we had nothing. I’ll always be grateful even if his intentions weren’t exactly pure. I guess his intentions will remain a mystery for now, but in the end, does it really matter?
What matters is that he was brutally murdered in his home while Mom and I were asleep only a short distance away. Hell, Colton was asleep just upstairs. Hearing about random murders back home wasn’t such an odd occurrence, but here in this squeaky, clean-cut town, it’s unheard of. The fact that the man who lost his life is a name that’s known all over the world … well, that just makes it worse.
The cops have been scouring every inch of this massive property searching for evidence all day long. The majority of the staff have been sent home while Mom, Maryne, and Harrison have stayed behind to help out where they can. I’m surprised I’ve been allowed to stay, but after Officer Langston checked through the pool house and took my statement, he cleared me to remain on the property. I guess being drugged and passed out kinda does have a positive, though that just opened up a whole new round of questions—ones I wasn’t prepared to answer.
Since the police first showed up this morning, the whole property has been locked up. After the staff was sent away, it became a no one in, no one out type of situation. Since then, all I’ve been able to wonder is how Milo and Eli had gotten in here. Though knowing Eli, he probably found a lady cop to flirt with or scaled the massive gates, while Milo most likely paid someone off.
Word has quickly spread and the press has been stationed outside the big iron gates since the early hours of the morning. It’s a fucking shit show here. It’s one of the biggest stories to hit the media in a long time and somehow, I ended up in the middle of it. From now on, my every move is going to be scrutinized, along with the other staff and Colton. As if I wasn’t already dealing with enough shit.
Milo’s phone cuts through my thoughts and I glance across to find him standing by the window, staring out at the pool. He answers his phone and as he talks, I'm distantly aware that night has fallen.
When the hell did that happen?
It’s been the longest day of my life and while I’m thankful for Milo and Eli spending their day trying to keep me distracted, at some point, I need to face the music. I have to walk into that house and I have to check that Colton is alright.
Every inch of my body is telling me to stay away, but I can’t. I’m drawn to him like a moth to a flame and despite all his attempts to push me away, I just keep coming back.
Milo ends his call and as he turns to face me, I give him a small smile. “Hey, babe,” he says, speaking before I have a chance. “That was my dad. I have to go. Will you be alright here if I take off? I can tell him no if you need me to stay.”
“No,” I say with a relieved sigh, happy to not have to be the bitch who kicks him out. “That’s fine. I was just thinking that I should go and check on Mom and Maryne. I’m sure it would have been stressful in there today.”
He raises a brow and stares straight through me. “By your ‘mom and Maryne’ what you really mean is go and check on Colton.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t need to, babe. It’s written all over your face.”
Fuck.
“It is not.”
Milo rolls his eyes and slips his phone back into his pocket before striding over to me and wrapping me in a warm hug. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” he says. “Do you need a ride in the morning?”
I press my lips together and think about it for a second. “Can I let you know? I’m not really sure if I’m feeling down for school right now.”
“Okay, sure. Let me know when you know,” he says, stepping out of my arms and walking over to the door. He steps out and just before the door closes behind him, he looks back with a smile. “Let me know if you need anything.”
With that, he’s gone, leaving me truly alone for the first time since sitting out by the pool last night. I’m left with my own torturous thoughts