by Leigh Allen
At first, I didn't dare to move. I decide I must be finally losing my mind and the delusions that Seth would be near me, have finally taken effect.
“I know you are mad at me, but if you would just let me explain,” the voice continues.
Something deep inside my heart tells me this isn’t some cruel illusion my mind has created. Slowly, I sit up before turning my head.
What I see behind me steals my breath and sends my heart racing at rapid speeds.
Seth.
I stand and I know he must be thinking that I am beyond insane as I just watch him without saying a word. He takes a step toward me, but I hold my hand, stopping him.
“Seth?” I ask, like I am still unsure if he is here or not.
Nodding he says, “Mia, it’s me.”
I can’t explain it but something inside of me snaps at hearing my name cross his lips. He is here, just as he was really in the hospital the other day.
This time, I’m the one to move. My legs begin to race and as I close the distance between us, I leap into his open arms. My lips crash to his as a I close my eyes and take in everything that is Seth.
His arms fold around me and he holds me so tight, I’m afraid he might squeeze me to death. My hands play along his neck and into his messy hair that I have missed so much. He grunts, but all I hear is the beating of my heart inside of my chest. Everything about this is all wrong, but right now, neither of us care. It has been far too long since I have touched and held Seth.
Tears spring from my eyes and as I move my face away from his, I see that he too, has tears rolling down his cheeks.
“Seth,” I begin, but my emotions overtake me.
“We don’t have to talk right now,” he says, taking his thumb and brushing a lone tear away. “Let me just look at you,” he says, but I notice him wince as he speaks.
Suddenly, I remember that this incredible man was just in the hospital after getting his ass kicked. He has broken ribs and I just jumped right on top of him. I slide down his body, my hands tenderly touching his stomach.
“Seth, did I hurt you?” I ask, inspecting him.
A smile graces his lips as he attempts to hide the pain. “No, it’s not too bad,” he lies. “I would take whatever pain you give me, just to have you jump back into my arms again.”
“You are insane,” I laugh through my tears. When I take a step back, his hands grip mine like he is afraid that I will leave again.
“Possibly, but something told me that you would be here. I was discharged today, and I had to come here,” he says, squeezing my hand.
“I did, too. This place is magical,” I say.
“It’s ours,” he adds.
“Seth…” I go to argue, but he stops me by placing his fingers to my lips.
“We can talk about everything later. For now, just let me stand here with you,” he says.
And so, I close my mouth and take in Seth. There is so much left unsaid between us, but at the same time, he is right. The painful and uncomfortable conversations can come later. We have both put ourselves through enough misery for a lifetime. The need to just be takes over and we are just us in our spot.
Chapter 28
Mia
The sun begins to settle over the horizon some time later. All sense of time has escaped us. Seth and I sit side-by-side in the open field, both of us picking at long blades of grass.
The silence is welcome and nice and we both take it in as long as we can.
My phone vibrates and I see incoming texts from Grace and Jamie.
I see Seth’s eyes narrow in on my phone at the sight of Jamie’s name on my screen. I can already guess what he is thinking and I need to squash any arguments now. Shaking my head, I pick my phone off the ground.
“Seth, Jamie is my friend. She is Lana, Isaac’s new girlfriend, niece,” I state.
Relief floods Seth as he nods, like he wasn’t just about to freak out.
“Wow, Isaac is dating,” Seth says, chuckling a bit.
“Yeah, it’s been pretty wild. I think they are getting pretty serious though. Lana has custody of Jamie and I have been showing her around Hollows Cove,” I add.
“That’s nice. Does she have a brother or boyfriend?” he asks me.
The question seems odd and out of place at first, but then I remember that Seth saw me and Alex on the ferris wheel. I can’t help but laugh a little. “No. You can just ask me, you know,” I say.
Seth doesn’t say anything for a minute, but I can tell he wants to. After a beat, he finally says, “I know you saw me the night you were on a date,” he says, venom lacing his voice.
I go to reach for his hand, but I wait. “Grace set us up on double dates. Turns out, Alex was also trying to get over a difficult breakup,” I say, my eyes locking on his. “But, as nice as he was, there just wasn’t a spark.”
Seth eyes me carefully for a minute. “So, you aren’t dating him?” he asks nervously.
“No. I haven’t wanted to date anyone since you,” I admit.
“Mia, I never stopped loving you,” he rushes out, and my heart picks up beating rapidly again.
“Seth, neither of us ever fell out of love. I think that is pretty clear. But, being together wasn’t right,” I say, tears burning my eyes again.
I don’t want to cry again, nor do I want to fight. But this conversation has to happen.
“I thought if I left, you would forget me. But, I just couldn’t stay away,” he admits.
“I could never forget you,” I breathe.
Seth inches closer to me and I can feel his warm breaths on my cheek as he talks. “Mia, I know I fucked up. At the beginning, I thought I could keep everything simple. That I wouldn’t get too far out of control, but I was wrong. All I wanted was to buy that warehouse so I could start a business and a life for us. I almost lost my life and I lost you,” he finishes.
His words destroy me. I always knew that Seth wanted to do the right thing, it was just that his actions were all wrong. I can see the remorse he feels reflected in his eyes. He’s changed and I can only hope that he continues to grow from this, because my heart can’t stand to lose him again.
“Seth, you never lost me,” I say.
His eyes widen before he crushes his lips back to mine again. We fall onto the ground and he rolls over on top of me. His body covers mine and I feel so warm and protected. I have missed this-- missed us.
“Where do we go from here?” he asks, as he lifts his head up for a moment.
“We go forward. We still have so much to talk about and there are changes that need to be made, but I can’t walk away again. I promise,” I say, before my lips find his again.
Chapter 29
Seth
One week.
That was all it took for me to get my life back under control. After I left the hospital and found Mia again, we made a pact that we were a team. I ended up telling my mom everything. Brody had gone with me and to say she was pissed, would be an understatement. While she cried, screamed, and called me every name under the sun, she was glad that I was healing and making plans to right my wrongs.
I talked to the school and I could go back, but I would have a shit ton of makeup work to do. I didn’t mind, really. When I told Mia that I had been looking at colleges before everything went to shit, she was beyond ecstatic. Once everything was settled, we were going to look at colleges together. I even apologized to Isaac for leaving town and not telling him I was quitting my job or that I was breaking his sisters heart. He was clearly angry with me, but he’s in love now with Lana, so I think that softened his feelings a little. If he didn’t have Lana, he would have probably killed me for everything I had put Mia through.
Can’t say I would blame him.
Grace had threatened to kick my ass if I ever pulled another stunt like I did, and I swore to her I would spend the rest of my life proving to Mia and everyone else, that I was deserving of her love and acceptance. Grace seemed to relax a little, but I knew she would al
ways have one eye watching me. She was a great friend to Mia and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Jamie was...interesting. This gothic chick definitely didn’t fit the mold of girls in Hollow Cove, but she seemed to be protective over Mia, so I liked her instantly.
But Mia--her heart was too big and her love too forgiving. I didn’t know why she decided to take me back or why she was devising the plan she was, but I would never stop thanking the stars and heavens above for giving me another shot with her. Mia was mine now and forever.
“So, how much money do you owe?” Mia asks me.
We are all sitting around Mia’s living room. Isaac and Lana are out on a date and Brody and I are dirty and covered in grease from working on two more cars. I only need another four hundred dollars and my debt will be paid.
“Nope,” I say, shaking my head. “I am not letting you get involved in this. I’m almost finished with these guys.”
Mia gives me a frustrated look as she sighs. “We are all a team.”
“Can’t you just sell something?” Grace asks.
“I don’t have anything but my bike, and honestly, it’s not worth anything,” I say, taking a sip from my bottled water.
“You all are depressing me and I am hungry. I will order a pizza,” Jamie announces, standing and walking out of the room.
“There’s another race happening,” Brody begins. “You missed the last one since you were in the hospital,” Brody trails off.
I know what he means, but there is no way I can take the risk again. It was because of gambling during the races that I got into this mess.
“What if I bet on you?” Mia offers.
“Hell no,” I shout. I pull her close to me as we sit on the couch together. “I refuse to let you be part of that world. I love you for wanting to help me, but it’s not up for discussion,” I argue.
“We will see,” she says, crossing her arms across her chest.
Something tells me, Mia isn’t going to listen to me. Her stubbornness has always been a huge turn on to me, but right now, it is scaring the hell out of me.
Jamie walks back into the room and everyone is silent.
“What did I miss?” she asks, glancing around at all of us.
“Not much. Just Mia about to change everything,” Grace says.
Jamie just shrugs her shoulders as she flops back down into her chair.
Mia’s cryptic response seems to only further my fear that whether I like it or not, Mia is going to find a way to help me out of this mess.
Chapter 30
Mia
Now that I have Seth back, there is no way that I am going to let him get hurt again. While my heart and mind is still angry with him for everything that has transpired between us, I still know that I would never be able to give my heart to anyone else. Ever.
I wish I could say that I had learned a lesson from Seth’s near death experience, but if I am being honest, it only pushed me more to want to help him. When Seth and I had first started dating, we had gone to the Raven’s Clubhouse and watched the races. While it was thrilling to watch, it was also a bit scary, too. I had seen the way Seth’s eyes lit up with excitement when he rode his bike-- especially when racing. It was something ingrained deep inside of him and I would never want to take that away from him. However, the gambling was far too risky for him to continue.
I’m relieved once everyone leaves my house later and it is just me and Jamie left. Lana and Isaac aren’t back from their date yet, so Jamie is stuck with me. I am still trying to get to know her more, so I think this would be the perfect opportunity to run an idea by her.
I need more ideas and Jamie seems like someone who won’t hold back when asked a question.
“Jamie, I need to ask you something?” I say, as we busy ourselves with cleaning up the living room. Plates with pizza crust and napkins liter the room.
“Ok, shoot,” she says, stuffing the pizza box inside the trash can.
Exhaling a deep breath, I lean up against the wall in the kitchen. “Well, I know you still don’t know the entire story with me and Seth, but by now, you know he got into some trouble gambling and borrowing money from some pretty bad guys,” I begin.
“Yeah, you told me most of it and then I picked up the rest from conversations tonight,” Jamie replied.
“So, I need to help Seth find a way to get the rest of the money owed. If he doesn’t have it soon, there is no telling what those guys will do to him next,” I say, shuddering at the thought of someone hurting Seth.
“I understand, but Seth was pretty clear that he didn’t want you to get involved,” Jamie reminded me.
“Well, I don’t always listen,” I laugh.
“I am picking up on that,” Jamie chuckled. “So, what do you have in mind?” she asked.
Smiling, I leaned in and said, “It will be our little secret.”
****
Engines revved all around me as I stood in the last place I thought I would ever be.
“You know you stick out like a sore thumb,” Jamie said, nudging my side.
My eyes grew wide as I turned to face her. “Seriously? You look like you should be in some goth film,” I countered.
Laughing, Grace stepped in front of both of me and Jamie. “You both need to stay quiet. None of us fit in here, but arguing only makes us stand out more,” Grace snapped.
Standing in front of the Raven’s Clubhouse, I knew that what I was about to do was stupid, but I had no idea how mad at me Seth would be. My plan could work or it could blow up in my face.
Moving through the parking lot, I walked over to where I knew I would find Brody. Spotting us, he looked like he had just seen a ghost.
Brody came sprinting down toward us and met us halfway. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked, looking around.
“I need to talk to you,” I say.
“You couldn’t call me on the phone?” Brody asked, clearly surprised by my presence.
Shaking my head no, I reply, “Not a chance. What I have to ask you requires an in-person conversation,” I say.
Jamie and Grace stand beside me like my own personal bodyguards. I can tell Brody is nervous.
“Where is Seth?” he asks.
“Well, that’s what I am here about,” I say.
Sighing, Brody runs a hand through his hair. He looks up at the sky before meeting my gaze. “Something tells me I am not going to like what I am about to hear,” he states in annoyance.
I can’t help the smile that appears over my smug face. “I guess we will just have to see.”
Chapter 31
Seth
When Brody called and asked if I wanted to go to the races tonight, I almost thought I heard him wrong.
After everything that had gone down, I was sure I wasn’t allowed to go to the races anymore. But, Mia was working and Brody insisted he wouldn’t let me gamble.
Pulling up to the Raven’s Clubhouse, I saw that the lot was packed. The races always brought in big crowds-- and big money. But, I couldn’t think about that right now.
I just wanted to enjoy a good race with my buddy. I had tried to call Mia before I left my house, but she didn’t answer. She must be busy, she will call me back later.
I park my bike next to Brody’s and take my helmet off. The night is just getting started and there is an electrifying buzz surrounding the clubhouse. I can already hear engines revving and people cheering behind the bar and clubhouse.
“Calm down, man,” Brody says, slapping me on the back. I can’t help but notice that he looks a little nervous, too.
“It just feels strange behind back here,” I say.
Brody nods in understanding. “I get it, but you aren’t doing anything wrong tonight. This is just two guys hanging out tonight,” Brody laughs.
I try to ease my mind and think about the next coming days that will be filled with work as I struggle to finish paying off my debt. Wait, oh shit.
I stop walking and feel the urge to scream
. “Fuck!” I scream.
Brody stops moving and spins around. “What?” he asks.
“What if those guys are here tonight?” I ask. “I mean, they will surely be here collecting winnings and scamming more losers like me,” I say.
How in the hell did I not think about this before? Of course, they will be here. Looks like my next ass kicking will be a public show.
“Seth, I swear I won’t let anything happen to you,” Brody says.
All I can do is hope he is right.
We start walking again and my stomach drops as I see the large crowd gathered around two racers.
The first race begins and my eyes are trained on my surroundings. I look for any sign of trouble, but thankfully, all I see are excited spectators. By the third race, I relax a little and even start to enjoy myself. The air is cool and crisp and the stars are shining bright in the sky. Maybe I was worried about nothing.
As the fourth race begins, something sparks my interest. A girl wearing a familiar looking helmet saunters up to the starting line. I hear guys whistling and shouting cat-calls as the girl stands before them. My heart begins to race and I start to shake my head. I look to Brody, but he refuses to look at me. I don’t like the feeling that is beginning to stir inside of me.
However, it isn’t until she takes the helmet off that I feel a fire ignite deep in my body.
The girl who is about to race is Mia.
My Mia.
What. The. Fuck.
Chapter 32
Mia
My body is shaking and I can feel beads of sweat beginning to form on my forehead. I don’t hear everyone around me, all I hear is the beating of my own heart. It is almost deafening.
If everything goes right, Grace, Jamie, and myself might just pull off this plan. When I had asked Brody to help me, he said no. It took some persuading and a big promise to never do anything like this again, but eventually, he agreed. I knew he didn’t like my plan, but he also knew that this could be our only shot at helping Seth to get out of this disaster.
