Chapter 14 #4
‘If he does, I’m sure Mia will ring you.’ She shot a glance at Mia.
‘Of course I will. And there’s a vending machine past the nurses’ station, out the opposite way we came in. You probably wouldn’t even be five minutes.’
‘Why do I feel like I’m being kicked out?’
‘Because you can be very perceptive,’ Sylvie told him kindly. ‘And I’d like to have a couple of minutes to chat with Mia.’
‘What about?’
‘Things I don’t want to discuss with my son. Feminine things.’
‘You know I don’t get embarrassed easily,’ he argued.
‘Well maybe I do. Maybe I don’t want you rummaging through my delicates at home. Maybe I want to try to preserve a modicum of dignity for myself. Had you considered that?’
‘Sorry, sorry.’ Aiden stood up and checked his wallet. ‘Any requests?’
‘Whatever you pick will be fine,’ Mia reassured him.
‘Right. I’ll… umm, be back shortly then.’
‘OK.’ Mia nodded.
‘Bye.’ Sylvie gave him a little wave, and Mia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the look on Aiden’s face.
‘You wanted me to pick some things up for you?’
‘Yes please. I think I’m probably going to be in here for a while, don’t you?’
‘Unfortunately, yes.’ Mia wasn’t going to argue with her. ‘So, clothes, bathroom bits, books and such things?’
‘Yes please. The book on my bedside table. And there’s my yarn bag with my current project in it.’
‘But that’s not what you really wanted to talk about, is it?’ Mia asked gently.
‘No. The conversation we had when I called you at the doctor’s? I think it’s time.’
Mia nodded. ‘You want me to get the ball rolling?’
‘As soon as possible, please. And I’m going to ask you something quite difficult too.’
‘You don’t want me to tell Aiden yet?’
‘I knew you were smart.’ Sylvie patted her hand. ‘But no, I’d like to tell him myself, when I think the time is right. I don’t like asking you to keep anything from him, but when it comes to things like this, I think he needs to be eased into it.’
Mia sighed. ‘You called me when I was at work. As far as I’m concerned, it falls under patient confidentiality.’
‘Thank you, Mia.’ Sylvie hesitated.
‘There’s something else?’
‘This is really embarrassing.’ Sylvie looked away. ‘But the house is… Well, there’s a bit of a mess. I don’t want Aiden to go home and see blood. Do you think you can arrange for someone to go in and sort it out?’
‘I’ll deal with it.’ Mia nodded. It was an easy favour to grant.
‘There’s money in my dresser – use that.’
‘Not needed.’ Mia squeezed Sylvie’s hand. ‘I’ll sort it myself.’
‘I can’t ask you to do that.’
‘Please, it’s nothing to me. I’ve seen far worse at work and have a cleaning box in my car when I’m on call. Unless you were sick, I’m OK with most things.’
‘Really? Vomit is the line you draw?’ Sylvie laughed, just as Mia had hoped she would.
‘Every girl has her limits.’ She winked.
Aiden walked back in to the sound of his ma laughing, and Mia murmuring something about limits, which was making what he was thinking even harder. ‘It was mostly junk food in the machine, but I got a few options.’ He dropped the chocolate bars and crisps on the table, not that he had any appetite.
‘I’m heading off.’ Mia kissed his ma gently on the cheek. ‘Walk me out, Aiden?’
He took a deep breath – better to get this over with. He followed Mia out of the bay, and down the corridor a bit before stopping. ‘Can we talk?’
‘Of course.’
She looked so beautiful. Even though the bats had stopped moving, and the dress had returned to relatively normal, she was still the most magical thing in his life.
His mouth was dry, and he had to force the words out. ‘Mia, I’m really sorry, but I don’t think I can do this any more.’
‘Do what?’
‘This. Us. I need to be here for Ma. And I’m sorry, but I just can’t give you the time you deserve while looking after her. I think it’s best if we stop things now.’
‘Right.’ She stared at him, her lips bitten tightly together. She didn’t speak for long, awkward moments, just stared, hands on her hips.
Aiden’s heart thumped a painful count in his chest, echoing in his aching head. ‘Mia, I really am sorry—’
‘Yeah,’ she interrupted. ‘You said that. And no.’
‘What?’
‘No.’
‘I’m sorry. No to what?’
‘I’m rejecting your rejection.’
‘What?’
‘Aiden, if you don’t want to be with me because you’re not enjoying being with me any more, or because you think things aren’t working between us, then tell me that.
Or tell me that you’re fed up of me. Or that I’m not enough and you’re bored and want to go back to having a roster of different women. But don’t tell me this crap.’
‘Mia, it’s nothing like that, but—’
‘Oh, I’m not done yet, Biker Boy. I thought you were better than this – I thought you were a damned sight braver, for one thing.
Because, Aiden, I know what’s going on. I understand what’s happening with Sylvie, and sadly I do have a fairly good idea of how the next few years are going to go.
And I understand that it’s freaking you the hell out, both for what she’s going to experience, and for your own possible future. ’
‘So, you know why I can’t be with you right now.’
‘I know why you think that.’ Mia stepped towards him, still glaring, and lowered her voice.
‘And I also know that this is the worst time possible for you to push away the people you love. And yeah, I said the word – that one that we’ve carefully avoided discussing.
And no, I don’t mean it in the friendly-type way that I’d say it to Katie, or you might to Ophelia.
I mean it in the heart-pounding, breath-stealing, living magic, light me up when you kiss me and heat up my nights, Triple D, happy ever after way.
Because I’m pretty sure you’re in love with me, Aiden, and I know I love you right back.
’ She took another step towards him, so they were only inches apart.
‘So, I’ll repeat myself: I’m rejecting your rejection. ’
She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close, kissing him fiercely, pouring a huge amount of passion and feeling into it.
His heart pounded as heat and latent magic flooded him from scalp to toes, concentrating in every spot where they touched, leaving him feeling scorched and raw.
It was definitely the best, and quite possibly the worst, kiss of his life as it stripped him bare – reaching past all his excuses and every barrier he’d ever built until Mia was filling every part of him in a way he’d never even considered possible.
When she pulled away he couldn’t quite swallow back the whimper.
‘Mia, I…’
‘Are we good? Forget everything else going on for a couple of seconds and answer me that. Are we good?’
He nodded, words deserting him.
‘Good. Can I have your keys please?’
‘What?’ Of anything he could have guessed she’d say, that wasn’t even close to the top ten.
‘There are some things I need to do back at yours. Make sure everything’s neat and tidy, and grab some bits Sylvie wants. I assume you’re staying here?’
‘Umm… yes?’
‘Good. Then I’ll take your keys please. Hand them over.’
He did as he was told, still in shock.
‘Thank you. Text me if your mum thinks of anything else she wants. Otherwise I’ll see you in a couple of hours. Sooner, if they move her to the ward and you want me to pick you up.’ She kissed him again, this time more softly, but it still resonated through him. ‘It’ll be OK, Aiden. I promise.’
With that she turned and walked down the corridor, bouncing his keys cheerfully in her hand as her dress swirled around her ankles.
Not sure what to think, Aiden headed back the few feet to where his ma was still waiting.
‘I really am so sorry about all this fuss,’ she repeated.
‘Don’t be silly, it’s fine.’
‘It’s not. I ruined your night, and now you and Mia are fighting. I heard raised voices.’
Aiden swore under his breath. ‘We’re not fighting.’ At least, he was pretty sure they weren’t.
‘I’d hate to think I’d caused a row between you. This is bad enough without that.’
‘We’re not fighting,’ he repeated, but definitely wasn’t going to tell her all of the conversation. ‘She, umm… she just told me that I love her.’
‘Smart girl, that Mia.’