#Chapter 71: Thea’s Secret

Miles makes me chicken noodle soup, then hands me the bowl with a warmer around it to keep me from burning my hands. “You want crackers?” he asks, halfway to the kitchen again. “No!” I call. “This is perfect.” Truly, it was. I still can’t get over how good it feels to be cared for like this. It almost feels… suspicious somehow, even though I know it probably shouldn’t. Still, when Miles sits down on the single chair beside the couch, I ask, “Why are you helping me?” He lifts a brow at me. “Do I need a reason?” “I’m not incapable of taking care of myself…” He laughs. “I know that, Esther. Is that what you think? That I’m offering to help you because I think you can’t?” I just look at him. As he looks back, he realizes I’m serious and stifles his laughter. His smile remains however, and softens into something fond. When he speaks again, it’s with more patience than humor. “This is what people do when they care about each other. When one needs help, the other steps up.” Ye