Page 59 of Isolation

CHAPTER 7

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Raven

The door to Milo’s room is slightly ajar. None of the “kids” in the house knock when they enter each other’s rooms. So, if you are indecent, your door better be shut and locked. If your door is slightly ajar, it’s an open invitation for the other siblings to enter.

Nonetheless, I peek through his open door before making my way inside. I have been tasked with waking up Milo… by Milo himself. He knows that I don’t sleep much so it was a sure way to receive a wake up call.

Milo might chide me for my sleep schedule, but my nights have become very productive. For example, I ended up working all of last night with my mother. I received too many dress orders and enlisted her help to finish on time. Mom’s work ethic is solid, and she is good with her hands. Maybe we can still have our mother-daughter duo team one-day.

With Mom’s assistance, I was able to ship out all of the outfits earlier this morning. Afterward, I came straight here. Milo has a meeting today that he cannot be late for. But he also put in a late-night and was worried about sleeping through his alarm.

Milo is sprawled out on the bed under the covers, his unconscious body is reflecting mental mixed with physical exhaustion. Looking at his sleep-deprived state, I don’t have the heart to wake him up.

According to my watch, he can probably get away with sleeping for thirty more minutes, forty-five minutes maximum if he doesn’t deem a shower necessary for a video conference meeting. I decide to wait until the last possible second to wake him up.

As I wait out the clock, I take in the condition of the room. Milo is very clean, but this room is… it’s not messy but not up to his usual standard—no doubt due to his schedule.

As quietly as I can, I start to clean up. By the time I take his hamper to the laundry room to throw in a load, at least twenty minutes has passed. I come back to his room to find him sleeping through his alarm. I wait ten more minutes before waking him up.

“Milo,” I coax him gently.

“Mmm.” He barely moves.

“Get up, Milo.” I give him a shake.

“Was going on?” he asks with his eyes still closed.

“I’m here to wake you up.”

“For work?”

I look at him sadly. “Unfortunately.”

“Perk of being your own boss is setting your own hours,” he mumbles in his sleep.

I laugh at the nonsensical sentence that actually comes out coherently. “Yes,” I agree. “It is. Butyou,the boss, set a meeting that you are about to be late for.”

Milo opens his eyes, still looking hazy as hell and too fucking exhausted.

He closes his eyes again. “Okay. Two more minutes.”

I let out a deep sigh. Milo’s sleep schedule is established based on his work schedule. It’s clearly catching up to him.

I pull out the new phone. It was a gift from Milo. Actually, it wasn’t exactly a gift. He destroyed my last phone and replaced it with this one, albeit this phone is nicer.

Swiping my phone screen to unlock it, I text Alexa.

Rave: Good Morning! So, Milo has a meeting in twenty minutes.

I wait a few minutes, but I don’t receive a response. I know Alexa also worked late alongside Milo, so she might be sleeping as well. All the same, I send her one more text.

Rave: I was wondering if you know anything about this meeting?

I sigh in relief when I get her response.

Alexa: Morning! Of course I do. Why? What’s going on?