by Daniels, J.
When she said it back to him, she looked right at me with those eyes that were impossible to look away from. No woman has ever looked at me the way Mia does. It was new yet familiar at the same time. Like she’s been looking at me like that our entire lives. Like she knew me better than anyone. I was used to women staring at me because they wanted me. I was familiar with that look. That desire that was completely superficial and void of any real emotion. I could easily break away from those women. I wasn’t completely pulled in by a single fucking glance. Ready to hand over my entire life because of just one look. But that’s how it was with Mia. When she looked at me, she saw me. My hopes, my fears, my future that for all intents and purposes belonged to her. She fucking owned me with that stare and I never wanted to look away.
I wanted Mia to come with me to take Nolan to Angie’s apartment. She seemed uneasy about it at first, but Nolan turned on that Kelly charm that she’d become completely helpless against. I wasn’t sure how Angie was going to take it, but honestly, I didn’t give a shit. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, Angie was very aware of my feelings toward her. I’ve always been straight forward and honest, even when I allowed the occasional blow job. And looking back, I hate that I was weak in those moments of loneliness. But she knew we didn’t have a future, and I wanted to show off mine.
“Oh, um, I figured I would just wait in the truck.” Mia looks at me with an anxious expression as I stand outside her side of the truck. I hadn’t mentioned that she would be walking inside with me, but she is well aware of that intention now. She hesitantly puts her hand in mine and allows me to help her down. “Ben, really, I don’t have to go inside.”
I close the passenger door, pulling her against me and inhaling her hair. “Baby, relax. There’s no reason to be nervous. You’re the first woman I’ve ever introduced to my son’s mother.”
“That’s supposed to make me relax?” she asks with a tenseness in her voice. “If anything, that makes me even more nervous.”
I gaze down at her, cocking my head to the side. “I’ve also never introduced any woman I’ve been with to Nolan before.” She seems to ease in my arms, her bottom lip finally releasing from her mouth. “That’s how much you mean to me. I want you to be a part of Nolan’s life as much as you’re a part of mine. He loves you and Angie’s bound to find out about you eventually. We might as well get this over with now.”
She shifts on her feet slightly while she stays in my arms, keeping her eyes on mine. “Is her son the only Kelly boy that feels that way?”
Wow. Leave it to Mia to put a guy on the spot. I’m certain there isn’t any question that is off limits to her. But that’s how she is. She isn’t afraid to call you out on anything. And I’d never want her to be any different.
“No.” I brush my lips against hers, teasing her with my tongue. “I’m sure my father loves you like a daughter.”
She smiles against me before planting quick kisses to my lips. “Oh, is that how you’re going to play this? What if I said it first, would you give it up then?” I arch my brow at her, daring her to make the first move. “I…” she kisses my jaw, “love…” her lips move to my ear, “sunflowers.” She chuckles against me. I bit back my smile, narrowing my eyes at her when she leans back. She wipes the grin off her face and shoots me a flirtatious stare.
“You know, I carry a spare set of handcuffs in my glove compartment that I won’t hesitate to use on you.” I grab her wrists and pin them behind her back, bringing our chests together. Her breath hitches and she purrs against me. “Mmm, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Not being able to touch me while I have my way with you. Giving yourself up to me completely.” She nods and licks her lips. Damn parental duties. My dirty girl wants me to take her right here and the only thing stopping me is currently sitting in the backseat of my truck, swinging his sword around his head like a maniac. I release her wrists and kiss her once, then once more. “Later, pretty girl.”
We walk up to Angie’s apartment, Nolan running ahead of us. He knocks lightly on the door and then bangs on it several times with his sword. As Mia and I walk up behind him, the door swings open. Angie’s eyes are immediately drawn to Mia who is struggling to pull her hand out of mine. But I’m not having that. I hold on tighter.
Angie crosses her arms over her chest in annoyance. “Let me guess. Princess Mia?” Her eyes shift to mine. “Really, Ben? Did you have to bring your latest hook up to my apartment?”
Nolan runs past her into the living room which I’m grateful for. If we are going to have it out right now, I don’t want him hearing it. “Don’t be a bitch, Angie. I’m doing you a courtesy here. Our son is going to be spending a lot of time with Mia so I figured you two should meet.”
Mia steps forward as much as my grip on her allows and holds her free hand out. “Hi, Angie. It’s so nice to meet you. You have the sweetest little boy. I’m crazy about him.”
Angie glances down at Mia’s hand, refusing to take it. She turns her attention back to me instead. “Do you really think it’s wise to confuse our son by introducing him to your flavor of the month? And I thought we were trying to work things out between us, Ben.” She drops her hands then and wipes the irritation from her face, replacing it with a false hurt. “It really is what’s best for Nolan.”
“Maybe I should just go wait in the truck,” Mia says softly, dropping her hand.
I shake my head at her. “No. You belong where I am.”
“Oh, give me a fucking break,” Angie barks out in irritation.
I look past her and see Nolan at the kitchen table with a box of crayons. Dropping Mia’s hand, I step closer to Angie and she tenses up. “You’re lucky he didn’t hear that. And don’t ever take your bitterness out on Mia. She never did anything to you and she’s amazing with Nolan.”
“I’m his mother. And you should be more concerned with fixing our family than who your dick wants to play with.”
“Ben, can I please have the keys to the truck?” Mia asks, holding her hand out to me palm up. Even though she states it as a question, she isn’t asking me. But I don’t want her to leave. Fuck Angie. Mia has every right to be where I am. Unfortunately, I know now that Angie will never calm down as long as Mia is in front of her. I reluctantly pull my keys out of my pocket and hand them to her. “Thank you.” She turns her head toward Angie and offers her a smile. “I hope you realize how lucky you are to have Nolan.”
Angie grimaces at her comment. I wait until Mia is out of earshot before I tear into the woman who makes my life a living hell. “Don’t ever talk to Mia like that again. She doesn’t deserve to be disrespected by you.”
“What the hell do I care if I hurt your fling’s feelings?”
I step closer to her. “She is not a fling. That woman is it for me. Do you get that? She’s not going anywhere, so it would be in your best interest to accept her. Our son sure as hell has.”
She inhales sharply. “What does that mean?”
“He told her he loved her today. Does he tell you that?”
Her bottom lip begins to tremble, prompting her to pull at it with her fingers. “I just don’t understand why you can’t at least try to make this work.”
I am over this conversation. If she doesn’t understand that the two of us will never work by now, she’ll never understand it. I push past her and walk over to Nolan, kissing the top of his head. “I love you, buddy. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Wove you, Daddy. Look what I dwawed for you.” He holds up the paper he’s been working on. It’s three people, all looking like circles with stick limbs coming out of them. Two of them are larger than the third. He’s even labeled us in his chicken scratch handwriting. “Dats you, dats Pwincess Mia, and dats me.” He hands it to me with a smile before he runs his finger down my nose.
I repeat the gesture and hold the picture against my chest. “Thanks, buddy.” I rustle his hair before I walk toward the doorway. Angie avoids my eyes, looking down at her feet instead. I don’t have an
ything else to say to her so I walk out of her apartment and close the door behind me. I had a feeling she wouldn’t take meeting Mia very well. Angie still held on to the idea that we were going to wind up together. And considering that I’ve never introduced her to anyone before, I’m sure that only added to her delusion. But pining after me didn’t excuse her behavior toward Mia. And I’ll never let her treat my girl like that again.
I climb into my truck after folding up Nolan’s drawing and slipping it into my back pocket. “I’m sorry about that. She won’t talk to you like that again. I promise.” I reach for her hand and she places it in mine with a smile. She seems completely unaffected by the hate she just had directed at her.
“It’s okay, I get it.” She links her fingers through mine as I pull out of the apartment complex. “She loves you and she’s hurt that the two of you aren’t together. I’m sure it isn’t easy for her.”
Jesus. She doesn’t even have a negative thing to say about Angie after that bitchy encounter. She actually feels sorry for her. “I don’t think Angie loves me. I think she’s just desperate for attention. We had one night together and neither one of us remembers any of it.”
She shakes her head in disagreement. “She definitely loves you. I can tell.” Her head rests back on the seat and she turns it toward me. Our eyes meet briefly before I have to put them back on the road. “Did you ever try to make it work with her?”
“Yeah, after Nolan was born. I knew Angie wanted us to be a family and I owed it to Nolan to at least try. They moved in with me after the two of them were released from the hospital. But it only lasted two weeks.” Her hand tightens in mine. “We fought constantly about everything and I was fucking miserable all the time. Having a baby at twenty-three was stressful enough and then throw in the fact that I couldn’t stand my son’s mother. It wasn’t good. When I told her it wasn’t going to work she freaked out, threatening to keep Nolan away from me. I took her to court to make sure I’d at least get my time with him and that only pissed her off even more.” I park the truck in my usual spot at my parents’ house. I help Mia out on her side, keeping her hand in mine as we walk toward the pool. “Sometimes I wish I would’ve never slept with her that night, but then I wouldn’t have Nolan. And I can’t imagine not having that little maniac.”
She laughs softly against my shoulder as we round the pool. “I can’t imagine you not having him either.” I slide the door open, placing my hand on her back and moving her ahead of me into the house. Tessa is sitting on the couch, her lap completely covered in used tissues and her face in her hands. “Tessa? What’s wrong?” Mia goes straight to my sister, sitting down next to her.
“Are you alright?” I ask, moving in front of her. I haven’t seen Tessa cry since we were younger, and back then, I was usually the cause of it. The older she gets, the less she lets things get to her. If she had balls, they’d be made of steel.
She looks up at me and then back to Mia. “Oh my God. Are you guys together now?” Mia nods and Tessa begins to cry harder. Not the reaction I had been expecting. Tessa was my biggest supporter when it came to winning over Mia. “That makes me so happy. You have no idea.” She sobs, prompting Mia to wrap her arms around her.
“Do you need a girls’ night?” Mia asks, giving me a knowing look over Tessa’s shoulder.
I pick up on the message loud and clear. The two of them don’t need me here for this. Nor do I really want to be here for whatever the fuck happens at a girls’ night. I lean down and kiss Mia’s forehead. “I’m gonna head out. I’ll see you after work tomorrow.” She winks at me and nods against Tessa. I place my hand on my sister’s shoulder. “If you say this is because of Luke, I’ll go find him right now and beat his ass.” She whimpers against Mia, and I would’ve taken that as a yes until she begins shaking her head. Fucking women and their mixed signals. A simple yes or no would’ve been nice. I exhale loudly in annoyance. “Just call me if you need me.” I smile once more at Mia and get the hell out of there before I get any more cryptic responses.
Chapter Sixteen
Mia
“See, it’s a good thing I stocked up like I did yesterday,” I say, carrying over two bags of chips and the box of cookies that Nolan and I had made a dent in yesterday. Girls’ night can’t exist without some sort of junk food. I drop them onto the coffee table and settle in next to Tessa, turning my body toward her. She isn’t crying anymore but she looks emotionally drained. I tuck my legs underneath me and place my hand on her knee. “What happened with Luke?”
She sniffs, leaning her head so it rests on the back of the couch. Her eyes are puffy and bloodshot and her nose is bright red. I’ve never seen Tessa cry before. Not even when we were younger. She was always the stronger one out of the two of us.
“I didn’t know where Luke stood on the whole kid thing. We’ve never talked about it and I didn’t want to just drop the baby bomb in his lap without being somewhat prepared for his reaction.” She reaches up and wipes a tear from her face. “I was anticipating him saying that he’d want to wait a few years to start a family and then I’d say something like instead of waiting a few years, how do you feel about waiting a few months? But he didn’t say that.” She looks down into her lap and begins picking at her nail polish.
“What did he say?”
“He said he didn’t know if he wanted kids. He said that every time he saw Ben and Nolan together, he never once thought that was something he’d want someday.” She lifts her head and looks at me. “I got so angry. I pushed him away from me and started screaming at him. I told him I was tired of whatever the hell it was we were doing together and that I didn’t want to see him anymore.” She starts crying again and I grab her hand before she continues. “I don’t even know if he was fully committed to me. He could’ve been fucking every girl in Ruxton for all I know, and then the thought of him getting all those girls pregnant pissed me off even more. I was yelling and crying. I don’t even know if I was making any sense. He tried to calm me down but I couldn’t even look at him. I told him never to call me again and I left.”
I grab a tissue out of the box and hand it to her. “So you didn’t tell him you might be pregnant?” Even if she and Luke weren’t together anymore, I still thought he should know about it.
She chuckles softly which completely throws me off. Ending things with the father of your unborn child doesn’t seem humorous to me. “The timing of this whole thing couldn’t have been more fucked up. After I got home, I went to the bathroom and low and behold, there was my stupid period. That bitch really took her sweet ass time making an appearance.” She shakes her head and drops it to the side, leaning it against the couch. “I keep thinking that if I would’ve just waited a day, that whole conversation wouldn’t have happened and we’d still be screwing around. But I’m glad I didn’t wait. I want a family someday. I want to get married and have kids and I wouldn’t get that with him. I’d just be wasting my time.” Her words are certain but she seems saddened by the loss of whatever it was that she and Luke shared. I tighten my grip on her hand.
“I’m really sorry things didn’t work out. With Luke and the baby. I know you were excited about being a mom.”
She shrugs. “It’s probably for the best. I see what my brother has to go through raising a baby with somebody he isn’t with. And I’m sure Luke would’ve ended things once I told him that I was keeping it.” She grabs a few cookies and rests back on the arm of the couch. “I am going to miss the sex though. My God.”
I chuckle and grab a bag of chips. “That good?” She eyes me up humorously. “Well there’s always Reed. Have you two ever gotten together?” I really had no idea if the two of them had ever hooked up. Reed was a good looking guy, and Tessa was, well, she was Tessa.
She holds her hand up to stop me, grimacing. “Gross. That would be like sleeping with Ben. And he’s got a lot of baggage. Didn’t he tell you about his last girlfriend?” I shake my head and dive into my chip bag, preparing myself for some gossip. “I
t’s really fucked up. He started dating this girl senior year, Molly Mcafferty, and they were like crazy in love. Everyone thought that they’d end up married with a shit load of babies someday.” She gets up off the couch and walks to the fridge, returning with two beers and handing me one before reclaiming her seat. “But that obviously didn’t happen.” Tessa takes a sip of her beer and licks her lips. “Molly went to college in Virginia and Reed stayed here, getting on at his dad’s company. He was determined to make it work though and stayed completely faithful to her. I mean, he acted like they were married already. He wouldn’t even look at other girls. He wrote her letters all the time and would take road trips every weekend to go see her, but she never came back here to see him. Not even during holidays. And after a while, she stopped calling him all together.” I have an idea where this story is going and I almost don’t want to hear anymore. Reed is a sweet guy and doesn’t deserve what I fear Tessa is about to tell me. She continues with a heavy sigh. “I voiced my opinion on their seemingly one-sided relationship and he got all pissed at me. I told him that if he was so certain that she wasn’t two timing him, that he should go see her during the week when she wasn’t expecting him.”
“Did he?”
“Yup. He walked right in on her banging some dude in her dorm room.”
I have the sudden urge to go find Reed and hug him and beat the shit out of this Molly chick. I despise cheaters. My mom’s last boyfriend was one. “Oh God. Poor Reed. Has he dated anybody since her?”
She digs into her bag of chips, popping a few in her mouth before answering. “I wouldn’t classify hooking up with random chicks as dating. He’s like the king of one-night stands around here.”
I chuckle softly. It could’ve been Reed that night at the bar, buying me purple drinks and telling me he’d lose his mind if he didn’t get inside me soon. That thought is quickly pushed out of my head. I don’t want to imagine giving myself to anyone but Ben. I belong to him.
