"Milo...listen to me..."
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It took absolutely everything in Jude's power not to shout and scream at Milo. To shake his shoulders like crazy and say. He's not real. Hester isn't real. It's all in your head! But what would be the fallout?

To be told something you firmly believe to be true is a lie, is like being plunged into cold water. The shock, the denial, the disbelief. It seemed that Milo had at least taken a step in the right direction. He was beginning to question, beginning to doubt. Granted, they were baby steps, but Jude would help with that. Each baby step, being a step into the light.

Although the questionable truth was there like a giant red flag, waving before Jude's eyes, he chooses his next few words carefully. "Where could Hester have gone?"

Milo closes his eyes as if to recall everyone and anyone who would possibly know his whereabouts, but with Hester being a memory for eight years, he felt pretty stumped. "When we were younger, it was just him and I. He lived with his mother and sister, that was it."

Jude retracts his hand from Milo's and begins to get up. "So that's where we go first."

"Where?" Milo asks.

"To Hester's mother's house." Jude concludes. "We go there."

"No!" Milo grabs Jude's arm as he is halfway to standing. "I can't go there."

"Why?" Jude wonders as he sits back down on the chair.

"Because...because...he....I..." Milo cannot get his words out. His brain becoming a fog. He closes his eyes, trying to clear his thoughts. He knew he didn't want to visit Hester's mother, but couldn't remember why exactly, it was as if his mind wouldn't allow it for some reason, as if he had a mental fire wall build around certain memories. He had always had it in his mind that Hester had fallen out with her, but now even that notion felt not quite right. Now he had been put on the spot. "I need a smoke." He says, pushing the chair back suddenly. "Can I use your balcony?"

"S...sure." Jude replies, getting up from his seat and unlocking the balcony door. He watches as Milo heads outside, lights up a white stick and stares up to the sky as the smoke billows from his lips.

Jude knew that he needed to get Milo to go see Hester's mother somehow. She could have answers Milo needed to hear, or at least be reminded of. Jude breathes out a heavy sigh as he watches Milo puff away. What could be so bad that Milo had blanked it from his memory?

Jude turns away and grabs his phone from the side. He needs to make a call...

***

The sound of the apartment door opens and Charlie steps through, removing his shoes in the process. "You have your own key now?" Jude quizzes, raising an eyebrow.

"Well yeah. Tash said I need to check up on you from time to time, in case you're getting into bad habits whilst he's away!"

"Bad habits, like what?" Jude frowns at his friend's mistrust in Jude not being able to take care or himself.

Charlie just smiles, "He told me of the time you ate two buckets of chicken because that exchange teacher guy from America didn't call you back and you didn't leave your bed for four days."

"That was one time!" Jude insists, recalling how Tashen had returned from a fashion show in Paris to a tramp like Jude curled up in a ball on the sofa with the apartment smelling like a fried chicken shop."

"Uuhum..."

Jude and Charlie look across to Milo, sat at the table watching the conversation on the sidelines.

"Oh...Milo, this is Tash's boyfriend, Charlie." Jude introduces them.

"So you're Milo?" Charlie asks as he offers to shake his hand, which Milo accepts.

"Nice to meet you." Milo replies.

Charlie then pulls Milo a little closer to speak in his ear. "Just a warning, I know Taekwondo." Milo pulls his head back in confusion, looking at Charlie's cherub like, but slightly threatening expression.

"Okay...noted." Milo replies, before letting go of the hand and sitting back down.

Charlie again turns his attention to Jude. "So...you called. What's up?"

"I need you to just babysit Jojo for a while, we need to go somewhere!" Jude says, a little cautiously. He hadn't even run this past Milo yet.

"Where are we going?" Milo says with apprehension.

Jude looks at Milo without even speaking. His look conveying everything.

Milo begins to shake his head. His mind filling will dread and anxiety. He wasn't ready to face this. This hidden fear his mind was trying so hard to bury. "Oh no...no! We're not going there."

Jude heads around the table to Milo, now sitting next to him, pulling him by his arms so Milo has no choice but to look at him. "Milo...listen to me..."

Milo cannot even look Jude in the eyes. Jude can feel Milo's body shaking through his grip. He can see the fear in Milo's eyes and it's breaking his heart.

Jude lets go of Milo's arms and now cups his face, pulling his head around gently so Milo has no choice but to look into those beautiful eyes. Jude leans forwards and places the softest kiss on Milo's forehead. "Look at me Milo. I am here and I'm not going anywhere and together, we will find answers as to where and why Hester has gone...Okay?"

Milo looks at Jude. He already feels calmer, just by Jude's presence. His grace was infectious. Milo slowly nods at Jude in agreement. "Okay." Milo utters under his breath..."but please, don't leave me like him."

"Never Jude replies, leaning in again for another kiss, this time on the lips. The kiss feeling so right in that moment as Jude holds on more firmly to Milo's face, as if the security of his hold was a reassurance in some way.

Milo pulls at Jude's shirt, grabbing onto it almost for dear life as they sit opposite eachother, feeling the moment.

"Yep I'm still in the room." Charlie says, rolling his eyes.