Page 60 of Milo
Niall swallows with a click and looks at me uneasily. “Let’s not go over old history,” he says quickly. He looks at Gideon. “If you want to go away, why not take Jacinta?”
“I don’t want Jacinta. I want you.”
My head shoots up and I watch as he and Niall exchange a whole conversation with their eyes. I feel shut out and isolated, but then Niall’s hand comes down on my thigh holding tight and I remind myself that he wants me here. I’m not an interloper. My brother is.
My brother changes tack with that dazzling ability to switch emotions he uses so well on the stage. “Let’s go to the chalet.”
“What chalet?” I ask before I can stop myself.
“Niall’s chalet in Verbier.”
I blink. “I didn’t know you had a chalet,” I say slowly.How can I not know this?We’ve seen each other every day for years, not to mention been sleeping together lately. My brother looks almost jubilant at my lack of knowledge but Niall just shrugs.
“I thought you knew. But now I think about it, it was way before you came here. Silas sold me the chalet when he inherited the estate. He couldn’t afford to keep it anymore with the things that needed doing here.”
“That must have cost a lot.”
“I bought it with my inheritance from my grandfather and asked my brother to pay me out of my share of Dad’s estate.” He shrugs as if that means nothing.
“I bet you paid top whack though,” I say cautiously.
He grins, looking almost embarrassed. “Of course. Silas needed the money.”
“And did you even want a chalet?”
He shrugs, looking bashful. “Honestly, it had never occurred to me, but if Silas ever mentions it to you, make sure that you say how I’ve always wanted one desperately.” I laugh and look at him affectionately only to find him staring at me,seemingly transfixed. My brother clears his throat and Niall jerks. “Anyway, I do love skiing and the place is gorgeous. It’s really homely and comfortable.”
“I’m surprised you’ve never been there,” my brother says smugly, pushing his bowl away and sitting back in his chair. “Niall goes all the time.”
“Not all the time,” Niall says quickly, obviously hearing the note of challenge that was directed at me in that statement. “I haven’t been in ages.”
“Well, we should go as soon as possible,” my brother says smoothly. “Come on, Niall. We can go and ski all day. You need a holiday.”
Niall looks at me. “Funnily enough, Silas has just given me a week off.” My brother whoops and I feel my stomach tumble to the floor.
I swallow hard and gather my dignity. “Well, there you are. That’s all sorted. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.”
“What do you mean that I’ll have a wonderful time?” Niall asks, his hand tightening on my leg to stop me getting up. “You’ll be there too.”
My ‘what’ is drowned out by my Gideon’s ‘really’ but Niall grins happily. “It’s perfect. Silas said he’d given you the time off too. I was going to suggest going away together, and this is even better.” He grins at me, looking flushed and happy. “I can’t wait to show you the place. You’ll love it, and you’re a good skier from what I can remember.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I start to say and hesitate when I see the joy drain from his face.
“Oh please, Milo. It’ll be brilliant. Please.”
I waver, looking for some reason at Gideon who is gazing at me steadily, a hint of a challenge there. In all my years as his brother, I’ve never challenged him. I always accepted what he said and did as he told me because he knew more than me andwas more forceful. I’ve never questioned his authority until now. Now, when he’s coveting someone I’m coming to care for.
My thoughts veer away from that thought at light speed, but something makes me straighten my spine and smile at Niall. “That sounds good. Let’s do it.”
“Really?” he asks joyously. He hugs me and I close my eyes for a second, lost in the heat and scent of him. “It’ll be amazing, Milo.”
“I hope so,” I whisper.
Verbier is pretty in the twilight. I peer out of the windows of the minivan at the village square where shop fronts glow gold and strings of fairy lights shine, their dancing colours bright against the whiteness of the snow. People are everywhere on the main street, walking along in their colourful skiing gear. Someone opens the door of a bar and I can hear the distant sound of oompah music across the chatter of the pedestrians. And above it all are the dark mountains that loom over the tiny village like hovering parents at a children’s party.
A warm hand comes down over my knee and I turn to see Niall smiling at me. “Okay?” he asks.
I grin at the look of suppressed excitement on his face. “It’s so pretty.”
