Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Milo
This was wrong. I was wrong. Letting Eden walk away was the worst mistake I could have made. I knew it the minute my mom’s car pulled away from the curb, but it was too late to call her back.
If only I’d been next to her when it happened, I could have shielded her, protected her.
Now I was standing in Dueling Dragons, holding plywood against the window as my dad and brother secured it to the frame.
Olivia and Adelaide had swept up the glass, one of the gamers had carefully vacuumed every shelf within the danger zone, and the brick had been bagged up as evidence and taken. Only the three of us remained.
“She’s going to be okay,” Mark said quietly.
I wasn’t surprised he’d cottoned on to my distress, but I didn’t particularly want to discuss it with him right then, either, so I just muttered, “Yeah.”
Dad gave me the side-eye as he drilled another screw into the wall. “Is there something going on with you two? She seemed a little out of sorts at our house the other night.”
“She’s…I don’t know. Not used to sharing her feelings when things go bad, I think. Not used to letting somebody in when she’s hurting. When everything is good, she’s affectionate and forthcoming, but I’m not sure she knows how to let others support her when things are shitty.”
“You managed to turn the night around on Sunday,” Dad mused. “I would think you can handle that again.”
“Yeah. Except I think this time there was more to it than just sorting through her own feelings. Tonight, she was in shock when it first happened, but she seemed to be coming around again after the stitches were done. Then she went to talk to Rose, and a switch flipped.”
“You think Rose said something that freaked her?” Mark asked.
“Maybe. All I know is she panicked and shut me out. Maybe she blames me for getting her hurt?”
“Not a chance,” my father said with a snort.
Mark studied me for a second, then said, “You should go to her when we’re done here. Clear things up instead of making assumptions.”
“How can I do that when I promised I’d back off if she needed space? I don’t know how to do what she asked while still trying to break through those walls.”
Both of them went quiet. There was no easy answer, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t hoping one of them would suggest some magic fix. I leaned my forehead against the plywood, still trying to forget the sight of Eden’s arm covered in blood.
“She’s it for me.”
The words tumbled from my lips and the silence between us grew heavy. Mark had almost lost any chance with the love of his life when he didn’t speak up, and even if things had worked out in the end, we all knew he regretted losing those years with Libby as more than just a friend.
Out of respect for Maverick, we didn’t talk much about what my mom called the Davies Devotion.
We’d grown up hearing their love story over and over, like a family legend in the making—Dad had known from the first time he saw Mom that she was the one.
As clear as an arrow through the heart, a neon sign declaring that true love not only existed but had been found.
It had been the same for Mark, and now it was the same for me.
“Then you’ll do whatever you need to do to work through this, son,” Dad said softly.
“We’re here for you, man. Whatever we can do to help, you just let us know,” Mark added.
Words clogged in my throat, so I just nodded. This was what I wished Eden had—or what I wished she could see that she already had in her cousin, in me. Unconditional love and support, unwavering loyalty.
Coming from the childhood she’d endured, it might be difficult for her to adapt to those things, but I was determined to help her learn.
For both our sakes.
As with the bomb threat, news of the destruction actually brought in more customers than usual the following day.
I almost kept the store closed, but I figured it would be easier to maintain an eye on Eden’s state of mind if I was nearby.
It was also one of Carter’s days with me, so I wanted to make sure he knew there was nothing to fear and that everything would be okay.
Unfortunately, the influx of shoppers at both stores meant my contact with Eden was limited to a few quick texts throughout the day.
She insisted she was fine, but it was difficult to read her tone via text.
Rafael came by to see if I needed any assistance, so I left him in charge of the store and finally got the chance to slip away to check on Eden in person.
Garden of Delights was positively hopping, even on a weekday. A small group of older women eyed me with interest when I entered the store—gossip moved through Spruce Hill’s population at the speed of light, so I wasn’t surprised our relationship was public knowledge.
“Ladies,” I said with a smile.
“Sorry to hear about your window, Milo. The police will catch the little buggers behind it, I’m sure,” one of them replied.
Eden watched both the exchange and my approach with an expression that bordered on trepidation. It reminded me of that day she first walked into Dueling Dragons, like she was bracing herself for impact.
I hated it as much now as I did then, but I had to tread carefully.
For once, I didn’t join her behind the counter or greet her with a kiss, just leaned against the other side and swept my gaze over the tiny scabs that weren’t hidden by her high-necked blouse.
Her left hand was still bandaged with gauze, her beautiful eyes haunted.
I wanted to wash it all away, like I could restore her to her usual self with the wave of a magic wand.
“How are you today?” I asked softly.
“Shaken. You?”
“Worried about you, but otherwise fine. The insurance guy is coming this afternoon. Everything is cleaned up. I’m thinking of letting Carter paint the wood over the window. He’s a pretty good artist. Maybe when the new glass goes in, I’ll hang the wood somewhere to showcase his talent.”
Eden blinked at me. “Oh. I mean, that’s a good idea.”
I stepped aside when one of the women came to make her purchase, then waited until they’d left the shop to prop my elbows on the counter and say, “Eden,” in the low, bossy tone that always got through to her.
“Yes?”
“Tell me the truth. How are you doing?”
She sucked in a breath. “Not great.”
“I could help you if you’d let me in,” I said gently. Even if it might work, I wasn’t going to order her to open up to me.
Saved by the bell—a customer entered the store. Eden shifted so the woman could see her and offered a friendly greeting before glancing back at my face.
“I just need some time, Milo.”
The whispered words were like a blade in my chest, but I tapped my fingers on the countertop for a second before leaning forward. “I don’t know what’s going on, Eden, but we’ll get through this.”
When she only nodded, that blade sank a little deeper. I held her gaze for a beat, hoping to convey all the emotions bubbling inside me, then returned to Dueling Dragons in defeat.
No, not defeat. More like a temporary détente for strategizing.
Something had shaken Eden last night even more than the brick through the window, more than the news about her parents leaving the country or the surprise existence of her niece.
I didn’t know what exactly it was, but my initial concern that she blamed me for her injury seemed unlikely now.
There was something deeper at play, and I didn’t like it.
As Rafael was leaving, Olivia came into the store, her somber expression a far cry from the contentment that glowed from her since she started seeing Adelaide. She gave the store a slow sweep of her eyes before walking up to the counter.
“Hey,” she called.
“Hey. Sorry about your game.”
Liv’s eyes widened behind her glasses. “Last I checked, some dick throwing a brick through a window doesn’t fall under the category of ‘Milo’s fault.’ How’s Eden doing?”
“Physically, she’s okay. Libby stitched her up and cleaned all the little cuts.”
“But emotionally, not so okay?”
I blew out a breath. “Right. I don’t know what’s going on. Maybe this is how she reacts to extreme situations. It’s like she turned off that light inside her. I just don’t know how to get it back.”
“Do you think Addie could help?” Liv asked gently. “Those two are tight. I get the feeling things are serious between you and Eden, but it hasn’t been very long. They have history, and maybe Addie’s dealt with this in the past.”
“You don’t think that’s disloyal of me? Circumventing Eden like that?”
“Milo, you’re clearly in love with her. If she’s shutting you out because of some kind of trauma response, I think you need to work with whatever tools are at your disposal. I’m not saying gossip behind her back, just maybe…call in some reinforcements.”
“Yeah. I think you’re right. Thanks, Liv.”
“Any time. I gotta head over to my shift at the library, but I wanted to see if you needed anything first.”
I smiled at her and shook my head. “No, I’m good. Carter will be here soon. I’ll talk to Adelaide.”
Before Olivia was even out the door, Carter came barreling inside, wide-eyed and frantic. Liv steadied him before he tripped over her, squeezed his shoulder, and waved at me as she left.
“Hey, buddy,” I said, keeping my tone light.
“Dad told me the store was attacked.”
“Attacked? He used that word?”
Carter frowned. “Well, no. Dad wanted to come help board up the window, but we were at pottery night at school. By the time it was over, Grandpa said you guys were all sorted out and that you’d probably need my help today.”
I gave a solemn nod. “Yeah, buddy, I do. Here’s what I’m thinking.”