Chapter Twenty-Three: Threads in My Sight
(Miles's POV)
She punched me.
And I loved it.
I'm sitting on the edge of my bed, jaw still tender from day's disaster, thinking about that fist, that glare, those brown eyes that had somehow lit my world on fire.
Threads. Ria Leona Rahman. She's chaos. She's fire. She's infuriating. And she's mine… in the sense that I want her.
I can't stop thinking about her. The way she flips her hair when she's flustered, the way her laugh — sharp, melodic, dangerous — sticks in my head, the almost-kiss in the auditorium that I can't erase from my memory.
And now I have a decision to make.
Step one: Make her notice me more than just as a nuisance.
Not easy. Threads is smart, independent, stubborn as hell. But stubbornness is an opening. I've noticed her when she thinks no one is looking — that little flicker in her gaze when I'm near, the way her hand trembles slightly when I tease her too much.
I can use that.
Step two: Make her laugh at me.
Nothing makes a girl melt faster than seeing you embarrass yourself.
So tomorrow, I'll knock over her display accidentally. Maybe trip on the cord of the projector. Nothing dangerous. Just… enough to get her to scowl, yell, maybe punch me again. But maybe that punch will be different.
Step three: Show her I care.
Not like Ethan. Ethan is… perfect. Calm. Reliable. Steady. But perfect doesn't make sparks fly. Threads needs sparks. Needs fire. I can give her fire, and show her I'll catch her if she falls. I'll be the chaos she can't resist.
Step four: Court her.
I'll be subtle. A teasing smile, a hand brushing hers accidentally, an eyebrow raise that makes her pulse. I'll push, I'll pull, I'll make her chase me as much as I chase her.
I want her to look at me and see… potential. Possibility. Something dangerous and thrilling.
I think about Ethan.
He's in the background, calm, attentive, sweet. Good for her, maybe. Safe for her. But she doesn't need safe. She needs me. And I… need her.
Step five: Win her.
Not with words. Not with apologies. With moments. Moments that leave her breathless, moments that make her think of me when I'm not there, moments that make her question… why she ever wanted anyone else.
I lean back, smirk curling onto my face despite the throbbing in my jaw.
This is war.
And I'm ready.
Threads, Ria, Zaria Leona Rahman… you're about to find out exactly how much Miles Patel can make you feel — and maybe… fall.
And if she hits me again? I'll take it.
Love at first punch, maybe… but love at first Threads? That's coming too.