Chapter 29
Derek
I moved around the kitchen, humming to myself. I don’t remember the last time I’d sung while I cooked. Hell, I don’t remember the last time I had someone that I even wanted to make breakfast for. Well, other than Zoe, but she didn’t really count. Mia was something else. Work last night had been especially painful. Knowing that Mia was curled up in my bed had me horny and on edge all night, so when some bullshit cat fight between two overly eager and scantily dressed idiots broke out, I almost lost my shit. I didn’t want to deal with this crap. I had places to be. People to be with. It was then and there I realized my time as a nightclub bouncer was over. After I’d shoved them both in their separate taxis and sent them on their way, I found Mick and promptly resigned. I should have been nervous about what came next, but I wasn’t. Thankfully, I’d been smart and had a small nest egg which would see me through for a while, but there were decisions that needed to be made.
Flipping the pancakes over in the pan, I realized that even though I wasn’t sure where my life was headed or what my next step was, I was more than okay with it. Well, I was, right up until a high pitched squeal broke my peaceful morning.
Switching off the burner, I ran through house like a man possessed.
“Mia! Mia! Shit, Mia!”
I tried the bathroom door and the fucker was locked. “Shit, Mia!”
The fear was paralysing. I could hear the painful cries on the other side of the door and it hurt. My god, did it hurt. My heart was pounding. My fists clenched. I wanted to break down the door and get to her. I needed to. Yet there was something holding me back. As much as I wanted in, I forced myself to slide down the door frame and wait it out. I don’t know how long I sat there. It might have been a minute. It might have been an hour. The only thing I was sure of was when the water shut off, I held my breath.
I heard the lock turn and the overwhelming desire to jump to my feet swallowed me, but I managed to stay right where I was. Slumped on the floor, staring at the carpet, I let out a relieved sigh when a set of purple toenails stepped into view.
When Mia slid down the door frame opposite me, I couldn’t help but look at her. She was stunning?even with puffy eyes and quivering lips. It was obvious she’d been crying, there was no mistaking that. Despite her tear-stained cheeks, she was gorgeous. She was still wearing my shirt with her tight ass jeans again. The ones that magically made my own jeans seem too small. It took everything I possessed not to reach for her. Instead, I laid my hand out on the floor between us, hoping she’d take it.
The silence was killing me, but I’d be damned if I was going to be the first to break it. I would sit here all day if that’s what it took. Mia was more important than my aching, numb butt.
“I guess you heard that, huh?”
I nodded. Suddenly my mouth was as dry as the desert. I tried to swallow, but there was nothing there.
“I don’t know why that happened. Okay, that’s a lie.”
I turned to look at Mia. Her face was contorted with pain. There was fear in her eyes and I hated it. I wish I knew what I could do to take it away. Feeling useless didn’t sit well with me. It never had.
“Take your time, Mia. You know you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.” I meant every word. I knew it the moment I said them.
“Shit! I didn’t want to do this.”
Glancing across at Mia, I couldn’t stand it a moment longer. “Then don’t.” It was that simple. If the words were going to hurt her, I was not going to make her say them. No matter how desperate I was to know, I couldn’t put her through that. Without letting her stew, I sprang to my feet, dragging her up with me. “Now, I made pancakes, so let’s eat.”
A moment later, Mia was seated at the breakfast bar, sipping coffee and nibbling on pancakes drenched in thick, sticky maple syrup. I’d like to say she was enjoying them, but she was simply pushing them around her plate.
“Last night was awesome,” I said.
“Awesome?”
“Yep! Coming home to a very pretty girl snoring in my bed.”
“Pretty girl…hey,” she teased as she slid from the stool and started clearing the plates.
I watched her moving about my kitchen and it seemed so, so domestic. Everything about this just felt right. “So…there’s something I should probably tell you.”
Mia dropped the dishtowel and her face fell. “That sounds ominous.”
Without hesitation, I swept her into my arms and lifted her onto the island bench, stepping between her legs, my hands holding firm on her hips. “Don’t think like that. You have a nasty habit, Tinkerbell, of jumping to the worst possible conclusion, did you know that?”
She nodded softly. “Always have.”
“We’ll work on that later, but right now I need to tell you that I’m now officially an unemployed bum.”
Mia pulled back quickly. “You lost your job? How? But I thought…“
“So little faith.” I chuckled. Now she really did look confused. “Nah, nothing that dramatic. I just realized I didn’t want to do this anymore. Or I should say, I want more from my life. I can’t spend all my time tossing drunks onto the street.”
