Chapter 40
“Hold still.”
“I am holding still!”
“You just moved again!”
Miles huffed through his nose, legs stretched out on Gwen’s dorm bed while she sat behind him, carefully parting his curls. “This is payback for teasing you about your ballet shoes, isn’t it?” he grumbled.
Gwen grinned, twisting a braid. “Nope. This is quality bonding time. You should be grateful.”
They had her laptop open on her desk, playing a trashy reality show they were both too invested in. Gwen leaned over to press pause mid-confession. “Okay but can we talk about how Nate is clearly lying? No way he went to Cabo with his cousin.”
Miles scoffed. “He’s not even trying to make it believable. I don’t trust anyone who wears leather pants in summer.”
She laughed, bumping his shoulder. “Oh, you’ll be wearing leather pants in summer for me one day.”
“Only if you wear your pointe shoes to dinner.”
“Deal.”
They kept talking—about school, about her ballet performance coming up, about how Mr. Cruz was definitely a vampire (“He’s never in the sun, Miles!”). By the time Gwen finished the last braid, Miles looked in her phone camera and smiled.
“I look good.”
“You always look good,” she said softly.
His ears went red.
Miles’ house smelled like warm spices and home. Gwen had only been here once before, briefly, but today was different.
Rio Morales greeted her with a smile and a warm hug. “It’s been too long, mija. Come in, come in.”
They sat for lunch and laughed while Gwen complimented the food with heart eyes. At one point, Miles excused himself to get a drink, and Gwen wandered into his room curiously.
It was cozy—posters, art supplies, his headphones, a half-finished sketch of Spider-Man on the desk.
But then her eyes landed on something near the bed: a Spider-Man lamp. And a Lego Millennium Falcon.
She smirked. “Oh no. Baby Miles lives here.”
“Hey!” Miles appeared in the doorway, red-faced. “Don’t judge my Falcon.”
“Oh I’m not judging. I’m learning,” she teased. “So this is where you brooded in your Spidey pajamas as a kid.”
“They were cool! I had a cape.”
Gwen laughed so hard she nearly knocked over the lamp.
Dinner was perfect. Gwen had never expected to feel this warm in someone else's home, but Rio’s gentle teasing and motherly charm made her feel like she belonged.
When Gwen mentioned her upcoming performance, Rio beamed.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
They laughed over dessert, traded embarrassing Miles stories, and Gwen even got a kiss on the cheek from Rio when they left.
As Gwen and Miles walked down the sidewalk toward the dorms, her hand found his.
“You’re incredible, you know?” she said, soft and honest.
Miles squeezed her hand. “So are you.”
They walked a little slower after that, like they didn’t want the night to end.
Gwen’s phone rang just as she was finishing up her last class. Her mother’s name lit up the screen.
“Come to the principal’s office. Now.”
Her stomach dropped.
The walk there felt long and heavy. When she entered the office, her mother was already seated, arms crossed. The principal looked uncomfortable.
“What’s going on?”
Her mother stood. “You’re coming home. This school isn’t working. You’re distracted, your grades are slipping, and I won’t let you throw your future away.”
Gwen stared. “What?! You can’t just—!”
“I can. I will. I’m your mother.”
The principal gently interjected, trying to argue for Gwen’s artistic growth, her community here, her performances, but it was clear—her mother had already made up her mind.
“Pack your things.”
Gwen’s throat closed up. “You never even asked me how I felt. You just decided.”
“I’m the adult. I know better,” her mother snapped. “You don’t get to argue with me.”