Chapter 11

11 – Mia Lauren Hudson

"I did all of this for you! I'm exhausted from living to satisfy your expectations."

Labyrinth

I was in Apollo's car once again, and the temperature seemed to rise considerably the moment we left the diner behind. It wasn't just the physical heat spreading through the space, but something more, something that seemed to fill the gap between us, loaded with a tension I couldn't name. From the moment I got into the car, I felt a restlessness growing inside me, a mix of conflicting sensations ranging from agitation to peace, as if I were on the brink of something I didn't fully understand.

To begin with, I had no idea why I had stayed with him at that diner for so long. In my mind, there were countless reasons why I should have left the moment Kayla got up and walked out. Yet, the fact that I stayed and exchanged barbs with Apollo for what felt like an eternity left me confused. It wasn't something I usually did, and it was definitely not something I expected to find comforting. But, in some inexplicable way, his company brought me a strange peace, one that came mixed with a certain turmoil, a feeling of being alive in a way I hadn't felt in a long time, if ever before.

Yes, I knew I should have left, but instead, I found myself sitting beside him once again. The car moved through the streets, and the idea of getting out and hailing a taxi crossed my mind several times. It would have been the most sensible decision, the choice any sane person would make. But there was something about Apollo that kept me anchored there, something that made getting out of the car seem not like an option. It was as if he were the friction, and I, inevitably, the magnet that couldn't pull away.

The silence between us was heavy, loaded with everything we weren't saying but that was present nonetheless. And as much as my mind screamed that I should get out of that car, a part of me knew that, in that moment, I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Even if it meant diving headfirst into a whirlwind of emotions and sensations I could barely decipher. It was risky, but there was something incredibly tempting about that closeness, something that made me want to stay, even knowing it could be a colossal mistake.

"I still can't believe you've never watched Friends." Apollo returned to the topic I thought we had left behind. I huffed.

"I can't believe you've never listened to Adele either," I retorted, gripping my coat tightly as my hand started to tremble the moment Apollo looked at me.

"In my defense," he turned onto a different street, and I thought he was avoiding the usual Monday traffic. "I told you I'd only listen to her in your lovely presence."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. Deep down, I felt privileged to know he still remembered our conversation. Maybe I wasn't the only one who had spent the night replaying those brief moments over and over.

"Also in my defense," I began, raising an eyebrow, "I'll watch Friends, as long as it's with you." I smiled, feeling proud.

Apollo licked his lips and glanced at me sideways.

"Are you planning another date, Mia?" A crooked smile tugged at his lips.

I felt my face heat up. Damn, his eyes were so blue, and that scruffy blonde beard... For the first time, I noticed just how tempting he could be. But not for me.

"Uh..." I cleared my throat.

I couldn’t...

Apollo laughed, and I stared at him seriously.

"Not that kind of date," he quickly clarified. "I know you're married, but we're friends, right?"

I made a face and shook my head.

"I can't be friends with someone so annoying and so..."

"Sexy?" he suggested.

Yes, sexy...

"No!" I said too loudly. "And so full of himself," I concluded.

Damn, I wasn't thinking clearly. My mind felt like a jumble of contradictory thoughts, and amidst it all, there was this irritating little voice persistently whispering in the back of my mind, an annoying whisper I couldn't ignore. "I don't want you just as a best friend." Those words echoed repeatedly, leaving me even more confused, as if they were trying to break through a barrier I had built myself.

I closed my eyes, trying to push that voice away, trying to focus on who I was, on what I believed I was. I needed to be strong, needed to keep control and push these thoughts away, thoughts that threatened to unravel my composure. But it was easier said than done, especially when a familiar scent filled my nostrils, shattering any resistance I had left.

The fragrance was subtle but unmistakable, and it seemed to intertwine with every thought, every emotion I was trying to suppress. It was his scent, and even if I wanted to, I couldn't escape it. The aroma filled the air around me, enveloping me, making it impossible to ignore Apollo's presence. Every breath seemed to fuel that inner turmoil, causing my resolve to waver.

I struggled to hold on to the little logic I had left, to not let myself be swept away by the wave of emotions threatening to pull me under. But it was hard, especially when every fiber of my being seemed inclined to give in, to let that irritating little voice take over. Because deep down, I knew it was there for a reason, a reason that, no matter how much I wanted to deny, was becoming impossible to ignore.

"Put your number in my phone." Apollo's voice made me open my eyes. He was holding out his phone to me. "In case there's any update on the movie or..." I waited for him to continue before I finished typing my number. "Or just if you want to talk to an annoying and conceited person."

I rolled my eyes, and once I finished typing my number and saving it as "Just Mia," I handed the phone back to him.

"Apollo?" I called out loud enough as I noticed the unfamiliar street we were on. "Where are you going?"

"I..." he looked in the rearview mirror, and I saw his skin turn red, which I found adorable. "I think I took a wrong turn." He answered, not too convincingly, and quickly accelerated back onto the main road.

"I thought you were a better actor," I teased, noticing that he was lying.

I knew because, besides his cheeks turning red, his eyes became almost invisible as he thought of an excuse.

"No, I'm not, Mia." He was serious, and I was still looking at him with a smile on my face. "I just can't pretend when I'm around you."

My smile grew as I noticed his eyes sparkled even more. I wanted to tell him that he should learn as quickly as possible to pretend anything around me, but deep down, I wanted to know why we were in a neighborhood so far from mine.

"So, what's the truth?" I insisted.

The traffic light had turned red, and it was then that Apollo turned his head to look at me. His face was serious, intense, and I tilted my head to the side, waiting.

"I took the wrong turn just to spend more time with you." His voice was low, and my amusement vanished.

I stared at him, my lips slightly parted, my breath escaping me, and my hands trembled because he was still looking at me, serious, intense, devoted.

The light turned green, and Apollo drove on.

The silence in the car spoke volumes about the depth of my thoughts, the fire and heat I felt emanating from his body and going straight to my core.

I looked out the car window and saw the sun bidding farewell. I needed to be home soon, I needed to get out of that car. But deep down, I wanted to be right there, exactly where we were.

"Did I leave you speechless, Mia Lauren?" Apollo asked, and I forced myself to break free from that feeling.

"Actually, I'm trying to figure out if you're being yourself or just acting," I changed the subject.

"And what have you concluded?"

"You'll never know," was all I said, smiling shyly.

Apollo exhaled and smiled. And we were getting closer to home with each passing second.

"I hope to find out as soon as possible," Apollo said as he parked the car, in the same spot as last night.

"It might take a long time," I replied as I unbuckled my seatbelt.

"I can wait as long as it takes," he smiled.

And the heat returned. I didn't understand it, but deep down, I felt a strong ambiguity in every word that came out of his mouth. And that burned through my imagination.

"See you, Apollo," my voice was hoarse, and I quickly got out of the car before I lost my senses completely.

With urgent steps, I reached the doorknob, and then I was safe. The living room was empty again, and I was grateful that Bradley was still working. I greeted Duart quickly and told him I was going to take a bath before coming down for dinner.

I went to the bedroom, Bradley really wasn't there, and for the first time, I felt relieved. I headed to the bathroom and allowed myself to sink completely into the bathtub.

I needed to think, and there seemed to be the best place to clear up everything that was happening in my head, in my body. Away from Bradley, away from Apollo.

There, it was just me. Mia, the orphan girl.

I had a mental conversation with my mother and imagined what her advice to me would be. And I almost heard her voice: "If you feel like this is taking your breath away, if you can see beyond yourself, you don't need to run."

But for the first time, I felt that my mother was wrong. I had to run, I would have to resist and ignore all of this. I was great at ignoring feelings, actually.

Rising from the bottom of the bathtub and taking a deep breath, I got dressed and looked for something comfortable and warm enough. Nothing too comfortable, actually; Bradley detested any form of sloppiness, even if it was just the two of us.

When I left the bathroom, my phone was lit up on the bed. I approached it and brought it to my hand. A new message.

"Good evening, Just Mia! How about we start watching the first episode of Friends tomorrow?

From your annoying and conceited person, Apollo Castiello."

My face burned. The heat returned. How was that possible? He was far enough away from me.

Damn, run, run! So I didn’t respond and followed my mind’s advice.

Dressed in a dark green dress, covered by a large coat, and with small heels on my feet, I went downstairs.

Bradley was in the living room. The cold hit me with even more force.

He was holding a wine glass between his fingers and reading the reviews the newspapers had published about his record label. He was wearing a black linen shirt, and his hair was tousled once again. His face was serious, his beard unshaven. He was still so handsome.

I wanted to sit down and talk to him, but I didn't know if he was ready to hear my voice again.

Cautiously, I made a move toward the kitchen to help Duart, but Bradley noticed my presence.

"What are you doing?" Bradley's deep voice resonated through the room, freezing me in place instantly. "Where have you been?"

Saying a silent prayer, as if it could give me the courage I needed, I slowly turned on my heels and met his eyes. He was still focused on the newspaper in front of him, as if my presence was nothing more than an annoying interruption.

"Good evening, Bradley." My voice came out calm, but inside, I was trembling.

"I asked where you were." He finally lifted his dark eyes to me, and my legs almost buckled under the weight of that cold, inquisitive gaze.

“Kayla.” I lied, the name slipping from my mouth with surprising naturalness, though fear consumed me inside. “I was with Kayla.”

Bradley let out a laugh, but there was no humor in it. It was a bitter laugh, filled with disdain. He threw the newspaper onto the coffee table with a sharp motion, the sound echoing through the silent room.

“Funny,” he began, his voice coated with a threatening calm. “Before coming home, I saw her. And guess what, Mia?” He smiled in a way that made my stomach churn. “She was alone.” His voice reverberated through the room, and I shivered, trying to maintain my composure.

“I had already taken the taxi.” I insisted, my voice low, almost inaudible.

“In an imported car?” Damn, he was home.

Bradley stood up from the sofa, each of his steps seeming to bring an increase in the tension in the air. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run, but I was paralyzed.

“I wonder how you paid for it,” he said, very close to my face, the heat of his breath mingling with the fear that was already consuming me.

“What?” Understanding came slowly, as if my brain was trying to shield me from the reality of the situation. “Are you suggesting that...”

“No!” He shouted, and the sound echoed like thunder in the room. I instinctively backed away, terror finally showing in my eyes. “I’m telling you that you’re lying to me.”

I felt crushed by the weight of his words, humiliated by the way he was treating me. I was exhausted, not only physically but emotionally drained from all the times I had to hide my feelings and submit to his demands.

“Yes, Bradley. I’m lying.” The words came out before I could think, lacking the conviction I wanted but carrying a bitter truth. “You do the same to me.”

Bradley stared at me, his eyes flashing with anger and disbelief. But for the first time, I didn’t shrink away from him. For the first time, I didn’t feel as much fear. There was something inside me awakening, something I barely understood.

“Do you expect me to account for every minute of my life?” He crossed his arms, defiant, his posture a symbol of his arrogance. “Please, Mia, I don’t owe you any explanation.”

“Great, Bradley.” I lifted my head, meeting him eye to eye, even though my heart was pounding furiously in my chest. “Because I don’t owe you any explanation either.”

Incredulity took over his face, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. And as I looked at him, I felt something inside me break—a chain, an invisible bond he had over me.

“But of course...” He began, trying to touch my arm, but I was quicker, pulling away from his reach.

“You’re so afraid that I might do to you what you do to me, that you want to control every breath I take.” The words came out before I could stop them, but I didn’t regret them. They were the truth, and I finally understood what was happening.

I turned and began to climb the stairs, feeling his words burning on my back.

“No, I’m not afraid. Because you’re not capable.” He shouted, his voice filled with contempt. “You’re not capable of anything without me. Live with it.”

I stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back at him one last time. A fake smile, a reflection of his own manipulation, formed on my lips.

I went straight to my room, and as soon as I entered, I grabbed my phone with trembling hands. I took a deep breath before typing the message to Apollo:

"I want you to take me somewhere I can feel like I’m capable."

I clicked send, and in that moment, I realized that I didn’t need to escape from Apollo.

I needed to escape from Bradley.