14. Milo
Chapter 14
Milo
“Meet the family.”
J ill stands in front of me, her eyes kind as she takes me in.
“You haven’t been around,” she says, then turns her attention to Elizabeth, who has been silent since we walked out of that shop and I bought her the dress. “Hi.” Elizabeth smiles at her, and Jill looks back at me, waiting for an answer.
“I’ve been busy.” Her hand lands on my arm and squeezes it.
“Come and visit, please?” Jill says.
I glance at Elizabeth, whose eyes are pinned on Jill’s hand where she touches me.
“I’ll just go to the bathroom and let you two talk,” Elizabeth says.
“Stay,” I tell her.
“I’m Jill.” Jill offers Elizabeth her hand, and she takes it.
“I’m Lissie. Milo is free all day. He just has to drop me off at home first, right?” She smiles big, dropping Jill’s hand, and turns back to me. I grind my teeth. “He said he was free all day to take me shopping, and I got a dress, so I think that’s a win. Please, you take him.”
Take me? What the fuck am I, some kind of puppy?
“You can come?” Jill asks me, happiness evident in her tone.
“I’ll bring Elizabeth with me,” I say, glaring down at the little traitor.
“Thanks,” Jill gushes, looking from Elizabeth back to me. “We’ve missed you. You’re a hard man to convince to come to events, you know,” she says, then thanks Elizabeth again before she walks off.
“Why on earth would you want me to go to your girlfriend’s house?” Elizabeth asks when Jill is out of hearing range.
“That isn’t my girlfriend.” I lean down. “And why would you do that? Do you think I’m not busy?”
“Who is she, then? And no, of course, you aren’t busy if you have time to take me shopping. Cody never did.” She throws that last bit in, and we let those words hang between us.
“She’s my aunt,” I say, clearing up the confusion.
“Oh…” Her cheeks blush red. “And your mother?” she asks.
“Died when I was a teenager. It’s why I stayed in this shithole of a city, as you like to call it. It wasn’t because of my fucked-up father, that’s for sure.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” She averts her gaze.
“It’s fine. But if I have to deal with that, thanks to you, you’re coming, too.”
“Shouldn’t you take your girlfriend, not me, to meet your family?” she asks, shaking her head.
“I don’t have a girlfriend. I have women I fuck. Do you want to be on that list?”
She rears back as if my words physically slapped her. “Fuck off, Milo.” She turns and storms off.
Well, shit, look at her go.
I follow and spin her back toward me with a hand on her arm. “Just because you let that piece of shit treat you like garbage doesn’t mean you should let anyone else do it.” Her hand lifts, and she slaps me hard across the face. I smile down at her. People around us stop to stare.
“I don’t want a lift home from you. I’ll take a cab or walk,” she seethes as she reaches for the bag I’m holding. But I don’t let it go. We’re drawing a crowd—I can feel their stares penetrating my back, but I keep a hold of her bag.
“Elizabeth,” I growl, then go quiet for a moment. “I apologize.”
Her eyes go wide, and she looks at me, really looks at me. Those big, beautiful fucking eyes haunt me, and I think about her words that sing me off to a fucking slumber every night. Her smell is still embedded in my sheets, and I refuse to wash them.
“I—”
“You don’t have to go with me if it pains you that much to be around me,” I tell her. “Let’s get you home.”