Chapter Forty One

Six Years Later - 2010

Mila unlocks her apartment door and then shuts it behind her. She went to her coffee table and set down her files, purse, and keys. She turned the tv on and went into the kitchen to get herself some iced tea. She was tired from a busy day of work and wasn't quite sure she was cut out to be a receptionist for a law firm. She spent four years of college at the Arizona State university to become a professional business owner.
She had high hopes to run her own Photography company. She loved taking photos of various kinds. Family photos, holidays, special occasions but the ones she loved the most were the baby portraits. She had interned with a magazine company. She loved the photo shoots and meeting with some famous models and celebrities, but she just wanted to do local portraits with normed people. It was too much stress and demands to be a big shot photographer. Too much pressure and competition.
She leaned on her countertop and looks over at a photo of her and Selena and smiles. After she landed at the airport in Arizona, her aunt Sara and uncle Jeff were waiting for her. She didn’t say a word as she ran right into her arms and burst into tears. They didn't say anything but collected her bags and headed to their home. Her Aunt gave her till the next day to tell her about everything and she started from the very first day she met Jared and Evan.
She even told her about the kiss that left her embarrassed and humiliated by Jared, something she never told anyone about. She desperately wanted her aunt to understand her situation and hopefully maybe figure out what Mila couldn’t.
Her aunt sat there silently, understanding more than Mila could possibly know. She raised her eyebrows when Mila discussed about the night of the dance and Mila told her what Jared did when he took her home. She told her about Selena and Ian, told her about her cousin Kristan and even Evan. She talked about her doubts and uncertainties of being Evan's girlfriend, about her constant arguments with Jared. She even told her about that her best moments were when her and Jared were actually civil with each other.
"So let me understand this my dear, you told Jared that you were going to break up with this Evan boy, but you didn't say this to your best friend?” She had asked her.
Mila frowned. "Well no I didn’t."
Her Aunt nodded her head and smiled. "Please keep going.”
Mila frowned some more but kept going with her story. When she finally got to the part of Jared walking in on them she became embarrassed and ashamed. Her aunt laughed at her.
"It's alright honey, I put full trust in the fact that even if he hadn't walked in you would have stopped it. Besides, there’s nothing to be ashamed about. It didn't happened."
Mila smiled at her and felt a whole lot better. When she got to the part of the fight between her and Jared and the official breakup with Evan her aunt stopped her, "So you’re telling me that you were more upset over losing the friendship with Jared then the breakup with Evan?"
Mila felt tears coming on. "Aunt Sarah, I've told you I was already planning on breaking up with him, besides I really value Jared's opinions"
"Yes I know that but like you said to me, you constantly argued all the time and after the way he treated you... " She starts out letting the sentence drop with a slight frown on her face.
Mila didn't understand what her aunt was trying to say. Honestly she didn’t quite get it either, but it was the way she felt. She told her the rest of the story and her aunt grabs her in a hug. "You poor thing, and to think your own cousin! If she was my child..."
She let the sentence drop again, feeling angry. "Well you can stay with us as long as you need to love."
After that they enrolled her into high school. She talked to Selena every day as she promised. She met some new friends. She didn’t date anybody during her last two years of high school. She was more focused on her work for school and running the doughnut shop her uncle owned. When Selena told her that Jared accepted a college to Oxford in London Mila was shocked and well she didn’t know what else she was feeling. All she could tell her was that she hoped he has a good experience.
Selena went quiet on the other line. "You’re upset aren’t you?"
"Of course not, why would I be?"
"Because the way you said I. He doesn’t leave until next week; would you like to talk to him?"
"No!" She yelled and winced.
"Mila, please try and talk to him, he’s been a total douche since that day." She said, sounding a bit put out.
"Sel, it's only been two weeks, I'm sure he doesn't want to talk to me."
She heard her sigh and said, "Oh alright fine have it your way then."
The next couple of months went by fast and one day she got a phone call from her mother. "I know you probably don't want to hear this honey, but I figure I give you the update of what’s going on."
Mila braced herself. "Do I really want too?" she asked her.
She heard her mom sigh. "No you don't, so let’s just get it out of the way first okay. Kristan is having a girl." she stated quickly.
Mila waited for the devastating pain to come but it didn’t. It just left her with a dull ache. "Oh.” Was all she said, disappointed that she should have felt something worse.
"I know, anyways on to other things.”
Her mother talked about the family matters and how everything was doing. After an hour they said their goodbyes. When summer came they decided it was best for Selena to come visit instead. Mila didn't think she could handle being there for the birth of Evan’s and Kristan’s child that was due in July. When Selena did arrive it was an emotional mess for them both. They hugged and laughed, and Selena ended up staying the whole summer. They talked about life without each other. That Selena and Ian were still going strong in their relationship and how he acted like a big crybaby that he wasn't going to see her for two and a half months.
"I think the separation will be good for us." She said causally but Mila could see that after a few weeks Selena was really missing him too.
So she asked her aunt and uncle if he could visit for just two weeks. At first her uncle was skeptical about a boy staying with them, but her aunt made him relent, and the girls were ecstatic. So when they went to the airport to pick him up Selena couldn't stop moving with her impatience. When he finally came into view Selena screamed with joy and pretty much bulldozed him with a hug.
Mila watched them as they embraced and was telling each other how much they missed the other. She couldn't help the feeling the loneliness of watching them be so happy with each other. For a moment she thought of Jared and wished that somehow he was there with them. She then thought of Evan and frowned.
The summer turned out to be amazing for them. Of course, except when Mila was told that Kristan had a 71b 3oz 20in baby girl and that they named her Shasta Rose Connor.
"She looks just like Evan it’s unbelievable." Her mother told her. "She’s beautiful Mila, oh and Jared came back from London."
Mila, in a state of depression, came out of it after hearing that. "He did, but why?"
"For the birth of Shasta, guess they made him the god father, since being Evan’s best friend and all."
"Oh." Was all she could say.
So Jared was back from college for a little while it seemed.
"He might stay for good, transfer to California State so he can be near the baby." She continued.
“Thats good. Selena will love that."
After ending the phone conversation and Selena flying back home, Mila was more determined to stay with her aunt than ever before. Her parents and grandparents came to visit often. During holidays, vacations, and weekends off. They showed her pictures of baby Shasta, she really was an adorable thing. Mila couldn’t help but love the child. Too bad it was Kristan’s and Evan’s child.
They told her that Evan moved in with Kristan’s parents and they are trying to make it work for the baby's sake. He got an after school job, since Cale had a good long talk with him about that if he’s going to support his grand baby then he needed a good education so being a drop out wasn’t an option. Even though that’s exactly what Kristan did as soon as she found out she was pregnant.
"Oh you should see how both boys absolutely adore her." Her grandmother said while looking at the pictures.
"Both boys?" Mila asked.
"Evan and Jared." She states.
"Yeah, Jared spoils her rotten already."
"He told me once that if he could, he would steal her away and raise her himself that’s how much he’s in love." Her mother laughed.
Mila put the pictures down and got up and left the room. It was hard for her to hear them talk about Evan and Jared. It seemed Jared is on good terms with Evan again. And it seems he took after their daughter. So it seemed he had forgiven Evan but not her and that made her angry.
When Mila finally graduated from high school that was when she made the choice to attend to college there as well. Selena and Ian decided they would join her to Arizona State. The next four years were a blast for them and through over time Mila refused to hear anything about Evan and Jared, so she didn’t.
When they graduated from college Selena and Ian decided to move back. She remembered Selena begging her to join them and to come home. "I'm sorry Sel but I can't." She tells her.
"On come off it Mila! It’s been almost six years now how much more time do you need?" She retorted.
Mila laughed. "No I mean I can’t because I got a job offer."
She looked at her with wide eyes. "Oh my gosh Mila that’s great!" She hugged her tightly.
That was just four months ago and now here she was with her own place, but she didn't like it. She was lonely, she didn't like her job either and she didn't have any friends here. She put the picture down and sighs. She knew it was finally time to go home. She went and took out her cell phone calling her mother.
"Hello?"
Mila froze as she recognized the male voice. It sounded a little older but there was no mistaking it.
"Hello?" he says again, and it made her snap out of her dazed state.
"Oh hi, I’m sorry but could I talk to my mom please."
"Mila is that you?" Jared asks on the other side.
She sighs, closing her eyes while she had do admit that she missed the sound of his voice.
"Hello, Jared, it’s been a long time." She says softly.