‘More lies, Milo? Really?’
‘It was Margie’s idea. I’m not allowed to write to you. I needed to see you. You’re still my girl, Erin.’
‘Stop talking like that. I am not your girl. I don’t know why you thought you could force me to come, use emotional blackmail like that. You know I only came because Ruby said I could –’
‘You came because you still care.’
Did I? In the moment, I was utterly confused. Even though I wanted to leave, I found my feet wouldn’t carry me away.
‘Every single day, I’ve thought about you,’ he said. ‘In the beginning, I tried to hate you for not believing me, but –’
‘Stop. I can’t stay if you talk like that. You lied to get me here, or Margie did, and you went along with it. You’re smarter than that, Milo. Why would you think that lying now would make me believe that you didn’t lie then?’
‘Please, I wanted to see you, to see if there was any chance –’
‘Of what?’
‘Of you believing me.’
‘There isn’t. You are a monster. You destroyed my family. My parents divorced. Ruby is an alcoholic –’
I faltered. I’d sworn to her that I would not reveal anything about her to him. The tears came.
‘I’m sorry, that’s tough, but none of it is my fault. My ma took her own life.’
‘I’m sorry about that.’
‘There’s something wrong with your sister. You didn’t lose anyone except me. Please stay a little longer. We don’t have to talk about any of that, but please, don’t go.’
I wiped the tears from my face with the back of my hand and, again, I saw the concern in Milo’s face. I sat back in the chair. ‘Your mother. She was a real lady.’ He smiled a wan smile. I had to stop myself from reaching out and putting my hand on his cheek.
‘Thanks for those care parcels. I really appreciate them.’
‘What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Sure you do. Every month? I get these parcels with candy and socks and toothbrushes, stuff like that?’
I wasn’t sure if this was another manipulation. ‘I never sent you one thing, Milo.’
He looked puzzled and then disbelieving.
‘If you say so.’
‘I do.’
He changed tack. ‘How are you, Eri? Are you still writing those amazing stories? You know how I loved them.’
I remembered that Milo never knew that the story he had submitted on my behalf had been accepted, and then withdrawn. I wasn’t going to tell him. I shook my head.
‘Why not? They were wicked smart stories. Why are you publishing other people’s stories?’ Margie clearly kept tabs on me for Milo. ‘Where are you living? Do you have room-mates?’
‘I live with my boyfriend, Fabian. We’re getting married next year,’ I lied.
His brows lowered. ‘You love him, this Fabian?’
‘With all my heart.’ My eyes skipped away.
There was a short pause and then he said, ‘Nah, you don’t love him. It would be a big mistake to marry him.’
