Skye

*Eight Months Earlier*

Trying to find a comfortable position I stretched out on the bed. After tossing a couple of times I gave up and decided to lay facing Ashley.

"Have you heard from Skye?" I asked. Last time we talked we'd gotten into a huge fight. She told me that Miles had finally told her how he felt. Guaranteed she already knew since I'd told her almost as soon as I'd found out. I thought she'd laugh with me and tell me that she'd let him down easy. Instead I'd received something along the lines of a lecture.

"So Miles finally told me that he has a crush on me."

"Poor guy," I let out a laugh. "He was probably heart broken when you told him how you felt. Maybe I should take him ice cream or something.I imagine—"

"Lila stop!" She interrupted. "I didn't reject him okay. He was actually really sweet to me and I thought what's the harm in giving him a chance."

"Are you crazy?" I could feel my voice rising and knew that I was letting my anger get the best of me but didn't do anything to soften it. "Miles isn't a good guy. You have to know that."

"Yet he's one of your best friends. I don't know what's gotten into you Lila, I really don't. You know I take your opinion seriously but you're just being ridiculous. Sure he's a little crude sometimes but it's nothing I can't handle. I'm not a child, okay? I know how to judge someone's character."

"Y'all are just so different. He can really be rude and you're so innocent–"

"Innocent?" Skye interrupted me again. "Honey, do you know the worst thing I've ever done? Probably not I mean we've only known each other for two years, even though it feels like a lifetime. C'mon Lila, what's the truth? Are you jealous?"

"J-jealous?" I sputtered. "Now you've fully lost it."

"Okay then as much as I love and respect you this is something you don't have control over. I really hope you can understand that and just be happy for me."

"I just don't want you to get hurt and trust me I know from experience that Miles will end up hurting you."

"Honey, I'm not you."

And with that she'd walked out leaving me feeling helpless. Now here I am hanging out with just Ashely when it should be all three of us. It'd been a week and Skye was still refusing to answer any of my texts.

"Yeah, but before you ask anything else, I don't want no part in this fight. Don't expect me to take sides." Ashley replied.

"But she's basically picking a guy over me Ash." I was a second away from whining and couldn't care less.

"She just wants to be happy." I rolled my eyes. It was supposed to be chicks before dicks, no exceptions. "This is all so stupid." She mumbled so quietly I wasn't sure I heard her right.

"What exactly do you mean by that?"  Ash had been very insistent on having no part in the feud. She claimed she had to be Switzerland otherwise things would get more messy than they already were. This was the most I'd gotten out of her and I was going to pry until she gave in.

"You have to promise not to tell." She eyed me and held out her pinky. Ashley was the type of girl that stilled believed in pinky promises, no matter how much the world revolved around lies. I wrapped my own around hers with a slight roll of my eyes.

"Skye doesn't even know that I know so this has to stay low key." She started. "I overheard her and Miles talking and I don't even think they really like each other."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. There's no way that's true."

"Well if you'd let me finish you'd understand. So Skye goes, "Do you really think this is going to work?" And Miles replied, "It better, insert f word, work. We just have to pretend a little longer. Don't tell me you're already getting sick of looking at me. I'm, insert another f word, gorgeous." Wow he cusses a lot."

What were they hiding? It had to be extreme for Skye to risk our friendship over something that wasn't even real. That whole time she told me that she actually wanted to be with him was a lie and she completely fooled me. What else had she lied about?

"I need to go talk to her." I got up from where I was laying down and went to grab my charger from the outlet it was plugged into.

"What happened to our promise?" Ashley practically yelled.

"I won't mention you." I wasn't Ashely and I didn't believe in pinky promises. I didn't believe in much theses days. She knew that.

I grabbed my purse from her dresser and threw my phone and charger into it. As I was descending the stairs I heard her faintly yell.

"Dang it, this is why I was Switzerland!"

«•»

As I arrived at Skye's house I realized I had no idea what I was going to say. She was already mad at me so if I went in there guns blazing she was no doubt going to put up a wall.

But I was mad too, and I had every right to be. Did she really care so little about our friendship? I was hurt also and needed to channel that aspect of my emotions.

Once I knocked, the door opened to reveal Skye's mom with a big smile plastered on her face. Her light brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun and she wore a blue apron over a pair of old overalls. Judging by the smell that wafted from the kitchen she had definitely been cooking.

"Hey Lila, it's so nice to see you. Come in." She stepped aside to let me into the foyer and I smiled at her gratefully. "I was just starting dinner. Feel free to stay and eat."

"Thank you."

"Skye's in her room." With that she hurried back into the kitchen.

I made my way slowly down the hall that led to Skye's room, going over things I could say in my head. When I finally reached her door it was cracked open. I peered in hoping to see her in a good mood. Instead I saw something that made me want to throw up in my mouth just a little.

Her and Miles kissing. No, not kissing. Making out.

Does that mean that what Ashley overheard was completely out of context? I covered my hand with my mouth to stop myself from gasping out loud. Were they friends with benefits? Thank you Mrs. Turner for telling me she had a fucking guest.

One word ran through my head. Ew.

I ran my hand through my hair and started taking deep breaths. I needed the courage to be able to speak after just seeing that. After a couple of minutes I realized that no amount of bravery was going to erase the image from my head and gently knocked on the door.

I heard some shuffling and then a low "ouch" before Skye appeared at the door. Her eyes widened a fraction, revealing how surprised she was to see me. Then a hesitant smile appeared on her face, effectively calming my nerves. Skye wasn't a mean person and I needed to stop picturing her with horns and the very first mention of Miles' name.

"Can I come in?" I blurted before she could say anything.

Skye leaned against the doorframe looking as awkward and uncomfortable as I've ever seen her. "Um," She took a quick glance behind her. "Miles is kinda here."

"That's fine." We stared at each other for a couple of seconds, neither of us wanting to back down. Eventually she sighed and moved out of the way.

As I entered her room I made eye contact with Miles. His shirt and hair were rumpled and he gave me a lopsided smile. He only ever used that smile on me when he was going to apologize, which just reminded me that he always had something to apologize for. Before I could let it get to me I looked away.

"Do you want me to leave?" The words came from his mouth and nearly made me break from how genuinely kind they sounded.

"No." Skye went to sit by him. "It's not her house." I looked at her in shock. She really was mad. "She can't just make you leave."

I let my gaze drift back to Miles who look conflicted on whether or not he should just get up and leave anyways.

"Do you think you deserve her?" I asked him. "It's an honest question." I continued when his eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"No." He shook his head. "But that doesn't mean that one day I won't become the kind of man that does."

I scoffed. "Man." He was so far from ever being a man.

"Lila!" Skye shot up from where she was sitting and came to stand in front of me.

In that moment I realized how differently we all saw this situation.

In my Miles eyes I was being an unnecessary bitch. He thought that this situation had nothing to do with me and that I should just mind my own business. But he knew if he was mean about it then I would just have more ammunition against him.

In Skye's eyes I was supposed to be happy she was happy and she couldn't quite figure out why I wasn't. Maybe she thought I was jealous or that I was becoming mentally unstable.

But in my eyes I saw it like this: Miles was the type of guy who always ended up hurting the people he loved, most of the time not on purpose. It was inevitable and I'd experienced it first hand. More than once. I'd felt the pain he caused and I didn't ever want her to feel it too.

"I really like Miles and not because he can be rude or makes dirty jokes, but despite all of that. Nobody is perfect Lila, including Miles. But he's trying to make me happy and he's doing a damn good job. If that's not enough for you and if you can't see that he's not all bad then you're not the person I became friends with."

We'd never see eye to eye.

a/n
Omfg this chapter sucks. Sorry I took forever to update this :/