AS I STEPPED INTO the cute coffee shop, the bell atop the door chiming, I braced myself for seeing him, taking in a deep breath. I checked the time on my phone, which read that it was exactly half past nine. I looked around the shop, searching to see if he was here already.
Spotting him in the back corner, I slowly strolled towards him, my heart skipping a beat with each step. When I reached the table, I pulled out the chair across from his and calmly lowered myself down in front of him, trying to maintain a nonchalant posture.
He looked up from his screen, turning it off and placing it face down on the table. I offered him a soft smile, "Hey, thanks for meeting me. I didn't think you'd actually oblige."
"I know what you're thinking, but whether you like it or not, I'll always be at a time and place for you no matter what," Milo admitted, staring at me the entire time he uttered those words that made butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach.
I cleared my throat, averting his gaze as I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, "Well, I don't know about that after today, but I wanted to need to tell you something I learned, and I think you deserve to know too."
I took in a deep breath, preparing for the worst as I slowly began to reveal everything to Milo, how Nicole cheated on him while we were in New York and my recent encounter with James. His hand, which was resting on the table, began to ball into a fist as his eyebrows drew together, eyes turning dark with anger. I reached across the table and gently laid my hand on top of his. His face began to relax, looking down at our hands, which made him slowly release his fist and deeply exhale as he looked away.
"Milo, I know what I just told you was a lot but think before you do anything, okay?" I said sternly with compassion.
"That bastard. I swear, he always somehow finds a way to fuck up my life," Milo shook his head as he looked down. It seemed like Milo was trying to find the words for another one of his thoughts. Probably to say 'I told you so' to me.
He scoffed once again, "And the way he treated you. Is he fucking serious? How old is he, ten? I'll never forgive him for treating you like that, and I mean never."
As I rolled in my lips, the gravity of his words made me feel a bit warm inside. It made me feel protected in a way.
"I swear if I see him anytime soon, I might just beat his ass right then and there," Milo growled.
"Please don't. He's not worth it," I begged, my hand still lingering on his as I give him a small squeeze.
Once again, he released a deep exhale, his Adam's apple bobbing after. "I can't believe she cheated on me. We've been together for nearly a year and a half now and she cheated." Milo shook his head, unable to believe it himself. I could feel his distraught state as he looked out into the street, trying to comprehend everything.
"I'm sorry, I need to go," Milo said, picking up his things quickly. The comfy cafe became stuffy and overwhelming for Milo.
I placed my hand on his forearm, stopping him, "Are you going to see Nicole?" Even though they should talk soon, I know Milo shouldn't confront her now, especially in the state he's in.
"No, I'll see her later, but right now, I just need to get out of here and clear my head. I'll see you back at the campus, yeah?" He quickly stood up and was about to leave but I stopped him again.
"Can I come with you?" I spoke softly, looking up at him. "We don't need to talk." I also needed to clear my head after everything that happened lately. It was like no matter what happened in my life, no matter how shitty things became, I could never find a single moment of peace where everything was normal like before.
But also, more importantly, I wanted to make sure that nothing happened to Milo while he was like this. I didn't want his feelings to come in the way where he'd put himself in danger.
He looked hesitant, thinking for a moment. "Please?" I begged, eyes pleading for his agreement.
His lips rolled in before slowly nodding, "Okay."
â
THE DRIVE to nowhere in particular had an...interesting feeling lingering in the air. Since being together in the cafe, we hadn't said a word to each other, just pure silence. We'd been in the car for at least fifteen minutes already before Milo made a right, finding ourselves in a residential area. Various songs flew out the radio quietly, filling up the quiet.
With one hand on the top of the steering wheel and the other resting in his lap, Milo looked more visibly relaxed than earlier. He still seemed emotional but was starting to calm down a bit.
After a few minutes, houses slowly disappeared behind us and became scarce the more we drove. Tall, bushy trees became more prominent and soon all I could see was nothing but trees. With every passing second, I wanted to ask Milo where we were headed but decided against it, enjoying the peace and quiet.
The car soon came to a halt as Milo placed it in park, twisting the key in the ignition to turn the car off. We both stepped out and I slowly took in my surroundings. The trees shaded the ground, making the air cool. Milo waited at the hood of the car as I made my way to him, feeling a bit calmer already.
Milo led the way as I followed beside him, slowly strolling along the dirt path. I glanced at Milo to my left. His eyebrows were slightly pulled together as he looked around aimlessly, deep in thought.
We walked in silence for a solid ten minutes when finally, my curiosity got to me, "What is this place?"
"A hiking trail, I guess. I found it when I took a wrong turn one day." He looked up at the trees, taking in the scene.
"It's nice and peaceful," I said in awe.
He looked at me as I offered a small smile, the curves of his lips lifting a bit. Milo turned his head forward, staring at the dirt path ahead of us, "I know, sometimes I come here when things get a bit overwhelming. It helps me clear my head and calms me down."
We continued to walk in silence for twenty more minutes before appearing at a pond. Lilypads with lotus flowers decorated the surface of the water, the water clear and still, showing a smooth surface. A thin layer of moss covered the smooth rocks that bordered the pond.
A stone bench sat in front of the pond, a few cracks here and there due to its age. As we lowered ourselves onto it, I gripped the seat with both hands beside me, my lips rolling in as I aimlessly swished dirt around with my shoe.
I knew it wasn't exactly my place to ask, but I was dying to know, "So what happens now?"
Milo exhaled, his lips relaxed. "I don't know," he manages to say.
I knew I'd be pushing it by speaking my next thought aloud.
"Are you still gonna stay with her?"Â I turn my head to look at him, his eyes trained to the ground.
"Maybe?" He said with a questioning and confused tone. "I don't know honestly." His hands rake through his hair before he rests his elbows on his knees, head in his hands, "My head's still in a daze and I don't know what to think or do."
I just couldn't understand why Nicole would cheat on Milo. He was gentle, considerate, good looking, smelled nice, and his personality was a rare gem, having the ability to make me smile at nearly any joke he cracked. He was an overall gentleman and an ideal boyfriend.
"Well if there's anything you need to say to get it off your mind, I'm all ears," I offered a small smile, trying to comfort him to the best of my ability.
"You sure? I don't want to burden you with my problems. You already have enough on your plate as it is." He shifted a bit to face me. My chest tightened as if an air bubble was trapped as I took in his dark chocolate eyes, heart beginning to beat just a tad faster.
"Of course, you'll never be a burden to me."
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A/N: hello! I've been in a weird mood, so if the ending sounds a bit different, I'm sorry. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Also, this book hit #1 in the "heartbreak" category! It may not be as big of a category as teen romance or others like that, but honestly thank you so much for taking a chance on this book! â¡
-Karlee ð