Chapter 36
did you ever think about telling me the truth?
DOMINIC
September
Luna’s family’s lake house is incredible.
The exterior is a mix of natural cedar and stone accents.
It screams old money and luxury, which is nothing like the small lake house my father and the Ashtons used to rent back when Monica and Luke were still married.
Maybe it’s a good thing the houses are so different from each other—less risk of getting nostalgic.
Funny, because I’ve been plagued by nostalgia since the moment I saw Mia again.
During dinner at our parents’ house, I watched her shamelessly, and despite her attempts to ignore me, she couldn’t help but sneak peeks.
It gave me hope, and when I overheard her talking with Luna, when she mentioned being single and hinted she still has feelings for me, it was a done deal.
No fucking way will I continue pretending I can live without her. If there’s a way back into her heart, I’ll find it.
Because she’s worth it. She’s always been worth it.
As I follow Mia deeper into the house, I push away the memories.
She walks ahead of me, her suitcase rolling behind her.
Her dark blue jeans hug her round ass in a way that makes it impossible to take my eyes off her.
The way her hips sway doesn’t help either.
She wouldn’t let me bring in her suitcase for her.
Once I’d taken it out of the truck, she snagged it and put as much distance between us as she could.
I let her, because the last thing I want is to make things more uncomfortable than they already are after that stupid text.
I have nothing to hide, but if I had it my way, she would’ve gotten the details from me, during a normal conversation between two adults. But now that it’s blown up in my face, I’ll just have to wait for an opportunity to explain—if, of course, she’ll let me.
Before she reaches the door, I dart around her. With a slight nod, I push it open and gesture for her to step inside.
The living space is open to the kitchen and dining room. There are vaulted ceilings, exposed wooden beams, and a massive stone fireplace. It’s easy to envision family gatherings here. The blend of rustic charm and modern concepts leaves me in awe.
“There you are!” Luna rushes toward us, dressed in jean shorts and a dark green tee. Her gaze keeps dancing between Mia and me, as if she’s trying to get a read on the vibe between us.
Maybe I should plaster a sign that says “I fucked up” on my forehead to make it easier for everyone.
“How was the ride?” she asks. “Did Dominic behave?”
Mia hugs her and steps back. “It was good, and yeah. He did his best.”
Luna shoots me a quizzical look. Shrugging, I set my duffel bag on the floor. Matt appears holding a bottle of champagne and waves us into the kitchen, where Miles and Chiara are sitting at the island.
Matt claps his hands, the sound echoing off the ceiling. “Alright, here’s the deal…there’s a slight issue.”
Mia snaps her head in his direction. I frown.
“We didn’t realize one of the bedrooms is being renovated. That leaves us with four rooms instead of five.” Luna smiles apologetically. “My brother’s joining us tomorrow, and he’ll need his own room.”
A bolt of excitement courses through me. It’s clear what’s going to happen. Matt and Luna will take the primary suite. Miles and Chiara will share a room, obviously, since they’re dating. And since Luna’s brother apparently needs his own space, that leaves Mia and me bunking together.
I have to fight the urge to give Matt a bear hug. Not only because I’ll get to share a room with her, but because it will give us an opportunity to talk.
As ecstatic as I am, I press my lips together to keep myself from grinning as I lean against the kitchen counter and cross my arms.
Matt clears his throat. “Someone will have to sleep on the couch.”
I shrug nonchalantly. “Or I can take the floor.”
Mia sighs, her shoulders sagging. “That’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”
Luna gestures to the stairs. “Let’s go. I’ll show you to your room so you two can get settled.”
Mia steals a glance at me then squares her shoulders and follows Luna.
As I hit the top of the stairs behind them, Luna gestures to a closed door. “This one is yours. Take your time and join us downstairs when you’re settled.”
She looks from Mia to me, mischief dancing in her eyes, making me question the truth about the bedroom situation. Could this be a ploy to force Mia and me to spend time together? If so, I have the best friends in the world.
Though I can’t imagine Mia would agree, especially when she opens the door of our room and sees the lone bed in the middle of the space.
Settling in didn’t take long. Mia was silent as she pulled her toiletry bag out of her suitcase and hung a few things in the closet. Then, she quickly headed downstairs.
As the group lounges around the house, drinking, talking, and laughing, I catch her glancing my way. I keep my distance, but that doesn’t mean I’m not acutely aware of everything she does.
Someone suggests we go out—probably Miles, because it’s always him—so we head to a local club, spending our first night in Tahoe surrounded by a crowd of people, alcohol, and loud music.
With an elbow propped on the bar, I stand with Miles and Matt. They’re drinking whiskey, but I stick with beer. I don’t want to get too drunk tonight.
Mia is on the dance floor with Chiara and Luna. I take her in as she moves her hips. She’s in a little black dress that shines under the strobe lights. Her hair is down, falling over her bare shoulders like a heavy curtain. The heels she has on should be illegal, because her legs seem endless.
Fuck, she’s beautiful.
Luna makes her way to us, a drink in her hand. She’s swaying her hips, eyes laser focused on her fiancé.
“Come dance with us!” she yells.
“Nah, baby, we’re good.” Matt pulls her to his chest and wraps his arms around her waist. “Better you come to us.”
“I’m already here.” She places her hand on the back of his neck and kisses him.
I turn away, giving them a moment, and when I find Mia again, anger flares to life inside me. She’s dancing, facing me, but that isn’t the problem. It’s the guy hovering behind her, dancing incredibly close to her back. She angles away, sidestepping him, but he leans in and says something to her.
She forces a tight smile and puts more distance between herself and the creep. Chiara grabs her hand and drags her closer, the two of them turning away, but he doesn’t get the hint. He’s still there, and considering how unsteady he is on his feet, he’s drunk.
Beside me, Miles grunts just loud enough to be heard over the music. Lips flat, he watches the scene unravel too.
Chiara is shielding Mia from the man now, but instead of walking away, he rounds her and towers over Mia again.
She shakes her head and walks toward us, taking Chiara’s hand. Her eyes meet mine, and I swear, her body sags with relief.
The fucking asshole actually has the gall to follow her. He’s officially moved past the pissing me off stage and has made it onto my shit list. He keeps following her, eyes glassy as he tries to grab her.
I hand Miles my beer and make a beeline toward the girls. Mia notices me approaching and lets go of Chiara’s hand, gesturing for her to continue. As Chiara and I pass one another, Mia turns to face the fucker.
Swaying from left to right, the guy stops too, and just as I reach them, he says, “C’mon baby. Why did you leave?”
“I told you I’m not interested,” she hisses.
He takes a step toward her. “You were flirting with me.”
He’s delusional. I’ve had my eyes on her since we got here, and she never talked to him. She hasn’t talked to any men here. He probably doesn’t even realize what he’s doing, but I’m at the point where I don’t fucking care.
He needs to get lost.
I stop beside Mia, my hands loose at my sides.
“You’re done here,” I tell him, calm but firm.
He scoffs, trying and failing to focus his bloodshot eyes on me. “She was flirting with me, leading me on. Why should I leave?”
She stiffens, her shoulder brushing mine as she moves closer to me. “That’s not true.”
“You’re lying.” He looks between us. “She’s lying, dude.”
“This is how it’s going to go.” I step into him, making him back away. “You apologize for harassing her, and then you get the fuck out of here for good. Am I clear?”
He snickers, swaying on his feet. “Apologize? You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Tension rolls through my shoulders, and without another word, I cock my arm back and punch him in the face.
As a grunt of pain escapes him, Mia covers her mouth. The guy stumbles back, holding his jaw.
Teeth gritted, I step into him. “Still think I’m kidding?”
He shakes his head, shrinking away from me.
“Right. Now that we’re on the same page, I wanna hear how sorry you are.”
“Sorry.” His hand trembles as he staggers back. “I’m very sorry.” With one more wary look at me, he stumbles off.
As we watch him go, Mia straightens, no longer trying to make herself small, and I take it as a good sign.
She flattens her lips. “Was that necessary?”
“Yeah, it was.”
I step back and hold out a hand, gesturing to where our friends are watching. She stares at me long and hard. Then, she shakes her head and strolls to the bar.
The air in our bedroom charges the second we step inside. It’s almost four a.m., and I’m ready to collapse.
As Mia kicks off her shoes and heads straight for the bed, I say, “You’re taking the bed?”
Brow arched, she peers back at me. “You said you’re taking the floor.”
“And here I thought defending your honor would earn me some benefits.”
“You shouldn’t have punched him. Your”—she waves a hand at me—“presence is intimidating enough.”
I smirk at her. “Stop pretending you didn’t like it.”
The way her cheeks go pink sends a thrill through me.
“And don’t worry,” I say, “I’ll sleep on the floor. Luna gave me an amazing sleeping bag.”
I tug on the hem of my tee and pull it over my head. As it lands on the floor with a soft plop, I look up at her again. She’s watching, like I knew she would be. When her lips part and she inhales sharply, I know she sees it.
My tattoo.
Not the full sleeve she’s seen a thousand times. No, she’s discovered the two words inked over my heart. My Mayhem.
Even when I couldn’t have her, I carried her with me. In my heart, exactly where she belongs.
She’s stunned, off-kilter, so I push her a little more. I grab my sweatpants from my bag. “Are you changing or what? I’m just about ready to pass out.”
She shakes her head, as if trying to bring herself back to reality. “Yeah. Sure.” She fishes her pjs out of her suitcase then narrows her eyes at me. “Turn around.” She clears her throat. “Please.”
Smirking, I do as she says, giving her my back—only to find I’m facing a mirror.
Behind me, her back turned, she slips on a tiny pair of cotton shorts first then yanks off her dress.
When she bends to take her tee from the bed, I catch a glimpse of her pebbled nipple, and my heart thrashes in my chest. As she’s pulling her hair out from her collar, she turns, and when our eyes meet in the mirror, her breath hitches.
“You should’ve told me you could see me.”
I lift a shoulder. “You didn’t say no mirrors. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
Rather than react, she climbs into bed. I follow her lead and slip into my sleeping bag. With one hand behind my head, I stare at the ceiling.
“Did you ever think about it?” I ask her after a few minutes.
“About what?” Her voice is soft and so damn familiar.
“About coming back.”
For a long moment, she doesn’t speak, and when she does, her words throw me off.
“Did you ever think about telling me the truth?”
Dread curls through me. “About what?”
“I stayed in Monterey for four months after our breakup. I know you never got back together with Remi.”
Bile claws its way up my throat, but I swallow it back. “And?”
“Did you sleep with her that night?”
“No. Nothing happened beyond what you saw.”
She turns and sighs, the sheets rustling. She doesn’t say anything else. I keep quiet too, knowing perfectly well this is far from over.