Page 76 of Milo
Chapter
Sixteen
Your past is your past. I mean, yours is more colourful than a bumper box of Crayola, but that’s you.
Milo
That evening I come down the staircase at the main house and come to a stop. Niall is there dressed elegantly in a slim-cut charcoal-grey suit with a white shirt. But so are Oz and Silas. Oz has a massive grin on his face and Niall just looks resigned, leaning against the stairwell with his arms folded across his chest.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Niall turns. “I want you to know, Lo, that while I think you’re totally worth it, it’s at times like these that this belief is sorely tested.”
Oz snorts and I shake my head. “Were they taking the piss out of you, sweetie?” I ask, coming up next to him and sliding my arm around his waist.
Oz’s eyes flick to the movement and he opens his mouth as if to say something but then at the last minute, he obviously decides not to.
“Are you alright?” I ask curiously, and he flushes.
“Perfectly okay, thank you. Why?”
“I think the fact that your jaw has stopped working is causing us all some concern,” Niall drawls, and Oz sends him a fulminating glare.
“Gah! I can’t stand it. You’re both so cute together and I feel my heart get warm when I look at you.”
“Ugh!” I say concisely and Niall shudders.
“You can say that again, Milo. Personally, I think I prefer the acid sarcasm to that.”
Oz nods sadly. “I know. You’ve broken me.” He heaves a sigh. “Silas, I’ll be watching Hallmark films next and choosing birthday cards that have nice sayings and heartfelt verses on them.”
“What, like the card you sent me for my birthday?” Niall says. “The one with the highly touching words, ‘Happy birthday, you gigantic twat’ on it?”
Oz chortles, his eyes merry. “Niall, you’re so sweet at the moment that Barbara Cartland would have denounced you for being too much.”
“And on that note, we’re out,” Niall says quickly, grabbing my arm and towing me after him. We stop as Silas calls Niall’s name.
Niall turns. “I would just like to say, Silas, that I appreciate how mature you are being, unlike your small prat of a partner. What do you want?”
Silas smiles widely. “I just want to know your intentions, Niall. Are you able to support Milo in the manner to which he is accustomed? After all, Milo is our own very precious flower and we don’t like to think of anyone bruising his petals.”
“Oh my God,” Niall groans and marches us out, followed by Silas and Oz who are laughing so hard they’re having to hold each other up.
“Have him home by eleven o’clock and not a second later, young sir. And no funny business on the way home,” Oz shouts, making Silas laugh even harder.
Niall raises two fingers at them, and the last sight we have of them is them clutching each other and laughing like hyenas.
When we’re in the car I look at him and start to laugh. He has a slightly jaundiced expression on his face. “You okay?”
He grins wryly and shakes his head. “I was owed that.”
I think back to the times he took the piss out of Silas for his dating techniques and nod. “You were owed a lot more than that, actually.” I look around at the countryside slipping by, forest green and dun-coloured under the driving rain. “Where are we going?”
“St Ives. There’s a gorgeous seafood restaurant there and then I’ve got a surprise.”
“Is it sexual?” I ask huskily, sliding one hand down his thigh.
He makes a noise like an outraged old lady and takes my hand off his thigh. I stare at him and catch the smirk on his full mouth. “Hands off, Milo. This is our first date. I don’t put out that quickly.”
