Miracle's POV
I exhaled a shaky breath, closing my eyes just long enough to wrestle my heart back under control. When I opened them, Hardy was standing there, backpack slung over one shoulder.
His eyes held a glint of something—not just curiosity, but a flicker of pure, unadulterated fascination, like I was a complex puzzle he was desperate to solve.
"What?" I snapped, the word coming out sharper than intended. My default setting was now 'pissed off,' and the whole world could deal with it.
A slow, appreciative smile spread across his face. "You amaze me," he said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate right through me. "You fucking amaze me. Too bad I have to stay away from you."
Before I could craft a suitably scathing retort, he was gone, melting into the crowd of recruits. I let his words settle. A compliment? Fine. I'd take it. I was amazing. Steve was a blind idiot, and the entire world could go to hell.
