Life, Love, & Lies

Sixty-Five

"You boys are idiots for leaving the front door unlocked!" LoLo yells, wandering through the door into Matt and Milo's place.

"I'm going to kill Matt!" She hears Milo yell from somewhere down the hall, falling onto the couch to wait for him to appear.

"Luckily it was only me that tried to get in." She calls back with a laugh.

"I told him right before he left to lock the door behind him because I was going to get in the shower. Instead he left it unlocked for the last hour while I was in the bathroom getting ready." Milo appears in the room, a stack of gifts in his hands that he tucks under the tree in the corner.

"It took you an hour to get ready? You have like an inch of hair, what were you doing?"

"You have known me since I was fifteen, you know I like to take the longest possible showers." He half pouts.

"You didn't shower like that on tour, I guess I just forgot that's how you used to shower."

"I still shower like that, and on the tour bus or in the greenroom it wasn't doable, but in my own hotel rooms it was, but you weren't ever really in my rooms, so I guess you never realized."

"Nope, but I promise I'm not judging." She laughs, "How long until Matt gets back with his family? Because I am dying to hug Nicole again."

"Hopefully soon, but you never know how LA traffic will be." Milo shrugs, falling onto the couch beside her, "I'm really glad you're here with us for the holiday, Lyss."

"Me too, maybe now I can look back on this holiday and not think of the confusion, hurt, and sadness I left as a gift for you and Matt six years ago." She sighs, leaning her head over onto his shoulder.

"I think it will help all of us heal from that traumatic Christmas." Milo nods, silence falling between them for a moment. "How are you doing, Lyss?"

"I'm happy." She sighs, "Things aren't easy, and I really hate what I've seen about myself online, and it's hard not to listen to it, but I'm still happy, happier than I've been in years."

"Never listen to the haters online, Lyss. They don't know you, and they either hate you because you're dating Zach; our fans, or they hate you because they have no fucking clue what your life has actually entailed and they think they have the right to judge you because you were a rich kid with a fucked up dad. The people who know you, they love you for everything you are."

"I know, and I'm no stranger to hate, but it's still hard sometimes."

"It is, I know that, but I also know that you are a million times better than any person out there who thinks they have any right to judge you." Milo smiles softly, wrapping his arm over her shoulders.

"I really have missed you so much, Milo. You have always been such a constant calm in the crazy excuse of a life I've lived."

"I missed your antics, and your specific kind of loyalty and support as a friend." Milo chuckles, "It's good to have this back."

"So good."

"Want to watch the Jim Carrey Grinch while we wait?" Milo grins.

"More than anything." LoLo grins, reaching across the way to grab a blanket off the other couch while Milo starts the movie up.

***

The grinch is riding up Mount Crumpit by the time Milo and LoLo are startled from their daze by the front door opening.

"Where is she?" One of the girls squeals loudly, LoLo slowly pulling herself from the comfortable place she had found against Milo's side. "Lyss!" She can see it's Hannah now, the young teenager running across the small space to launch herself into LoLo's arms.