Chapter 29: Guilt or Love?

Milie's POV

The second I stepped out of Alan's house, something inside me broke loose.

I didn't even realize I was smiling, laughing, dancing, and humming a song, "Freedom… freedom…"

I lost it completely. It felt like I won a lottery.

I entered my house, still singing, louder this time, "Freedom, Freedom."

"Not until exams are over," Dad cut in from the couch, not even looking up from the TV.

I paused for half a second, then grinned wider.

"No need to wait for that, Dad. I'm already happy." I leaned over, kissed his cheek, and slipped past before he could question anything.

"Milie, what's in your hand?" Mom called out from the kitchen.

"A very special gift!" I yelled back, already halfway to my room.

The second I stepped in, I threw the door open dramatically and held the box up as if I'd just won something.

"I think there's something you should know.

I think it's time I told you so.

There's something deep inside of me,

There's someone else I've got to be,

Freedom, freedom."

I sang, climbing onto the bed and doing the worst dance moves known to humanity.

Sammy froze mid-scroll. Daxton didn't even blink at first. Then he did. Slowly.

"What… is happening?" Sammy asked.

I dropped onto the bed next to him, still laughing, and he caught me before I slid off.

"No way!" he said, grabbing the box from my hands. "You went to get this?"

"Sam—give it back." I tried to snatch it back.

"Look at this," he announced, holding it up like evidence. "She skipped studies for this."

I kicked his leg. "I did not—"

Daxton pulled me upright before I could tackle Sammy properly.

"Milie," he said, his brows arched in confusion. "You went out… for this?"

I shook my head and turned to him fully, folding my legs under me.

"Dax, I need to tell you something."

His expression changed immediately.

"You hid something again?"

I nodded once.

"But not like before," I added quickly. "I just… needed to figure it out first before telling you guys."

Sammy leaned back against the headboard, as usual, watching us now in silence.

I took a breath. "You remember I went toapologizee Alan?"

Daxton nodded. "Yeah. And he didn't make it easy."

"Why should he?" Sammy jumped in, defending him. "You guys treated him like—"

"Sam, please don’t start again," Daxton said, sharper.

"Dax, He's not wrong," I said, cutting through it.

"I wasn't fair to him," I continued. "So whatever his reaction was… valid."

The room went still in a way it rarely did. I then told them everything that had happened over the past few weeks.

How quiet it got after he left. How that silence followed me everywhere.

How every night, I waited in the corridor, hoping he would show up.

How I went to his home at weird hours. And when I found out he had gone away, things got worse.

My fingers twisted together in my lap.

"I couldn’t sleep properly. I kept thinking about things I said… things I didn’t say."

A small breath left me.

"I missed him," I said, quieter now. "More than I wanted to admit."

"And when I heard he was coming back…I couldn’t wait."

Sammy's arm slipped around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

"I'm sorry, babe, If I knew—" he murmured.

I pulled back, frowning. "You knew, he was gone?"

He hesitated just enough. "Yeah."

"I was in touch with him," he said. "Even today. I just didn’t know when he’d show up."

I shoved his arm off me. "Wow. Amazing. Love that for me."

He grinned. "You're welcome."

Daxton stood up suddenly, turning away like he needed space.

I reached for his hand and pulled him back down.

"Dax," I said, taking his hands in mine, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I didn't want to say anything before I was sure."

He looked at me then. Not upset. Not angry. Just searching for truth.

"So?" he asked. "What did you figure out?"

I held his hands tighter without thinking. "That I don’t love him."

The words came out steady, clearer than I expected.

"I thought I did," I added. "Or something close to it."

"I missed him like crazy," I said, staring at my hands. "I really thought… if he didn’t come back, I would lose my mind."

I let out a small breath. "But then I met him today. I apologized and the moment we broke that silence…"

I shook my head faintly, trying to find the right words. "It felt light. Like something heavy just… left me."

I glanced at Daxton.

"We decided to stay away. Not like strangers, but… not like before either."

I held his gaze, needing him to understand.

"Tell me honestly—if I was in love with him… would I agree to that? Wouldn’t it hurt more?"

None of them responded.

"Believe me… it’s just guilt."

Sammy let out a low chuckle, shaking his head.

"Seriously, darling?" he said, leaning back like he'd been waiting for this. "You really think it's just guilt?"

I frowned. "What else would it be?"

He looked at me, not joking now, just seeing through me.

"Or maybe," he said slowly, "you’re feeling better because he’s back."

I blinked.

"You don’t have to miss him anymore," he continued. "That distance you were crying about? Gone."

My throat tightened.

"He’s right there now. A few steps away." His voice softened, but the words hit harder. "If you miss him, you can just… go to his house."

A small smirk tugged at his lips.

"Which, by the way, you've already done."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't interrupt.

"Not once," he added, raising a brow. "Twice."

"And today?" he tilted his head, watching me carefully. "You were at his place before he even got there."

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

Sammy leaned forward slightly, voice dropping just enough.

"But yeah," he shrugged, a faint smirk returning, "go on… call it guilt."

I rolled my eyes and turned to Daxton.

"Tell me I’m not wrong."

Daxton held my gaze for a second too long. Then he smiled.

"You’re not wrong."

"And I'm sorry," he added, brushing his thumb lightly over my cheek. "I shouldn't have stopped you before."

"And it was all my fault," he added.

I shook my head immediately. "No. You had every right."

I bumped my shoulder into his, forcing a smile back. "You love me. I know that."

"And I love you too," I added, glancing at Sammy. "More than this idiot."

"Wow," Sammy muttered. "Second place again."

"Drama queen," I scoffed.

A second later, both Dax and I lunged at him.

He groaned as we attacked his hair, messing up his curls on purpose.

"Stop—both of you—"

"Never."

He tried pushing us away, but two against one? No chance.

We wrapped our arms around him and planted loud kisses on both his cheeks at the same time.

"We love you the most," we said together.

He broke into a grin, dimples showing, and for a second everything felt perfect.