Page 71 of Quarantined
She heard me.She heard me while I was in his locked room, doing God knows what, at the time she heard us. Shame is not the only thing coursing through my blood. Fear comes next.
"What did you tell Reid?"
Mia scoffs. "Are you asking if I divulged my suspicions to him? No, I haven't. I wouldn't do that."
I let out a sigh of relief. In a small voice, I manage to croak out, "Thank you. It's not what you think. I can explain."
"Did you sleep with Milo?" She asks again.
Mia thinks I am a virgin. I was the one who gave Mia her sex talk. Even if she saw me or heard me, it's believable that we have abstained from sex. I am not sure if I can dodge all the lines of questioning from Mia. So, I leave a little window open. She did catch me in a compromising situation. I might have to admit to some things while avoiding the larger truth.
"I stayed in his bed a few times."
"But you didn't have sex."
"No." I can't meet Mia's eyes. I fix my focus on the closed door behind her. I don't know what to say or how to begin to explain. Mia does it for me; her blue eyes are gleaming with anger.
"You know Rave, when you joined our family, I was ecstatic. I was so excited to finally have a sister. I just didn't know it was going to be at the price of destroying our family."
I open my mouth to gape at Mia. I feel like I have been struck. Before I can formulate a word, Mia continues her crusade.
"We all loved you: my dad, Reid, me, even my sick mom. And obviously, Milo liked you too," she sneers. "I always wondered about that crush. I just thought you were smarter than letting it get this far."
Dear Lord! She also thinks I have a crush on Milo, and I am chasing him. I am sitting on the bed, as Mia looks down at me with disgust. A look I never thought would be directed towards me.
"Please stop." I am on the verge of tears. I can deal with her words, but that look she is wearing on her face. I can't deal with that.
"No. You need to listen to what I have to say. I might be young but I am not stupid. I get that your parents left you. But so did mine. I might not act like it, but I also had to grow up sooner than my own age. You can't use the victim card to get out of this."
"I am no…"
"Shut up, Raven," Mia says through gritted teeth, as she cuts me off. She has already put a knife in my heart. All that's left to do is twist it. And Mia is on it.
I know how ruthless she can be when she wants to be. I have seen her cut down enough nannies who have dared to walk through the door. I thought I would never be on the receiving end of her sharp tongue. Never has arrived.
I know she is well-spoken and can utilize her words to her advantage. Mia used to be scared of public speaking. In Milo's usual fix-it mode, he enrolled her in a Toastmasters for Kids program. The organization gave her a fierce confidence and an extensive vocabulary.
Mia walks closer and takes a seat on my desk chair. She looks at me for a long while, as if choosing her next words carefully. "Milo used to tuck me into bed every night. When he left for college, he still did it on the days he was here. Once you moved in, I'd notice you often standing at my doorway, enviously staring at us while Milo tucked me in."
I open my mouth to tell her I wasn't jealous of Mia because she got Milo's attention. Not at all. I was sad. Mia hadsomeone to look out for her. Someone who cared enough to tuck her in. I'd watch Milo talk to Mia. He'd ask about her day and what she learned in school. It made me miss my parents and the good old days, when they used to tuck me into bed.
I'm not able to explain my side to Mia. She glares at me, effectively silencing me. I lower my eyes. A thirteen-year-old is making me feel like I am on a time out.
"Reid used to die of jealousy. He hated how you worshipped Milo. All the girls we knew used to flirt with Milo. Reid thought it was funny, till you gave Milo all of your attention. He hated losing your attention to Milo."
Like the whole world, Mia has also misunderstood my feelings. Or so I think, till her next words.
"I knew you weren't staring at Milo tucking me in because you were pining after him. You were sad about your parents and jealous that someone cared enough to do that for me. You craved the attention Milo gave us. Reid didn't see it that way."
I am surprised at Mia's awareness of the situation. She always takes things lightly. I didn't realize she was so perceptive.
Mia's voice turns soft and husky; I can barely hear her next words. But I do not dare interrupt her, to ask her to speak up. "The more Reid saw your behavior, the more his personality changed for the worse. Jealousy made him into a completely different person. Angry. Lashing out. Rebellious. He and Milo used to be so close. Reid looked up to Milo. But they completely drifted apart once you moved in. You and Reid are attached to each other in such a codependent way. Without you, Reid doesn't know who he is. So he hated Milo for taking you away. You broke their bond."
I snap my eyes back to Mia. She is still shooting daggers at me with her eyes, silently daring me to make a sound. Having learned my place, I stay quiet.
"I didn't hate you, even though you were breaking my family apart. I knew it wasn't intentional. I assumed you'd snap out of it and realize Milo is just a person, not this God or idea that you made him out to be. Milo was forced into a difficult role at an early age. He stepped up to the plate. We all love him for it. He is the best person I know."
Mia swings my revolving chair side to side and shakes her head. "But he can't live up to these unrealistic expectations of the person you think he is. You were too engrossed, in the version of him you created in your head, to notice that he is just a man capable of weaknesses. You followed him around like a puppy, ready to do his bidding. Every month, every year, it just got worse."
