Hannah leaned forward, her voice so quiet that I had to strain to hear her.“The more you push,” she said, “the more you prove she’s made the right choice in walking away from you.”
Something in Hannah’s words seemed to penetrate where our more direct approaches had failed.Perhaps it was the unvarnished truth of them, or the calm certainty with which she spoke.Eric’s shoulders sagged slightly, the wind momentarily gone from his sails.
“Mia,” he tried once more, his voice taking on a pleading edge.“Please.Don’t do this.You’re making a terrible mistake.”
From inside the doorway, I watched Mia shake her head.“No, Eric.The mistake was wasting three years with someone who couldn’t be faithful.The mistake was trusting people who didn’t deserve it.”Her voice didn’t waver.“I’m not making that mistake again.”
Jade, who had remained silent during the confrontation, suddenly stepped forward.“Mia, I know you hate me right now, and you have every right to.But please don’t throw away your life because of what we did.”
“I’m not throwing anything away,” Mia replied.“I’m choosing to explore something better.”
The words hung in the air between them, final and undeniable.Eric’s face contorted through several emotions before settling into cold anger.He grabbed Jade’s arm, pulling her back toward the car.
“When this all goes to shit,” he called over his shoulder, “don’t come crawling back.”
Jade resisted for a moment, looking back at Mia with what appeared to be genuine regret in her eyes.Then she allowed Eric to tug her away, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
We watched in silence as they climbed into the car.Eric gunned the engine, tires spitting gravel as he executed a wild turn and sped away down the drive.
“Well,” Ada said dryly, “he seems delightful.”
A startled laugh escaped Mia, quickly followed by a shuddering breath that might have been a suppressed sob.Violet immediately put her arm around Mia’s shoulders, while Hannah moved to her other side.
“Come on, honey,” Violet said gently.“Let’s get you out of here for a bit.Our cabin has better coffee and more booze.”
Mia nodded, visibly exhausted from the confrontation.As the women guided her down the steps, she glanced back at me, a silent question in her eyes.
“Go,” I said softly.“I’ll make sure they’re really gone this time and lock up.”
She gave me a grateful look before allowing Ada and the others to lead her toward the larger cabin.I watched them go, feeling a surge of gratitude for these fierce women who had stepped in without hesitation, handling the situation with a grace and effectiveness that put my bristling protectiveness to shame.
Noose approached, clapping a hand on my shoulder.“Man looked like he was about to shit himself when the ladies showed up,” he observed with grim satisfaction.
I nodded, my eyes still on Mia’s retreating form.“I’m going to make sure they leave the area completely.”
“Want company?”Noose offered.
“Nein,” I replied.“Stay close to the cabins.Mind keeping an eye on Mia from a distance?Not hovering, just… nearby.”
Noose nodded, understanding the request without further explanation.“Absolutely, brother.”
I strode to my bike, swinging a leg over and firing up the engine.Part of me ached to follow Mia, to hold her and whisper that everything would be OK.But I knew she needed this time with the women, needed the particular comfort they could offer that I couldn’t.
Instead, I would do my best to keep her safe from a threat I couldn’t kill.Though, if it meant that little pissant compromised her safety, all bets were off.Once I knew Eric wouldn’t be back, I would return to her.I’d offer myself to her however she wanted me.Then I’d pamper and spoil her until she couldn’t imagine a life without me.Which was absurd.I knew nothing about this woman except she apparently had horrible taste in men and friends.The irony wasn’t lost on me.
As I pulled away, I glanced back at the cabins one last time.Through the window of our larger rental, I could see the women gathered around Mia, their protective circle both fierce and gentle.They showed her what real support looked like.What real love looked like.And that, I thought as I gunned the engine, was worth defending at any cost.
Chapter Seven
Mia
I woke to Oktober watching me, and for a suspended moment between sleep and consciousness, I couldn’t quite process why his presence in my bed felt less like an intrusion and more like coming home.
The morning light filtered through the cabin’s thin curtains in pale gold bands, catching the dust motes floating lazily through the air.Oktober lay on his side, his head propped on his hand, completely still.The shocking blue of his eyes held a softness I’d never seen before.There was no smirk, no hint of the confident man I’d grown to like over the last day and a half.Just a man studying something he was trying to understand.
“Hi,” I said stupidly, my voice still rough with sleep.
His lips curved into a slow smile.“Guten Morgen,Kätzchen.”He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face with a gentleness that made my breath catch.His calloused fingertips traced the line of my cheekbone, and I had to suppress the urge to turn my face into his palm like a cat seeking attention.“You sleep OK?”
