December 2022
Milo
"It's beginning to look a lot like—-" The speakers outside belted out the familiar Christmas toon. People hustling and bustling past each other as they desperately looked for last minute gift ideas.
"Violet?" Turning to his best friend he raised an eyebrow. "That's definitely not how the song goes.."
"No you idiot! It's your Violet!" Mason shoved his tall friends face in the direction he was looking. Milo's jaw dropped, sure enough it was Violet.
....and holding her hand was the girl in all her photos.
"So she really.. is with that woman.." Mason scratched his head, awkwardly looking around the market they were at desperately trying to find something else to catch his friends attention. Nothing reopened old wounds like running into your ex.
"Milo! Milo what are you—" Milo waved at his friend to relax, he was just going to say hi.. He could do that right? They were friends..
...and he was totally over her..
....
"Vi?" Milo watched as she turned around, her lips parting in shock before giggling. He definitely wasn't expecting her to throw her arms around his neck. The hug didn't feel awkward. Just warm and kind. Unfortunately if was short lived, opening his eyes as she pulled away he saw the woman she was with practically examining him.
"Milo! This is so crazy I didn't expect you to be here!"
"I live here ! What about you miss east coast?"
"We're visiting my dad." His smile slowly faded, putting two and two together.
Violet brought her girlfriend to meet her dad.. to spend Christmas with her family.
"We just stopped here before heading into SD, last minute shopping.." She shrugged, Milo smiled happy she didn't seem to notice his faltering composure.
"Last minute shopping as well.. Um how is Tim doing these days? You know since the dodgers sucked this season.."
"You ass!" Violet laughed, smacking his arm. Fuck her laugh was music to his ears.
A throat cleared next to them making him smirk, Violet was so caught up with him she had forgotten all about her own little girlfriend. The blonde gave him a fake smile before holding her hand out.
"I'll just introduce myself since this one isn't too great at introductions.."
"Shit ! Sorry Milo, this is Keely my girlfriend.. Keely uh Milo.." Keely shook his hand and he felt suddenly self conscious as she continued to size him up.
"Nice to meet you Keely."
"You as well.. So how do you know each other?" Violet looked up at him, both of them sharing a startled look before speaking at the same time.
"Uh the club."
"Wild n Free."
Keely opened her mouth but Milo being the excellent actor he was .. of course was able to save face.
"That's right! I guess I did technically meet you at the club first.. I ended up running into her again a couple weeks later when she did the ink on my foot." Violet looked at Keely seeing her relax. Her stomach flipped seeing her girlfriend believe his lie. Technically it wasn't a lie.. not completely but they both knew it wasn't the whole truth.
Just like that she was reminded of what he did. How easy it was for him to lie and how easily it was for him to reduce their entire relationship down to those two sentences.
Like it had meant nothing.
"Well it was nice seeing you Milo.." She watched as his face fell still, she took Keelys hand knowing she needed to put some space between her and the practical stranger. "Nice meeting you!" Her girlfriend eagerly called out before they both began to walk away.
As they got farther and farther away, Keely finally spoke up.
"So.. you two?"
"..Yes." Violet winced, the truth already felt better though.
"He met your dad?"
"Once.." Violet felt her heart ache, like a paper cut. "Still.. so you guys were serious?"
"Until we weren't.." Keely looked at her girlfriend seeing the way she looked anywhere but her as she answered her questions.
Even as they came to a booth, she watched Violet look through dresses just as a distraction.
"Babe.. that's.. that's him isn't it?" Keely peeked over her shoulder, a twist in her gut as she caught the guy looking at them still. Even though he was at a booth filled with boxes of records a row away. She glared at him until his eyes met hers and he quickly turned away. Pretending to be interested in something else. The deep flush on his face had already given him a way. He knew he had been caught.
"That's the liar.." Turning back around she saw Violet to had been looking at him as he flipped through the records.
"Yeah.. that's him."
....
Violet
Sighing, Violet swirled around the straw in her drink. They stopped for lunch at a burger place on the drive back to San Diego. Keely ran to the rest room so now she was finally alone with her thoughts.
Milo had looked very different than the last time she saw him. When he left her apartment for the last time two years ago..
That was to be expected though. He was twenty one. She couldn't help but laugh at the thought. He was actually old enough to drink now.
Still she wasn't expecting him to look quite like that. His hair was longer, he even had some kind of impressive facial hair going. That is.. impressive for a guy who basically had shaved every day and had a bit of a baby face when they had been together. His cheeks and jaw line were something like model material now.
He practically only ever wore white or black t shirts and skinny jeans during their relationship. Today he definitely looked the part of a celebrity, in his matching designer hoodie and joggers set... and what was with the black glasses?
He had perfect vision...
Though she had to admit. They were definitely working for him.
Fuck, here she was again giving him more attention than he even deserved. She had worked so hard on leaving the past in the past.. A single five minute conversation flung her right back into where she was just two year ago.
You don't know him.. That guy you fell in love with? Milo Turner, preppy kid studying law? Heart of gold? Sensitive with swagger?
He doesn't exist, he never did.
"Ready to hit the road?" Keely's voice successfully yanked Violet out of the dark place she was mentally headed.
"Yeah! Let's get out of here."
....
January 2023
Milo
Looking over his shoulder at the woman sound asleep one last time, he carefully opened the door before quietly making his exit. The hotel door lightly clicked and he was high tailing it to the elevator. Once the doors closed he relaxed for a moment before kneeling and hurriedly tying the laces on his air force 1's.
One night stands were never his thing... however his relationship prospects were dwindling date by date but there seemed to be a never ending sea of girls wanting to take him for a ride.
He wasn't naive anymore. He could tell what girls were using him and unfortunately none of the genuine girls were doing it for him.
His face was plastering billboards in LA left and right. Woman were loving his new found fashion sense and facial hair. Apparently the glasses were also helping. Gossip blogs were talking about his rizz and the BDE vibes he was giving off... Life seemed great.
He hated that he had been resorting to just hooking up but since ruining into Violet just a couple weeks ago he felt lost.. insatiable and incredibly lonely.
In a matter of minutes all the inner work and soul searching he had done. Trying to be the best version of himself for the sins he committed against the very woman in the first place.. All of it had come crashing down around him and threw him right back into being the uncertain, cowardly, self destructive asshole that caused this whole problem in the first place.
Probably because you still miss her you idiot..