CHAPTER 16
MIA
The location of Andi's bonfire was about a twenty-minute walk away. And I decided to take advantage of it to think a little.
“You know you became a product of what the Master created you for,” Pinocchio says, and I snort.
“Shut up, Pinocchio.”
“Real people don't get married drunk in Los Angeles.”
“Oh, don't listen to him, Mia, they even make movies about it,” Bubbles, the cute Powerpuff Girl, interjects, and I can't help but smile. I'm always happy when she comes to visit me.
“That's because it's fiction, completely non-existent. How do you expect her to learn to live in society if you keep patting her on the head?”
“Okay, I learned my lesson,” I snort. “Zane and I didn't do anything wrong. And I already said I'm going to sign the annulment papers.”
“But you're all sad and upset about it.”
“Hey, I have a right to be sad,” I reply, and Pinocchio rolls his eyes.
“Sadness is for idiots. You don’t have time for this, you need to protect yourself.”
“You’re an idiot,” Bubbles says in her thin voice, and I laugh.
“Um, are you okay?” The girl from before, the one with the grimace, catches my attention, and I smile, not really wanting to explain that I was having a conversation with characters that probably only exist in my head.
“Yes,” I answer, and she puts her hand on her head as if she’s trying to find the words.
“Sorry about before,” she whispers, and my smile widens at the awkward way she tries to say the words. As if she’s not used to it. “I’m not really used to strangers, but it was totally rude of me to act like that with you.”
“It’s okay, I understand,” I say, taking a step forward and hugging her tightly.
“What are you doing?” she asks awkwardly, and I can feel her blush.
“Hugging you.”
“I can see that, but why?”
"Because maybe you needed a hug," and then I let out a dry laugh. "I know I honestly could use one."
“Oh my,” I can feel the girl’s voice soften as she closes her arms around me and then smiles. “I’m Liv, by the way.”
“Mia,” I whisper, but I suspect she already knows.
“God, Livia is hugging someone. Maybe we’ll finally get snow in Los Angeles.” The boy from before teases, and I can’t help but laugh.
He likes her. I can tell by the way he looks at her.
But it’s only for a few seconds, and then he masks it with the arrogant air again.
“Shut up, Hunter,” Liv rolls her eyes.
“Hi, Mia, it’s good to see you again,” Hunter says, and I raise my eyebrows. Before I could reply to him, I hear some black-haired girl shouting,
“You son of a bitch,” the girl pushes the guy, but he looks even angrier. “I want my money.”
“Listen here, bumpkin, if you think this is like where you came from, you’re very wrong. Get out of here.”
“Or what? What are you going to do if I don’t go?”
“You like to look tough, don’t you, hiding behind that little boyfriend of yours from the Society of Crow. I’m not afraid.”
“Trust me, I don’t need my boyfriend to beat your fat ass, Carl. Now give me my money or…”
“Or,” he reaches out, holding her arm, and my eyes go dark. I don’t see when the knife flies from my hands and lands directly in his arm. Fucking idiot.
The girl smiles smugly while the guy roars in pain.
“Following me to LA is a bit much even for you. I thought you were on a super mission to find Cole. Honestly, S…” Her words trail off, and a mix of what I assume is surprise and a bit of disappointment fills me.
“Wow, you’re definitely not who I expected,” she says with a smile as infectious as the sun, and I can’t help but smile back. “Nice aim.”
“Thank you, I learned from my brother when I was younger. But unfortunately, he didn’t stick around to watch me become better than him. I’m Mia.”
“Hmm.” The girl studies me, and I can’t help but do the same. She’s stunning. Her eyes are so blue it’s like she carries the ocean inside them, but not the calm part—rather, an ocean in a storm. When she’s done studying me, she smiles again. “I like you. You seem fucked up in the head. Let’s be friends.”
“So you found Audrey,” Liv says in a gentle voice.
“More like she found me,” I reply. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“Calm down, tigress, I’m taken,” Audrey says.
“Me too,” I say with a smile, I mean, I was taken, or technically I’m soon not to be taken, but this is all semantics. “Doesn’t mean you’re not hot, though.”
“God, I love this girl already,” Audrey says, pulling a cigarette out of her pocket and lighting it. She offers one to me first, but I decline, and then she turns to Liv, offering one to her as well. Liv accepts, taking it with a small smile.
“Right?” Liv replies, her eyes soft as she looks at me. “I will adopt her as mine.”
“Wow, you must be really magic if Livia, of all people, is willing to adopt you.” Audrey stares at me amused while she smokes, and Liv rolls her eyes again.
"Why do people keep saying that? It's not like I’m a fucking monster," Livia snaps.
"No, honey pie, of course not," Audrey says, exhaling smoke with a smirk. "You’re not a monster. Just high maintenance."
"True," Liv shrugs, completely unbothered, then links her fingers through mine, her cigarette still dangling between the fingers of her other hand.
I think about Zane for a second. Does he smoke? He totally seems like the type who would, but I’ve never actually seen him do it. And he doesn’t smell like someone who smokes… he smells, like, good. Clean. Too clean, actually.
But no. We’re not here to think about Zane. Ugh, Zane’s an asshole anyway.
We’re here to have fun! I’m not wasting another second on him.
"Have you seen Andi?" I ask, referring to the girl who invited me.
"She’s probably out there arguing with her fiancé. Their favorite pastime," Liv says, deadpan.
"It looks bad," I murmur, glancing around the party.
"Sometimes we fight with people we love," Audrey shrugs, like it’s just one of those things, like gravity or taxes or the way people always look at you weird when you talk to the voices in your head out loud.
"You fight?" I ask, turning to her.
"Oh no, Will and I are a couple with zero fights," she says, feigning innocence. "I was just trying to support the cause."
"Oh my God, did you just admit you’re in love with Will?" Liv’s head snaps toward her so fast it could cause whiplash.
Audrey—who was just threatening a man like she wasn’t the least bit scared—actually blushes. Like, full-on, hand-over-the-face,I-want-the-ground-to-swallow-me-embarrassment.
"It’s too early to tell," she mutters. "I don’t know?"
“Oh shit, you do!”
"My brothers will kill me if I show up with a boyfriend. Especially Connor."
"I don’t think Connor is the problem," Liv mutters, but there’s a tightness to her voice that makes me pause.
"Him and I aren't on speaking terms," she says, her voice dripping with sour, resentful undertones, and my curiosity only grows.
Curiosity sparks in my chest. "Who?"
"Her brother," Liv says, and I nod. I think of my own brother.
"He’s not my brother," Audrey corrects, her voice sharp.
"Okay, her foster brother," Liv amends.
"What’s a foster brother?" The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
They both turn to look at me, confused.
Audrey recovers first. "Someone who lives in your house, and your parents are their legal guardians, but you’re not necessarily blood-related. And he’s not even that anymore because he’s an adult now, one who didn’t accept being adopted by my family.”
"I wonder why," Livia mocks, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Seth is an idiot.”
Something in her tone makes me smile.
"My mother’s brother’s name is Seth," I say before I can stop myself. Then immediately clap a hand over my mouth. If anyone ever caught me calling her ‘mother,’ it would spell trouble for both of us.
The girls exchange a glance but don’t press.
"So," I pivot back to Audrey. "You like Seth?"
She shakes her head, her mouth twisting like she bit into something sour. "He’s just a boy from my past."
"Is that what you want him to be?"
“Yes.”
“Why?”
"Because he said, and I quote, ‘I don’t fuck desperate girls.’" Her voice is sharp, brittle. Then she scoffs, shaking it off. "It doesn’t matter. I’m with Will now. He’s good for me. I don’t have time for his shit."
"Hey, if you give me his number, I can still defend your honor and behead him for being an asshole," I offer.
"You are twisted. I love it." Audrey grins. "Thanks for offering, but I can deal with the asshole myself."
"Okay, but if you change your mind, I’m here."
She looks me over like she’s seeing me for the first time. "Are you from here?" she asks, then squints. "Your English—I can’t really place your accent, but it’s definitely not from LA."
"I’m from…" Dallas? Maybe? I don’t think I have a Dallas accent. I was raised by an American-Hispanic woman, and my father has a thick accent. "To be honest, I don’t know."
"Oh." Audrey tilts her head, like she wants to ask more, but thankfully, she doesn’t push.
"What about drinks?"
Yes. Drinks.
We head to the bar, and they order for me.
One drink. Then two. Then three.
And before I know it, I’m spilling my entire life story to them.
“My family… I’m not sure if it’s right to call it that. It’s not a conventional family, you know? I was promised to some random guy when I was fourteen.” The words come out flat, but there’s a weight in them, something I don’t really want to share—how I didn’t handle that news very well. The part where I beheaded the guy? Well, that’s irrelevant to the point I’m trying to make.
Liv’s eyebrows arch, and she hands me another shot of vodka, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I get that part. I’m going to have an arranged marriage too.”
Her voice is light, but there’s something in her eyes—a flash of something unspoken. The tension lingers in the air, and I can’t help but wonder what kind of family she’s been promised into.
“I’m trying hard to understand all of this, but it’s… it’s difficult to deal with these weird relationship dynamics. I mean, when he said, ‘Let’s get married,’ I thought, ‘Why not?’ It was already a plus to be able to do it with someone I actually liked.” My voice betrays me, coming out sharper than I meant, and I quickly try to soften it. But the frustration is still there, bubbling just under the surface. I don’t want to unload it all on them, especially not the details, so I leave out the names—the part about him being someone I never expected to fall for.
“Wait, rewind,” Audrey interrupts, clearly amused by something. “You got married drunk in a chapel?”
“Yeah,” I reply, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
“That’s actually pretty cool,” she says, her eyes sparkling as she smiles, clearly impressed in a way I didn’t expect.
I laugh, the sound of it strange and brittle in my own ears. “That’s what I thought too… But his business partner says I ‘took advantage’ of the situation.”
“Fuck him, his opinion is irrelevant,” Audrey growls, her tone hardening. There’s a raw intensity in her voice, and I can feel it—like she’s not just talking about him. “Maybe I should beat him up for trying to butt into other people’s relationships. I hate those kinds of people.”
Her words ring with something deeper, something personal that I can’t quite place. It’s almost like she’s venting more than just anger at this one guy.
“I think Audrey has a point, Mia,” Liv adds, her voice soft and calming. “It’s not like this guy has the power to read your husband’s mind and know how he feels about all of this. This is something you need to address directly with him—and him alone.”
"But the things he said…" I begin, the words tripping on my tongue, unsure how to explain the mess I’m feeling inside.
Liv shakes her head, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. “Those are his thoughts, not your guy’s,” she says firmly, like she’s trying to ground me in something real, something solid. “You have every right to feel what you feel, but I think you need to hear it from his mouth before you jump to conclusions.”
I open my mouth to respond, but the words don’t come. Something about the way she says it makes me pause, makes me realize I’ve been holding onto this angry little knot in my chest for too long, twisting it tighter without even thinking.
"I hadn’t thought of that," I murmur, the uncomfortable lump in my throat growing as I try to swallow it down.
Audrey watches me for a moment, her expression shifting into something unreadable, before she lets out a heavy sigh. "You remind me of someone," she says, her voice soft, almost wistful. "He used to be just like you… acting like he had no idea what the world had in store for him. You made me miss that boy."
"Maybe he’s still there," I reply quietly, my gaze holding hers, sensing the depth in her words. The way she looks at me, it’s like she’s remembering something—someone—and for a moment, I see a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes that I didn’t expect.
“Maybe,” she murmurs, but there’s something final in her tone, like the door on that chapter has already closed. Her eyes glow in the firelight, a subtle sadness behind them, and it makes me wonder who this boy was, and why it matters so much. “But I’m not going to wait to find out any longer.”
The weight of her words hangs in the air like a cloud, and for a moment, the room feels quieter, as if everything around us is holding its breath. But then, Audrey shakes her head, forcing a smile back onto her lips, changing the subject with practiced ease. “Does anyone want to dance?”
“Me,” I say immediately, eager to escape the heavy silence and the storm of thoughts swirling in my mind. I need to move, to feel the rhythm of the music, anything to shake off the uncomfortable feeling that’s settled in my chest.
Audrey is the first to stand, and Liv pulls me along. We move closer to the fire, where the music swells louder and the heat from the flames seems to push away the chill creeping up my spine. We let ourselves drift into the beat, laughing and twirling, the weight of our conversations momentarily forgotten. For a moment, we exist only in the electricity of the moment—of now.
Then, Audrey’s phone buzzes with a notification. She pauses mid-dance, pulling her phone from her pocket, her eyes scanning the screen. I watch as her expression softens.
I catch a glimpse of the photo, the image flickering across the screen, and freeze, staring at it longer than I should.
No.
I blink, my heart skipping a beat, and I find myself staring at the woman in the picture. She’s beautiful, her smile soft and genuine, and the way she holds herself—it’s like she radiates this calm, peaceful energy. But what truly makes my blood run cold is the fact that I’ve seen her before.
I know her.
My cricket.
Audrey notices my frozen stare and turns toward me, her voice light, almost teasing. “Oh, this is my best friend, Laura. I know, she’s totally gorgeous, isn’t she? We’re like sisters from another mother. But she’s totally married and living the best life…” She continues talking, but her words start to drown out, muffled under the weight of what I’m seeing.
Laura.
The name lingers in my mind, like a shadow, a whisper from the past I never thought I’d hear again.
But she’s real.
She’s not some figment of my imagination, some ghost from a memory I never understood.
I can’t breathe.
The air around me feels heavy, suffocating, as if the very reality I’ve known is suddenly shifting, revealing cracks where nothing was supposed to be.
Laura is real.
My mind races, everything clicking into place—too many pieces I wasn’t prepared to see.
My cricket, the person I was pretty sure I had conjured up in my mind, is Laura. My baby sister.
Green eyes, a genius mind, that soft-spoken voice.
Then a wave of exhaustion hits, sudden and suffocating.
My eyelids feel heavy, like they’re being dragged down by weights.
I blink, trying to stay awake, trying to make sense of everything, but it’s way stronger than me.
The darkness pulls at me, and no matter how hard I fight it, I feel my body giving in.
Just before everything fades, I catch one last thought— my sister saved me —and then the world goes black.