TWENTY
Luke
Waiting at the top of those stairs while Mia deals with her shithead ex alone is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
I do it, though, because I trust my girl and I know she’s got this.
Doesn’t mean I don’t slam my fist into the wall to help me hold in my curse every time he tries to gaslight her. The guy’s a shark. Coming at her with an argument from every angle about how he’s the victim, and he came here to explain and work things out. How it hurts him to see her with a monster like me.
I wish I could see her face. I wish I could see her scowling at him or the stubborn set of her chin as she thinks of a clever response. She does so much better than I’d ever do. Eventually she gets sick of him and kicks him out. I’m surprised when Oliver agrees to leave, but he does. A minute later, I hear the front door close and Mia starts back up the stairs.
“Hey. Sorry.” She pauses a few steps from the top, looking up at me apologetically. I want to tell her not to apologise to me, but then she’ll only do it again.
“Come here.” I hold out my arms and she hurries up the last steps to bury her face against my chest. That feels good. Knowing she was just waiting for an invitation to let me hold her. I shifted back to my two legged form ages ago, but I wish I still had eight arms I could hug her with. What a shit situation.
“I hope you told him to fuck off.” She didn’t. I know. I was listening, but I feel a little bad telling her that.
“I can’t. I’ll have to talk to him eventually, if only to sort out our apartment and all our stuff.”
I nod. That’s reasonable, of course. I’m the one being irrational here wishing she never had to deal with that asshole again.
“Thank you for not freaking out.” She pulls back to look up at me ruefully.
“What are you talking about?” I brush a hair from her cheek and tuck it behind her ear. “The only person freaking out here was him. Did you see the way he couldn’t stop looking at my dick? I bet he didn’t even realise they make them that large.”
This earns me a snort laugh and eases a lot of the tension around my chest.
“Your dick is pretty impressive.” Her smile is only half as bright as usual. I can tell it’s still getting to her.
“Come back to bed. ”
She shakes her head. “I said I’d meet him for coffee. When we’ve both had a chance to cool down. I owe him that much.”
“You don’t owe him anything!”
She frowns, so I force myself to soften my tone.
“You don’t. Don’t take his shit. I was so proud of you for standing up to him. Don’t let him wear you down.”
She nods. “I won’t. Thank you.” Then she pulls away. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed properly.”
“Want me to join you?”
She shakes her head. “No. Is that OK? I just need some space to sort my head out.”
I press a kiss to her forehead, trying not to worry. This doesn’t mean anything. Mia just likes to think carefully before making a move. I get it. “No problem. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you.” I hate that her eyes get watery as she turns for the bathroom.
I force myself to respect her wishes, though, and give her the space she asked for.
Instead of crowding her, I pull on some sweatpants and go downstairs to make her some tea. Then I sit at the kitchen counter and wonder how the fuck I make sure this dickhead doesn’t put one over on my girl.
When Mia comes downstairs, she’s wearing her black heels and she’s done her hair up and put makeup on. She looks great, don’t get me wrong, but somehow she doesn’t look like my Mia. I’m not that much of an idiot, though, so I just tell her she looks nice.
“Where are you going to meet him?” I hand her the tea and she gives me a half smile .
“Coral Breeze Cafe.”
I nod. There’s really not much choice in Kraken Cove. I’m proud she knows where the good coffee is. I take that as a good sign. Not that her dickhead ex deserves good coffee.
“You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
She shakes her head, pushing her tea away. “I’ll be fine. Thank you, though. I appreciate your support. I do.”
She stands without touching the toast I made for her either.
“I’m going to head off. I won’t be long. Don’t worry, OK?”
I force my face into the worst fake smile I think I’ve ever attempted. “Yeah. No worries.” Then I follow her to the door and give her one final sound kissing before she hops into her car. Just to make a point.
Then she’s gone. I had intended to get some work done today, but I’m pretty distracted. Even so, I go measure up the timber I’ll need for the cladding on the external walls outside the kitchen and start thinking about exactly how I’m going to do this part of the reno.
My phone buzzes with a text half an hour later.
Noah: what’s your girl doing at the Coral Breeze Cafe with that Sydney wanker? Is she fucking you around?
I groan and scrub a hand across my face. The last thing I need right now is to be reminded about where Mia is. It’s churning my guts as it is.
Luke: No, she’s telling him to fuck off. Just leave it OK?
Noah: I dunno, I’d get down here if I were you. Things don’t look right to me
For fuck’s sake !
I shove my phone in my pocket and slam the front door a little too forcefully on my way out. Lucky I’m replacing it. Pretty sure I heard something crack.
It only takes me a couple minutes to drive over to the Coral Breeze Cafe and park my truck. Feeling a little guilty at ignoring Mia’s request to stay away, I slouch down in the seat like she doesn’t know exactly what car I drive, and stare across the street, trying to make them out through the window.
I spot Mia first, her dark hair catching glints of red and blonde in the sunlight. Then I spot dickhead across from her. I expected him to look angry. I expected him to look as haughty and fucking stuck up as he did standing in that bedroom this morning looking like someone jammed a pole up his arse.
Instead, he looks upset.
I mean, who wouldn’t be, right? If I’d just lost a girl like Mia, I’d be devastated. It happened to me ten years ago, and my brothers both said I was unbearable for about a year. So I can’t blame the guy. Maybe he’s actually come to his senses. Too late, but at least maybe he realises what he’s lost.
Mia stands. I can’t see her face, she has her back to me. Asshole stands, too. He swipes a hand through his hair, leaving it all mussed, which will come as a shock to his personal stylist. No doubt he’s got one to brush his hair and another one to wipe his arse.
Mia says something and Asshole’s face goes from pale to red. He gestures wildly.
My girl just turns and walks out the door.
I’m cheering her on, counting the steps until I can open the door and get her into my truck when I spot him chasing her. Dickhead hurries into the middle of the road and grabs her arm, forcing Mia to stop.
I’m out of my truck and running to her before I spot the car, but it only makes me quicker when I do. It’s usually a quiet street. Not much traffic. But locals speed down here all the time because of it. And you have to watch out for Mrs Hayden. She’s ninety-three and probably shouldn’t be driving anymore at all. Only, my uncle can’t bear to cancel her licence.
I dart into the road, grab Mia, and pull her against me. Then I give Oliver a shove so hard he falls backwards onto his arse. “Don’t fucking touch her!”
Mia shrieks as the car swerves, and Mrs Hayden’s white Nissan almost hits us. I stumble backwards, pulling us out of the way and Oliver swears. “You fucking lunatic. Are you trying to get someone killed?”
“What the fuck is your problem?” I start back towards Oliver, lifting him to his feet by his collar. “She just wants you to leave her alone, do you get that? You fucked up. You lost her. End of story.”
Oliver pushes me away, brushing down his shirt like it’s made of gold thread. It might be for all I know. “And you think you can keep her, do you?” His face twists into a sneer. “You have no idea who she is, do you? Who her family are. Good luck making that work. You’re just a walking cock or should I say slithering. This is just a way for her to get back at me.”
His words sting, as they’re meant to. I hate myself a bit for the fact they do.
I turn, putting my arm around Mia, trying to make sure it doesn’t show. “Ready to go?”
She nods. “Yeah. I’m done here. ”
It feels good to help her up into my truck. By the time I start the engine, I’m already feeling better.
She sighs. “I think I’m going to have to head back to Sydney this week. I don’t think I can keep putting it off.”
My stomach drops into the floor, and my knuckles tighten around the steering wheel. I force my face to stay neutral, though. Slowly I nod, keeping my eyes on the road, not trusting myself to look at her. “Yeah. Guess not.”
We’re silent for the rest of the drive. At least, it’s not far. But by the time I pull up in Mia’s driveway, my stomach has crawled back inside my body and tied itself in knots.
I thought I was getting somewhere, but what if this changes everything? Have I just run out of time?