Pain Without Love (Complete)

26- Goodbye

"Mila, my Mila, Camila, what is going on in that pretty little mind of yours?" Brents gaze burned into Mila as he topped up her already half full glass of wine and looked at her expectantly

Her run in with Shawn earlier had left her frazzled and confused so when Brent called wanting to come over she had jumped at the chance, not that she wanted anything from him tonight, just a friendly ear and perhaps a shoulder to cry on.

Instead Brent brought wine, he didn't drink, had been tee total for years but he knew a really expensive merlot was Milas weakness and he liked to indulge her, or so she believed.

"Nothings going on in my mind, why do you ask that?"

"Well darlin, you say yes to me coming over but no to us heading down the corridor, what's going on, it's obviously not Cassandra"

"Shawn" As his name hit the air Camila took a large gulp of wine and watched Brent's demeanor change.

He had been her first love, it hadn't lasted, hadn't worked at all, but the bond they shared was deep and unshakable, he had moved on, fallen in love and got engaged, Mila was yet to do so, she just lurched from encounter to encounter but something about Shawn was different and she could tell from Brent's reaction that he sensed that too and wasn't pleased about it at all

"Shawny boy hu? What's he done this time? Couldn't get it up? Ran crying for his mommy when he came?"

"You are being a little harsh Brent"

"I'm just going on what you told me sweetheart. He's hot but he's a pussy"

Shaking her head, Mila took another large gulp, she knew better than to argue with Brent, once he got an idea in his head that was that so she just sighed and pulled her hair from the ponytail that was keeping it tamed

"He's different"

"No he's not" Brent ran his fingers through her long hair, seperating the curls "He's just another guy you met in a bar that you will forgetten about in a couple of weeks" He pressed a kiss to the top of her head but she tensed at the contact and that made him mad

"Come on then Mila, he's different??, tell me how because all I know of him is he had sex with you, ran from you like a fuckin little wimp then had you again before I caught him on a date with another woman... He seems like a little boy that moved out of his league and then went running back to safety"

Mila sipped at her drink uncomfortably, she loved Brent, trusted him more than anyone in her life but she didn't want to share Shawn with him, he didn't understand, didn't want to understand, hell she was struggling to understand what was going on but she knew deep down that he was different and she wasn't ready to give that up just yet

"Brent, would you mind"

"Don't tell me he convinced you what I saw at lunch time was innocent" Brent rubbed his brow with his fingers in exacerbation "Mila, really? Are you going to pretend to be that nieve just because you think he's hot?"

"He said she was a friend" her voice sounded as fragile as her belief

"Oh my God, Mila, honey, what has happened to you??? A guy has sex with you then goes out to lunch with another girl and you are sitting here making excuses for him? Like what??? Where's my tough Mila, where's my fuck em and chuck em kind of girl?"

"I mean I'm still here but if I was to 'like' a guy the way you like Tina, it wouldn't be so terrible would it?" She could feel herself shrinking into herself afraid of the answer. She was always afraid of herself, of the person that lay at her core but Brent had a way of correcting that, of laying her fears to rest but Shawn was different, the things she thought when he was around were different and she worried that Brent just wouldn't understand that

"Mila.." Brent drew the word out as he refilled her 3 quarters full wine glass "Tina and I... It's special, but it's not like you and I" he reached down to hold Milas hand and her body stiffened

"Brent..." he released her digits before releasing a raspy laugh

"Mila, honey, it's been a long time since I thought of you like that, I worry about you though, getting your hopes up on a pretty boy that's obviously still involved with an ex, do me a favor, promise me one thing" Milas dark eyes met his light blue orbs, he knew she was his, knew she would do whatever he asked, she needed him, maybe not today but one day, soon she would call him, crying for him like no one else in the world would do

"You need to forget pretty boy, I'm not joking, he's not the guy for you. Tomorrow, you finish work, get dressed to the nines and you go after fresh meat, cleanse your pallet of your young blood"

"I don't know... I dont know that I want to do"

"But you will, because I'm telling you to, you don't want to make me angry Mila do you?"

"No" was Milas final word as she dipped her head and then raised her wine glass to her lips, draining the remaining liquid and saying good by to any hopes she had of something more than a physical relationship with Shawn, she should have known better than to want something more, something better for herself. She would have just messed it up like she did with anything food in her life

"Brent. Would you mind if we called it quits tonight?"

"It's not time to call it quits Mila, here..." refilling her glass he picked it up and pushed himself up from the sofa "Let's go, let's get rid of any thoughts of that pretty boy you might still have lingering" and without waiting for an answer he headed down the corridor whilst Camila looked down to the phone that was buzzing brightly in her hand. Pressing 'decline' Mila felt a sting in her eyes that she blinked away before dropping her phone to the table

"Bye Shawn" She whispered gently before standing up and following after Brent

@sc0rpiho3 this chapter is for you because I know how much you love a cliffhanger 😂