“It belonged to a buddy of mine from the team. Ended up with an insurance nightmare because it wasn’t mine and theirs didn’t want to cover. Anyway, it was a stupid thing. Thought I saw a deer in the road, and I swerved to miss it but overcompensated, and we ended up rolling into a ditch. It was bad.”

“I’m sorry.” It felt like all I could say and totally inadequate at the same time.

“Don’t be. You’re not the one who fucked up.”

“Did anyone…” I let my voice trail off because my morbid curiosity wasn’t helping Milo’s audible pain at recounting the experience.

“No one died. But they could have. So easily. It ended up that I was the worst of the injuries. Small justice, I guess.”

“You made a mistake. A huge one. But that doesn’t mean that you deserved such a gruesome injury.” Stopping at a red light, I sneaked a glance at his face, which was a mask of pain. Eyes shut, mouth fixed and hard.

“Yeah. I get that. And yet…I put my family through such shit. It wasn’t that long after Dad passed.”

“Which may have played a role, I’d bet.”

“Quit trying to make excuses for me.” He groaned and slumped further in his seat. “Sorry. You’re being nice. But I don’t deserve nice. Not about this. I know full well what I did was wrong on so many levels. And I didn’t deserve Mom and Bruno’s help either. He came. There was…police involvement. Charges. I didn’t lose my license, but it was close. And there were fines. Bruno helped me handle all of it. Said I could repay him over time.”

“He’s a good brother,” I said.

“Yeah. And how do I pay him back? I was a dumbass again. Got myself fleeced. Was drinking. Again. At least this time I walked my butt home. Progress?”

“In your defense, I’ve played George. He can be…persuasive.”

“He flirted with me,” Milo admitted softly as I passed the shopping center.

“I’m not surprised.” I’d suspected as much ever since Milo told me he was into guys.

“You figured?”

“He’d flirt with a fire hydrant if he thought it would get him primo cards. He tried it with me and a number of my friends too. Flirts with the guys who are into that, but he’s charming with everyone. And none of us lost cards worth as much as the Frog Court to him, but it wasn’t for lack of trying on his part.”

“Oh. So it wasn’t just me.” Milo’s tone was hard to read as I turned into the apartment complex he’d indicated. “Second building on the left.”