Chapter 13, Milo

As shocking as that might seem to everyone, I am not the reckless youngest child of my family.

Alice is only sixteen years old, and doesn't want anything to do with fame. She wants to live a normal life, have normal friends, and to study criminology later. She is ambitious, funny, kind, a bit of a pain in the ass, but still the ray of sunshine in our family.

I wish I could visit her more regularly, but she understands that I have a lot of work most of the time, even if she gives me shit for it.

My sister's screams are becoming louder and louder and I decide to get up and reach one of the salons from where her voice is coming.

I find her upside down, thrown over Ellis's shoulder.

Her short dark brown hair is unbound and even if she looks pissed, joy fills her hazel eyes.

I smile at the image. It's incredible how much she looks like mom, even if her eyes and hair color are my dad's. She has the exact same smile.

My older brother is laughing so hard he's clutching a hand over his chest. I haven't seen him this happy in a long time. Thats's the effect Alice has on us.

She squeaks when she sees me.

"MILO ! Please tell him to let me go. I'm going to throw up."

I laugh, and decide to take her side, giving a dark amused look to Ellis who rolls his eyes, and finally lets her off his shoulder.

She sways a bit when he puts her down, and I put my hands on her thin arms to steady her.

She instantly throws herself at me, hugging me tightly.

"It feels like I haven't seen you in ages ! You have so much to tell me, don't you ? How could you not tell me you're dating Esmeralda Hernandez ?!"

I wince at the mention of her name, and pull out of Alice's embrace.

"Easy peasy, kid. I just got here."

I take the time to look at what she'a wearing. She's wearing blue jeans, a red tank top, and an oversized shirt that is vaguely familiar to me.

"Is that my shirt ?" I ask her, narrowing my eyes.

She looks a hundred percent guilty, but only shrugs.

"Found it in my closet."

I roll my eyes and look over to my brother who's grinning, his arms crossed over his chest. "When did you get here ?"

"About an hour ago."

"And he did not want to let me go since. You really are a pain in my ass, Ellis."

"Well, you're the one who hid the fact that you have a boyfriend, from me."

"I don't have a boyfriend !"

"You've been smiling and giggling at your phone since I got here. I don't believe you." He counters.

"Don't you ever mind your own business ?" She snaps, half serious half amused.

This looks like a sensitive subject for her, so I do her a favor in changing the subject.

"What's with the dog I found in the entrance ?"

Her eyes light up, earlier wariness gone from her face.

"You mean Stinkerbell ? Dad got him for me a week ago, said it was an early birthday present."

"You named your dog Stinkerbell ?" I ask, incredulous.

That is such an Alice thing to do.

"It's a horrible name, right ?" A familiar voice resonates and I turn towards it's owner.

My mom looks as beautiful as ever.

Her red hair is up in a ponytail, and she's wearing a white silk dress and white platform heeled sandals.

She smiles at me, and her green eyes lighting up as she takes me in.

I assume she's already spoken with Ellis, because she doesn't spare him a glance.

"My sweet boy."

"Hi, Mamma." I say.

She is one of the few people allow myself to be completely transparent with.

She pulls me in her arms, like I'm not five foot taller than her, and hugs me like I'm still 10 fucking years old. It somehow makes me feel way better than I did this morning.

"How are you ? You don't come visit as much anymore." My mom pouts and I can't help but feel extremely guilty.

"I know, Mom. I'm sorry I've just been so overwhelmed with work and life right now that I haven't had time for myself."

"It's okay, honey. I understand." She holds a finger up and points it right at my face, an inquisitor gleam in her eyes. "But, how could you not tell me that you Esmeralda Hernandez are in a relationship ?"

"See ! That's exactly what I asked him." Alice intervenes.

I bite my lip, and Ellis sends me a wary look. We have a silent conversation just by looking in each other's eyes, and he dips his chin in acknowledgement. He turns towards our sister, who is absently typing on her phone.

"Didn't you say you needed help putting your new bookshelves together ?" He asks Alice.

"Uh, yeah." They start heading towards the big staircase.

"Let's go, and then you can tell me all about that boyfriend of yours." My older brother taunts my younger sister, and she flips him off.

The sound of their laughter and bickering fades, and a few moments later, they're gone. I am instantly grateful for the privacy he's given me.

My mother gestures at me to sit down on the velvet sofa. I obey.

There is a beat of silence, then she looks at me. Like really looks at me. You know when someone looks at you with so much intensity, you think they read your mind.

"What is going on, sweetie ? You don't look like yourself ."

I don't answer, because what the fuck do you even answer to that ?

I know I've been pushing everyone away lately, even the ones who matter the most, and I hate the part of me that does these things. That says hurtful things, runs away instead of confronting, pushes everyone to the point where they don't even want me to be a part of their life anymore.

"You know you can tell me everything you want, Milo."

These are the words that break all of my restrains.

So I tell her. I tell her everything that's going on, from the fake dating, to the trip in Paris, our kiss, her ending up in the hospital and asking me to leave. By the end of it, I am breathless. It is only by actually saying everything out loud that I realize how badly I've screwed up.

My Mom doesn't interrupt me. She just listens to me with wonder in her eyes. And understanding. She understands me.

"Oh, my sweet boy." She says softly, looking at me like she can see right through me. "You're in love with her."

I instantly shake my head, ready to deny it, but she doesn't let me speak.

"I saw pictures of you two together. I've seen the way you look at her. You look at her like she's the only person in the whole world that matters to you."

"It's fake, Mom. It was just all for show. I had to look at her like that to make it believable."

"I know what love is, Milo. You can't fake that kind of look."

I don't answer, swallowing the bulge in my throat.

"You're in love with her, and it terrifies you." She states.

Right now, what terrifies me is that she might be right.