey. Watch your mouth, dork,” he warned, his voice dropping an octave.

“Miles…?” a drowsy, sleepy voice murmured from the bed.

I blinked, breaking eye contact with him to look over at the mattress. The blonde girl was sitting up, letting the blankets slide down completely, exposing her bare chest without a single care in the world.

I looked back at Miles, expecting him to look embarrassed, but his eyes were still locked onto me. He was watching my reaction.

“Get out,” Miles said coldly, but he wasn't looking at the girl. He kept his eyes on me as he walked over to the side of the bed.

“I’m talking to you, dork,” he added, his tone rough. “Go tell Riley I will be downstairs in five minutes.”

Before I could move, Miles bent down toward the blonde girl. His huge palm wrapped around the front of her throat, tilting her head back, and he kissed her hard. It wasn't a sweet kiss; it was passionate, aggressive, and intense—like he was trying to prove a point to me.

When he finally broke the kiss, he looked back over his shoulder at me, a dangerous smirk on his lips. “Make that ten minutes,” he said.

I looked at the girl with a flash of disgust. I couldn't believe she had so little self-dignity. Feeling a sudden, sharp ache in my chest that I couldn't explain, I spun on my heel, walked out of the room, and purposely left his bedroom door wide open.

“Well, what took you forever?” Riley asked the moment I walked back into the living room.

“He has a girl up in his room,” I said, trying to make my voice sound completely normal.

Riley sighed, rolling her eyes. “Well, that isn't exactly a massive surprise, is it? Come on, I just called Tyler. He said we can use his place for our meeting instead. Thank goodness.”

“Thank goodness,” I echoed. But as the words left my mouth, my stomach did a violent flip. I felt physically sick, like I wanted to throw up, and I hated myself for it.

“Miles is going to clean this entire place up by himself,” Riley muttered angrily. “Let me quickly run upstairs and grab my things.” She walked toward the staircase, yelling up toward the ceiling, “Miles! You are going to be in so much trouble when I call dad!”

I waited patiently in the kitchen, deciding to grab a glass of cold water from the fridge to calm my racing heart. As I poured the water, my eyes landed on a small object sitting on the kitchen island.

It was a brown leather wallet.

I scoffed. I couldn't believe some adults were actually stupid enough to lose their wallets at a chaotic house party. Out of pure curiosity, I walked over, picked it up, and opened it.

An ID card slid into view: Sarah Miller.

I looked closer at the small photo on the card. The girl had long blonde hair and bright eyes. She looked exactly like the girl upstairs.

She was the girl upstairs.

Suddenly, a hot flash of anger rushed through my veins. I didn't even know why I was angry, but my grip tightened on the leather. Before I could think logically, I tossed the wallet back onto the table.

Right at that exact moment, the kitchen door swung open, and Sarah walked in. She was fully dressed in her red dress now, but her hair was still a bit messy.

“Hey,” she said, giving me a small, awkward smile. “I am so sorry, this is a bit embarrassing… but I am looking for my wallet. Did you happen to see it anywhere in here?”

My heart hammered against my ribs. I looked at her, then glanced at the island where the wallet was sitting in plain sight.

“No… no, sorry. I haven’t seen it,” I said smoothly, the lie leaving my lips before I could even stop it.

“Oh, that’s totally fine,” she said, sighing. She turned around and walked out of the kitchen. A second later, I heard the heavy front door click shut as she left the house.

I stood frozen in the kitchen, my breathing shallow. Why did I just do that? Why did I lie to her?