Three months after their breakup, Milo would occasionally think of Averi, especially when his girlfriend acted coy, playing dumb and crying.
After the heat of the moment, he went out to the balcony to smoke.
Zoie, wearing a sheer nightgown that left little to the imagination, leaned in, her chest pressing against his arm. "Milo, what are you thinking about?"
Milo didn't answer. He just held the cigarette up to her lips. 'Want one?' he asked."
Zoie giggled and pulled away, "I don't smoke.""
Milo let out a sound that resembled a laugh, pulled back his hand, and slapped himself.
Zoie looked at him, her expression a mix of confusion and innocence.
Sometimes, that look made him feel exhilarated, and sometimes it bored him to no end. Right now, it was the latter.
Milo patted her face. "Go lie down first. I'll be in after I finish this one."
Zoie obediently nodded. "Mm, I'll wait for you to shower together."
This time, she didn't overthink it."
Not stupid at all, Milo thought.
At times like this, he'd think of Averi, that face he couldn't read, but it was only for a moment.
The next time he heard the name Averi, it was at a mahjong gathering at Skyler Poole's.
Skyler made a couple of "eh eh" sounds and said, "Milo, what exactly did you do to Averi to hurt him like that?"
Milo looked at him, completely puzzled.
"Stop playing innocent. If he hadn't suffered such a huge setback because of you, would Averi have spiraled into this mess?"
Having been inexplicably blamed, Milo wasn't angry at all. Instead, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction, though he couldn't quite explain why. "Cut the sarcasm, just say it."
Skyler stopped arranging the tiles. "You really don't know?"
"Know what?"
Skyler began from the beginning. "Last Saturday, my cousin had a birthday party at the Forbes family hotel. Averi came to deliver a gift, and I saw a man get out of the same car as her and wait by the door for her. At first, I thought he was her bodyguard. But guess what happened? After Averi came out, she grabbed his hand, and that guy even kissed her hair." Skyler exaggerated, shaking his head. "It was so sickening."
"I kept thinking that guy looked familiar. Later, when I bumped into Beatrice, it clicked—I realized, it was Beatrice's old bodyguard! The one from the peacekeeping force, really tall, crew cut. Do you remember him?"
Because Averi wasn't as much of a social butterfly as Beatrice, and had only hired Dallas recently, Skyler wasn't aware of this part.
The fire of anger raged within him, and Milo responded indifferently, "Is that so?"
Fine, Averi, keep him under control. So that's what "I'm this crazy" really meant; she really was this crazy.
Most people, like Skyler, probably thought she turned to the bodyguard because of a broken heart. But the truth? She'd actually dumped him on purpose, just to be with the bodyguard.
The anger burned even more fiercely, and Milo chuckled.
*
There were only so many people in J City. Either it was someone's cousin's birthday or another's father's birthday celebration.
Milo had something on his mind and quickly cornered Averi.
He scrutinized Dallas without restraint, his gaze appraising, then turned his eyes back to her face. "Just for him?"
Four words, without context, as if Dallas only deserved those four words.
Clearly, he was looking for trouble.
Averi glanced at him and then said to Dallas, "Dallas, wait for me outside for a moment. I'll talk to Mr. Hebert."
Milo interrupted, "Averi, are you sure two sentences will be enough to sort things out between us?"
Averi was about to reply when Dallas stopped her.
He met Milo's gaze head-on, his tone calm, but his words firm. "She has nothing to say to you. If you want to talk, talk to me."
Milo raised an eyebrow. "Fine."
"Dallas?" Averi called out anxiously. Dallas gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, said nothing, and walked behind Milo toward the outdoor smoking area.
Milo lit a cigarette and took slow, deliberate puffs. After a moment, he looked up and asked, "Want one?"
Dallas said, "No."
This scene felt oddly familiar.
Milo remembered that Sunday, when he asked Dallas to drive him, then detoured to the door to smoke. Dallas had stood there coldly, waiting, and at that time, he hadn't paid him any attention at all.
How was that line again? Turns out, I'm the joke.
A wave of humiliating frustration surged through him. Milo shook off the ash from his cigarette and asked, "When did you two get together?"
Dallas's expression turned colder, and he said nothing.
Milo wasn't expecting an answer. He asked again, "Still her bodyguard? Or has she set you up with another role?"
"I'm pursuing a graduate degree at the Military University."
School?
Milo truly found it amusing. He looked at him with a raised brow and said, "Dallas, do you think you can afford the life Averi is living now? Do you have any idea how much she spends on clothes and accessories every day?"
Seeing him silent, Milo felt exhilarated and took a sharp jab at him. "Let me put it this way: Even if you win the lottery jackpot every day for a year, you still wouldn't have as much as Averi does."
Milo expected Dallas to feel discouraged or angry. He did notice Dallas's hands tense slightly, but Dallas merely lowered his gaze for a moment before looking back at him calmly and saying, "I know."
Dallas had known, of course. He always had.
Forget about being a teaching assistant now with only a 1,000 dollars stipend each month. Even if he graduates and rises to the rank of lieutenant colonel upon returning to the army, his annual salary would still barely cover the cost of one of her dresses.
Materially, there was an insurmountable gulf between them.
Milo's punch landed in cotton, and he said, breathing out, "Dallas, Averi's just in it for the novelty. She can afford the game, but you might not be able to keep up."
To his surprise, Dallas quickly smiled, then asked, "Are we done here? If there's nothing else, I'll leave. She doesn't like waiting for people."
Milo said, "I wouldn't take anything she says too seriously. Not a word of it is true."
Dallas stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at him for two seconds before replying in a deep voice, "That depends on who she's talking to."
Milo had never been talked to like that. His gaze darkened instantly, and the sense of ease around him disappeared.
Dallas turned back, facing Milo, and said, "Mr. Hebert, please mind your words in the future.""
Milo provoked, "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Dallas's expression grew cold. "If she says it, she will do it." With that, he turned and strode away. With that, he strode out of the bedroom.
Milo watched Dallas walk away, snorting in disbelief, a sarcastic smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He smiled for a moment, but then the smile faded.
Had Averi ever said she loved him? Or that she was loyal?
No, none of that.
She talked to him about interests, about trust, and smiled as she said vague things.
Milo stubbed out his cigarette. A fleeting thought of revenge crossed his mind, but it was quickly suppressed by reason.
He wasn't the type to engage in petty jealousy; it would hurt his pride. His self-respect wouldn't allow him to be entangled with Averi in any way, whether with good intentions or bad. Not to mention, Edward wouldn't allow it either.
On the way back, he suddenly wondered if Averi had taken his psychology into account. Had she figured that even if he knew the truth, he wouldn't do anything about it?
He slammed on the brakes, causing a blaring horn to sound behind him.
He had lost this round, and he accepted it willingly. Averi, don't let him catch you.
As he changed lanes, Milo glanced at the rearview mirror and was surprised to see a smile on his own face.
