The One That Slipped Away

by LaShawn Vasser

  Mia pressed her lips together. Her smile was a little shaky as she whispered, “Of course.”

  Harrison walked over and kissed her on the forehead then left out of the kitchen through the garage door.

  Mia stood motionless. Her feet were rooted to the floor. Her eyes welled up with tears as they began to spill over and roll down her cheek.

  *****

  After a good morning cry, Mia decided not to give up. She prepared a picnic lunch since the weather report said it was supposed to be warm and sunny.

  There was a park across the street from Haughton Telecom’s office. Mia knew that Harrison had been crazy busy, but she hoped to convince him to carve out at least a half an hour or so for lunch with her.

  When she got off of the elevator, Alexandria was not at her desk. Harrison’s door was slightly ajar, so Mia pushed it open.

  Harrison sat behind his desk focused on a document he held in his hand. Mia tapped on the door, and he looked up.

  “Hi.”

  Harrison was surprised. He stood. “What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I’d surprise you.” She held up the picnic basket. “I was hoping we could have lunch.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I really don’t have time. I’ve got another meeting in a little while.”

  Mia wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “But, you’ve got to eat. We could go over across the street to the park just for a little bit, and you could get some fresh air.”

  Harrison pursed his lips. “Mia?”

  She almost pleaded. “We’ll keep it light. No serious talk just food and sunshine.”

  He blew out a breath. “Honestly, I just don’t have the time.”

  Mia had been rejected twice in a span of just a few hours, and she couldn’t take any more. She blinked back the tears that were beginning to form. “Okay. I’ll just leave this here then.” She sat the basket on his desk. “There are sandwiches and that potato salad you like from Stewart’s Deli in there. Maybe sometime during the day when you get time to eat, you can grab one or two of them.”

  The quiet of the office was interrupted when Alexandria barged into his office. “Okay, Ethan. I’m back. I’m taking you to lunch and I won’t take no for an answer.”

  The look on his face said more than words could ever say. It was guilt. Mia looked at him then the shocked expression on Alexandria’s face. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

  No one moved or said a word as her heart shattered. She could yell and scream, but she just didn’t have it in her. Instead, Mia picked up the basket. “I guess you won’t be needing this. All this time I was worried about Liberty. I hope you two have a good lunch.”

  Chapter 24

  Harrison pulled into the garage less than fifteen minutes after Mia. He turned off the engine afraid to go inside. He couldn’t put it off any longer and got out of the car.

  He’d hurt her, and that was the last thing he ever wanted to do. Harrison knew he’d find her in their bedroom.

  Her suitcases were on the bed, and she was packing.

  “Back at the office, it wasn’t what you think.”

  Mia couldn’t look at him. She didn’t respond.

  “I know it looks bad, but Alexandria and me weren’t going to lunch. I’d already turned down her invitation. I’ve been so busy lately and not eating that Alexandria wouldn’t take no for an answer. I swear that’s the truth.”

  Mia stared at him. She could see by the look in his eyes there was more. Finally, she responded. “The looks on your faces said otherwise.”

  Frustrated, Harrison raked his hands through his hair. “What do you want me to do, Mia?”

  She swallowed deeply. “Tell the truth, maybe. I don’t know.” She was tired – broken. Her voice reflected it. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. I don’t think there is anything you can do.”

  Harrison was starting to feel panicked. “I messed up, but I didn’t sleep with her. We kissed that was all.”

  “That’s enough don’t you think?” Mia paused. “Did you want more?”

  Harrison didn’t know how to respond to Mia. He thought part of him did, but then again he didn’t. What he wanted was for things to go back to the way they were. Mia took his silence as her answer and returned to packing clothes in the suitcase.

  His voice was hoarse. “Mia, I love you. I swear it. I just don’t know how to make us work. I’m doing my best, but I just don’t know how to balance everything and make everyone happy.”

  Her voice was a near whisper, “I understand.”

  “You understand? Yell at me, or something. Scream at me for being an asshole!”

  Mia shrugged. “Maybe when the shock wears off, I’ll want to do that. Maybe, I’ll want to ask how could you betray me this way when I gave you everything . . . all of me. Maybe, I’ll say that I would never have allowed my friends and family to make me feel the way yours did. I don’t know. Maybe, I’ll just stay numb and bury this pain because it will hurt too much.”

  Tonight was the night Mia was determined to tell Harrison that she was pregnant. But, she couldn’t not now. Maybe not ever. She was completely devastated.

  She’d known things had changed between them but had never given up hope that he loved her. Now, what? She was going to crawl back home to her parents broken, pregnant, and unmarried. And having to admit, they were right.

  Even as she packed her bags to leave, Harrison could only stand and watch. After everything, like an idiot, she wanted him to beg her not to go, to take the few steps between them and pull her into his arms. He didn’t.

  “Mia, I love you and you’re the absolute last person, I would ever want to hurt. I just don’t know what else to say or do to make you happy.” Harrison’s heart was breaking too. He did love Mia but he was caught in an impossible situation. He hadn’t known what to do for a long time. And, as hard as he’d tried, he just couldn’t get it right. Maybe her leaving was for the best. “I’m sorry and I never meant to hurt you.”

  Harrison was letting her go. He wasn’t going to fight for her and for the first time, Mia had to think about life without him. Her voice was strained, shaky. Mia stared at her hands. “I suppose in the beginning no one ever really does.”

  Frustrated, he closed his eyes. “Do you need anything?”

  Mia’s voice couldn’t work. She could only shake her head. Harrison dropped his own, stuffed his hands into his front pockets, turned and walked out of the room.

  All Mia could do was watch him leave. Her legs felt like lead, but somehow she managed to finish packing and dragged her bags down the stairs. She booked a flight and took a cab to the airport. A few hours later, Mia was boarding a plane at O’Hare airport.

  It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do, but Mia walked away from her future and the love of her life.

  Chapter 25

  Present Day

  The past weekend had been one for the books. Mia’s personal life seemed to be falling apart at the seams. She couldn’t understand how one moment, while not perfect, life was good, only for it to come crashing down so spectacularly at her feet. What the hell was she going to do about Michael?

  After another restless night, Mia had overslept. The morning was almost over when she arrived at her office. She’d called ahead to let her staff know that she was running behind and to clear everything on her schedule that started before noon. Fortunately, Morgan and Associates had a daycare center on the property for their employees. It was only three floors below, which meant she wouldn’t have to drop Autumn off at a different location, taking more time off the clock.

  This was one of those days where she almost called in sick. Mia could use a day to just hide away from everyone and clear the clutter from her mind, but then she thought better of it. She was a mom, a professional, and wise enough now to deal with whatever came her way except for one thing and she refused to think about that.

  She couldn’t shut out the world, but she could shut off her cell ph
one. Ultimately, Mia decided to come to work because if Michael wasn’t able to reach her by cell phone, he would call her office. They would tell him she wasn’t there, and he would show up at her home. That was the last thing she wanted. He was part of the reason she craved the alone time to think.

  Mia needed some space to sort out her life—her parents, Michael, and the big fat elephant in the room that she could only pray would disappear, Harrison. He’d shown up out of nowhere and turned everything on its head.

  It had taken a while before Mia and her parents were able to reconcile after her breakup with him. It was sad, but the closeness they’d once shared had been shattered. She wasn’t sure it would ever be the same. Mornings like the other day, when her mother tried to control her life, was a prime example of why. Mia was still so angry with her that she felt putting a little space between them might do everyone some good.

  She was just as angry with Michael. Could she really marry a man who ignored her feelings and could have such disregard for them because he felt his decisions were better? In some ways, he was a carbon copy of her mother, and that scared her. Mia didn’t want to lose her voice in the relationship. Over time, she could see it happening in her effort to keep the peace. But, then again, there was the Michael that was brilliant. The stripped down version. The one that made her laugh. Mia enjoyed spending time with Michael when he wasn’t trying to take over the world. Unfortunately, she was no closer to making a decision about her life with him than she had been before everything exploded.

  Mia was capable of dealing with the problems of her life, all except one. Running into Harrison had shaken her down to the core. Seeing him had completely knocked the wind out of her the same way it had the very first time they’d met.

  Mia lifted her head to the heavens and wanted to ask God why was he playing this cruel trick on her? Harrison was the one person she didn’t want to think about. That chapter of her life was so painful that she locked it away and buried it deep within the recesses of her mind and heart just to preserve her sanity. Although six years had passed since their breakup, seeing him brought back the hurt like it had just happened. It translated into a physical pain. Even now as she was about to step off the elevator to go to her office, there was a tightening of her chest.

  What if? No. Mia wouldn’t allow her mind to drift into that territory. She placed her hand over her stomach at the mere thought of him finding out about Autumn. That would be the ultimate nightmare scenario.

  Mia had to get herself together because Autumn could tell something was wrong. All morning she kept asking if she was okay and studying her face to make sure her answers were truthful.

  The elevator doors opened, and she heard her assistant, Misty Stevens, speaking with someone. “Ms. Jamison’s schedule is very tight today. However, if you take a seat, she should be up from our daycare at any moment.”

  “Daycare?”

  Mia recognized the voice immediately as she walked up behind the strong force of a man who said it. The one person she wasn’t sure she could handle. Terrified, she froze. She prayed silently that this day didn’t go from bad to stunningly disastrous. Mia had to play it cool.

  “Yes. Our company has a daycare for the employees.” Misty looked around Harrison. “Oh, there’s Ms. Jamison now.”

  It wasn’t DEFCON One, but it was close. Mia’s mind was working furiously on the many ways she could get out of this sticky situation.

  Harrison turned around, and Mia could see his chest rise and fall while his eyes feasted upon hers. He was still as breathtakingly handsome as he’d always been, only the innocence of his youth had been replaced by a harder more adult shell.

  Mia wished he would have at least gotten fat over the past six years but no. He was as handsome as ever standing in front of her in a custom designer suit—maybe even more so. The strong scent of his cologne mixed with the familiar smell that was uniquely Harrison assaulted her.

  Subtly, Mia shook her head attempting to come back to her senses. Her days of allowing him to make her weak in the knees were over. Mia cleared her throat. “What are you doing here?”

  His penetrating gaze seemed to look through her soul. “You didn’t call.”

  Mia looked away and folded her arms across her chest. “I never promised to call.” Once she’d gathered herself, she faced him again. “How did you know where to find me?”

  Harrison tilted his head slightly. “After speaking with Jeremy Smith, It wasn’t hard.”

  Mia released a breath. “I’m very busy this morning. My calendar is full.”

  “I have an appointment.”

  She was annoyed that he seemed to have an answer for everything. “That’s impossible. Misty cleared my morning schedule.”

  Harrison used his thumb to scratch above his eyebrow. “I never got the call.”

  Mia was irritated that he seemed like the calm one while her insides were turbulent. The strain was evident in her voice. “Harrison, you shouldn’t be here. There’s nothing to be gained by showing up where I work. It reeks of desperation.”

  That lopsided grin appeared. It used to drive her crazy. “I’m a man who never thought he’d have an opportunity to talk to you again, so I might seem a little desperate.”

  Mia broke eye contact again. “Harrison, it’s best to leave the past in the past. Like I said before, whatever wasn’t said six years ago, doesn’t need to be said. So, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot on my plate and won’t be able to see you.”

  Harrison pushed his suit-coat back behind his hands as he placed them in front pockets. He wasn’t wearing a tie and the first two buttons of his shirt were undone. He was a GQ clone. Mia was convinced she was cursed. She should hate him. Some parts of her did, so she couldn’t understand why she still had such a strong reaction to him. Luckily for her, he didn’t seem to notice.

  “I get it, you’re busy. I just need a few minutes of your time.” Harrison was determined. He wasn’t leaving until they were able to have at least one real conversation.

  Mia walked past him to the threshold of her office door. “I don’t have a few minutes. Like Misty said, ‘I’m booked up until the end of the day.’ ” Just before walking inside, Mia turned an irritated eye toward her administrative assistant, who was completely engrossed in the drama that was unfolding. Her voice had an edge to it. “Hold all of my calls unless it’s an emergency. I’ve got to get through some financial reports.”

  When she went inside her office, Mia closed the door.

  *****

  Mia spent several hours hunched over her desk in an attempt to review several financial statements until finally pushing the paperwork away. She would have to look at them again later because her mind was nowhere near her work.

  She glanced at the clock. “Shit!” She mumbled to herself, jumped up quickly, and grabbed a notepad. She was going to be late for her one o’clock meeting.

  Mia rushed out the door and pulled up short. She looked at Misty, and all Misty could do was shrug her shoulders. Harrison was still sitting in the waiting area working on his laptop. He never looked up. “I can wait here for as long as I need to Mia.”

  It seemed as if she were going to say something, but stopped. Instead, she dashed off to her meeting.

  Mia’s nerves were shot. She was seriously considering going home. Then a thought occurred to her that made her sick. If she didn’t see Harrison and he stayed in her lobby until the end of the day, it was quite possible he would follow her. Mia had to pick up Autumn from the daycare. If he followed, there was a better than great chance he would see her.

  Immediately, Mia shot up out of her chair. The daycare closed at five-thirty. She checked her watch to see that it was already two-fifteen. “I’m sorry, Jackie. I’ve got to go. You guys go on with the meeting and send me the notes.” She left the conference room as fast as her legs would carry her.

  One of her nightmare scenarios was about to come true. Her only hope was that it would prevent the ultimate nightmare fr
om happening.

  Chapter 26

  Harrison looked up from his computer just as Mia was coming down the hall. There was a confidence in her stride that he’d never seen before. She was just as beautiful as he remembered, probably more now than then.

  He swallowed as he watched her walk with purpose towards him in those sexy strappy heels and black pencil skirt that hugged her rounded hips. Mia was much curvier than he remembered, but in all the right places. His mouth went dry.

  Harrison could only blame his momentary lapse of insanity all those years ago on himself. He should never have let Mia go. If he were honest, he shouldn’t be here, and he knew it. It drove him crazy wondering about the what ifs? Or, had she ever thought about him over the years? Probably not, but he had to know for sure. It seemed Mia had gone on with her life, but looks could always be deceiving—a fiancée with no ring was suspect to him, especially when Michael wasn’t working at the local chicken shack. If there was even the tiniest opening or a shred of hope, he was going to take it.

  If nothing else, maybe after they had a chance to talk, he might actually find the closure he was seeking to one way or another move forward with his life.

  Those pretty brown eyes looked up into his. “I have just enough time to squeeze you in, but you’ll have to make it quick.”

  Harrison nodded.

  “Okay, fine.” Mia turned on her heels, and Harrison followed her into her office. Once inside he shut the door behind them.

  Mia’s heart was beating much faster than it should. She wasn’t quite sure if it was the proximity to him or knowing her secret was only three floors below them. Mia turned to face Harrison. “I don’t know what this meeting will accomplish, or why you even want it, but you’ve got it. What do you want to say to me?”

  “First, I guess I should say, congratulations on your engagement.”