The bride and the beast (#3 of the Miller family)

8.I'm... getting there

Lila’s P.O.V.

I hesitated at the top of the stairs, my hand resting on the banister as I gathered my thoughts. After days of lying in bed, tossing and turning, and failing to fall back asleep, I had finally decided that staying in my room wasn’t going to solve anything. I needed to get up, face the day, and start figuring out what her next move was going to be, which was how to find a job.

I took a deep breath and started down the stairs, the faint sounds of clattering dishes and low music filtering up from the kitchen. The house was quiet otherwise, a peaceful contrast to the chaos that had been swirling inside my mind. For a moment, I wondered if Skye was the one making breakfast. The idea of seeing him again sent a flutter of nerves through me, but I pushed it aside, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.

As I rounded the corner into the kitchen, however, I came to an abrupt halt. It wasn’t Skye standing at the stove, flipping pancakes with an air of casual confidence. It was a man I hadn’t met before—tall, broad-shouldered, and with an easygoing smile that immediately put me at ease. He had the same dark hair and striking features as Skye, but there was a roguish glint in his eyes that set him apart from the other Miller brothers. That, and the many tattoos covering his upper body, which were very easy to spot since he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

The man looked up as I entered, his smile widening as soon as he saw me.

“Well, well, look who’s finally alive. You must be Lila.”

I blinked, momentarily thrown off by the greeting.

“Uh, yeah. That’s me. And you are…?”

“Blade,” he said, setting the spatula down and wiping his hands on a dish towel before extending one to me.

“Skye’s charmingly and far more handsome, and also older brother.”

I laughed, shaking his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Blade. I didn’t realize Skye had so many brothers.”

“Oh, we’re a whole pack, sweetheart,” Blade said with a wink, releasing my hand.

“But I’m the only one you need to worry about right now. The others are either busy or boring anyway.”

Before I could respond, Skye walked into the kitchen, his eyes immediately landing on me. There was a brief moment of surprise in his gaze, quickly followed by a flash of something warmer. But whatever he might have been about to say, was cut off when Blade spoke up again.

“Morning, little bro,” Blade said, turning back to the stove with a grin.

“I was just getting to know our lovely guest here. You didn’t tell me she was this pretty.”

Skye’s expression shifted, a muscle ticking in his jaw as he shot a look at his brother.

“Blade…”

“What? I’m just being friendly,” Blade said, his tone innocent but the mischief in his eyes unmistakable. He turned to me, giving me a once-over that was somehow both playful and appreciative.

“So, Lila, what brings you to our humble abode? Running from a secret admirer? Looking to spice up your life with a little adventure inside the Miller's bachelor palace?”

I felt myself blush, caught off guard by the teasing.

“Uh, not exactly. More like… trying to figure out what to do next after leaving my cheating fiancé at the alter kind of thing.”

Blade raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

“That’s a messy breakup, Alright. Well, if you’re looking for a rebound, I’m always available.”

“Blade!” Skye snapped, his tone sharper now as he glared at his brother.

Blade chuckled, clearly enjoying riling Skye up.

“Relax, Skye. I’m just having a little fun. No harm, no foul, right?” He winked at me again, then turned back to the stove.

“Besides, I’ve got to head out in a bit. Fire station doesn’t run itself, you know.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the banter between the two brothers. It was clear that Blade loved to push Skye’s buttons, and while Skye’s irritation was evident, there was also a sense of familiarity in their exchange that made it clear this wasn’t the first time Blade had gotten under his skin either.

“So, you’re a firefighter?” I asked Blade, hoping to steer the conversation to safer ground.

“That’s right,” Blade said proudly, flipping a pancake with a flourish.

“Saving lives, looking good while doing it. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.”

Skye rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he leaned against the counter.

“And being modest is clearly part of the job description as well.”

Blade shrugged, unfazed.

“Why be modest when you’re this good?”

I stifled a laugh, finding it hard not to be charmed by Blade’s confidence.

“Well, thank you for making breakfast, Blade. I appreciate it.”

“Anything for a beautiful lady,” Blade said with a grin, plating the pancakes and setting them on the table.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go make sure the city doesn’t burn down. Try not to miss me too much.” He gave a mock salute, then grabbed his shirt from a barstool sitting at the kitchen island and headed for the door before he grabbed a pancake to go, pausing only to give Skye a final, pointed look.

“Be nice to our guest, Skye. Don’t scare her off with your boredom and all.”

With that, Blade was gone, leaving Skye and me alone in the kitchen. The tension in the room seemed to ease the moment the door closed behind him, and Skye let out a long-suffering sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry about him,” Skye said, his voice softer now.

“Blade can be… a lot.”

I shook my head, still smiling.

“Don’t worry about it. He’s funny. And besides, I think I needed a good laugh after all the misery of...you know.”

Skye’s gaze softened as he looked at me, and for a moment, the playful banter between the brothers was forgotten.

“Are you OK? I mean, really OK?”

I hesitated, not sure how to answer. I wasn’t sure if I was OK, but I was trying to be.

“I’m… getting there,” I said finally.

“It’s just going to take some time.”

Skye nodded, as if he understood exactly what I meant.

“Take all the time you need. You’re safe here.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly, feeling a warmth spread through my chest at his words. It was a relief to know I wasn’t really alone, even if my future was still uncertain. Skye smiled, a small, reassuring curve of his lips that made my heart skip a beat.

Skye was hunched over the kitchen island, his back muscles flexing under the thin cotton of his t-shirt. His jeans clung to his legs, worn and stained in all the right places, and I had to remind myself to keep breathing. I’d seen him before, of course—he’d been the one to save me from a horror marriage—but I hadn’t really seen him. Not like this.

His hair was a deep brown, spiked in a way that looked effortlessly cool, like he didn’t spend hours in front of a mirror perfecting it. It just…was. The kind of style that said he didn’t care what anyone thought, but still managed to look like he’d stepped out of a magazine. And those eyes, when he finally looked up at me—they were dark, almost black, like the kind of eyes you could get lost in if you weren’t careful.

I wasn’t careful.

His gaze met mine, and for a moment, I forgot what I was doing. The wedding, my failed life, all of it melted away as he stood up straight. The movement was slow, and deliberate, and I couldn’t help but notice how fit he was. Every part of him seemed carved from stone, muscles toned from years of hard work rather than hours at a gym. He smiled at me, just a small curve of his lips, and my heart did this ridiculous flip in my chest. God, he was gorgeous. Probably the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen, and that wasn’t an exaggeration. There was something about him, something that went beyond just looks—though his looks were enough to make any girl forget her own name.

“Come on, let’s eat before Blade comes back and makes us both sick with his confidence.”

I laughed, feeling some of the weight lift off my shoulders as I followed him to the kitchen table. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but for the first time in days, I felt a glimmer of hope. And right now, that was enough.