Chapter 20
Mia
“What did you do?” Zoe spat. She looked like a lioness whose precious cub had just been attacked. Her eyes were wild and unfocused, her hair looked like someone had spent the last half hour dragging their fingers through it, trying to work out the frustration. But it was her fists, balled at her side, that was the telling sign. Her knuckles were white as she clenched them together.
“Hi Zoe. What’s up?” I tried to ignore the tension. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew it was there. It was staring me in the face.
“What the fuck did you do to him last night?” she snarled between gritted teeth. If I didn’t have the full story, if Derek hadn’t taken the time to explain, then I’d be worried that the anger written all over Zoe’s face was jealousy. Thankfully I knew better. It still didn’t help that I had no idea what she was on about. “You were supposed to be one of the good ones.”
Her words hurt. Fuck, they hurt.
I felt like I’d disappointed her.
And Zoe wasn’t even the one I was supposed to be dating.
“I am.” Even I hardly recognized the words. They were barely audible. Glancing down at my laptop, I noticed I only had five minutes before my next class started. I needed this resolved and I needed it sorted now. “Wanna tell me what happened?”
“Wanna tell me why Derek came home and drank half a bottle of Jack before passing out on the patio?” she countered, her eyes locked with mine.
I was glad I was sitting down. Even as her words sunk in, they were not what I was expecting. I mean, I know the evening didn’t end how it could have, even I was disappointed in that, but I thought we’d had a good time. My heart sank. Everything inside me suddenly felt heavy. The lightness I’d felt when I’d rolled out of bed early this morning, the smile I’d woken up with, the first I’d woken up with in a long time, suddenly seemed like it was a lifetime ago. And it was all fake.
“I don’t…understand.”
“You need to figure it out then. ’Cause he doesn’t deserve to be screwed over.” Zoe huffed and stormed out the door full of anger and animosity.
Grabbing my water bottle, I took a swig and swallowed it down, but it left a bitter taste. Spying my phone on the corner of my desk, I debated sending a text, but my itchy fingers gripped the towel tighter. I had a class waiting and they deserved my attention. My full attention.
Forty-five minutes had never felt longer. Every muscle in my body ached. I had no doubt in my mind that tonight I’d be paying for this. Thank god Kenz was in this afternoon. She could cover my afternoon classes. I couldn’t do it. The pain in my shoulder was burning. Stupidly, I’d suggested Zoe try the intermediate class. She’d been doing so well in the beginners’, I wanted to see how she’d do at the next level. I just wished it had been another day. There had been odd numbers, so I’d had to jump in and pair up. As my luck would have it, I ended up paired with the one person today who wanted to beat my ass into the middle of next week.
Wiping the sweat from my forehead on my sleeve, I looked up. Zoe was in my office. Again. “Zoe, I’m not?”
“Mia, please.” She moved towards me, her hands extended out in front her. “I just wanted to apologise.”
“Apologise?”
“Yeah. What happens between you and Derek is none of my business. I’m sorry for overstepping.”
She looked genuine.
She looked exhausted.
She looked fucked.
She should.
She’d just spent the better part of forty-five minutes beating the shit out of me. I hadn’t realized that much strength and determination came in such a small package. It was easy to underestimate her.
“Thanks, Zoe. I appreciate it.” I stood, stuffing everything in my backpack, getting ready to head home. Zoe turned and looked to be heading out the door. “Hey Zoe?”
“Yeah?”
“He really went home and got drunk?”
She shook her head sadly. I don’t know if it was surprise, frustration, or sadness that passed over her face. “I woke him up on the patio. Slept there all night.”
I had no words. Instead, I flicked the office light off, pulled the door shut behind me, and headed out. I hadn’t slept well. I stank. My muscles ached. My mind was spinning. A hot bath and a nap was calling me.
Together we stepped out into the Melbourne weather. It was a bitch. When I’d arrived at work it was bright sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. Now, it was blowing a gale and the sky was filled with ominous, angry thunder clouds rumbling in the distance. Melbourne was renowned for being able to have four seasons in one day, but some days, when it was being particularly bitchy, it could turn on four seasons in an hour.
