Chapter 142 142

Chapter 142 142
Ashley POV

Only a few people wandered along the hallway, but I still did not want to talk about my personal affairs out loud. So, as much as his reaction intrigued me, I let the matter drop. Miles simply kept quiet as he led me through the building, except when he greeted people who passed us by. Deep down I wondered how much further we had to walk when he finally stopped to open a door.

The door opened into a smaller area that almost looked like a shelter. From where I stood in the doorway, all I could see was a small kitchen in the corner and a seating area for two or three people. This area seemed to stretch further past the seating area, most likely leading to additional rooms or spaces.

The carpeted floor was surely not for outdoor shoes, this was evident as I watched him kick off his sneakers and put on the slippers that were already waiting on the shoe rack next to the door.

It was with a sigh of relief that was almost a groan that I slipped the shoes off my feet. "Do you have another pair?" I asked as his piercing, dark eyes glanced at me.

"No, but the floor is clean. You can walk barefoot though."

As much as I was glad to finally get rid of my high heels, the soles of my feet still ached as I stepped on the carpet. I trailed after him, who still would not explain where he was taking me, but just as I was about to ask, he halted in front of a frosted glass door with a sign that read "Genius Lab".

"Who's the genius?" I asked curiously. Though I remembered what Eva had told me about Jax and his extraordinary intelligence, I doubted Miles would lead me to him without telling me first.

"That would be me."

I lifted a single eyebrow but made no further comment. There was an electronic buzzer on the door, as well as a code lock, which he entered the password for. The door opened with an electronic pling and he offered for me to enter first.

The room was tidy and neat, apart from a long plaid flannel shirt lying unceremoniously on a black leather couch just to the right of the entrance. A large plastic cup was also placed on a thin folding table in front of the couch.

"I never thought you would come," he muttered as he picked up the jacket with his hands and draped it over the back of his swivel chair. He then briefly vanished to throw away his cup.

"You said you wanted my help with something," I said cheerfully as he came back. "And I have been wanting to see you again for a while."

"Really?" he asked skeptically and pulled the mask covering his mouth down to his chin, revealing his face.

I plopped down on the couch as he finished setting up the folding table. "I never really thanked you after what you did for me the last time we met, so I thought I could do it at the same time to repay you." I trailed off for a second. "You were not very talkative in our brief messenger chat."

"I have been busy," he stated as he sat down on the chair.

"You guys just announced your upcoming album, right?"

His gaze became curious under the brim of his bucket hat. "I had no idea that the future owner of the largest business conglomerate in this town was a fan of ours."

"I don't know if I can consider myself a fan, but I have a friend who is a fanatic."

"Oh right, I kind of remembered her." He crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair. "We all met her when we visited you and Jayden for the first time since his accident."

"Yeah," I said, feeling glad that he remembered Eva. I would have to tell her about it later.

"A lot of bad shit has happened this year. A shitload of shit has happened since I met you."

I flinched as I recalled all that had happened since that fateful night in February when I watched their concert for the first time. "Sorry. Things are better now, aren't they? I mean, we don't have to think about his amnesia anymore."

"Good thing."

"How is he?"

"Why do you ask? Aren't you guys talking to each other?"

I untied my hair from the bun I had made that morning. "We do," I said as I gently brushed my scalp. "But I still have no idea what I can't see or hear."

"Don't you trust him?"

"I do," I blurted out in shock, almost feeling insulted by the mere suggestion that I might do nothing at all.

However, his sharp, dark eyes did not relent. "But...?" he urged.

Holding his gaze for a good while before pulling away with a long sigh. "He did not tell me about his song with Blair being the soundtrack to the new series that's currently airing."

"Huh?" He knitted his eyebrows. "But that was old news. I think it was announced a month ago."

I felt my heart sink. "Really?"

"When did you hear about it?"

"Two days ago."

"So you guys were not really talking."

"We do," I said forcefully. "But I guess we were too busy to talk about his career. Or mine, for that matter." I scowled. "I have not yet told him about my current situation."

"Look," he chimed in after a moment of silence, the look in his eyes unreadable. "I don't have much experience in relationships, but it's obvious that you two are having trouble here. And I don't mean to be rude, but shouldn't you be talking to him instead of me about your situation? Which is why you agreed to meet me today on such notice, isn't it? So that I can tell you if he is deceiving you."

I averted my gaze. "I'm sorry," I murmured. "I just... I feel like I can count on you. I know it's bold and kind of stupid since you are his friend and also part of his group band as well as we have met a few times, but I still trust you. You helped me a lot when he had his amnesic, and you helped me realize my feelings for him. I... I don't want to doubt him, but part of me wonders why he and Blair have not announced their breakup yet. I could not help but feel jealous."

Hearing myself say those words alone made my cheeks heat up. Not only because I had openly admitted my feelings, but also because I had voiced them to him. I did not even know how I could describe my relationship with him because it was more than just a friendship, but not really a friendship. It was never awkward with him, even though our conversations often led to things of a personal nature, I never felt any discomfort in opening up. It was different with him compared to Eva or even Jayden.

I just hoped I did not cross the lines of any relationship we might have.

"What has Jayden told you about Blair and his relationship?"

It was impossible to know what exactly he was getting at with his question, so I simply answered honestly. "That the breakup of their relationship is already known by both your company's agency and his company's agency, but it has not been announced... publicly yet. I have not had a chance to ask him about it yet."

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing." I scratched my arm nervously. "Is he hiding something from me?"

Miles rested his elbows on the armrests of the chair and rubbed his chin. His piercing, dark eyes were pondering as they gazed at me, yet there was also a slight shadow of doubt. Nervously, I bit my lip. Despite how much I wanted to ask him what he wanted to say earlier in the elevator, I decided to wait for him to answer the most important question.

Dingdong.