Fragments of Us

Chapter Eighteen: Start

Milo sank into the soft couch in the living room, a bowl of popcorn in hand, while Richard flipped through channels on the TV. Lila, meanwhile, perched on the armrest of the couch, scrolling through her phone with a mischievous grin.

   “You know,” Lila began, breaking the silence, “I read this article about how people who eat popcorn while watching TV are more likely to believe fake news.”

Milo raised an eyebrow and glanced at his bowl. “Is that your way of telling me I’m gullible?”

   “Maybe,” she replied with a smirk. “But mostly, I just like messing with you.”

Richard chuckled from his recliner, shaking his head. “Leave your brother alone, Lila.”

She shrugged, tossing her phone onto the coffee table. “I can’t help it. He makes it too easy.”

Milo smirked, throwing a popcorn kernel in her direction. “You’re just jealous because I’m the favorite.”

Lila gasped in mock offense. “As if! Dad, who’s your favorite? Be honest.”

Richard didn’t even look away from the TV. “The one who doesn’t make me choose.”

Lila rolled her eyes, grinning at Milo. “See? It’s obviously me.”

Milo laughed, shaking his head. “You’re impossible.”

The teasing settled into a more casual rhythm as they chatted about random things, Lila sharing anecdotes about her friends and their chaotic group chats. “And then Emily said she’d rather fight a goose than sit through another one of Professor Reynold’s lectures. Like, a literal goose. Who thinks of that?”

Milo chuckled, shaking his head. “Your friends sound… interesting.”

   “Oh, they are,” Lila said, leaning back with a grin. “But enough about me. What’s going on with you?”

Milo shrugged. “Same old, same old. You know, hanging out, taking care of Dad, trying not to lose my mind.”

Lila gave him a pointed look. “Hanging out with Atlas a lot, huh?”

The shift in tone was subtle but enough to make Milo pause. He reached for another handful of popcorn, avoiding her gaze. “What about it?”

   “Nothing,” Lila said innocently, though her smirk betrayed her. “I just think it’s... interesting.”

Milo frowned, glancing at her. “Interesting how?”

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “Oh, you know. Ex-boyfriend-turned-friend. You’re spending a lot of time together. It’s almost like you’re... I don’t know, revisiting old feelings?”

   “Lila,” Milo said firmly, narrowing his eyes. “It’s not like that.”

She raised her hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I’m just saying. People don’t usually hang out with their exes unless there’s something there.”

Milo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re just friends. That’s all."

Milo felt a knot tightening in his chest as Lila’s words lingered in the air. Her teasing, though lighthearted on the surface, had a way of unearthing the questions he’d been shoving aside for days. What am I doing? Why am I spending so much time with Atlas? Why does it feel so... familiar? The thoughts tumbled around his head, a chaotic swirl of confusion and unease.

He didn’t want to think about it—about Atlas, about the way their conversations felt both effortless and heavy with unspoken words. About the way his heart still reacted to the smallest things, like the faintest hint of a smile from Atlas or the warmth in his voice. Milo had convinced himself long ago that he was over it, that the past was the past. So why did it feel like it was creeping back in, piece by piece?