Rowan #3
Milo goes silent. The fun, teasing atmosphere is gone and is replaced with a bone chill that has swept through the entire room.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked,” I quickly tell him. My curiosity on the matter is unimportant compared to Milo’s well-being.
Milo shakes his head. “No, it’s okay. Jamie is—was—my assistant. He did all the miscellaneous things that Ray didn’t have time to do for me. He was fired after six months.”
“Did he do something to you?” I almost growl out the question.
From how Ray mentioned him, I knew Jamie couldn’t have been good news. But if he’d done something to hurt Milo…
Fuck.
Just thinking about it makes me want to punch something.
Milo grabs the hand I hadn’t even known I was clenching into a tight fist and softly pries it open to tangle our fingers together. That soft look is in his grays again as his eyes land on me.
“Not in the way you’re thinking,” he says quietly.
His fingers play with mine as if to calm himself as he continues, “Jamie played into my weaknesses. He knew I didn’t like to be alone and so kept close to my side under the pretense of doing his job.
In reality, he was buttering me up, making me think he’d developed feelings for me, and I fell for it.
I think I was so lonely that I wanted to hope and believe there could be someone who loves me for just me. ”
“He used you.” I say the question more as a statement.
Milo nods in confirmation, and the urge to crush something is strong again, but Milo’s hand is still entangled in mine, and I don’t want to hurt him.
“I thought we were developing something, so when he started asking for favors, I never minded helping.”
“Of course. You put your entire heart into the relationship when you open up to someone,” I say.
“Has Ray been saying shit about me again?” Milo mutters, but there’s no anger behind those eyes.
“He cares about you.”
“He does,” Milo agrees with a soft smile that falls just as quickly as he continues, “I thought Jamie cared for me too, so I was willing to use my connections to help him out. He wanted to be an actor, so I got him auditions, got him connected with directors I knew, things like that. I wanted him to succeed.”
I squeeze his hand, because I know the ending of this story isn’t going to be a happy one.
“Then Ray caught him on the phone one day bragging about how I’m an easy catch. How all he had to do was be a little nice to me and I’ll wag my tail and do everything to make him happy. He went on to plot with his friend some other things he could make me do.”
“That fucker,” I growl out. “I wish I was there. I’d wag my fist at him.”
Milo laughs and brings our combined hands up to kiss the back of mine. “I’d hate to see your pretty hands injured because of me.”
“Even if it means I’ll end up battered and bruised, I’d fight to keep you protected, both in body and mind. You know that, right?”
Milo grins up at me with love brimming in his eyes.
“My knight in shining armor,” he teases.
“But no need to get hurt on my account over Jamie. Ray already took care of him. He’d recorded the entire conversation and confronted him right then and there.
Told, well, more like threatened, him to get the hell out of town because he was going to make sure no one would work with him ever again.
The threat worked too, because that’s the last time I heard or saw of him. ”
“Good,” I say with a huff. “Though, it feels like he got off easy after trying to use you like that.”
Milo doesn’t comment and just continues to smile at me. Our eyes meet in a warm bubble that pulls me under.
“You don’t think I’m trying to use you, do you?” I ask quietly. I hate to compare myself to a bastard, but I need Milo to know that I’m not with him because of whatever benefits his status might give me.
Milo studies me and contemplates the question for a second. My breath is stuck in my throat.
“No, I know you’re not. For someone who works so closely with celebrities, you’re pretty much disinterested in this industry as a whole,” Milo says with a laugh.
“What can I say? I like keeping things simple,” I mutter.
There’s too much drama in this industry, and if I had the choice, I would stay as far away from it all as possible.
Though, everything is different now. If it means being with Milo, I’m willing to put up with anything, including drama.
Milo props his arms over my shoulders and leans in until our noses are almost touching.
“I know,” he repeats. “Which is why I know you’re not with me for benefits. For my body, maybe.”
“You do have a pretty great body,” I say huskily.
My hands are around his waist and pulling him closer.
“But it’s you I want. Just you. You don’t have to hope and believe that someone loves you for who you are, because it’s already happened.
It doesn’t matter if it’s the you on stage or the goblin who never wears enough clothes for the freezing weather. I love you.”
His eyes are a gray pool of shining emotions that sinks me under.
“Kiss me,” he orders, and I happily oblige.