“You can’t be in here,” she responded, still watching him from within the mirror as if turning around and seeing the real him would make this less real.
“I don’t care where I can and can’t be. Nothing matters to me anymore. Not without you.”
Finally, Mia turned and faced him. “How can you say that? I gave you back the ring.”
“But why did you do that, Mia? Why did you give that back without talking to me first? Why did you believe a woman like Belle without hearing me out?” he asked as pain flashed through his eyes.
Mia took a few steps toward him before stopping herself before she got too close. “I didn’t believe her. I don’t believe her. I did it because I didn’t know who to believe anymore. There is so much about you that I don’t know. You’ve never let me all the way into your life. This is all… it’s too much. I can’t do it anymore, Cayd. Despite how I feel about you… I just… I can’t. I hurt too much.”
“You don’t think I hurt too? You are the only good thing in my life, Mia. I’m not letting you throw us away over some bullshit mistake I made years ago with an unstable woman.”
“I don’t know what to do, Cayd. I don’t know how to get past all of this.”
“Do you love me?”
“I…”
“Do you. Love me?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then there’s nothing else that matters. This doesn’t need to change us.”
She stepped closer. “Don’t you see? It already has.”
Reaching out, she placed her hand on the door to leave. “Please let me go,” she whispered. “Don’t make it harder than it already is.”
For a moment, they just stood there, their eyes locked as the air crackled between them.
“No,” he growled out as his hands flew up and caught her face and his mouth crashed against hers. Suddenly, they were spinning and Cayd had Mia pressed up against the door as their minds whirled with emotion and longing. The moment their lips touched all of Mia’s resistance went out the window, and she was lost in the glorious reaction her body had to him as his tongue delved into her mouth and his body pressed against hers.
Their hands were flying everywhere as they tried to touch each other in all places at once. Cayd’s erection pressed hard against her stomach as his hand slid up her thigh and under her dress until he felt her wetness on the outside of her panties and groaned in pleasure.
The door behind them pushed, and voices floated in from the ballroom as women tried to enter. Cayd and Mia froze at the interruption and looking into his eyes, Mia placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back slowly.
The voices of the women could be heard as they discussed whether the door was locked or just blocked.
“I have to go,” she whispered, before reaching behind her and opening the door just enough to let herself out while keeping her eyes down as she hurried past the women at the door.
“What in the world?” one said as they pushed through the door and saw a dishevelled looking Cayd standing against the privacy wall.
He ran his hands through his hair then cleared his throat and straightened his tie. “Ladies,” he said with a nod, as he walked straight out as though there was nothing at all odd about his presence in the women’s bathroom.
“Did you talk to her?” Howard asked him, when he reached his side moments later.
Still watching Mia from across the ballroom, Cayd nodded. “I did.”
“So what are your chances?”
“There’s still hope.”
As the night went on, the guests took to their seats while dinner was served and speeches were given. Belle welcomed everyone and introduced Mia and Natalie as her daughters to polite applause from those in attendance. A lovely woman who was the head of the association the evening was benefiting, had prepared a testimonial clip of women’s stories about when they were forced by family members to give up their rights to their children. It was something that was widely done in the past, but in the 80’s it was thought to be an antiquated practise, although it was still happening, even today.
Mia found herself feeling a deep sadness for those who were shown on the short film, and when it was over, she found herself feeling sorry for Belle as well, even as she stood at the podium and urged everyone to dig deep and give to this wonderful charity. The buzz around the room was that this fundraising campaign would net the foundation enough to keep them running for the next five to six years.
After the money had been donated and there was a break between dinner and dessert, a popular duet began to play an acoustic set to which all of the guests were urged to take to the dance floor.
“Aren’t they the people who had the dog at the park a couple of weeks ago?” Mia asked Natalie, as they began to sing.
“I think it is. I knew they looked familiar.”
“Would you like to dance?” Eric asked Natalie, to the surprise of Mia who had never known Eric to be a dancer. As she sat back and watched them together, she realised how much he must care for her, and it caused a happy smile to spread across her lips.
“Time to make your move, son,” Howard said, across the room, as he nudged Cayd and nodded toward where Mia was sitting on her own.
Cayd nodded and stood, smoothing his hand down the front of his tuxedo to fix his appearance. The moment he began to move toward her, her eyes found his and her features softened as she remembered the fire, and the passion she had experienced when he had taken her in the bathroom earlier.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Belle said beside Cayd, slipping her arm through his and leading him to the dance floor. She knew he wouldn’t cause a scene in public. He wouldn’t want to risk upsetting Mia.
“What are you up to Belle?” he asked, as he glanced over at where Mia no longer sat.
“I’m raising a tonne of money for a worthy cause, and I’m dancing with my handsome step-son. What do you think you’re doing, Cayd? After all, you and your father are the ones who bought your way into my party. You must have a reason.”
“I’m trying to undo whatever evil you’ve been doing, Belle. What did you tell Mia? What lies did you come up with this time?”
“I only spoke the truth, Cayd. I told her what we meant to each other and how you pursued me.”
Cayd shook his head. “You and I both know that’s not true. What happened between you and I was a drunken mistake.”
“It was more than that. You broke my heart, Cayd. I’m not going to let you break my daughter’s too.”
“I think you’re managing to do that all by yourself. She’ll be hearing the truth from me, Belle. I won’t be leaving here until she does.”
At the same time, Howard Donnelly could be seen across the dance floor moving slowly with Mia. He had asked her to dance after he’d seen his son get intercepted by Belle Fleming.
“Things aren’t going so well between you and my son I hear,” he said, to which Mia lifted a shoulder. “I may not make it obvious, but I’m very proud of the man he’s become, you know.”
“You are?”
“I am. I wasn’t very good to him growing up - even before his brother and his mother passed away. I was always too busy with my own proclivities and he grew up very angry with me. Then when we did lose his mother and brother, I became even worse and he became very angry. And I don’t blame him for what he did. I saw what was going on and I was too caught up in my own grief to worry about his. But somehow, without a father or anyone else to care about him, he pulled through it all on his own. He became a strong and capable man who dedicates his life to helping others. I’m proud that he’s my son. And if you can find it in you to give him another chance, I’ll be proud to welcome you as my daughter.”
“I don’t want to hurt him, Howard. I just don’t know what to do anymore. He needs to share his past with me.”
Leaning down, Howard pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. “The past is the past, Mia. The present and the future is what matters. But, listen to your heart. It knows w
hat to do.”
With that, he spun her under his arm and somehow she was passed into the waiting arms of Cayd as Howard took Belle to dance across the room.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Cayd smiled, as he settled his hand around Mia’s waist. The warmth of his body against hers coursed through her veins, heating her core.
“Cayd, I…” she started, feeling as though there was so much to say but not knowing where to start.
“Don’t talk, Mia, please. Just listen. I meant it when I said that I would wait for you. I know that I have made mistakes and I should have been more open with you about my past earlier. I am so sorry that our lives have become as twisted and tangled with people I wished I had never met, let alone wanted to see again. But the fact is, I can’t change what happened, and I understand that there are some things that take time to get over. One day, I hope you’ll be able to move past this and come back home to me with a clear heart and a clear mind. But until then, just know that I love you, Mia. I want to marry you. I want to have a family with you and spend my life with you. And I will wait. I will wait. Our home will always be your home. And my heart will always belong to you.”
Dipping his head, he took his mouth in hers, kissing her lingeringly before withdrawing. “Goodbye, my love,” he said, his warmth leaving her like a cool breeze, causing her to feel cold and alone. She stood there, watching him walk across the ballroom without once looking behind him, and when he walked through those large doors and disappeared from her sight, she stood there watching after him anyway, feeling more confused than ever.
Chapter 24
“DO YOU think I could borrow your boyfriend for a dance?” Belle asked Natalie, as she laid her hand on Eric’s arm and smiled warmly at Natalie, who didn’t get much of a chance to reply before she was escorted away in the arms of a young blond man who seemed not much older than she was.
He smiled down at her, his teeth perfect, white and unnaturally straight, as he introduced himself as ‘Brendon’ then went on to tell her about himself as if he were giving her some sort of résumé, instead of having the normal introductory conversation one would have in this sort of situation.
Natalie found herself watching his moving mouth but hearing little more than the dull drone of his voice as he pontificated, and she glanced longingly at Eric, wishing they could once again trade dance partners.
Catching Natalie’s eye, Eric smiled over at her as he wondered how long it was going to take for the song to end so he could return to her without looking too rude.
“They look good together, don’t they?” Belle said, as she followed his gaze. “Picture perfect.”
Frowning, Eric looked down at Belle and scrutinised her with his eyes. “Looks can be very deceiving.”
“Not really. I think he’s a very good match for her.”
“And I’m not?”
“Well Eric, now that I’ve introduced her to the world as my daughter, she’ll be expected to maintain a certain…lifestyle standard.”
“I see. And dating a plumber doesn’t fit the ‘lifestyle’?”
Smiling, Belle released a melodic laugh. Outwardly, she appeared to be having a lovely time with Eric, enjoying a charming conversation. No one else could hear the words that were belying her pleasant expression.
“I’m glad you’re catching on.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I’m not catching on at all. And I’m not going away. I know what you’re up to Belle, and it isn’t going to work. Natalie and I love each other, and we’re going to stay together. Just like Mia and Cayd love each other.”
“Mia and Cayd aren’t even a consideration anymore.”
Eric stopped dancing and looked down at her, narrowing his eyes. “Aren’t they? You intercepted Cayd pretty bloody fast when he was headed for Mia earlier, and you looked pretty pissed when his father cut in. If I were you, I’d back right off.”
“Or what, Eric? What is a boy like you going to do? I’m their mother.”
“You’re not their mother. You gave up that right when you gave them away. I don’t believe this sob story bullshit you’ve been dishing out to everyone here. You didn’t want them then and you don’t want them now. You just want to look good for the cameras.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I?” Eric asked as he backed away from Belle and headed through the crowd of dancing people to collect Natalie by the hand.
“Are you all right?” Natalie asked, as she hurried along behind him while he headed back toward Mia.
“Are you two ready to get out of here?” Eric asked them both.
Mia nodded her head gratefully. “Absolutely.”
“I’d like to go too,” Natalie said.
They were all tired of smiling and pretending to be happy that Belle was now in their life, especially when, as the night had continued, the twins became increasingly aware that she was more interested in the attention she was getting from others than she was in really getting to know her two daughters.
Natalie felt strange after being made to dance with the Brendon guy, and Mia felt as though she had been a pawn in a revenge plot that no one was telling her the truth about.
As they slid out of the ballroom and caught a cab from the front of the hotel, Eric finally said something that had been on his mind since Belle had arrived in their lives.
“I don’t think she’s a good person.”
“Who?” asked Natalie.
“Belle. I know she’s your blood and all. But she’s not a good person.”
“I think you’re right,” Mia agreed. “There’s too much that isn’t adding up.”
“But she’s our mother,” Natalie added, her voice small as she was tired and didn’t know what to believe anymore.
“It doesn’t give her the excuse to come in and use you against me and then use me against Cayd. She came close to ruining our relationship, and I was stupid enough to let her drive a wedge in my relationship with Cayd,” Mia said.
“She’s insidious,” added Eric. “I didn’t want to say anything at first because I wanted to give her a chance but from where I’ve been sitting, all I’ve seen is Belle filling your heads with manipulations. I mean, why was she so intent on keeping your relationship quiet at first, Natalie? Why did she want to ambush Mia with the information about Cayd, and why did she use the fight you and Mia had as a way to get between you? It was like she set the whole thing up so she could come to the rescue. And on top of that – why didn’t she want me here tonight?”
“I’m sure she wanted you here. I guess she just didn’t think about it properly…” Natalie tried, but her words sounded like a lame excuse even to her own ears.
“Don’t defend her, Natalie,” Mia said. “I can’t think of a time when I’ve felt worse in my life. Even when my parents died I didn’t feel this shit. I wish we’d never found her. I know I’d be a hell of a lot happier not knowing that Belle Fleming was my mother. I’d be planning a wedding instead of wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do next,” Mia said.
“About all that, Mia. I spoke to Cayd after you got me to give the ring back, and I told him what she was accusing him off. His version of the story is completely different and to be honest, it makes a shitload more sense than Belle’s revenge plot does. It makes no sense that Cayd went after you to hurt her, especially since we were the ones who sought her out. That fact just didn’t sit right with me.”
Frowning, Mia shook her head slightly. “I never believed that story, Eric. It never made sense to me either. It was just that she kept giving me details about Cayd’s past and I let the fact that I don’t know all of his past get to me. The more I think about it, the more I realise that I’ve done exactly what she wanted from the moment she met me – I let her get under my skin and I let something that shouldn’t matter get in the way of something that did matter. I’ve really messed up here haven’t I?”
Pressing his lips together in understanding, Eric placed his ha
nd on Mia’s shoulder before glancing back to the cab that pulled up to take them away from this ridiculous night. “Cayd loves you, Mia. You know where he is. Go and sort things out now, before too much time goes by and it’s too late.”
Nodding, Natalie added, “Go Mia. Take this cab. We’ll get the next. Go and be happy.”
Hugging them both quickly, Mia moved to get inside but then froze at the door. “What if he doesn’t want to see me?”
“Mia, the guy just crashed a benefit to talk to you. Go,” Eric said, practically forcing her to sit down by taking a hold of her arm and guiding her into the back of the waiting cab. “Make this shit right, ok?”
With that, he kissed on the side of the head and told the driver to take her to the Marriott hotel where he knew Cayd was staying. As he stepped back onto the curb, he placed his arm around Natalie’s shoulders.
“I hope they work it out,” she said, leaning into him as she watched her twin’s cab drive away.
“I reckon they’ve got a love like ours, so they will. I know they will.”
“Oh yeah? What kind of a love is that?”
Eric turned and dipped his head, his mouth just millimetres from hers. “A fucking transcendent one,” he grinned, before bringing his mouth to hers and kissing her passionately.
Chapter 25
“DR CAYD Donnelly’s room please,” Mia asked at the front desk of the Marriott hotel. While the clerk tapped away at the keyboard to bring up his details, Mia cursed herself for not remembering his room number from the paper he’d left behind. She drummed her fingers on the top of the marble reception desk and looked around the large, brightly lit foyer.
At any other time she’d be marvelling at the combination of lightly stained wood and marble, and the giant geometric skylight that loomed over the three open levels of this massive hotel. But when she was desperate to find one person, its size frustrated her instead.
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