Crushed Underneath the Surface (Complete)

Refuge

Chapter 4
Refuge
August, Summer in Bozeman, Montana

Milo didn't return home after that night. Instead, he found refuge at Daniel's apartment, avoiding the emotional fallout, and burying himself in distractions.

He lay sprawled on Daniel's oversized black couch, the August sun filtering through the windows and casting long shadows across the room. The warmth of summer felt like a stark contrast to the cold, hollow feeling in his chest. His eyes were glued to the TV playing some mindless feel-good movie, but none of it registered. Weeks had passed since the night he caught Nia and Marisela together, and the sick, twisted knot in his gut refused to loosen. His mind kept circling back to one painful question: how could they do this to him?

His sister. His best friend—the one he had secretly loved for nine long years. Two of the people he trusted most had shattered his heart in ways he didn't know were possible. Milo has always known that Marisela was gay, he was the first person to know. Marisela told him when she realized herself during her high school years, but He never imagined Nia being gay or in love with his sister. Maybe he didn't know her as well as he thought.

Footsteps padded softly from the kitchen, pulling Milo from his thoughts. Daniel, his best friend, and usual partner in light-hearted chaos, approached with an iced coffee. But today, the typical mischievous smirk was gone, replaced by a quiet concern. Daniel hadn't pressed for details yet, but he knew something was eating Milo alive.

"Hey," Daniel started, keeping his tone casual but warm. "I'm going over the schedule for next week. You want me to put you down when summer break ends?"

Milo didn't look up. He barely blinked; his gaze still glued to the TV. "No... I'm going to our family's beach house in Hawaii for a week or two," he mumbled. "I already bought the tickets."

Daniel set the cold coffee cup down on the table, his brow furrowing. He sat on the other end of the couch, watching Milo closely. "Emilio, man... talk to me. You know you can. I'm not just the guy you laugh with. I'm here for the heavy stuff too. Always."

For a long moment, the room was thick with silence, the late summer breeze fluttering the curtains. Milo sat rigid, his fingers twisting the fabric of his shirt. He wanted to speak, but the words clung to the back of his throat, each one knotted with pain. But Daniel, patient as ever, just waited.

Then, it happened. Milo's shoulders began to tremble, and before he could stop himself, tears welled up in his eyes. He hadn't cried—not really—since that night. But now, sitting here in the quiet, with Daniel's steady presence beside him, the dam broke. Milo buried his face in his hands, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"She couldn't accept my feelings because... because she was too busy being in love with..." His voice cracked as he struggled to get the words out. "She's in love with Marisela, Daniel. My best friend and my sister... they've been—God, they've been in love this whole time, and I had no clue." His voice broke further, his body shaking with sobs. "Nine years I've been in love with her, and she..."

Daniel's eyes widened. He shifted closer but didn't interrupt, letting Milo release the tidal wave of pain he'd been holding back. Milo's sobs grew louder, each one cutting through the still, warm air of the apartment.

"They were hooking up when I got home," Milo said, his voice thick with grief. "And I—I know I don't have a right to be upset. People can't choose who they fall for. But it still fucking hurts, man. It hurts so damn much."

Without a word, Daniel pulled Milo into a tight embrace, his hand rubbing slow, comforting circles on Milo's back. Milo's sobs grew quieter as he clung to his friend, releasing weeks of pent-up emotion. Daniel didn't try to fix it or say anything to make it better. He just held him, giving Milo the space to let go.

"I'm so sorry, man," Daniel said after a while, his voice soft. "I didn't realize it was that deep. I'm really sorry." Milo sniffled and shook his head against Daniel's chest. "I just feel... I feel so stupid. I trusted them both, and now I don't even know what to think." Pulling back, Daniel met Milo's tear-streaked face with a firm but kind gaze. "You can still trust me, man. I've always got your back."

Milo wiped his face with the back of his hand and gave Daniel a weak nod. He felt a little lighter, but the pain still gnawed at him. Even so, Daniel's words, and the genuine care behind them, gave him some sense of stability.

A few minutes later, Daniel clapped his hands, breaking the heavy mood with a grin. "Alright," he said, shifting gears. "We need food. Neither of us can cook for shit, so we're going out. How does your favorite restaurant sound?"

Milo's lips twitched into a small smile. "Yeah, I guess that sounds good."

Daniel flashed him a teasing look. "Don't act like you didn't just bawl your eyes out on my couch, baby girl. I saw it all."

Milo cringed and let out a groan. "God, I'm such a baby... Don't make fun of me."

"I won't tease you for crying," Daniel replied with a smirk. "But I will definitely troll you about other stuff. There's always something."

The two shared a laugh, a much-needed release of tension, as they headed out into the summer evening. The warm August air greeted them, the sun low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the streets. They made their way to one of Milo's favorite local spots, a cozy little restaurant tucked away downtown. The soft chatter of other diners and the smell of grilling meat filled the air as they took their usual corner booth.

They ordered burgers with extra fries and a couple of beers. As they waited, Milo rested his arms on the table, watching the flicker of the candle between them.

"You know," Daniel said, taking a sip of his beer, "I've been thinking. You need to let loose this weekend. Forget all this shit for a while."

Milo raised an eyebrow. "Let loose? Like, what? Party like we're back in high school?"

Daniel chuckled. "Not that kind of loose. I'm saying maybe Hawaii will be good for you. Hit the beach, soak up some sun, flirt with some hotties. You've been stuck in this headspace for too long."

Milo laughed, shaking his head. "You always manage to turn everything into an adventure."

"That's what I'm here for," Daniel replied with a grin. "And don't worry, after you've had some solo time, I'm coming to Hawaii to party with you. You're not getting rid of me that easy."

Milo rolled his eyes, but the smile lingered. Their food arrived, and the two spent the evening eating, laughing, and trading jokes like old times. For the first time in weeks, the weight of betrayal didn't seem as heavy.

——————
Later that night, back at Daniel's apartment, they polished off a couple of whiskey bottles. Daniel blasted their favorite songs, and soon they were belting out lyrics and laughing like idiots, their voices echoing through the apartment. Milo couldn't remember the last time he felt so free.

"This," Milo said, slurring his words slightly, "this is what friends are for."

Daniel gave him a lazy thumbs-up from his spot on the floor. "Damn right."

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Milo felt like maybe, just maybe, he could heal from this after all.