“Where’s your boyfriend been hiding?” Derek asked while we sat in front of the television watching some old James Bond movie.
“What boyfriend?”
“Nate.”
“He’s…Nate’s not my boyfriend,” I clarified quickly.
Mia mumbled. She was curled against Derek’s side, a blanket laid out over their legs, Derek’s arm draped around her shoulders, holding her close. The pangs of jealousy that stabbed at me hurt like a bitch. With Matilda snoring softly in Derek’s lap, they looked like a perfect family.
I was getting worse and worse at hiding my true feelings. I wanted what they had. Desperately. But it wasn’t that easy to find. At least it wasn’t for me.
“What was that, Mia? Didn’t quite catch that.”
“You didn’t need to.”
“Bitch.”
“You know it.”
“Where is he, anyway?”
“How the hell should I know?”
“You’re the one dating him.”
“No! I’m not.”
I’d been out with the guy once, and it may or may not have been an actual date, I still wasn’t convinced. More than that though, I hadn’t seen nor heard from him since he’d been over for the bonfire, and even that was to see Derek, not me. I vaguely remember seeing him, but with the fever I was running and the concoction of medications Mia was feeding me, there was a very good chance I’d hallucinated him.
“Well, no one else is.”
“What?”
“Haven’t you heard?”
“Heard what?”
Mia was enjoying this entirely too much. There was mischief on her face that was undeniable. I felt myself squirm. I caught the strange look exchanged between Derek and Mia. It was pissing me off. I needed to know. Desperately. I just couldn’t bring myself to come out and ask. I knew if I did, it would be just another thing for Mia to hold over my head.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Mia…” There was warning in Derek’s tone. He knew Mia well enough to know she was being a bitch. Part of me couldn’t help but think Derek was relieved that I was the target of Mia’s torment, giving him a much needed day off.
“Fine…spoilsport.” Mia huffed as she moved out of Derek’s reach, careful not to wake sleeping Matilda, and for that I was eternally grateful. That child had been a tornado lately. From the moment she learnt the word ‘no’ she’d become the devil incarnate. “Everyone’s talking about your man.”
“He’s not my man!” I protested. Loudly.
“Well, if you want him to be, you better get your shit together, little sister, and stake your claim. Because if you don’t, someone else will.”
That got my attention. I wished it didn’t, but it really did.
“I don’t—”
“Stop!” Mia silenced me with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I know whatever comes out of your mouth next is going to be bullshit, so let’s just not. You want him. I’m not sure what the hell he wants, but you two need to get over yourselves and figure it out.”
“God, Mia! It’s not that simple.”
Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Derek found his feet, my daughter in his arms. “I’m just going to put Munchkin into bed.”
