A Beautiful Lie (Playing with Fire #1)(7)

He never had a friend before, unless you count the goldfish he had up until his mother went away, but while Milo was at school, his father decided he didn't need another mouth to feed and flushed his one and only friend down the toilet.

Any other boy of nine might have been offended that someone else had to stand up for him and fight his battles, but not Milo. No one had ever helped him before. Everyone in his life abandoned him and left him to his own devices, never caring if he lived or died. To have this kid, who didn’t even know him, jump into the middle of a fight to protect him and defend his honor made him feel important for the first time in a long time. From that moment on, Garrett became his biggest champion and his best friend. Garrett encouraged him to do better in school and helped him with his homework. Garrett gave him clothes to wear when his no longer fit and Milo's father couldn’t stay sober enough to buy him any. Garrett's family became Milo's family when his father decided taking care of a teenager was for the birds and broke Milo's collarbone and two ribs his junior year of high school. Garrett became his roommate and brother and Garrett's parents, his mother and father.

Over the years Garrett tried his hardest to make up for Milo's upbringing. He quickly forgave Milo's abrupt bursts of anger when something didn’t go his way and he punched a hole in the wall or threw a glass across the room. He jumped into the middle of altercations that had nothing to do with him when Milo picked a fight with random strangers. He also tried to be understanding when Milo would retreat into himself for hours at a time and stare at the old cigarette burn scars on the inside of his arms, lashing out at anyone who interrupted his dark thoughts. Garrett even looked the other way when Milo borrowed his car without asking, and he took the blame when Milo brought it home with a dented fender and a busted headlight.

He let Milo get the bigger allowance for doing fewer chores, and he gave up dates if the girl didn't have a friend that could double with Milo. He put his dream of going to MIT to rest and instead, applied to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland with Milo. Milo was in dire need of regulation and control, and Garrett knew this was the best decision for him and his future. Being his best friend, it was an easy choice for Garrett to go with him and make sure he was okay. And of course there was the added bonus of meeting Parker while they were in school. Having her in his life made it much easier to give up on his dreams and stay the course with his two best friends.

After four years of hard work and strict discipline at the Naval Academy, and with Parker’s friendship and support, both men graduated as Ensign O-1, officers in the Navy, and received orders to be stationed in California. Garrett knew all along he wanted to continue his studies after graduation by earning his Master of Science degree in Computer Science, and since he'd be in California, he decided to juggle continuing his education at the Naval Postgraduate School with the rigorous training schedule the SEAL team required. Milo wanted nothing more to do with school and instead focused on his training and his blossoming relationship with Parker. Both men were accepted into the Navy SEALS, each for different reasons.

After Parker had graduated from the University of Maryland, she instantly started receiving freelance photography assignments. She was very secretive about the location of the assignments and what they entailed, but she assured Garrett and Milo it was normal considering she was new to the field. They never questioned her aloofness about her job, especially when the prints from her travels began showing up in magazines.

After the boys packed up and moved to California, she went to visit them twice within the first month. Each time she showed up, she fell more in love with the state. She had never lived anywhere but her small hometown in Michigan and then Maryland for college. Being in a place within walking distance of the ocean, surrounded by palm trees and sunshine, made her dread flying home and preparing for the upcoming months of ice, snow, and rain. It occurred to her on her flight back to Maryland that her job, though it conflicted with her personal life and forced her to keep things from those closest to her, gave her the opportunity to make her home almost anywhere she wanted since she traveled so much.

Two weeks later, she moved into the boys' rental home in California and stopped worrying if a long-distance relationship with Milo would ever work.

Garrett often thought about the day he and Milo sat down at Parker’s table in the coffee shop. For the first time ever, Garrett forgot how to speak around a girl, and not just because she was absolutely stunning with her long dark hair, green eyes, and porcelain skin. She was reserved and quiet when they first sat down, content to let Milo do all of the talking and never once making him feel like she was bored. It bothered Garrett that she avoided all of the personal questions Milo threw at her, and he didn’t like the sadness he saw in her eyes each time Milo mentioned Garrett’s parents. But the easy way she laughed at Milo’s jokes and played along with his flirtations gave Garrett a good feeling, even if he wasn’t the one she was directing her attention towards. When she slowly began opening up to them, one little piece at a time, Garrett could practically feel the weight of the world on her shoulders, and he wished more than anything that he could lift it for her. The one and only time during that entire first conversation she truly seemed happy and excited about something was when she spoke of her photography. Garrett would never forget the spark in her eyes that day and the smile that lit up her entire face when she spoke about her camera. He didn't begrudge Milo for taking advantage of Garrett’s new found skills as a mute and flirting with her throughout that conversation.