we'd been sitting quietly, even two days after his mom's call, miles had been out of it. in the past months i'd known miles, he'd had told me all about how his mom was just a selfish bitch. the woman on the other side of the phone, that was a woman who cared about her son and i brought this up to him that day.

miles' hands were tapping on the table of the diner as my phone buzzed wildly in my pocket. we'd decided to go somewhere new, somewhere where no one knew us, "your mom has been calling for you all day."

his shoulders slumped up in a shrug as a strand of hair fell in front of his eyes, "block her."

his voice was monotonous.

pushing the strand from his face, my hand came down to rest on his, "miles, you have to talk to her eventually-"

"no." and suddenly his hand was ripped from my grasp as he stood, his voice was raising as he slammed his palm down on the table, my coffee cup shaking from the force. the veins in his arms were popping out as he curved his hand into a fist, his knuckles white, "just stay the fuck out of my business, georgia!"

and for the first time, miles raised his voice at me.