Thanks to my loyal reviewers, I was happy to see you seemed to like the last chapter! Hope you'll enjoy this one, too :)
[9. THURSDAY]
…
Hunter has his shitty 8:00 a.m. on Thursdays, so Miles decides that since he has to drag himself out of bed that early, he and Frankie might as well treat themselves to breakfast. So he parks the car by Hunter's building, and they take a stroll towards Princess Street.
They sit in a quiet cafe with colourful decor and start going through the menu. Frankie can't decide if she wants a bagel or an egg muffin, so Miles orders them both, and overnight oats with black coffee for himself. Hunter has a full day of classes, today, which leaves them free to wander aimlessly for most of the day.
"What would you like to do today?" he asks her as their orders arrive. "Since we're in town already we could stay around a bit, maybe check out a museum?"
Frankie takes a sip of her latte, and the milk froth leaves a mustache on her upper lip. She's quick to lick it away, but it still makes him smile.
"Nah," she says. "I mean, you can go if you want. But I'd better get back to Hunter's and get some work done. I'm really falling behind with my readings."
"Lame!" Miles coughs in his hand. Frankie shows him the tongue, then slumps back in her chair.
"Gee, why did we order this much food!" she blurts out, a hand on her belly. "Want to share my bagel?"
Miles rolls his eyes. "Yeah, okay."
He leans over and splits the bagel in two, getting cream cheese all over his fingers in the process.
"I'd better ask to take the muffin to go," says Frankie, flagging the waiter with her hand.
"Remind me never to take you out for breakfast again," Miles jokes, and then he bites into his bagel. "This is good!"
"Yeah, right? At least I have good taste," she winks.
His half of the bagel is gone in two more bites, and Miles settles in to sip through his coffee while Frankie nibbles at her half.
"Ready to go?" he asks her once she's finished with it.
"Yeah, sure."
It's not as gorgeous a day as yesterday was, but it's still nice. The sun keeps coming in and out of a few sparse clouds, moving fast above their heads. They pause in front of a few store windows, but end up not entering any. Soon they turn off Princess Street and start heading back towards campus.
"Come to London with me," he suddenly proposes.
"Yeah, right," says Frankie, humoring him. For all her talk of them ordering too much, she's already rummaging through her take-our bag, an ecstatic smile at the scent coming from it. She takes a bite from the egg muffin, as if she hadn't just finished breakfast ten minutes ago.
As she realises he's serious, though, she raises an eyebrow in a meaningful expression, looking at him as if he's gone mad all of a sudden.
"Miles… I can't just come to London with you," she tries to reason.
"Why not?" he questions, challenging her.
She looks at him wide-eyed. "Just be realistic for a moment, yes? I have, you know, school. I've been here over a week now and I'm already falling behind. I have classes I need to show up to, and there's papers due, and-"
"Just… think about it. It could be… an extended Spring Break. You love Europe, why not? We could catch a train and go to Paris together on the weekend, or to Brussels, or Amsterdam even. Wherever you want."
"I don't know, Miles…"
She still doesn't look convinced, but she's faltering a little at the mention of all the possibilities that would be just at their fingertips.
"What about... exams, and everything," she tries again, "I can't possibly-"
"Look, Frankie," he interjects, "School will still be there when you come back, you know? Plus, I'm sure there's a way around that."
"Like what?" she scoffs, rolling her eyes.
"I don't know, maybe you can take a class in the UK and transfer the credits. If you even decide to stay that long, that is. We can look into it, okay?"
Frankie doesn't comment on his far-fetched suggestion. She doesn't seem convinced in the slightest.
"You wouldn't know anyone," he presses her, getting to the real point behind this wild idea. "There would be nothing reminding you of any of this. A clean slate."
He must have said something wrong, Miles realises in horror, because suddenly Frankie's eyes are welling up. She paces back from him, taking her head in her hands, her face scrunching up as she tries not to cry.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Wha- What?"
Miles is left staring at her dumbfounded, a sense of dread filling him. This definitely didn't go as he was hoping it would.
"I don't know what I want to do right now, okay?" she sobs, and the sound of it is like a punch in the guts. "It's just… too much! I don't know what I want, and I can't make that decision on the spot, and you just keep pushing me-"
"No, Franks, gee.. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to push you, at all!"
"Then why did you just ask me if I want to move to London like that?!"
She's crying so hard now that passersby are starting to stare at them funny.
"Come with me," Miles says, placing a hand on her back and moving her out of the storefronts at the crossroad, into the empty street. "Let's find somewhere quiet."
She pushes away from him, then starts walking resolutely ahead. Miles looks at her in dismay for a moment, then falls in step behind her.
She turns into a parking lot of what looks like a school, a block down. There's a few benches, a little off the road, and she drops down on one of them. He sits across from her, careful not to step too close. She's still crying, her face red and blotchy, but she seems to have calmed down a little. She's not sobbing, at least.
"I'm sorry. I really am," he tells her, earnest. "I really didn't mean to put any pressure on you."
"I know," she whispers, and her voice is a little hoarse. "It's just… too overwhelming. I just-"
She looks at him, eyes wide and liquid.
"I'm sorry, I'm just… not really emotionally stable, these days."
Miles shakes his head, rolling his eyes. "God, Frankie. Come here."
He pulls her into a hug, rubbing a hand on her back. He leans his head close to hers and keeps her burrowed against him.
"I didn't mean to freak you out."
Somehow, it seems, it's a little easier to talk, when you're not looking the other person in the eyes.
"All I wanted is for you to know there's this option, okay?" he goes on. "You're always welcome at my place. Always."
She nods, against his chest, and he can feel her taking a deep breath, calming down.
"London is stunning in the Spring," he tells her, softly.
Frankie sighs deeply, then pushes back from him, drying her eyes on her hands.
"Let me think about it. Okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, of course!
She nods back at him, then gazes out into the road. "We'd better head back, now."
He squeezes her hand before pulling himself up.
"Sure. Let's go."
