Page 54 of Quarantined
“Hello! Anyone home?” I hear Reid’s unmistakable voice carry through the hallway. This is my worst nightmare. Now I wish it were an intruder instead.
“Shit,” I whisper. “You need to leave.”
Milo glares at me.
“Milo, you need to go to your room.”
“No,” he says curtly.
Does he want his little brother to find us like this? I don’t know what to do. I can hear Reid moving around the house. If Reid comes in here… this scene looks bad. Because it is bad.
I straighten my clothes and run towards the door. If Milo won’t leave, I will. I have to find Reid before he comes here looking for me. Trying to act as casual as I can, I walk down the stairs.
“Hello, stud. I see someone found their way out of Paris.”
“Hello, beautiful.”
I jump into Reid’s open arms for a hug as he lifts me up into the air. “How was your flight?”
“So fucking long. I am beat.”
I hear Milo coming down the stairs as well. I can’t turn around to face him.
“Hey scamp.” Milo comes around to hug Reid, completely ignoring me.
“If I am a scamp then you are an old man.”
“I like being an old man.” Milo points towards himself. “You hungry? I made dinner, but Rave and I never got around to it.”
Was that an innocent comment or a backhanded one? I don’t know what’s going on with Milo.
All three of us sit down for dinner. Deciding to focus on Reid instead of Milo, I try to shut down my brain. Throughout dinner, I do my best to act normal, laughing and joking, teasing Reid.
Inside, I am nothing but a mix of turmoil and chaos.
CHAPTER 6
September 7th, 2015
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Raven
It’s Labor Day. True to Sinclair family tradition, there is a full-blown all-day barbecue in effect. We are all piled into the kitchen and patio area.
Usually, Milo insists that our parties stay contained downstairs. This rule is to remain in place till every member of the family is sixteen years old, which basically means until Mia turns sixteen. As if that is the magical age to become a responsible partygoer.
But one day a year, on Labor Day, Milo allows guests to roam free in the house. After all, it’s just a barbecue during the day. Not as threatening with acts of debaucheries that will affect his impressionable younger sister.
Like every year, we have invited neighbors, school friends, family friends, and Milo’s college friends. He has more friends than Reid, Mia, and I combined.
Everybody loves him and everyone looks up to him. I don’t know one person who dislikes Milo. His easy-going vibe makes his presence extremely attractive. My heart swells with pride when I think of the person that he is. He is also going to be hugely successful once his app launches next year. As if he needed more bait. As if anyone ever had the power to resist his charm.
Including myself, apparently.
I haven’t yet wrapped my mind around the loss of my innocence to Milo. Luckily, Reid came home the very next night. It was a much-needed distraction.
The night Reid got home, we stayed up all night playing video games. And the very next day, we left for the Hamptons. Janeen's family owns a house in the Hamptons and allowed her to invite a bunch of her school friends. I spent some much-needed time away from the city, allowing me an escape from my new reality – that I was deflowered by Milo.
