Chapter 35
Derek
I held Zoe as close as I could, never wanting to let go. I couldn’t believe she was really here. Especially tonight. I’d always known this girl had balls, but I had no idea how big they were. Making the decision to show up tonight couldn’t have been easy. Hell, I’d debated coming myself for weeks. Then I’d battled the decision on whether to tell Zoe what was going on. She looked stunning. Like she was trying to impress someone. Or everyone. Maybe she was just trying to convince herself that the old Zoe, the one Spencer loved with everything he was, was still in there somewhere. That the fierce, determined woman he knew and loved may have been hibernating for a while, but she was back.
And she was wearing his ring.
“Derek?”
Spinning around, I came face to face with Jenna. She had a sneaky smile playing on her lips. Everything suddenly made sense. She’d changed her mind about me picking her up because she was with Zoe. For a brief moment I wanted to be annoyed that they’d kept me in the dark, but with both women standing before me, despite the tears in their eyes, they looked…okay. They may not be happy, but they weren’t broken either. They say time heals all wounds, and maybe they were right. None of us would ever forget Spencer. We’d never forget that one night when everything changed. But we’d be okay. In the end, we’d survived.
“Yeah, Jenna?”
“Why don’t you leave Zoe with me for a while and go find Mia? I think she could use a friend right about now.”
Shit! I hadn’t even noticed she was no longer there with us. One minute she was in my grasp and now I had no idea. Fuck, I was a moron sometimes. I needed to find her. She shouldn’t be alone here. She didn’t know anyone. Hell, she’d driven all this way to be here tonight for Zoe, I couldn’t just abandon her. But I didn’t want to leave Zoe right now. I couldn’t.
She must have sensed my reluctance to leave her side. “Derek, I’m fine. It’s time for you to put yourself first and go get your girl.”
“Wh-what are you saying, Zoe?”
She smirked at me. Bitch! “What I’m saying, Derek, is that even though I love you and I always will, it’s time for you to get your happy ending. Mine will come, or it won’t. And that’s okay. But I refuse to be selfish a moment longer. I’ve seen the way Mia lights you up. Even now, I say her name and your eyes burn a little brighter. I’m okay. So go. Go find your girl.”
I was stunned. Zoe had managed to call me out on all the bullshit going on in my head in one fell swoop. “Are…y-you…sure?” I stuttered. It was embarrassing.
I looked up at the ceiling, and sucked in a deep breath before I let my eyes settle back on Zoe. Stubbornness was set in her face. I wouldn’t win this one. I knew that. Bending down, I kissed her cheek before repeating the motion with Jenna.
“Come on, Zoe, let’s get a drink.
I watched as they moved through the throng of people. Zoe threw a glance over her shoulder at me and smiled. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a smile like that light up her face. Maybe she wasn’t lying. Maybe she really would be okay. It might not be today or tomorrow, but eventually she’d be happy again. When she mouthed the simple, single word‘Go’at me, I remembered what I was supposed to be doing. Mia.
Scouring the room, I huffed when I couldn’t see her. It took a moment longer than I was happy about, but then I remembered who I was looking for. This wasn’t just any girl. This was Mia. My Mia. I knew exactly where she’d be.
In a few long strides I pushed open the heavy glass doors and stepped out into the night. It was darker out here than I liked, but it was to be expected. The few light posts in the car park were fading. Resisting the urge to call out to her, my legs started to carry me in the direction of the stands.
There she was. All alone, looking like an angel.
She was sitting halfway up the steps, with the moon behind her. She was leaning back on her elbows, her eyes shut, her face tipped towards the sky. It was the most peaceful, most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
Not wanting to startle her, I called out, “Mia.”
She sat up like a shot, her face filled with fear. It crushed me. I didn’t want to be responsible for putting it there. The idea alone made me feel like punching something.
It took a moment before she acknowledged me. “Derek. What are you doing out here? I mean…Zoe…”
I held up my hand, cutting her off. The last thing she needed to be worried about right now was Zoe. “Zoe’s fine. She’s inside with Jenna. That one’s tougher than I realized.”
“I could’ve told you that.”
“I probably wouldn’t have believed you.”
“Probably not.”
I was amazed by the words coming from my mouth. Mia had this power over me that removed the filter between my brain and my mouth. Somehow she made talking about the heavy shit that filled my head, easy. Bearable even.
“So…”
“So…”
