“Prue, I…I don’t know. I can’t—”
I scream into my hands, interrupting him. “This is—You are—” Shaking my head, I groan as a thousand thoughts fail to find the right phrasing. “You are supposed to be my friend. We’re supposed to trust each other! That’s the whole point of—”
“I am your friend,” Milo interrupts forcefully. “I am, I just—”
“What?”
“Tom confided in me and I didn’t—”
“Isthis”—Igesture between us—“is this even real? I thought wecould trust each other, Milo. I trusted you! Which, yeah, maybe I shouldn’t have—I mean, you’reyouand I’mme,it was probablynevergoing to work—but I let myself think…I thought…And what was your plan? Comfort me and pretend you never knew? Leave before I found out?”
“I didn’t have a plan,” he says, looking up at the sky. “I just wanted…” His fists ball at his sides before he opens them and rubs both hands over his thighs. “What do you mean it was never going to work between—”
“No more secrets, Milo. I’m giving youonechance to tell me everything before I never speak to you again.”
“Don’t say that,” Milo says, immediately standing. “Prue, you don’t mean that. Don’t say it.”
“If you won’t even tell me now how or why orwhatis going on”—I shake my head, taking a step back as he approaches—“I won’t be able to dothisanymore…. Whatever this is.Was. I shouldn’t—I can’t.”
Milo stands still, both of his hands hold the back of his neck before his arms drop to his side. “Prue, I can’t lose you.”
I stare coldly back at him. “Then explain.”
“Tom wanted my help,” he says quickly. “He wanted me to convince you that you should leave town. He was scared you would feel trapped here once you found out. That you’d never leave because you’d feel obligated to stay and…he wanted me to help you see that there was more out there for you.”
I blink at him, confused. “I don’t understand.”
“He knew you wouldn’t consider leaving if you found out he was sick. He wanted you to decide for yourself and—”
“Let me get this straight…He wanted your helpconvincingme to leave so he could fight cancer on his own while my mom would be taken care of by strangers…And you agreed to that?”
His mouth opens and closes a few times before his eyes driftshut underneath pinched brows. “I wanted to tell you, Prue. I knew…I knew you’d want to know. I wanted to tell you the truth because I—”
“But you didn’t,” I say, looking up at him. “You didn’t tell me the truth. You lied.”
“No, I—”
“No, you did. You lied. But it’s worse than that becauseyoulet me believe that I could fix it all too, despite knowing I couldn’t. You helped me with Mom. You helped me get a better handle on things around the house…. You made it seem possible. I thought you were on my side.”
“I am on your side, Prue. I want you to stay. I want you to have your family together. I want to help. I never doubted—”
“But you’re leaving!” My lips tremble at the words. “What was I supposed to do when you left? How was I ever supposed to doallof this on my own? You let me have hope…and you—”
“Is everything all right out here?” Tracy asks, stepping through the back door. Her eyes find me first, then move to glare at Milo. “I heard shouting.”
I wipe my tears away. “Sorry, Tracy. Everything’s fine,” I say, nodding at her. “Milo was just leaving.”
“No, he wasn’t,” Milo says, not taking his eyes off me.
“It’s okay.” I smile at Tracy softly. “I’m fine, I promise.”
She looks between us hesitantly, then nods back at me. “I’m inside if you need me.”
“Thank you,” I say. I turn back toward Milo once she’s closed the door. I sniff, then straighten my posture as I look at him. “Milo, I think you should go.”
“Prue, I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be but—”
“You didn’t do it.”
