by A. M. Kusi
She sighed and slipped into her car. Not ready to go back to her lonely hotel room.
Remy and Jasmine deserved the truth, even if their friendship was doomed.
She clicked open her messages.
Mikel: Renovations are complete. Let me know when you want to do the final walk-through.
He’d been the only one she’d remained in contact with, and just because he stayed professional—his content was strictly about her studio.
Mia: I can meet you this afternoon. Does 2 p.m. work?
Her phone buzzed a moment later.
Mikel: See you then.
Mia clicked open Remy’s messages next. Remy had come to the hospital, but Mia had avoided talking too much, using her sore throat as an excuse—an exaggeration, but still true. Remy had shown up for three days in a row with homemade soup, frowning at what the hospital provided. Mia hadn’t been hungry, but she’d made an effort for her friend. Eventually Mia had to shut her out too and ask her not to come back.
Remy, being the good friend she was, had swallowed the hurt that flashed in her eyes and did as Mia asked.
Remy: Let me know if I can bring you anything. Please, Mia. I really care about you. You’re my friend no matter what is going on between you and my brother—and friends help each other.
Remy: Mia, Bently said you’ve been out of the hospital for days now. Where are you? I swung by the house, but it’s all packed up. Please don’t leave like this. Let me in.
Yes, her house was for sale. She couldn’t bear another minute being so close to the man she loved who probably hated her now. Thankfully, money made the world go around. The real estate agent who’d helped her close on her house was more than happy to help her sell. She’d hired another company to pack, move, and store her things. She only kept a few suitcases with her essentials at the hotel.
Remy: Mia? I don’t know what else to say. Dre isn’t responding . . . and you’re freezing me out. I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk.
Mia blinked back tears. Was there no end to the grief that leaked from her eyes? She pulled open the messages from Jasmine.
Jasmine: Remy is going crazy over here. Look, I know enough about secrets to see you have them. But you and Dre are so good for each other. Please come back. We don’t have to talk about it. We can pretend like nothing happened, but I miss you, Mia. I don’t say that to many people.
A pang of guilt shot through her chest. What have I done?
She typed a group text to her two friends: Hey, guys. I’m sorry I’ve been a ghost. I’m ready to talk if you still want to. I’m meeting Mikel at the studio at 2, so maybe we can meet up there afterwards?
The studio would be a neutral place. No chance of meeting Andre there because surely, he would be avoiding her too.
She had three missed calls from him and one voicemail. Pain stabbed her heart. She couldn’t handle listening to that right now. Maybe later with a bottle of tequila. What could he possibly have left to say to her? Nothing good, that was for sure. Mia put her phone down. She’d catch up on the rest of her messages another time.
She drove towards her new business, her happiness for the finished product clouded by a fog of regret.
***
At 1:45, she opened the door with her key. The smell of fresh paint still lingered. Not waiting for Mikel, she drank in the silence as she walked from room to room. Memories of Andre haunted each one. He was a part of this place, as much as she wished she could forget him.
Her chest squeezed and she hugged her arms around herself. She was alone. Again. On her own.
Making her way into the main studio, she surveyed the large room. Mia gasped, clamping her hand over her mouth. The wall she’d wanted torn down had a giant window made from what looked like sea glass. The sun shone through it, sending a rainbow of colors swirling all over the gleaming wood floor. She stepped into the light, reaching out as the hues dappled her hand. Tears slid down her cheeks. It’s perfect. This was the embodiment of her mother front and center—her dream come true. Mamá, you’re here. Aren’t you? The colors danced across her skin, warming as her mother’s spirit surrounded Mia with love.
“I thought you’d like it, to remember your mom.”
Mia startled and spun around.
Andre walked forward, his hands in his pockets. She wiped the tears from her eyes and caught her breath. Searching his face, she saw no trace of the disgust or anger she expected from him. Andre’s expression was tired, and unreadable otherwise.
“You did this?” she managed.
He nodded and stopped a foot in front of her. “I know a guy. When you decided to go with a window, and then I overheard you and Lyra talking about how she used to collect sea glass . . . I wanted to surprise you.”
“Thank you.”
A moment of silence followed as Mia studied him for any sign as to how to proceed. His expression morphed to pity and she backed up a step, dropping his gaze. That’s what this was. He just feels bad for the poor little girl who lost her parents.
“Mia?”
She winced, her name so tender from his lips, like he still loved her. “Are you here to do the walk-through? I thought Mikel—”
“No.” He stepped closer.
“I’m sorry, Andre. I . . .”
“I’m sorry too.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “What do you have to apologize for? I deserved your reaction.”
He shook his head and reached out his hands to cup her face. She closed her eyes, fighting off a wave of fresh tears. Energy hummed between them, sparking to life with the touch of his hands. He was so gentle with her, as if she was the one made of glass.
“Mia? Look at me,” he pled.
She opened her eyes, her heart too afraid to hope, her knees weak and wobbling.
“I should have given you the chance to explain.” He swallowed. “After reading your letters, I understand why you kept so much inside.”
She blinked a tear away as he brushed it from her cheek with his thumb.
“I’m honored that you shared all of that with me.”
She nodded, not trusting her voice. A swirl of emotion twisted up inside her like a tornado. Fear. Love. Grief. Happiness. Guilt. Hope.
“I thought I knew what love was. I figured I got one shot at it and had wasted it on my ex.”
She winced.
He pulled her closer. “But I was so wrong. Because I fell into a love so deep it scared me. It snuck up on me slowly. I didn’t realize until I was consumed by it. So, when I thought . . . I ran like a coward because I was afraid of being hurt again. You destroyed me.”
Pain laced through her heart. “I’m—”
His finger laced across her lips, shushing her. “Then your words in that letter, they rebuilt me.”
What was he saying?
“You helped make me stronger. You challenge me in so many ways.” He smirked. “And I love every minute of it.”
But do you love me?
He leaned in, his mouth brushing softly against hers, sending a rush of heat throughout her body. Her yearning was held back by a thread of doubt.
“I love you, little witch. You’ve captured me—every part is yours.”
He loved her! She gripped his shoulders, not willing to let this moment disappear. She pulled him closer and kissed him hard.
He leaned his forehead against hers as she caught her breath.
“What about her? Why was she at your house? Did you . . .” Her stomach churned.
“God no. She showed up because her boyfriend left her and she needed a place to stay for the night. Nothing happened—despite her attempts. I couldn’t . . . I’d never.”
“You don’t still have feelings for her?” Mia clarified.
“No.” His answer was absolute. “I love you. There’s no room for anyone else.”
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Relief flooded over her like a crashing wave. She slanted her mouth across his. “I love you too.”
“Marry me instead of Mateo,” he said.
She froze. Stunned, she backed her head away to look him in the eyes. “No.”
His brows creased together as he frowned. “What?”
“I’m not marrying you for a green card.”
“Then marry me because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me so we can start a family together someday. Marry me because I love your stubborn ass, damn it.” He nearly growled his last words and palmed her backside.
She couldn’t stop the smile that formed on her lips. “We’ve only known each other for a few months.”
“I know all I need to know about you. This is me, showing you I trust you. I’m offering you my heart. I promise to love you, to never walk away from you when you need me, and to be loyal always. I want to be your partner in life. I want to share all the ups and downs we’re very likely to have based on our tempers.”
She laughed.
“I want you, forever.” He searched her eyes. “Do you want that too?”
She searched his eyes in return, and found nothing but genuine love reflecting back. Life was temporary. But perhaps love didn’t have to be. Her mother had always told her, sometimes you just had to have faith that things would work out. That there’d be a rainbow after the storm.
“Si, mi amor. Siempre. Forever.”
Andre’s mouth crashed onto hers as he lifted her into his arms. She held on to him, his love and forgiveness overpowering and staggering. She kissed him back with everything she had in her, trying to show him how much she wanted this. Lips fused, tongues reconnected, and she got lost in him. Bliss wound around her like warm sunshine lighting her up from the inside out. She was getting her fairy tale after all.
A throat cleared somewhere in the room.
She broke the kiss and turned. Mikel walked towards them, Bently, Jasmine, and Remy behind him.
Andre set her back to her feet as she straightened her shirt, heat flooding her cheeks.
“Looks like that went well.” Bently smirked.
Mia glanced at Andre, questioningly.
“I’ve been looking for you. I enlisted their help.”
Do they know?
“I didn’t tell them the details, only that you had good reasons for doing what you did. And it is your secret to tell if you want,” he said low enough for only her to hear, as if he’d read her mind.
She blinked, nearly blinded by the overwhelming adoration she felt for this man. Her heart was bursting at the seams.
“Thank you.” She turned to the group of friends that had become more like family in Shattered Cove. “I owe you all an explanation for my recent behavior.”
Epilogue
Mia
One year later
The sunlight glinted off the selenite engagement ring on her finger next to her mother’s gold wedding band. She’d found her happily-ever-after after all. Once she’d told Andre about the meaning behind the selenite in connection to her mother, he understood why she wanted it in the foundation of her studio. That was something they’d worked on for the last twelve months—communication and building trust. And now she had something even bigger to communicate to her husband—something that would change them forever.
“Buenas tardes, hermosa.” Andre’s deep voice rumbled behind her.
She turned as he walked into the studio.
“Good afternoon to you too, husband.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “Did you lock the front door behind you?”
“Yes. Are you ready to go home?”
Home. She’d never get tired of hearing that from the love of her life. “Not yet. I have something to do first.”
“Oh yeah?” His eyebrows rose as he smiled suggestively and lowered his hands to her ass. “How about we peel down these leggings and I make you come against that wall again?”
“Mmm. That sounds like a fantastic idea.”
He pulled her hand and led her over to the wall. Pushing her back to the surface, he pressed kisses around her face, ending on her lips. His hands moved the edges of her pants down her legs as he dropped to his knees.
“Dre?”
“Yeah, baby?” He licked his lips and dipped his fingers into the slick folds of her pussy. The bolt of electricity shocked her core as it always did when he touched her.
If he only knew how fitting his words were.
“I hope you lied to me that day you professed your love and asked me to marry you.”
He stopped, withdrawing his hands and standing to his feet. “What?”
“You said you only had room in your heart for me.”
“Yeah . . .” he said, his attention locked on her.
“I hope you have room for someone else too.” She bit back a smile.
“What are you talking about?”
She placed his hand over her belly. “I’m pregnant, Andre.”
The stunned look only lasted a minute before the biggest grin she’d ever seen graced his face. “We’re gonna have a baby? I’m going to be a dad?”
She nodded, her own joy uncontainable. She’d never imagined she’d be secure enough in life to have this.
He kissed her hard. “We’re having a baby!”
She laughed. Her heart was so full of light and love. There, under the splatter of color from the sea glass window, she had a child growing in her womb and her husband by her side with nothing but pure love shining from him.
The sadness for her parents’ absence would always be there. Some days were easier than others. But Mia would make sure her mother’s spirit would live on through her, and now her child.
“I think we should celebrate,” Andre said, dropping to his knees again.
“With orgasms?” she asked, as his skilled fingers dove inside her, finding her G-spot.
“All the orgasms,” he agreed before lowering his face to her, and true to his word, he delivered several orgasms until she saw nothing but the rainbow of colors blurring her vision.
Somehow the broken, jagged pieces of her heart had been smoothed and strengthened over time like sea glass, until all that was left was the beauty and joy. She’d always carry her trauma with her, but she’d learned how to live her life without it defining her.
“I love you, Mia.”
“I love you too.” Forever.
Now, turn the page for a sneak peek of Book 3 of The Shattered Cove Series, Defying Gravity (Bently and Belle’s story) right now.
Sneak Peek of Defying Gravity
Chapter 1
Bently
Bently winced at the bitter aftertaste coating his mouth. He lifted his cup of coffee and swallowed again. Nope. Still terrible. “Should have stopped by Remy’s,” he said aloud to the empty truck cab as he set the brown sludge passing for java in the cup-holder.
The radio crackled. “Squad one, what’s your twenty and status?”
Bently picked up the radio as he turned into a side street and pressed the speaker to his mouth. “This is squad one. I’m on Everton Street. Status ten-eight.”
“Unit one, take the suspicious person walking with a bike on Shell Ave.”
He pressed the button once more. “Ten-four.”
Bently put his blinker on and went left at the stop sign, scanning the sides of the road. After making a series of turns, he ended up on Shell Avenue. Slowing, his gaze focused on a kid pushing a bike on the side of the road. His blue school backpack was nearly bursting at the seams. Bently scanned the upscale neighborhood for any signs of a threat.
“He’s just a kid walking home from school.” He shook his head and notified dispatch that he was on the scene before pulling up beside the kid.
He hopped out. Squinting at the sun, he grab
bed his aviators from his pocket and slipped them on as he greeted the kid. “Good afternoon.”
The teen kept walking with his head down, swaying slightly. The flapping of deflated rubber slapping against the cement sidewalk brought Bently’s attention to the tires of his bike.
Bently stepped next to the boy. White earbuds stuck out of his ears, contrasting with his light-brown skin. He moved into the young man’s periphery to get his attention. “He—”
Wide frightened brown eyes stared up at him as the boy’s trembling hands flew towards the sky. The bike crashed to the ground. Bently swiveled around searching for the danger that had the guy so riled up, but they were alone on the street.
“Sir, I don’t want any trouble. I’m just walking home from school.” The young boy’s voice was steady. His eye was swollen and bruised.
Bently furrowed his brow. He’s scared of me? Smiling in hopes to set the boy at ease, Bently motioned to his headphones. “Can you take those out for a minute?”
Slowly, the boy plucked the headphones from his ears, the steady thump of hip-hop pouring from the tiny speakers.
“Nice tunes.” Smooth, Bently.
The young man remained silent. His eyes were glued on Bently. His shoulders nearly touched his ears with tension.
“I’m Sheriff Evans. What’s your name?”
“TJ . . . uh, Thomas Jones, sir.”
Bently nodded, looking over his bike. “What happened to your ride?”
TJ looked down for a moment before he shrugged. “Flat tire.”
“May I?” Bently asked, reaching towards one of the wheels.
“Okay?” TJ’s answer was more like a question.
“I know a thing or two about bikes. This is a nice one.”
“I didn’t steal it if that’s what you’re thinking,” TJ said, his jaw tense.
“I never assumed you did. You can put your hands down you know.” Bently ran his palm around the outer tire, finding the source of the leakage—a long slice between the folds of black rubber.
