Chapter 29
one day mia will understand
DOMINIC
February
I’ve just stuck my phone and a pack of cigarettes into my pockets when a knock sounds at the door. I’m headed into work on my day off because Will, the guy whose Harley Miles and I worked on, is bringing his grandson in to talk about some work he wants done to his Ducati.
I frown as I head to the door. Mia is at school, Matt and Dad are at work, and I can’t imagine Miles would swing by, since we’re planning to meet at the shop.
When I pull the door open, my gut sinks.
Monica stands in the doorway, her hands hidden in her coat pockets, her expression blank.
My first instinct is to shut the door in her face.
I haven’t spoken to her since my birthday, and if I had it my way, I’d keep up the trend.
But she’s my dad’s wife, and I respect him too much to treat her that way.
“Can I come in?” she asks, her voice quiet. Trembling, even.
Despite my better judgment, I step aside and wave her in.
She walks past me, her shoulders tense. Her unease is obvious, but I do nothing to help her feel welcome. Because she’s not. The venom she continuously spat at her daughter destroyed any sense of compassion I had for her.
For a moment, Monica doesn’t say anything. She just scans my place, eyes narrowed. The floral scent of her perfume reaches my nostrils, and it’s too strong. When she catches sight of the pile of motorcycle sketches, she purses her lips and finally focuses on me.
“Mia’s failing her classes.”
I tongue my cheek for a moment, ignoring the immediate sense of dread that rises in me. “And how do you know that?”
She wrings her hands and exhales loudly. “I overheard her talking to Jeff a couple of days ago. I wasn’t eavesdropping, just caught the tail end of a conversation while I was in the laundry room.”
“Of course,” I snipe. “What did you hear exactly?”
“Her grades are a mess, and she’s falling behind on assignments.”
The dam holding back my concerns breaks as I take in the worry in Monica’s eyes.
Why didn’t Mia tell me?
I blink. “That’s not my fault. With how busy she is, I barely see her.”
“Dominic.” She sighs, shaking her head. “I’m not saying it’s your fault. She’s burning herself out. She works, she studies, and”—she gestures at the pile of sketches on the table—“still finds time to make designs for you.”
My hackles rise. “I didn’t ask her to do that.”
“But you let her.”
I look away, swallowing back the bile clogging my throat. Of course, Monica’s here to point the finger at me. Her refusal to give Mia any pocket money or help pay for her trip to Italy is the real issue.
“You’re right. She’s working too hard. She should be studying and spending time with her friends, but because of you, because of your stubbornness and unwillingness to help her, she works as many hours at Luigi’s as she can. So if you want someone to blame, blame yourself.”
She flinches. “I know what my wrongdoings are, trust me. But you’re not as innocent as you think. Instead of studying and getting her assignments done on time, she’s here with you. Don’t you see? When she loves someone, she gives them everything, and you’re taking it all without even realizing it.”
Fuck her.
But I hate that there’s some truth behind her words.
Monica examines me, her lips pursed into a thin line. “Other than the news about her grades, nothing I’ve said surprised you, did it? You know she’s running herself into the ground, and you do nothing to stop her.”
“That’s not true. I asked her to quit the diner. I offered to help pay for her trip. She doesn’t want it. She wants to do everything on her own.”
“With as much power as you hold over her, I can’t imagine you couldn’t have persuaded her if you’d really tried.
” She steps into me, her chin lifted in a way that reminds me of Mia.
“You corrupted her. When she’s with you, she’s no longer the Mia I raised.
No, she becomes a totally submissive young woman. ”
My gut plummets. “It’s not like that between us.”
“Isn’t it?” Brow arched, Monica backs toward the door. With her hand on the knob, she locks eyes with me. “You probably think you love her, but if you did, you’d have seen how you’re hurting her.”
One moment, I was climbing into my car in the parking lot of my building. The next, I found myself parked outside Jeff’s dorm.
Mia doesn’t have class today, so I don’t have to worry about bumping into her. She’s coming over tonight after work, but before I see her, I need to know if Monica was telling the truth.
When Jeff steps out of the building with another guy, I climb out of my car and jog toward him.
“Hey,” I say as I stop in front of him. “Can we talk?”
He eyes me warily then tosses the basketball he’s holding to his friend. “Sure. Wanna head to the coffee shop?”
We’re quiet the whole way there. It isn’t until we’re sitting across from one another, each holding a paper cup, that he asks, “Why am I here?”
My heart thuds against my sternum. “Is it true that Mia’s failing her classes?”
Cup in hand, he leans back. “She’d kill me if she knew I was talking to you about this.”
I angle closer, hands braced on the table. “Is it true?”
Slowly, he nods. Fucking hell. My stomach drops, and my chest gets so tight, it’s hard to breathe.
“Mia’s one of the strongest people I know,” he says.
“She’s doing her best, but she’s drowning, and she’s too stubborn to ask for help.
She doesn’t want anyone to know she’s struggling, and her mom constantly breathing down her neck doesn’t help.
” He scratches his cheek. “For some reason, she thinks she has to prove something to her, to us—hell, maybe to herself. Like she needs us all to believe she can do it all on her own. But it’s breaking her. ”
I take my cup from the table, press it to my lips, and lower it again. “Do you think it’s because of me?”
He tilts his head, assessing me in silence, his expression even. “No,” he finally says, “but I think you’re her biggest weakness. She’ll do anything for you…because she loves you.”
Her biggest weakness. My heart cracks right down the middle, and the thoughts that plagued me after my disastrous birthday dinner resurface.
If not for me, Monica would leave her alone.
If not for me, Mia wouldn’t need to draw designs for the shop.
If not for me, she’d have more time to focus on her grades.
Her words about the internship come to mind, hitting me like a punch to the gut. She turned it down, citing several reasons—one of which was me.
I’ve tried and tried, but no matter what I do, I can’t convince her to slow down. That leaves only one way…
“Dominic?”
I shoo away my troubling thoughts and focus on Jeff.
Frowning, he searches my face. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for talking to me.” I stand.
“If you think pushing her away will improve her grades, think again,” he tells me. “She won’t give up on you.”
I know. That’s why I have to betray her in a way she won’t forgive.
I toss a few bills onto the table and meet his gaze. “She will.”
I continue driving aimlessly, wishing I hadn’t read her text.
Mia:
Miss you so much I’ll be at your place at 8
What I’m about to do will guarantee she never misses me again. I’m disgusted with myself, but it’s the only way. The weight on my chest presses deeper, making it hard to breathe as I stop the car in front of the familiar building. When the door opens and Remi steps outside, I worry I’ll be sick.
Fuck. I’m right on time.
I climb out of the car and round the hood. “Hey.”
She hasn’t changed in the months since she took that photo of me and Mia in the shop.
She’s dressed to impress, like always, wearing jeans, a red sweater, a black leather jacket, and black ankle boots.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen each other since she came to the shop to apologize, but it’s the first time I don’t look away.
“Hi.” Eyebrows knitted together, she bites her bottom lip. “I was surprised to get your text, and honestly, I didn’t think you’d actually show up.”
“And yet, here I am.” I put on a smile I don’t feel at all. “You look great.”
She tucks her red curls behind her ear, smiling seductively. “Thanks.” She looks me over and steps closer. “Decided to grow your hair out?”
I nod.
“And even a beard.”
“Yeah. Needed a change.”
Remi tilts her head to the side, observing me. “What’s all this about?”
“I need your help.” I swallow my nerves. “And honestly, there’s no one more suited for this.”
“And what is this?” she asks softly.
“I need to make sure Mia forgets about me. Forever.” I hold Remi’s gaze as nausea swirls in my stomach. “If she hates me, even better.”
She chews on her bottom lip, looking up at me from beneath her lashes. “You sure about this?”
No. “Yes.”
With a sigh, she takes a step back.
“Please, Remi.” I grasp her arm. “I need you.”
Her posture eases, and she lets me guide her to my car. In the passenger seat, she watches me warily, her hands clasped in her lap. “If your stepsister sees you with me, you two are done for good?”
That’s the only way. One day, Mia will understand, though I’ll spend the rest of my life loving her from a distance.
“I’m counting on it,” I say. My stomach churns so hard, I’m close to vomiting.
Remi shifts in her seat, crossing one leg over the other, her lips curling slightly. “You want us to pretend to be together?”
“Yes.”
With a laugh, she shakes her head. “Damn, this is cold, Dom. What did she do to piss you off so badly?”
Nothing.
Mia looks at me like I’m her whole world, just like she is for me.
But it’s not right.
Our love has been wrong from the very beginning.