he would be coming any minute, so we headed to the car to wait.
It wasn’t lost on me that I hadn’t seen Mia either. I’d been looking over my shoulder every few seconds expecting her to walk into the kitchen at any moment and then we would have to explain why I was here.
Settling into the backseat, I drop my bag at my feet. Milo ducks into the seat beside me, his large duffle bag already stowed in the truck. “I’ll get you a new bag today,” he announces while toeing my ragged book bag.
“It’s not a big deal, it’ll hold up a little longer.” I don’t want to spend any extra money right now. I’ll need to start a new emergency fund.
“Laura, that bag is falling apart. How long have you had it? Five years?” He laughs like he’s made a joke, but he’s probably pretty close to the truth.
“Maybe, like I said it’ll last a little longer.”
Milo looks over at me, all the laughter gone. “Are you being serious?”
“Why would you think I was joking?” I feel the frown on my lips.
“Why wouldn’t you be? You seriously need a new bag… and some new clothes, and shoes,” he adds, crossing his arms over his chest. The to-go cup his drink was in is abandoned on the seat between us.
“No, those aren’t things I need, they may be things I could use, but I don’t need them. I need to pay my lot rent. I need to buy some food.”
The driver’s door opens while Milo and I are locked in a stare down. “Shit, I didn’t think I was ever going to get out of there.” Dante slides the keys into the ignition, waiting several seconds before turning over the car.
“I didn’t say you shouldn’t do those things, I’m just saying that you need the other things too. We’ll go pick up some stuff today,” Milo continues, not willing to drop the subject.
I’m already shaking my head before Milo finishes. “I have to work today, and I don’t have that kind of extra money right now. It’ll wait. If you don’t want to be seen with me and my bummy clothes and dirty sneakers, then too damn bad.” My arms are crossed over my chest mimicking his pose.
Dante shifts to look at us in the backseat. “Don’t get involved bro,” Ollie mock whispers from the side of his mouth.
“I didn’t say a damn word about you paying for any of it.” Milo leans in closer to me, his teeth slightly bared. “I don’t give a fuck if your shoes are dirty, or what your clothes look like, but you need them right? That piddling pile you left on the floor in Ares’s room is just about everything you own. Unless you’re going to start walking around naked, or in our clothes, you need more.”
Narrowing my eyes at him I fire back, “I’ve made do with that measly pile for years before you all showed up. I just need to do some fucking laundry.”
“God help me,” Milo looks up at the ceiling and then back at me. “Laura…” He looks down at my rolled up too tight jeans. If I had a pair of sandals instead of my faded gray socks, which are gaping at my ankles, and worn sneakers, I could probably pull off the look. But I know how I look. His eyes land on my battered backpack and he lunges forward, snatching it off the floorboard. Hastily Milo unzips the top, grabbing the contents from inside. I reach over to take it back, but he turns his back to me, keeping my stuff on his lap. I’m not going to fight him for it, I’d never win. Once it’s empty he grabs his own bag and dumps it out on the seat. Pens and pencils roll onto the floor and loose sheets of paper flutter out, landing in a messy heap.
“Milo,” I warn, finally understanding what he’s doing. He’s tosses his bag, now filled with my stuff, back on the floorboard at my feet. He’s breathing a little heavily and he just leaves his stuff where it landed, not bothering with it.
“Well okay.” Ollie stretches out the words, tuning back to the front. I kick the black canvas bag at my feet, silently fuming at Milo. I’m not even sure why I’m mad, I should just accept what he’s offering and move on. But it grates on something inside me. I want to feel like their equal.