31. Mia
31
MIA
“Threatening me isn’t going to change my mind.”
“We can find a compromise.”
“We can make it work.”
Those phrases float through my head as Theo stands in the yard staring toward the ocean like he’s just seen a ghost.
I want to stand up and walk toward him. I want to comfort him, because he clearly looks like he needs comforting. But another part of me is worried. It was clearly Steve, or maybe someone else in business with Theo. Whoever it was clearly doesn’t want Theo to give up on trying to buy my property out from under me.
I’ve felt confident that he won’t try to buy it again, but now, I’m worried. What if he decides that peace with his business partner is more important than me?
I guess that would answer my question for me. I wouldn’t have to worry about how I’m going to tell my friends that we’re officially dating because we wouldn’t be anymore. We would be in a full-out war instead.
Finally, Theo turns around and abandons his place in the yard. He walks toward me, trudging really. His head is down, and there is a huge cloud of depression hanging around him.
Instead of settling in the other rocking chair, Theo approaches me. He reaches for my hand and pulls me to my feet. I let him guide me up, unsure exactly what he’s doing. Is he about to give me bad news and he wants to be looking me in the eyes?
But then, Theo’s lips are on mine. His kiss ignites something within me, and I push my body against his.
His hands roam over my back, pulling me closer, and I can feel the heat between us intensifying. I kiss him back, letting myself get lost in the moment, in the feel of his lips and the warmth of his touch. Theo's hands slide under my shirt, pulling me closer, showing me how much he needs me.
I want nothing more than to give myself completely to him, again and again and again.
We stumble backward, nearly tripping over the porch steps, but Theo steadies us, his grip on me firm and possessive. He lifts me up effortlessly, setting me down on the edge of the porch railing, and I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him even closer.
I can feel the length of his dick pressing against my crotch. He’s turned on, and knowing that our kisses have done that to him turns me on, too. I can feel my panties getting wet, and my mind races ahead to things I want to do to him. I want to strip him naked and grab his dick, pull him after me to the bedroom, and climb on top of him. I want to make him groan and call my name.
Theo’s mouth leaves mine, trailing kisses along my jawline and down my neck, and I arch into him, my fingers tangling in his hair. Theo's hands slide up my sides, taking my shirt with them, and I raise my arms, letting him pull it over my head.
We’re in the backyard, and his contractors are gone for the day. Only Theo can see the whiteness of my skin underneath, my breasts trying to come out of my bra.
I push my breasts against Theo, my mouth going to his jaw and ear. I want to taste him, all of him.
“Let’s go inside,” Theo’s voice rumbles in my ear.
But his words bring things to a grinding halt. I remember the conversation I overheard. I push Theo away, my breathing ragged.
“I…don’t know if this is a good idea.”
Theo looks thoroughly confused, and I feel like I need to explain, excuse my behavior.
“I’m… not feeling good.” I press my hands against my bare stomach. The truth is if I think about what Theo said long enough, I truly do feel physically ill. “I think…maybe tomorrow.”
“That’s okay,” Theo finally says. “Don’t worry about it. If you’re not feeling well, then you’re not feeling well. Is there something I can do for you?”
I feel bad for lying to him, but I just need the chance to think things through. I don’t want to think that Theo would turn on me, but I don’t know. That uncertainty is getting to me.
“No, I… I’ll text you later.”
Theo leans forward and helps me off the railing like a gentleman. He presses a kiss to my forehead, then my lips. “Good night, then.”
“Good night, Theo.”
I stand on my back porch as Theo walks across my yard onto his lot. He’s a sexy man. The way his hips sway as he moves makes me squirm. But I don’t want to just have sex because I can. I want to make sure Theo is really on my side and that he’s not planning anything behind my back.
The next day, I wake up with a sense of unease that I can’t shake. The morning light filters through my bedroom window. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful, sunny summer day, but that doesn’t get rid of the worries circling through my mind.
I check my phone, but Theo hasn’t texted me. He gets up earlier than I do, so he nearly always texts me something in the morning. But there’s nothing. Does that mean he’s purposely trying to distance himself from me? But why?
I spend the morning working on the final touches on the last bedroom in my bed and breakfast, but my thoughts keep drifting back to Theo. Is he hiding something from me? I want to believe in him, to trust what he said last night, but I’ve been burned more than once. I know that people don’t always follow through on what they promise.
Aurora drops by in the afternoon, almost like she could read my thoughts and knew I needed a friend. She’s always been the more skeptical one, and today is no different. We sit on the porch, sipping iced tea, and she eyes me with something like concern.
“You seem preoccupied,” she says, her tone gentle but probing.
I sigh, setting my glass down. It takes all my effort not to glance at Theo’s property to see if I can see him, maybe working shirtless. “It’s Theo.”
“Oh?” Aurora raises an eyebrow.
“He… Yesterday, he got a phone call. I’m pretty sure it was from his business partner. And…he seemed upset.”
“Well, I’m sure partners don’t always agree. Why does that worry you?”
“I just… I overheard part of the conversation. I think it was about me and the property.”
Aurora sets her glass down and studies me carefully. “What exactly did he say?”
I recount the conversation, as much as I heard of it anyway. “But I only heard Theo’s side, and I didn’t even hear all of that. So, I’m getting like a quarter of the story.”
“Did you bring it up to Theo?”
“I…”
“Mia!” Aurora scolds, and I know what she’s going to say before she says it. “You can’t get upset at someone without giving them the chance to explain themselves. I know you like Theo. That much was clear from the way you kissed him at the tiki bar.”
“I didn’t like him then!”
“I don’t think you’ve stopped liking him since high school. You’ve always had a soft spot for him. Don’t let that soft spot trip you up now.”
I grab my glass and stare at the ice bobbing at the top. Aurora is right. I’ve never been able to shut Theo out completely. He was my first boyfriend, and if it weren’t for this whole property/resort business, our relationship would be perfect now.
“Mia, you need to be careful. I know you want to trust him, but people don’t change overnight. If he’s feeling pressure from his partner, he might do something desperate,” Aurora warns.
I frown, not wanting to believe it but knowing there’s truth in her words. “I just don’t want to jump to conclusions. Maybe he’s just stressed. Maybe his partner was talking to him about a different problem altogether. I didn’t actually hear my name.”
Aurora sounds doubtful as she says, “Maybe. Just keep your eyes open. And if he’s not being completely honest with you, you need to confront him. It may be the only way you get the truth.”
Her words echo in my mind long after she leaves. I try to focus on my tasks, but the seed of doubt has been planted, and it’s growing rapidly. By the time evening rolls around, I’m more determined than ever to talk to Theo.
I have to confront him, but I just don’t know how.
Then, I see him in the middle of the resort. He’s talking to someone, and I can’t hear their words, but it’s clear from the supplies being laid all around that they’re putting in the pool.
I stand up from the back porch and make my way down the steps. The words I’m going to use to confront Theo pound through my mind. I’ll ask him about the phone conversation. I’ll look into his eyes when I’m asking so he can’t hide anything from me.
And then?
What if I still have doubts?
I won’t know until I try it. I won’t know if I still have doubts until I give Theo the chance to explain himself. I decide to go through the house, across the front porch, and down the sidewalk to his resort, instead of through the grass. It will give me a couple of extra minutes to plan what I want to say.
When I step out onto the front porch, I notice a small envelope on the top step. I pick it up; my name is scrawled across the front in messy handwriting. I look up and down the street, but there’s just the regular activity. A pallet of supplies is being delivered to Theo’s resort. Carolina, my neighbor across the street, is out playing with Isabel in the yard.
She gives me a friendly wave when she sees me out. I wave back before turning my attention to the note again.
I open the envelope and pull out a single sheet of paper. The words are typed, the message short but chilling:
Theo is planning to double-cross you and the community. Be careful who you trust.
I stare at the note, my heart pounding. Who could have sent this? And why now?
I walk back inside, clutching the note in my hand. I pace around my living room for a moment or two. My mind is going crazy as I panic. I have no idea what to do or how to deal with this.
Suddenly, an idea hits me. My doorbell camera. I need to check and see if it was triggered by the letter’s delivery.
I hurry to my phone and open the app. It has no notifications since the one of me stepping out on the porch. I watch myself appear, backside toward the camera, then walk forward and pick up the note from the top step. I stand there for a moment, and then I disappear back inside.
I scroll back in the camera’s history, but it didn’t pick up anything else. It’s like the note just flew there.
Or maybe the person could see that I had a doorbell camera and wanted to avoid being detected.
Feeling sick, I tuck the note into my pocket. Caroline and Isabel are outside. Maybe they saw something. Hoping I don’t sound completely crazy, I head across the street to speak with my neighbor.
Isabel is busy pushing a little car around with a doll inside it. Her mom sits in a lawn chair, half-watching her daughter and half-reading a book. She puts her book down when she sees me approaching.
“How are you today?”
“I’m okay.” I squint against the sun as I watch Isabel giggle when her baby doll falls off the car. “Isabel looks like she’s having fun.”
“Oh, yes. She could spend the whole day outside, but when it hits ninety, I have to head inside. Too hot.”
I commiserate with Caroline for a moment about the summer heat before bringing up the reason for my little visit. “Did you see anyone leave something on my porch?”
Caroline frowns and shakes her head almost immediately. But it continues to look like she’s thinking, so I give her a moment. Finally, Caroline shakes her head again. “No, I’ve only seen you and that handsome man from the resort in and out of your house. No one else.”
“Handsome man from the resort?” I ask, wondering if this could be a clue.
“I’m fairly sure you two might be together?” Caroline says, but her voice goes up like she’s asking me for confirmation. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to assume things. I’ve just seen him at your house several times, helping you with different projects.”
“Oh, Theo. Did you see him on my porch this morning?”
I don’t think Theo would have left a note making himself look bad, but I’m trying to rule out all possibilities. “No, I haven’t seen anyone over there this morning. Are you…okay? Did something happen?”
“Someone just left me a note, and I’m trying to figure out who.”
“You have a secret admirer,” Caroline teases.
But I can’t even fake a smile. I’m worried. I’m worried that everything I’ve worked so hard for is about to be ruined.