“No. Not yet.” Then I giggled. “You are so insistent about getting me pregnant all of a sudden.”
“It’s time, baby. I told you, I’m ready.”
His expression was loving as he brought his head to my center. He penetrated me slowly, keeping his eyes on me as he started to ride me.
A few hours later, I was driving through the city in Damar’s Bronco. Damar usually slept in on Sundays after a long night at the club, so I was able to use his truck to go to church. Having grown up with religious parents, I never missed a Sunday when I was young. Even as an adult, I tried not to miss a Sunday, especially if I didn’t want to hear my parents’ mouths.
This Sunday, more than ever, I needed to be there, though. The events of the past few days had left me feeling unsettled, and the stress was unbearable. I had always known that Mythic was attracted to me, but I never imagined that he harbored deeper feelings. His confession last night took me completely by surprise. It was a revelation that both thrilled and terrified me. The kiss we almost shared had ignited a fire inside me, but my morals had pulled me away. I couldn’t let myself be swept up in that moment, no matter how much I ached for it.
Despite the passion I felt for Mythic, I was still committed to Damar who might not set my heart on fire like Mythic did, but he had been loyal and loving. Our marriage wasn’t perfect; we had our problems, but they didn’t justify betraying him or disgracing myself by pursuing something with Mythic. I respected Damar too much to throw it all away for a man who was still living the playboy lifestyle, professing feelings for me while in a relationship.
I thought about how leaving Damar would not only hurt him but also disappoint my parents. They had always been proud of my stable life and the good man I had chosen. I couldn’t face them if I left all that behind for someone like Mythic. The stability and respectability that Damar represented were important to me, and I couldn’t just toss them aside. I felt obligation to my husband, to my family, and to myself.
The phone rang, jolting me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Carol, Mia’s mother.
“Hi, Carol,” I said, steering with one hand and holding the phone with the other.
“Aviana, hi.”
My brows curled as I noticed that Carol’s voice was filled with worry.
“I was wondering if you’ve seen or heard from Mia. I haven’t been able to reach her since Friday.”
“The last time I saw or talked to Mia was Saturday.”
Carol’s sigh was filled with concern. “Well, she hasn’t been home since Friday, and she stopped sharing her location with me. I’m really starting to get worried.”
I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to spill the details about what Mia did to my car Saturday. “I’m sorry, Carol. I haven’t heard from her either.”
“She told me about the charges. I’m worried she might be on the run.” Carol blew a worried breath. “I just don’t know where she could be.”
I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that Mia had blown up my Jeep. It was hard to believe she would be in such a state of desperation, but it was clear she had been hiding. “I can’t say for sure, but if she’s avoiding everyone and not answering her phone, she might be laying low somewhere in the city.”
Carol sounded more distressed now. “I just wish I knew where she was. It’s not like Mia to disappear like this. I hope she’s safe.”
“Me too,” I said, trying to offer some comfort. “If you hear anything or if there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”
“Of course,” Carol replied. “You do the same, please.”
MYTHIC GREY
That afternoon, when I walked into the house, the first thing I noticed was the sound of soft, muffled sobs coming from the living room. When I saw Lelani on the couch, her shoulders shaking with each sob, I instantly cringed.
Since the incident in the stairwell the night before, she had been distant and short with me. It was becoming clear that she had more than likely seen me and Avi in a compromising position. Guilt gnawed at me. I was so lost in my obsession with Aviana that it was breaking Lelani.
I knew I couldn’t keep dragging such a good girl through this. She deserved better. I was never the type of man who wasted a woman’s time or purposely ruined her, so I made the decision right then to end it right then and there. I walked over to the couch and sat down beside her, taking a deep breath as I prepared to break her heart.
But before I could say a word, her trembling voice cut through the air.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” she murmured.
I froze.
“I just got off the phone with my doctor.” Her voice was trembling as I sat beside her on the couch.
I placed a soothing hand on her thigh to help settle her. “What did he say?”
She swallowed hard, finally lifting her tearful eyes to meet mine. “My MRI results came back. They found a tumor in my brain.”
