by A. M. Kusi
Emotions overwhelmed her before everything went dark.
***
Tap. Tap. Tap. Scribble. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Mia cracked open her eyelids. Everything ached. Where am I?
“Oh, good. You’re awake.”
She turned her head as a young boy’s face came into focus. The boy from the alley!
She gasped, bolting to a sitting position, every cell punishing her for the sudden movement. She shivered, her clothes soaking wet. She was no longer on the street, but in someone’s house. She shifted carefully on the couch, taking in the small living room with a coffee table, chair, and television. A few pictures hung on the wall—artsy photographs.
He held up his hands, dropping the pad of paper and pencil he’d been holding. “I promise I’m not gonna hurt you.”
“You’re the one from the alley.” She held her throbbing head. Her lungs were heavy, making it painful and difficult to breathe.
He reached into his pocket and then held out his palm to her. A glint of gold caught her eye.
My mother’s ring!
Mia eyed him warily as she retrieved it.
“I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t have a choice. He said . . .”
“I know,” Mia croaked. Her throat was raw.
“I stole it back from him and carried it around in hopes of finding you to return it. I couldn’t get the necklace though.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and shuffled on his feet.
“Thank you . . . Where am I?”
“My sister, Belle’s, house. She’s a nurse and said you needed to go to the hospital. But we didn’t know your name. Found you on the road on our way back from the library.”
Mia nodded slowly. “I don’t need a hospital. I’ll just get going.” Mia tried to stand but every muscle protested and the room began to spin.
The boy reached out his hands gently. “Please just rest. I called a friend to come help.”
Mia stiffened. “Friend?”
“He’s actually the sheriff of Shattered Cove. He’s got it bad for my sister, but he’s a cool guy. She acts like she hates him, but I think he’s wearing her down.”
Mia blinked, trying to comprehend everything the boy was saying. Bently was friends with this kid?
“What’s your name?”
“TJ. What’s yours?”
“Mia.”
The floorboards creaked overhead. TJ shifted uneasily. “Uh, I know I don’t deserve it, but, uh . . . could you keep that whole thing in the alley between you and me? My sister doesn’t know, and neither does Bently.”
Before Mia could answer, there was a knock at the door. TJ ran to open it, giving her one more pleading look before he let the visitor with a familiar voice in.
“What’s the problem, buddy?” Bently asked.
“I found some lady passed out on the road,” TJ answered.
“Mia?” Bently gasped, rushing over to her side just as a beautiful dark-skinned woman came down the stairs in scrubs.
“What is he doing here?” TJ’s sister snapped.
TJ shrugged.
“Don’t act like you’re not happy to see me,” Bently responded.
She rolled her eyes. “Has hell frozen over?”
Mia would have shaken her head if it didn’t hurt so much. Who was this woman, and what did Bently do to piss her off? Her head swam.
“TJ called and let me in. Seems he rescued my friend.” Bently turned his attention back on Mia. “What happened?”
“I just need to go home,” she rasped, before coughing.
“No, she needs a hospital. Her lungs sound like they have some fluid in them and she’s running a fever. She was passed out in the freezing cold, soaked to the bone. No idea how long she was exposed to the elements, but she could have pneumonia,” Belle said, crossing her arms.
“Let’s go, Mia. Doctor’s orders.” Bently took her hand as she stood up.
“I’m a nurse,” Belle deadpanned.
“Home. No hospital.” She coughed again. This time she couldn’t stop and everything went black again.
Chapter 32
Andre
Bang. Bang. Bang.
“Uhhh,” Andre groaned, opening his eyes and immediately regretting it. His head was pounding and whoever was at that door was going to get punched in the fucking face.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Ding-dong. Ding-dong.
“Fuck!” He sat up, swinging his legs onto the ground as empty whiskey bottles clinked and rolled across the floor. Andre rubbed his eyes and got to his feet with the hangover from hell.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“We’re not leaving this time, so you better open the door, fucker, or I’ll break it down!” Bently’s voice bellowed from outside.
“I’m coming!” he snapped, immediately regretting the loud noise. He went to the door and unlocked it before it swung open, letting in a gust of cool air and two angry sets of eyes glaring at him.
“What the fuck, man?” Bently shoved past him with Mikel following behind.
“What’s your problem?” I need coffee. Andre shut the door and walked over to start a pot.
“Our problem? He wants to know what our problem is.” Mikel shook his head, joining in with his brother.
The water began to drip, sending the savory rich smell throughout the kitchen.
“Why haven’t you been answering our calls or texts?” Mikel asked, a little calmer.
“I told you I was sick.” And then shut my phone off. “I’ve been in bed.”
“For a week?” Bently seethed.
“Yeah, must be the flu or something,” Andre lied. Guess I’m a liar too now.
“Or a bender,” Mikel said, compassion shining from his eyes.
Bently’s gaze softened just a bit. “Maybe he caught it from Mia.”
Her name grated like nails on a chalkboard. How could those three little letters spark him to life and destroy his soul all at once?
Andre pulled a mug from his cupboard and poured himself a big steaming cup of black coffee, not bothering to wait until it was cool before he took a sip.
“What do you mean I caught it from her?” He couldn’t say her name.
Bently shook his head. “You haven’t read any of our messages, have you?”
“Nope.” He sipped his coffee and took a seat.
Bently and Mikel shared a concerned look.
“What?”
“If you’d answered my calls after you left a message you’d be out of work this week, you’d have known,” Mikel explained.
“Got them, but I told you I needed a week off. You’re not going to play ‘bad business partner’ on me for skipping out for a few days after you left for five fucking years, are you?”
“Mia was admitted to the hospital a week ago.” Mikel narrowed his eyes.
What? Worry sank his stomach like a stone. “Is she okay? What happened?”
Bently sighed and crossed his arms. “She passed out in that storm we had in the middle of the road. Don’t know how long she was there before she was found. Luckily, the good citizens called me.” Bently raked a hand over his face. “She was in bad shape, man. She passed out again in my arms and I rushed her to the hospital.”
He should have been there. Was she all alone? Was her fiancé there?
Crack.
The handle of the coffee mug broke off the cup, and it tumbled and smashed on the counter. He stared at the destroyed porcelain in his hands. That was the day of our fight. She’d told him that she blacked out. Why didn’t he make sure Mia made it into her house?
Because she shattered what was left of my heart.
“Is she okay?” Andre repeated.
Bently nodded. “She got out yesterday. Wouldn’t tell me anything, but begged me not to tell you she was in the hospita
l. You wanna tell me why?”
Andre set the pieces from the handle on the counter and hung his head. “She lied to me. She lied to all of us. She’s been engaged this whole time.”
Bently’s expression didn’t change. Only Mikel seemed shocked.
“Tell me what happened, exactly.” Bently took a seat and leaned in on his elbows.
Andre recapped the worst day of his life within a matter of minutes. Both Mikel and Bently shook their heads.
“Just doesn’t seem like her,” Mikel said.
“Are you still taking her side? I was right about her, from the beginning, and you all wanted me to play nice. I should have gone with my gut because look where my fucking heart got me,” he snapped.
“Your heart? You love her?” Mikel asked, his brows creased.
Andre sighed. “Fool me twice. She’s worse than Tiffany.”
“You didn’t give her a chance to explain? There’s no way she could have duped all of us. There’s something fishy about this,” Bently said, scratching his beard.
“Nothing hidden here, detective. The guy she’s marrying was right in front of me. The same one she’d sworn was like a brother to her. I believed her. She’s good at deceiving people. She’s a fucking witch who cast us all under her spell.”
“Her friend Mateo?” Bently asked.
“You met him?”
Bently nodded. “In the hospital. The whole family stayed for a few days before Mia sent them on their way.”
The bastard didn’t even stay with her until she was better?
Bently chuckled.
“I fail to see what’s so fucking funny here.” Andre glared at his friend.
Bently waved his hand. “Mateo Lopez. Tall guy with dark hair, Spanish accent?”
“Yes,” Andre grated.
“He’s gay. Or, at the very least, bisexual.” Bently smirked.
“What?”
“He hit on me. Then when he saw I was a no-fly zone, he got in real cozy with Doc Burton. Saw them at The Shipwreck a few times. They left together both nights,” Bently explained.
“Maybe Mateo and Mia have an open relationship?” Mikel suggested.
“Only way you can find out is to talk to Mia.” Bently picked up the broken mug and sipped Andre’s coffee.
“If I learned one thing through all the shit that went down between Remy and me, it’s that you gotta put everything out on the table. I almost lost her because I didn’t do that. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. If you love her, then hear her out. There has to be an explanation. Do you really want to live the rest of your life wondering?” Mikel asked.
Andre’s stomach churned with anxiety. It hurts too much. “People don’t change.”
Mikel winced.
Shit. “I didn’t mean it like that. You realize every one of the women I’ve seriously dated in my life has cheated on me?”
“Mia isn’t Tiffany. We all hated your ex. The only reason we were civil was because you really cared for her. We knew she was a bad egg from the beginning. But, Mia . . . she’s gotten pretty close with Remy,” Mikel said.
“And Jasmine,” Bently added.
“You know the girls have better instincts about women than we do. They love her. And your sister is devastated because Mia has been avoiding her this past week.” Mikel sighed.
His friends were right. There were more questions than answers. Nothing was adding up. I need to know. But would she give him the truth? And how could he trust her even if she did?
Mikel walked over to the couch, sighing. “What’s this?” He reached down and grasped an envelope peeking out from under the coffee table.
Andre shrugged. “Beats me.”
“It’s got your name on it.” Mikel held out the paper.
“That’s Mia’s writing.” Andre reached for it. How? Tiffany must have taken it before he shut the door in Mia’s face and then stormed to his room.
Bently stood. “Maybe the answers you seek are in there. I’m gonna leave you to it, but I’ll be checking back in on you.”
His friends said their goodbyes before they left him.
Andre took a deep breath to steady himself as he pulled the folded papers out.
Starting with the first line of the first page, he read.
Each page was harder to digest.
He learned more about Mia in these few pages than he had in the months he’d spent sleeping with her. This was the real Mia. It was no wonder she kept to herself. All the trauma. All the times he’d triggered her by mentioning her parents, or the bad juju that followed her around.
Guilt and hurt swirled inside him as he staggered back to his seat. Humbled, his eyes fell onto the last page.
Chapter 33
Andre
I’ve lived in fear all my life. It’s taken residence in my body, like a shadow following me around. Every decision, every risk I take is weighed based on fear. I realize now that I had pushed you to let go of your resentment and accused you of letting your past hold you back when I have been doing the same. Living life as an undocumented person, losing everyone I ever loved or depended on nearly broke me. I never wanted to risk getting close to anyone else in my life. And then you came along.
I am terrified to be sent back to Mexico to be tortured and murdered like my mother. They fulfilled their threats sent to us each year with her. They sent me pictures. I imagine her last breaths were filled with gasoline and smoke, and the scent of the burning tire around her beaten body. The sad part is, that was the least of the fucked-up things they did to her. I know because they also sent me a letter, and yes, I read it. I forced myself to see what my truth when I was a child did to my parents. I blamed myself for so long. But not anymore. I did not do those things—the cartel did. I can see that now. I will begin the process towards forgiving myself.
I hold DACA status. With the new administration, that status is at risk. I had thought the best thing for me, with limited legal pathways to safety, was through marriage to a citizen. I never lied to you when I told you Mateo and I were like brother and sister. He is my brother, blood or not. I have never, nor will I ever be romantically involved with him. The marriage contract would have been just that—a contract. Mamá Lucia had always hoped we would end up together, but it was never more than a mother’s wish. Mateo is not interested in women, and she’s still holding on to the dream that he will be someday.
I understand how much I have wronged you. I accept that we can never be. But you should know that I do, and always will, love you, Andre Stone. Beyond that, I trust you with my truth. I’ve never given that to anyone. The things I’ve written in these pages could have me deported. But I won’t live in fear anymore. I’ll face whatever I need to.
My mother told me once that my life was like a piece of sea glass. I’d always taken that to mean it was treacherous, sharp, and unforgiving. But now I see she meant the beauty of it. The unknowing and risk is all a part of our journey—colors and hues sparkling in the panes, reflecting so much beauty if we’re willing to see it. Everything we go through refines us, shapes us into who we are.
You helped me realize that. You helped me grow.
Now, I hope you can forgive me, but if not, I’ll respect your wishes and leave you alone.
I just needed to let you know the faults made in this relationship were mine.
Don’t let my mistakes stop you from finding your happiness.
Yours,
Mia
A weight settled on Andre’s shoulders as he read the last of Mia’s words. He’d known she had secrets, wondered why she didn’t want to report those situations to the police or go to the hospital. If he had seen his parents murdered like that . . . fuck.
He’d been blinded by his past hurts, shutting Mia out before she could explain to protect himself. What have I done? Because of him, Mia was put in physi
cal danger and had ended up in the hospital. And she had literally risked everything to tell him all of this.
He didn’t care that she was undocumented. Why had the system failed her and most likely hundreds of thousands of others? She’d obeyed the laws, her mother had, and look where that had got them.
Andre ran upstairs and got dressed. I need to make this right. He brushed his teeth and popped a couple of pain relievers before rushing to get his boots and coat on.
Sprinting across the yard, he sucked in a breath at the sight of the yellow For Sale sign in the front. The thudding in his chest pounded faster as he ran up to her door and banged on it. Her car wasn’t there, but maybe . . . He peered in the window. The air was sucked from his lungs. No sign of her. He ran a hand over his hair. My phone. He sprinted back to the house. He needed to fix this before Mia disappeared for good.
Chapter 34
Mia
Wiping the sheen of sweat off her brow, Mia walked out of the Hope Facility. The crisp air felt good in her lungs as she headed to her car. After a week in the hospital, she’d been nearly crawling out of her skin. She’d needed to stretch her body. It gave her something to do instead of staying in the lonely hotel room she’d rented to avoid having to see Andre next door. But the gaping hole left in her chest from losing him had pushed her to reach out for a lifeline. The moment he’d mentioned this place, her soul had been tugged in this direction. Children with pasts she could relate to, with a need for an outlet. Yoga had helped her, so why not them?
Aaron had been delighted and gathered the kids together not thirty minutes after she’d introduced herself. Too bad it’s only temporary. She couldn’t stay here—but Shattered Cove had become her home. Her business was here. She’d made friends. Mia winced and reached for her phone. A slew of unanswered and unread text messages sat in her inbox. I doubt they’ll still want to be my friend. Not after they learn the truth.
She wouldn’t put them in the middle of her and Andre. He’d obviously wanted nothing else to do with her. She understood his reasons, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Anger boiled at the visual of his ex in his house. Why would he take her back like that? Maybe he still harbored feelings for her and Mia had been blind this whole time.
