Who: Mila and Kat When: Afternoon, Monday, January 22 Where: Joyland Coffee Status: Complete
One thing, of quite a few things actually, that Mila liked about working for Anthony D’Onofrio is that she got an actual lunch break. Not just a quick breather in the back of the bar with just enough time to scarf down a snack, but a full hour. Sometimes Mila stayed at the office and ate in the lunchroom with the others, but today she was meeting Kat at Joyland for a coffee break.
She had called Kat last week to ask her to come back to Point Pleasant to visit. They hadn’t seen each other since Mila returned from wherever she had been, and Mila knew Aaron could probably use his sister being around for a bit. Sure, he had two brothers in town, but Mila considered Gavin and Caden to be woefully useless when it came to supporting Aaron in any capacity.
Plus, Mila was excited to see her friend again. She couldn’t blame Kat for wanting to get out of Point Pleasant, because who didn’t? But the entire town seemed to have hit a major depressive slump over the past couple of days, and Mila was looking forward to the boost that being around a friend would bring.
When she arrived at Joyland she spotted Kat already inside and sitting and Mila waved as she headed in her direction. For it being lunchtime, Joyland was pretty quiet and subdued. Just like the rest of Point Pleasant. “Hi,” Mila said with a small smile, pulling her purse off so she could lean over and hug Kat. “I’m so happy you’re here. How are you?”
Most of the time Kat was glad to have gotten out of Point Pleasant. There was something wrong with the town that no one seemed to talk about, a darkness that permeated their lives, yet remained just beneath the surface, keeping people from fleeing the town completely. She’d been oblivious to it as a child, but sometime in her teenage years she’d suddenly become aware that the town wasn’t normal. She never had real proof, but once she left she was sure of it. As unsettled as she’d been since leaving, no other place had the kind of unnatural disasters that Point Pleasant seemed to harbor.
And yet, she was always glad to be home. The people, she’d found, were irreplaceable. It was true that there were days she’d rather punch her brothers than hug them, but they were her clan and she’d do anything for them. And the friends she’d made in high school were still the best friends she’d ever had. No one else seemed to get her the way they did, and it never failed that when they called, she’d come running with bells on. Sometimes she expected the streets to be on fire, but today they seemed eerily quiet. It was unsettling, but nothing she could see to complain about.
Kat played on her phone as she waited for Mila to arrive, purposefully ignoring the incoming text messages from Brian. He was never thrilled with her coming back to Point Pleasant, but it was going to happen and if he didn’t want to come with her, then she’d go without him. She wasn’t up for arguing about it and was happy to lock her phone and set it aside when Mila walked in the shop. “Hey,” she smiled, hugging Mila. “I’m good. I’ve missed you. It feels like it’s been forever. Talking on the phone’s just not the same.”
Mila had heard Kat came to visit Aaron in the hospital a while back, but Mila had obviously been gone by then. So it did feel like it had been a really long time since they saw one another. She was afraid it might have felt weird, but it didn't and for that Mila was thankful. "I missed you too." Mila set her purse down when they pulled apart. "Let me get your coffee. What would you like?" She had invited Kat for coffee and she was more than happy to foot the bill for it. It felt like they had so much to catch up on but Mila definitely needed the caffeine. Everything in this town had felt so blah and dreary lately and it was clear Mila wasn't the only one feeling it.
Looking at Mila, it was still hard for Kat to imagine her stabbing her brother. She knew it had happened, but the two didn’t equate. She’d never gotten the full explanation of exactly what transpired, but she knew from her conversation with Aaron that it hadn’t really been Mila doing the damage. It was something else. Mila would have never hurt Aaron. She would have never run off like that. Kat still wished she’d been there, but if Aaron hadn’t been able to tell it wasn’t Mila until it was too late, would she have done any better? She looked the same now, even if a little bit tired. It seemed they were both in need of caffeine. “You sure?” Kat asked, though she wasn’t going to talk Mila out of it. She’d just grab the tab next time, when they went out for something stronger than coffee. “Do they still have any of the seasonal drinks? I’d love a peppermint mocha. If not, a regular mocha’s fine, just as it comes.”
Mila really had no idea how much Kat knew about what happened, what Aaron might have told her. It wasn't something she and Aaron had talked about, but given Kat was there now and had hugged her, Mila knew her friend had to know at least some of it. But that was a discussion for later. "I think they have the peppermint through the month." Mila smiled. "I'll be right back."
A few minutes later she was sitting back down at the table, placing Kat's peppermint mocha in front of her as she got settled in her chair. "I'm so glad you're here. Do you plan on staying for a while? I know Aaron would be thrilled if you do."
“A few nights, at least. If I stay much longer, Brian ‘ll get pissy about it, but… oh well,” Kat shrugged, rolling her eyes. He was pissy already, so a few days weren’t going to make much of a difference. “I thought I’d try and see everyone while I’m here, see what’s been going on. None of the guys are great phone talkers.” Some of them weren’t exactly verbose in person either, but at least then she could read their body language. it made it easier to read between the lines. “So what’s been going on? Catch me up a little? How’re you doing?”
Mila silently wished Kat luck, at least where it came to talking to Caden and Gavin. Aaron would be thrilled to see her though, and that's the one person Mila was really worried about. She sipped her coffee, not minding the way it burned her tongue a little. There was so much she could tell Kat, but this didn't seem like the right place to dump all of that. "I'm doing fine," she said instead, and with a small smile. "Better than I was, at least. I'm working for Anthony D'Onofrio now and that's been... an experience." Mila chuckled softly. "But it's a good job. More stimulating than serving drinks at the bar, anyway. I'm staying with my parents right now but Aaron and I are looking for a new place to live. I think he's getting antsy with Caden and Roxy."
“I don’t blame him,” Kat smiled. “I don’t think I’d last a week. I mean, with Roxy I’d probably be fine, but Caden and I’d probably start butting heads at the end of day one.” That being said, she was glad Caden had offered Aaron a place to stay. She’d have done it herself if she lived in town, but Brian wouldn’t even consider the possibility of moving to Point Pleasant. Kat told herself they didn’t need her, but sometimes she thought they’d continue to demand they were fine, even while they were drowning. “Any idea where you want to live? I always wanted one of those cute little cottages in Black Cove.” They were out of her price range, but she could always dream.
Aaron could handle his brothers a heck of a lot better than Mila ever could. But he had been staying with Mila more and more lately, which helped. It just sucked that he had to keep sneaking in and out. They were both more than ready to have a place of their own without the worry of being caught by her parents. "I think Aaron wants a house," Mila said. "Something with a big yard, so I've been keeping my eye out for the right place." It wasn't like there wasn't an abundance of homes for sale in Point Pleasant. "The homes in Black Cove are so nice but I doubt we could afford one. It's like the mini-Overlook." Mila chuckled. "But... I'm sort of hoping for something close to the ocean so we can walk there during the spring and summer. Maybe something we can fix up. Aaron loves those kind of projects, and he's good at it... but also not something totally falling apart, you know? Selling both of our trailers in Seaview will help, but the buying market is pretty down right now. It sucks."
"I don't know that the market around here is ever good," Kat said. "But maybe it'll be better in the spring. No one wants to move when there's snow on the ground." She was pretty sure they wanted to move sooner rather than later though, so that didn't help. And the market might not have anything to do with the weather, but more with the fact that it was Point Pleasant. Anyone who did their research would know it wasn't exactly the best place to live. It always amazed her when someone from the outside decided to settle in. "I'm sure you'll find something though," she smiled. "If you're willing to take a fixer-upper, then you might find something other, less handy people would pass up. If you find something, be sure to send me pictures. And I'll come help paint if you need it. It's a good excuse to come home for the weekend."
"The snow can be pretty sometimes," Mila pointed out with a grin. "Some outsiders might think it's cozy. We know better." The snow was pretty but usually only the first snowfall. After that it was just misery. She also understood why people left Point Pleasant, and why some may not want to be here at all. One would think even the nicest houses would be cheap, but unfortunately that wasn't always the case. "I'll definitely take pictures and send them to you if we find something. I think maybe a fixer upper would be nice as long as it's not inhabitable, you know? I want to get into a place of our own as soon as we can." Mila sipped more of her coffee. "I know you're probably doing your thing and you have Brian and everything, but... have you ever thought about moving home?"
‘Every day,’ Kat thought, but it was a response that didn’t make sense. She’d worked hard to get out of Point Pleasant, she knew the kind of chaos that would re-enter her life if she moved back home, yet she still missed it. If it weren’t for Brian she would’ve packed her bags by now, but he was the voice of reason when it came to her home town. Family might be there for her, and friends, but nothing else. It was a dead end, where all of her aspirations were likely to die. “Sometimes,” she smiled sadly. “I miss it, but… I don’t know that there’s much for me here. The guys have the bar, but they don’t want or need my hands in it. I could take pictures anywhere, but it’s always hard to move a business. So… I dunno. Brian’s not into the idea.”
Mila's instinctive response was to dismiss Brian straight out, but she knew that wouldn't be fair. So many of her own decisions lately revolved around Aaron. When you were in love, sometimes your decisions hinged on the other person. "Your family is here," Mila pointed out with a small smile. "Friends. I know Point Pleasant is... well, Point Pleasant. But you could open a studio here, or get a job for the paper. It's not all bad." Quickly Mila waved her hand. "I'm sorry. I feel like I'm being pushy now. We just miss you. I know Aaron misses you a lot too. I think he could use someone to talk to who isn't Gavin or Caden. I'm not sure he'd trust a therapist either. But I know he trusts you."
“It’s okay. I miss you guys, too,” Kat smiled. “I try to visit as often as possible, but I know it’s not the same. So… We’ll see. You never know what might happen.” It all hinged on if things were serious with Brian and right now things were really good. If they continued that way, then chances were slim she’d come back, but it was getting harder and harder to tell if they had a future together. Most days she wanted one, but there were others where she thought about walking out the door. She wasn’t a quitter though and walking away felt too much like giving up. It was a lot to unpack, so she kept it to herself, focusing more on Mila. “How’s he been doing lately? I know things were bad for a while.”
You never know what might happen. Oh, wasn't that the truth. Mila longed for the tedious days of predictability. Mila wrapped her hands around her coffee cup, feeling the warmth flow through her palms. The question about Aaron gave her pause, because she wasn't sure if she could be honest or not. Not because she thought Kat would get angry or judge him, but because it might not be her place to tell Aaron's sister his business. But the two were close, or had been before Kat moved away and there were times Mila wasn't sure she was enough of a support system for him. God knew he didn't really have anyone else. Gavin and Caden were just as damaged as Aaron, in their own way. "He's been doing better," Mila said carefully, looking up from her coffee to Kat's face. "Physically he's healing from what happened, but it's still a process. He... had a problem with his medication for a while. Taking too many, mixing them with alcohol. I think he just needed to numb himself. But I'm not really sure how he is mentally. He wants to take care of me, so I think he holds some stuff in, you know?"
“Shit,” Kat muttered, her concern for Aaron spiking. She’d always heard it was easy to get addicted to pain medication, but it hadn’t even crossed her mind as something to worry about in this instance. When she worried about her family, it was usually in regards to some bizarre circumstance they found themselves in just from living there. Drug addiction seemed so normal compared to demonic possession that it hadn’t even been on her radar. “I’ll talk to him. I mean, I won’t say you told me unless you’re okay with it, but things have been so crazy lately I don’t think I’ve been there for him like I want to be. The phone’s just not good enough sometimes, you know?” When they were there, in person, it was so much easier to tell when Aaron was holding something back. “Has he tried seeing someone about it?”
Mila quickly shook her head. "Please don't mention it... he'll know I told you, and... it might upset him. But maybe if you're there to talk to, he'll open up about things that he might be too scared to tell me. He promised me he wasn't going to do it anymore, and I don't even think he has any pills left anyway. But it's just, I feel like he's still hurting, even physically, but he doesn't want to risk upsetting me again. Caden would just tell him to do whatever he wanted and be a man about it, and Gavin would probably just grunt something, so I don't think he has anyone to talk to. I don't think he'd see a therapist either." But maybe he would. Maybe that was something Mila should suggest, just to get a feel for his feelings about it. "I know he loves and trusts you, though. I don't mean to dump all of this on you either, I just don't know who else to ask."
“It’s okay,” Kat said with a sympathetic smile. “I’d rather know. I won’t say anything, but I can make sure I’m around more and create opportunities for him to talk to me if he wants to. I hope he wants to. I know talking really helps.” If he wouldn’t go see a therapist, which she kind of doubted he would, then Aaron needed someone to talk to. She could understand him wanting to shelter Mila after everything that had happened, but she also understood how frustrating that had to be for her friend. You couldn’t force someone to open up though. “Does anyone else know about the pills?” She didn’t plan on talking to anyone else about it, but it was good to know who was in the know.
For a very brief moment Mila felt Adrian's name on the tip of her tongue. Because Adrian knew about the pills. But Adrian was "dead", at least to everyone else. She was just so used to having him back in her life that Mila had nearly forgotten no one else knew he was alive. "Caden and Roxy for sure. I don't know if Caden would have told Gavin or not, to be honest. He's still living with them and I don't think he tried to hide it too much while he was there. Again, he seems okay now. He hasn't been high when we've been together, and I haven't seen any signs that he's abusing medication again. Like I said, I don't even think he has anymore. But without having a way to numb those feelings... I guess I'm just worried about him. He needs support, especially from family." Mila smiled softly. "Maybe we can all go out to dinner this week. We don't even have to talk about anything heavy, just... enjoy each other's company and pretend like everything is okay for a bit."
Kat nodded, glad at least Caden knew. It made sense, considering Aaron was living with him at the moment, but she hadn’t been sure if Aaron had been trying to hide it or not. Hopefully Mila was right and Aaron was okay now, but if he was still in pain he’d need some way to heal that didn’t rely on drugs keeping him numb. “I think that’s a great idea. Sometimes just being around family and having a good, happy experience helps, as corny as that sounds,” Kat smiled. “I’d like to see everyone anyways. I talk to you and Aaron on the phone, but I pretty much have to see Caden and Gavin in person to get anything out of them, and that’s still sometimes a struggle.”
Mila snickered softly before sipping her coffee. A "struggle" was putting it lightly. Having worked for the Lucas brothers for several years, she had rarely had much trouble talking to Caden, though he could be brusque sometimes. Gavin, though. She knew better than to try and engage with him beyond work related conversation. And... of course, when he told her she would be better off getting an abortion than ruining her life and Aaron's with a baby. That memory prompted any amusement she had been feeling to die away quickly. She had long since buried what she knew about Aaron's brothers, but it surfaced again swiftly, making her feel cold in her chest. So she took another sip of the coffee, wishing it were hotter than it was. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day? Where are you staying?"
Kat knew there were things she never heard about by living elsewhere, but she’d always hoped that the major things made it her way. If she’d really thought about it, she’d have realized that the worst things were the sort that people never talked about, that she’d only find out about if she was there in the thick of it. She’d protected herself in a way, but in doing so had failed to be there for her family when they needed her the most and she didn’t even know it. “I dunno,” she shrugged. “I thought I’d maybe do a little shopping, wander around town and take some pictures, then see if anyone wants company for dinner tonight. I know everybody’s got a lot going on, so I just grabbed a room at the motel for a few days.”
Mila didn't like the thought of Kat staying at the motel outside of town. Sure, that was where she and Aaron had first slept together, but it was still a sleazy place. "You know, if you want you can always stay at my place in Seaview. A lot of my stuff is packed and boxed up, but my bed is still there and the power is still on..." The blood was supposedly cleaned up as well, according to her father. She wouldn't have offered her place to Kat if there was still physical evidence of Aaron's stabbing in the carpet. "Totally up to you though. If you're comfortable where you are, that's okay too. Maybe we can grab Aaron and have dinner tonight."
Kat didn’t like the thought of imposing upon her friend, but staying with someone would remove cost from the equation and allow her to stay longer. Juniper would’ve been a better choice than the motel, but it cost more as a result. All she really needed was a bed to sleep in and a shower and she imagined she’d feel far safer at Mila’s house than at the motel, if it really wasn’t an issue. “Are you sure?” she asked. “I really don’t want to impose. I’m fine where I am, but… I don’t have anything booked this week, so I could stay a little longer if you were okay with it. I’d love to have time to actually go and see everyone. I feel like it’s been forever, even though it’s only been about a month.”
Mila smiled with some relief. "I'm absolutely sure. I would much rather have you in Seaview than in that crummy motel. I imagine you can probably hear Cherries across the street." She chuckled softly. "I'll stop by the house after work today and get the keys. Or you can follow me to my mom's after we're done here and I'll grab them for you." She wouldn't be driving to Seaview herself. She couldn't. It had been hard enough when she drove there to check on Aaron after having not heard from him. Ideally Mila would never drive to Seaview ever again. "Plus, I would love it if you stayed longer, so that's just a bonus."
“I can’t stay forever, I have a wedding booked in a couple of weeks, but I could definitely draw it out if I don’t have to pay for a room,” Kat smiled. Work was always light in January, after the holidays, but before the Valentine’s Day weddings. Senior pictures wouldn’t start up till the spring, so really the only thing she had going on were newborn photos, which were hard to plan until the baby was born. If there were ever a time of year for her to just hang out for a week, now would be it. “So did you want to go somewhere and get some actual food? I’d hate for you to finish your break and have had nothing but coffee.”
"If we can't have forever, having you for a couple more days will have to do," Mila said with a grin. It would cheer Aaron up, at least. Not that he was depressed or anything, but she still thought having some friendly family around would help him. "If you're hungry we can go get some food," she said after a moment. "I guess I've gotten used to eating pretty quickly at work, or not at all. Which isn't to say the D'Onofrio's don't let me eat lunch, I just... always have something else on my mind to do. If we stop by my mom's to grab those keys I'm sure she'd throw something together for us."
“I have all the time in the world to eat, don’t worry about me,” Kat smiled. “The only thing I have to do today is pick up some more facial cleanser and shampoo at Belladonna’s. I’ve never been able to find another line of products as good as theirs.” She should probably ask if they had a website and she could order online, but she doubted it. It was such a small shop, rather than a chain, that it probably wasn’t worth the effort for the owner to maintain a site. “But let’s head on to your mom’s to grab the keys. I don’t want you to be late getting back, especially where you work.”
Mila liked Belladonna's too, though she hadn't been there to buy anything in a while. It took Mila a moment to remember that Caius D'Onofrio's wife owned the shop. Sometimes it was strange to think they had all graduated high school together. Caius was in line to no doubt inherit his dad's company and wealth and Mila... was answering his phones. But that wasn't something she wanted to dwell on too much. Pushing back from the table, Mila stood, taking her coffee with her. "I think my mom probably packed up my bedsheets and everything, but feel free to go through the box to pull them out and wash them if you want. My mom's weird about organization so everything should be labeled on the boxes, down to the color of nail polish she packed away. And you can always call me if you have any questions or need anything else."
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Kat asked, suddenly feeling hesitant. “I don’t want to go digging through your things.” It felt intrusive, even if Mila was telling her it was fine. She’d never stayed in someone’s house when they weren’t there as well, but she knew it wasn’t the same as staying in a hotel. It occurred to her now that it might be really weird to stay in the place her brother had almost been killed, that Mila wasn’t even going back there to pack up her own things. She couldn’t ask if the blood had been cleaned up, that would be weird, but she couldn’t imagine Mila would even offer if it hadn’t been. If not, she’d be quietly staying at the motel, regardless of the offer for a free room.
Mila smiled. "It's definitely okay, Kat. I don't have much to begin with. Everything important to me has been packed up and brought to my mom's house. I promise. You're welcome to anything you need in Seaview. I want you to be comfortable." If she was still paying for the tiny house then at least someone was getting some use out of it. Mila would understand if Kat was too uncomfortable with it, given what had happened there, but hopefully there would be no signs of the incident. That's all Mila could promise. It was up to Kat whether or not that was enough.
“Thank you. Seriously,” Kat smiled. “I promise you won’t even be able to tell I’ve been there.” And if it made her uncomfortable, she could quietly go stay somewhere else. She thought she’d be okay, though it would have been different if she’d been there to witness it. She understood why Mila needed to live somewhere else now. “Let’s go get those keys and you can fill me in on all the town gossip. I’m sure all kinds of things come your way working where you work.” Working for the D’Onofrios had to have its perks!
It wouldn't bother Mila if Kat opted to stay elsewhere but she was still glad to help in any way that she could. Having Kat home may be beneficial to everyone and Mila was hoping she would stay for a while. Walking with Kat toward the exit, Mila laughed. "I used to get more gossip working at the bar. The D'Onofrio's are very mum about their personal lives, but... I'll tell you what I can remember. If nothing else, my mom will fill you in on everything going on in the lives of her neighbors, at least. That woman knows everything." Focusing on town gossip, rather than the traumatic aspects of it, was just fine with Mila. And if would make Kat feel more comfortable being home, even better.