Page 30 of Isolation

She has no idea of the extent of my unhealthy obsession.

“I am not trying to egg you on,” she mutters.

I try to use a gentler tone as well to help salvage what I can of this conversation. “Then why work so hard to reject me? Why increase my misery? And why agree to date my fucking brother?”

Raven looks down at her interlaced hands in front of her.

“Look, my life came to a standstill the day...” Raven’s voice wavers, and she looks away. “Actually, it doesn’t matter. I was not trying to increase your misery, Milo. I just wanted to move forward with my own life. Reid gave me hope for happiness.”

“I can make you happy,” I counter under my breath. “I can give you anything you want to help you get there. I understand if you need more time to move forward. We can start by being friends. I’ll do whatever it takes—”

“I want you to help my parents,” Raven blurts out.

Not exactly what I was expecting to hear.

“Okaaay,” I start unsurely. “I am happy to. What would you like me to do for them?”

“My parents are financially struggling, and they have nowhere to go. I need assurance that you are not going to kick them out of the house or threaten their accommodation in any way, no matter how things go down between us.”

I don’t miss a beat. “Done.”

As usual, leave it to Raven to ask for something for someone else, and not for herself.

“I promise not to threaten their accommodation. It will remain as is.”

I am very aware of their financial challenges. Uncle John gave up his medical license and moved to Paris. Soon after his move, Theressa’s business started suffering.

I invested some of my trust fund money to keep her business going. In reality, it was an investment in Raven’s talent. Raven wanted to work with Theressa, and I was confident that Raven could turn the business around once she completed her degree.

However, Theressa and Uncle John declared bankruptcy before all of that could happen. They spent their life savings and had sunk too far into debt to recover. Once Theressa’s company shut down, Raven came back to New York to pursue her own career.

Dad asked both of her parents to return to America as well and move in with us until they figure it out.

There is no way Theressa could live a non-glamour life at a camp in Africa, and Uncle John cannot practice in America anymore.

I hate that Raven is worried about me kicking them out on the streets. I would never do that, but I am not going to argue if in exchange she agrees to an amicable understanding.

I don’t bother telling her I have already decided to give them a loan that I don’t expect them to pay back.

“Thank you,” Raven nods her acknowledgment.

“Anything I can do for you?” I ask. Raven looks at me quizzically at the suggestion. “I know you want to start your own line. If you need the capital—”

“I don’t want your money,” she says quickly.

Raven has already declined my money multiple times despite how broke she is currently. I wire transferred money into her account so her bills wouldn’t get rejected. Raven was not happy about it.

I give her a comforting smile. “It doesn’t have to be financial assistance, Raven. Moving forward, I just want you to be happy at the house if you are going to be living there.”

“I am only staying at the house temporarily,” Raven corrects me on cue, but takes a moment to think about my offer. “Umm… is it possible to rip out the carpet in my room and replace it with something else?”

“Of course,” I try to keep up a neutral face even though I am shocked by her random request.

Raven is not into home decor, nor is she OCD about carpet versus hardwood floors. But I am not going to pry right now.

“Anything specific that you want to change about your room?”

“Anything other than that carpet,” she utters. “Tiles. Hardwood floors. I don’t care.”