“I’ll chaperone, but I’m not singing karaoke, thank you.” I smile.
“We don’t need a chaperone,” she bites back, a little edge in her voice. Something that I’m actually beginning to love. She’s been showing a little more attitude lately and while I love my sweet and innocent Mia… this little side of her is such a fucking turn on.
“I think you do.”
She rolls her eyes as she sends my sisters back a voice memo, in which she refers to me as a buzzkill.
Shortly after, we pull up to where we’re staying. I get all of our things out of the truck and my sisters run up, hugging Mia and then me. I see my dad walk out of the cabin with my mom trailing right on his heels, and they both come over, giving us a hug.
“How are you?” my mom asks as she pulls me into a hug. She stands there gripping my waist for longer than necessary, but this is what moms do.
“I’ll be alright, Mom. Spending the week here should be good for me.” I smile at her and shake my dad’s hand.
“Well, your cabin is just down there.” My mom points out. “It’s the last one at the end, right next to where your sisters are staying.”
In a couple days, my parents are having a big party where a lot of family and friends will be coming and staying in some of the small cabins on the other end, but they rented out these few for just us. I grab the rest of our things and walk us down the trail, taking in this gorgeous view. I love Florida and the beaches, but there’s something special about the Midwest. You experience all of the seasons, things just feel different here.
“Here, your mom handed me the key.” Mia hands me a single key attached to an old keychain, it looks like one from an old motel. Our cabin looks right out over the lake, in the back there’s a fire pit and chairs, a patio with a hammock on it, and a hiking trail is supposed to be nearby, too. I walk around the whole cabin, doing my usual quick check as Mia meanders around the kitchen.
“So, uh, everything is good, except one thing…”
“What’s the matter?” She comes walking towards the bedroom as I stand there in the doorframe.
“There’s only one bed.”
For me, it’s not the end of the world. But Mia very clearly asked for a room with two beds when we were at the hotels and I have a feeling she isn’t going to go for this.
“I’ll run over to my parents and see if we can get a different cabin. Maybe something with two bedrooms, or I’ll just get my own cabin. We’ll figure it out.” I’m already moving through the room when Mia stops me.
“No, it’s… fine. It’ll be fine. There’s a couch I can sleep on right here.”
She points down and I turn to walk out again, she’s not fucking sleeping on a couch.
“Nate, I said it’s fine,” she demands.
“Mia, you aren’t sleeping on a couch.”
“Well you aren’t either. So, it’s fine. We can share a bed—we’ve done it once before. I don’t bite.” She laughs.
But will you?
Fuck, Nate.No.
With the way my body has been reacting to her lately, I really fucking hope I can hold myself together sharing a bed with her.
“Oh, unrelated, but tomorrow if you want to have a day to yourself—you should. Bree and Gretchen want to take me shopping. I think it’d be good for you to have some alone time. Or maybe time with your parents.” Mia’s unpacking a few things since we’ll be here all week, there’s no point living out of a suitcase when a perfectly good closet and dresser are right here.
“Yeah, maybe,” I reply, watching her drift from one end of the room to the other.
“Don’t go all dad mode, you’re supposed to be our fun brother,” Bree warns as I walk behind the three of them heading into this middle-of-nowhere country bar.
Mia borrowed a pair of my sister’s cowgirl boots and now, the image of Mia in cowgirl boots is tainted because they’re technically my sisters, but fuck, if Mia doesn’t look damn good tonight. She’s wearing cut-off shorts with a red and black flannel wrapped around her waist and a black tank top and then the boots… I had to look away when I saw her walk out of the room, it was too much. It was almost as jaw dropping as seeing her in that goddamn dress at the engagement party, or the dinner, or on the Ferris wheel… or any other time, as of lately.
She’s completely oblivious as to how stunning she is. I’ve always thought Mia is beautiful, but with recent developments… I’m wanting her in a way that I haven’t let myself in years.
“Iamthe fun brother, but I’m also responsible for you tonight and I’d rather not ruin mom and dad’s weekend by telling them you did something stupid.”
Bree is really the one to watch, Gretchen will likely sit at this table with me all night sneaking in pages of whatever book she’s reading.
