Chapter 7
Mia
When I wake up on Sunday morning, it’s later than usual.
I’m usually an early bird, but after that long overdue bubble bath, the way Nolan and I flirted like we never have before, and the explosive orgasm I achieved from imagining him fucking me senseless with his long, thick cock, I must’ve worn myself out.
I haven’t done that in a long time. Nor have I ever felt this rested, satiated, happy in a long while. I was so nervous sending him photos of me. I don’t do that. Nudes are risky. All it takes is one pissed-off jackass, and your life could become a nightmare.
But Nolan? Nolan isn’t like that. Yes, he’s connected to the Belmont Fire Department—and maybe I should’ve thought of that before I let my hormones take over my brain—but I trust him. Completely. Maybe it’s reckless, but I don’t care.
Thinking about him pleasuring himself to me, I reach for my phone and revisit his voice recordings and texts.
My face flushes, and a familiar heat returns between my legs.
Armed with nothing but his voice and my imagination, I have no doubt I could revisit this fantasy again, as well as dream up something new.
But something’s different. There’s no message from Nolan today. There should be, with how much later I slept in.
I live for our morning messages. It’s beginning to dawn on me just how embedded he is in my psyche, how quickly he’s become a part of my life.
He sometimes sends me a message before I wake up in the morning, something for me to look forward to.
Something like, good morning, beautiful, or already missing your face.
I try to do the same for him, when I get up for work.
Nothing today.
Discomfort settles in my stomach. Was there a call? Maybe he couldn’t text me today. I’m sure he’s just busy. What could it hurt to check on him?
Morning, handsome. Last night was wonderful.
Nolan responds instantly. Come downstairs, Mia.
Downstairs? I roll out of bed gracelessly and run over to my mirror to brush my hair. In a rush, I grab a pair of sweatpants and an oversized hoodie.
I don’t even bother to play it cool. I all but slide down the stairs.
Laolao is awake, brewing tea after making a pot of coffee.
The TV is on, playing the news, but it doesn’t register with me what’s being covered.
Jessica is asleep on the couch with a blanket cast over her.
Apollo is at the table, awake, but just barely. He looks at me wearily. “Hey, Mia."
“Hey. What’s going on? Where’s—”
There he is. Standing in the corner of the kitchen with his head lowered and his eyes shut, is Nolan. At my approach, he slowly lifts his head and blinks, offering me a soft smile. “Good morning, Mia.”
“Morning,” I say in surprise, throwing my arms around his broad shoulders and giving him the tightest hug I can. He returns the favor, pulling me into a firm embrace. “What happened? What are you doing here?”
“He had an exciting night,” Apollo remarks with a light-hearted tone. “Playing hero.”
Nolan snorts. “I didn’t do anything. I just managed not to get my ass kicked.”
“Don’t listen to him, he’s being modest. He fended off a rogue police bot turned TerraPura.” Apollo points to the flat-screen TV as he nurses some coffee in his mug. “Look.”
I stare at the previously recorded livestream in shock, watching in horror as Nolan gets thrown through a wall and slams into a barricade.
“Oh my god.” Then police begin firing, and I become even more upset at the thought of Nolan getting shot.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” My hands move all over him as I look for wounds.
“I’ve already been to the doctor, so to speak.” Nolan chuckles. “Just a few scrapes. Nothing to be worried about. I’m all right.”
“And TerraPura didn’t hurt you? There’s nothing installed on you that’s bad?”
“Nothing at all. Clean bill of health.”
Nolan’s fine. He’s alive. He’s whole.
And he’s a hero.
Every ounce of me is completely wired and fired up, wanting nothing more than to take him upstairs with me.
But I can’t do that with my family here.
And just when I’m about to ask what the plan is, Apollo gets up out of his chair.
“We stopped by so Jessica wasn’t up all night worrying, but we should get back to the station.
Can’t leave the others alone for too long.
Was just a late night of repairs for this big guy. Ready, Nolan?”
“I’m ready,” he says, looking down at me. “Text me?” he murmurs.
“I will.” I lean up and steal a kiss, which he gives me without concern for Apollo seeing. And to my brother’s credit, he doesn’t seem to care too much, although he shoots me a devilish look that reminds me of the times he teased me in my youth.
Yeah. Definitely getting teased for lovey-dovey shit later, even though Apollo turns into complete mush if Jessica so much as breathes in his general direction.
They’re out the door, and Laolao approaches me with tea. “Zaoshang hao, Miya,” she says in her soft voice. “You want some breakfast?”
“Yes, very much. Thank you, Laolao.” I glance at Jessica’s slumbering form on the couch. “Is she okay?”
“She is okay. She stayed up, watching the news,” Laolao says. There’s something beautiful and comforting about her Mandarin accent, the way she speaks deliberately and carefully. “She was worried about Nolan and Apollo. She didn’t want to wake you up.”
I wish she had, so I could’ve held her hand and comforted her through her worries and mine.
I’m filled with such love for my family here in New Carnegie.
How selfless Jessica can be. Letting her sleep, I promise myself that I’m going to treat her somehow.
A girl’s night or something. Just the two of us, so she can relax.
It won’t even begin to pay back everything she’s done for me, but it’ll be a start.
Feeling rather useless at the minute, I wander into the kitchen. “Can I help you cook, Laolao?”
“Of course. I’m making scallion pancakes today.”
“I’ve never made them before. Will you teach me?”
Laolao lights up and makes room for me at the kitchen island, walking me through each step carefully. Her demeanor is so different than my mother, whom I love to death, but who would definitely point out every place I went wrong and finally take over in frustration. “Can I ask you something?”
“You may.”
“When will your husband be back? Do you miss him?”
“Every day,” she says with a wistful smile. “But he’ll be back soon. And he always brings me a special gift from Taiwan.” She winks at me. “It’s his way of apologizing for being gone so long.”
“What does he usually bring you?”
“Oh, he used to bring me jewelry, but I have so much of it now, if I wore it all and went swimming I would sink to the bottom.” Laolao still has a youthful giggle.
“So I told him several years ago, no more necklaces, rings, or bracelets! He has to think outside the box. It’s a challenge for him, but now, the gift is always a surprise. ”
“That’s so sweet. Do you ever miss Taiwan?”
She shrugs. “Sometimes. But my home is where my husband, my daughter, and my grandchildren are. Everywhere else is just a place.”
I reflect on the life I left behind in California. Nothing about it calls me back, like I worried it might. If anything, it seems faded, grainy, like parts of my childhood from long ago. I’ve only been back here a few weeks, but it feels like I never left.
It’s just like how I feel with Nolan. How I know it’s impossible to say I feel like I’ve known him my entire life because he was only activated a couple of years ago. But he’s such an integral part of my life now, my everyday thoughts and habits.
After helping Laolao cook, snarfing down the amazing pancakes like a food gremlin, and helping her clean up the kitchen afterwards until it’s nice and pristine, I send him a message as I quietly tiptoe upstairs, not wanting to wake the kids or Jess.
I’m so proud of you. I wish I hadn’t fallen asleep.
I’m glad you did. So you wouldn’t worry.
You promise you’re okay?
His response is immediate, as always. It must be so convenient, being able to just think your texts and send them, the way he does.
I swear. There was a woman on the scene, by the way.
I flop onto my bed, perking up curiously.
A woman? What do you mean?
The bionic detective. He had a girlfriend. She was able to keep him focused on her, despite the TerraPura virus doing everything it could to overpower him. He remembered her.
I snuggle beneath my blankets, gazing at my phone, where the livestream is playing in the corner so I can see and understand what he’s talking about.
Wow. That was really courageous of her, standing up to him like that. She must really care about him.
I got that feeling too. She reminds me of you.
Me? I wish I was that brave.
You are. You came to a city on the other side of the country.
To be fair, I lived here before. I have family here. They made it easy for me.
It still takes a lot of courage to take that first step into something unexpected. And you lent some of your strength to me tonight.
I prop myself up on my elbows, intrigued.
How?
I don’t know. Maybe it’s . . . I have someone to return to.
I might just float off this bed and hit the ceiling. I never thought I’d be someone to fall hard or fall fast.
But after meeting Nolan, I didn’t stand a chance. I could say we’re going slow, but I’d be lying to myself and everyone else.
This is different. Nolan’s unlike anybody I’ve ever met. I admire his bravery, how selfless he is. I know he’s genuine, and that this is new and different for him too. On top of that, my entire body burns for him.
I watch the news from earlier this morning on repeat, soaking in every detail of what happened. Watching him restrain that other bionic? Saving him from TerraPura programming, listening to the reporters talk about how he could’ve been made into a bomb or worse?
Nolan really is a hero. A real, true hero.