“What the hell is your problem, Milo? It’s me, remember?” River snaps, slamming his hand against his chest to drive his point home. “We’ve been friends for years––”
“And yet you stabbed me in the back.”
Dropping his head back in frustration, he mutters, “I didn’t––”
Milo’s scoff cuts him off. “Yeah, you did. I know how you treat women, Riv. It’s the same way Sonny treats women. The same way I do. Hell, even Jake isn’t a saint, and he’s nothing compared to you. Why the hell do you think I would ever want an asshole like you for my sister?”
“I might’ve been an asshole to other girls, but they’ve always known exactly what they were getting when they climbed into my bed.”
“And that makes it okay for you to mess with Reese?” Milo’s sneer makes my stomach churn with acid before he laughs darkly. “Not a chance in Hell.”
“You guys––” I interrupt.
“Not now,” they bark in unison.
Practically vibrating with anger, River refuses to back down and steps forward, getting right up in Milo’s face and holding his piercing gaze with his own. He’s already had the crap kicked out of him once today, and I’m terrified to watch him get hit again.
Because he won’t fight back.
Not physically, anyway. Sure, he’ll stand up for himself in an attempt to explain his point of view, but I think a small part of him believes he deserves the broken nose my brother gifted him with.
Trembling, I fold my arms as my focus bounces between the two most important men in my life while I pray this conversation won’t end in more blows like it did this morning.
This is so messed up.
But I get what River’s trying to do. He’s trying to make Milo listen to him, no matter how hard it is. And I need Milo to listen too. I need him to understand that we weren’t trying to hurt him. I need him to see that this is more than a fling to us. So much more.
Listen to him, Milo, I silently beg. But I don’t waste my breath.
“You don’t get it,” River tells him, his voice bleeding sincerity. “Reese isn’t just some girl from SeaBird. Not to me.”
“Bullshit––”
“Do you think I made my decision lightly when I hooked up with her?” Riv crowds Milo even more until their chests are almost touching. But my brother refuses to back down, his face still red with anger.
Careful, Riv.
“I didn’t want her for a casual lay, Milo. Do you honestly think I care that little about her, let alone the years we’ve been friends?”
With a deathly calm voice, Milo murmurs, “Careful, River. I’ve already messed up your face once today, and we both know how much you care about your pretty boy appearance.”
“I don’t give a shit about my face, Milo. I screwed up, okay? I should’ve told you, and that’s on me. But I care about her. She’s it for me, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life treating Reese the way she deserves because after all the shit she’s been through, she’s earned it. And isn’t that all you want for her?”
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I turn to Milo. But it isn’t my brother in front of me anymore. Stone cold expression. Fists tight. But a storm raging just beneath the surface.
And even though I know it would kill him if I ever voiced it aloud, he looks just like our father in this moment. Right before Milo would tell me to go to my room and lock the door. Right before I knew that I’d wake up to see his body bruised and broken. Right before I’d curl into a ball and cry for hours, wishing I was as strong as my older brother instead of his little sister, who needed protecting.
I pushed him here. I turned him into the monster he’s loathed more than anything else in the world. And just like all those times when we were younger, I’m paralyzed. I can’t find my voice. I can’t move a freaking muscle. So I watch. And I wait. For the fallout. The yelling. And the moment when my brother steps into his father’s shoes.
It’s all my fault.
All my fault.
My fault.
“Milo,” I whisper.
His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat. Then his gaze slides from River to me, and the first spark of hope ignites inside of me.
Please, Milo, I silently beg. Please forgive me. Forgive him. Give us a chance. Don’t fight this with hate. And resentment. And every other toxic trait you were taught to embrace as a kid.
“I’m going to work,” he mutters, turning away from me. His keys glint in the dying sunlight as he dismisses us and strides toward his bike while simultaneously ending the conversation before it’s barely even begun.
Grabbing his arm, River prevents Milo from escaping as he pleads, “What can I do to fix this?”
Milo’s gaze slides down to where River is touching him. His jaw tightens, and his nostrils flare.
“Milo,” I plead.
“Stay away from my sister,” he breathes. “And don’t step a foot inside SeaBird tonight.”
And just like that, the tiny spark fizzles into a plume of smoke while the truth hits me square in the chest.
We’ll never get his blessing.
River drops his hand to his side, releasing his hold on my brother and any hope we had that Milo would forgive us. No one moves a muscle as Milo stalks toward his bike then throws his leg over the side of it before the rumble of his engine shakes me to my core.
River and Gibson stay frozen in place. The silence is deafening before Jake’s seat belt in the back of the car clicks into place and makes me jump.
“I’ll talk to him,” he mutters behind me.
My gaze stays glued to the windshield. “You don’t have to.”
With a sigh, he lifts his chin at Gibbs. “Let’s get you guys to work.”
I hesitate and turn to River as Gibson climbs behind the wheel. His hands are tucked into the front pockets of his jeans as he tilts his head toward his truck parked beside Gibson’s beater. “I’ll talk to you later, okay, Reese?”
Nodding, tears well in my eyes, but I blink them away. “Okay.”
I love you.
40
Reese
My knee bounces up and down as we pull into SeaBird’s parking lot a little while later. The sky is dark and angry, but only a few droplets of rain have fallen. For some reason, it seems to match my inner turmoil all too well.
“You okay?” Gibbs asks, turning off the ignition.
“Not really.”
“Give him time,” Jake tells me. Then he opens the backdoor of Gibson’s car and climbs out. Gibbs and I follow suit and head to the side entrance without another word when Jake pauses before stepping over the threshold.
Digging out his cell from his front pocket, Jake’s brows furrow as he recognizes the caller. “I’ll be there in a sec. It’s my professor.”
“No worries,” I return. “I’ll save you a booth.”
The music is already pounding through the bar as we slip into the break room and put our stuff in our lockers.
“Hey!” Ashton calls as soon as he sees us. “Gibbs, will you grab some more Jameson and a case of the local stouts from the storage room? We’re running low.”