Page 132 of Isolation

I never explored that side of me with Milo back then. It wasn't until I came back here did I realize that I was missing a part of myself. It's ironic because that the same missing piece is the cause of my downfall at times.

Irony and paradox has always played a big factor in our story.

In the end, Milo falls for a woman who is just like the mother he resents.

In the end, Raven, who was terrified at the idea of birthing Milo’s devil spawns, creates an alternate universe to bear children for the same man because the alternate possibility is too heartbreaking.

I stand in the cold and breathe in the fresh air. As the air cools my flushed skin, I spy my phone lying motionless on the deck.

I forgot about it last night, but it looks like it has been left out on the porch all night long.

Walking over, I grab my phone and… find several missed calls from Reid.

Along with several texts, asking to call him back.

Even an email.

My phone is almost dead. Instead of calling Reid back, I rush home, taking quick footsteps.

Marching to my room, I lock the door behind me and plug my charger into the phone.

I sit down to read the email first. It’s a long email and from the looks of it, a very eloquent one.

Reid starts the email talking about the very first memory of his life. It’s of me. Not of his parents. Not of his siblings. But it’s a memory of me.

The very first memory etched on his mind is of us eating chocolates in my bed when we were three years old.

I remember because it’s also my first memory. We weren’t allowed to eat sugar, but we stole some from the pantry.

Reid talks about how he can’t remember a single day in his life when he wasn’t in love with me.

He talks about the day we decided to call each other with corny names: stud and beautiful. We saw it in a movie. It started off as a joke. We were being cheesy. Soon it was abnormal not to say it to refer to the other.

Reid also talks about how miserable he is without me, how incomplete he feels, how he feels like a walking corpse all the time. He has been spending his days drinking and smoking pot.

The email goes on to discuss the day he caught me with Milo. It tore him up. It crushed him to such an extent that he didn’t think he could ever recover.

He explains how awful that visual was, and the consequent moments when he had to watch me sleep in Milo’s arms. It drove him to the difficult decision to leave this house after my Dad confirmed that my concussion was mild. He couldn’t bear to see us together.

I understand his decision. I am not sure why he is explaining himself. He doesn’t have to.

However, when I get to the last two paragraphs of the email, his explanation connects.

I had to leave. I couldn’t watch you with him. All this time I thought you chose him over me. That was before Mia told me what happened. I am sorry. I am so so sorry. I didn’t know what he was doing to you. I had no idea what my own brother was capable of. I can’t believe Milo is so fucked up in the head. I should have seen it sooner. It all makes sense now why you suddenly left New York and why you didn’t want to move back to that house.

Please forgive me, Rave. I should have been the one to protect you. Instead, I left you there. Milo will pay for what he did. I will be there as soon as I can.

I love you,

Reid

I read the last two paragraphs three more times before the shock finally wears off.

Fuck, Mia. What have you done?

With shaky hands, I tap the call icon and fumble with the phone. I drop the phone twice.

I finally take a deep breath. I have to be somewhat rational to deal with this and calm Reid down from whatever he plans to do right now.