Page 18 of Isolation

But it won’t be. Nothing will be okay now.

When my parents left, I was sad, but I could deal with it. When Milo and I didn’t speak, I was devastated, but I could deal with it. When I was apart from Reid, I spiraled. He did too.

We don’t know who we are without each other.

I slowly untangle myself from his hold. “Has anyone spoken to him?” I ask.

“No, but we have all called and texted him,” he explains. “Reid just needs some space.”

“Milo,” I say softly, “Reid has a pattern of drinking himself half to death. Do you remember the time Reid and I got into a fight? He drank so much that we found him passed out on the street. What if he does something equally as stupid? Have you considered that?”

“I have,” Milo admits. “I called everyone we know to see if they have heard from him. I even sent someone to his dorm to check if he is there. There is only so much I can do.”

“You can tell him that we are not together,” my eyes flip up with hope. “Reid is upset because he doesn’t want us together. We can tell everyone that we played a bad prank. Everyone can text Reid to tell him what he saw wasn’t true—”

“I am not going to do that,” he cuts me offas if it's the end of discussion.

I don't bother pressing the matter. It's pointless, and it’s fucking distressing. My migraine is out of control, and arguing with him is futile.

I feel suffocated after being back in this house for less than a week. Moving back was a bad decision.

I need to find a way out of this house.

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Milo

Raven started withdrawing the moment her medications wore off.

MyRaven, who has been sleeping in my arms, is gone. Now, she is looking for a way out of this house.

Fuck that.

When Raven doesn’t respond, I explain the situation in the way her logical brain can process.

“Our families already think we are together. They had barely gotten over the shock of catching us in the act when half the house heard you climax last night. We can't pass that off as a prank.”

Raven looks at me in mortification, but I hold up a hand.

“I tried to quiet you down, but you wouldn’t listen. Now that they know about us, why don’t we work on fixing things between us?”

“There is nofixingthis, Milo,” she replies in a defeated voice.“You haven’t changed. You still had sex with me after I told you to stop. How can you think there is any coming back from that?”

“Obviously, there is because you still reciprocate every time.”

Raven seethes, but instead of blasting me, she says something worse, “Whatever. Just find Reid.”

Not this again. Every time she mentions him or pines for him, I feel the familiar surge of anger clawing inside. I reach for Raven’s arms and slowly start to flex my fingers in till I hear her take a sharp inhale.

“How long have you known about what Reid feels for you?”

Raven is tight-lipped about what they discussed before I moved back, but her tense look is telling.

I really shouldn’t push her while she has a concussion, but… “Do not rile me up by continuing to talk about him,” I growl in a low voice.“Youare insane if you think he is coming anywhere near you again.”

“What!" Raven exclaims in shock. "You can’t do that. You can't keep him from me!"

“I sure as hell can."