Page 104 of Isolation

If he encouraged her in any way, I will chop off his balls and bury them in the backyard. But Milo will probably beat me to it.

Then a darker thought crosses my mind. Everyone assumed I had a crush on Milo, while he was the one who harbored a fascination for me.

What if history were to repeat itself?

That’s ridiculous.

I am being paranoid due to my own experiences and my last exchange with Milo. That would never happen to Mia. She has a happy and normal life.

“Mia,” I try to smile but fail. “Please put me out of my misery. What's going on?”

“I wanted to askyouthat. How's everything withyou?”

I give her a confused look. “I told you, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me.”

“How is everything with Milo?” she asks more pointedly.

In the shuffle of it, we haven't had the chance to discuss my impromptutumblewith Milo and Reid's unprecedented reaction afterward.

I have barely seen Mia over the last few weeks, so we put a pin on it all. I knew we'd have to talk about the whole Milo debacle sometime.

“Mia,” I hesitate. “Do you want to talk about what's going on between Milo and me?”

Mia gently places one hand on my arm. “Rave, doyouwant to talk about what's going on between Milo and you?”

Mia's sobs have subsided. She is staring at me but giving nothing away with her facial expressions. I have no idea what she is thinking.

“S-sure, if you want me to. What would you like to know?”

“Whatever you are ready to share,” Mia whispers.

I don't respond but give her another quizzical look. I am not sure what Mia is insinuating, but her tone is keeping me rooted in place. There is a tingly feeling in the back of my brain.

“I'm sorry I didn't speak out about my concerns sooner. I was so worried about Mom that my brain sidetracked. I also realized that we… we are in a difficult situation. We don't have a choice but to live together right now. So, I wasn't sure if saying anything would be helpful. I saw you guys have been hanging out. I didn't really know how to take it and I didn’t think it was my place to say anything. I just had some suspicions but then I overheard you and Milo yesterday. I had to say something before I lost my nerve.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask cautiously.

“Rave,” Mia speaks slowly. “I love Milo. He is not only my brother, but he is also the only parent I have ever known. I love you too. You are my sister. But I can't understand why you are putting yourself in danger by hanging out with him instead of avoiding him?”

Mia's gaze is steady but sympathetic. She is staring at me with glossy eyes that are ready to start the floodgates once more. She is looking at me with… sadness. Immense sadness.

Mia knows.

I have no idea of what exactly she knows, but she's aware of our twisted relationship to some extent.

Like always, Mia has figured something out. She is one of the most emotionally intelligent people I have ever met. She comes off as tough, but in reality, she is extremely intuitive.

And right now, she is gearing up to something that I'm not ready to acknowledge.

She is slicing me open and reaching inside me to decode my very DNA. She is reading the sequences right out loud without my permission.

“Rave,” Mia starts again, “I love you. We all love you. No matter what happens, I want you to know that none of this is your fault. I am so sorry I insinuated otherwise. Just because Milo is my brother doesn't mean I wouldn't support you. If you want to come forward—”

“We should go downstairs for dinner,” I cut Mia off with a glare, silently willing her to shut up.

Has Mia lost her damn mind?

Did she even consider the weight of the words she was just about to utter? Words that should never be spoken out loud or in the light of day.