Chapter 11

11 - Mia Lauren Hudson

"I did all this for you! I’m tired of living to satisfy your expectations."

- Labyrinth

Alright, I was in Apollo's car again. The temperature seemed to increase significantly as we left the diner.

To begin with, I had no idea why I had stayed with him at that diner. I had no clue and didn’t even know how long we’d been there, just exchanging jabs with each other. Which, strangely, brought me a sense of peace mixed with unrest. Something I hadn’t felt in a long time, and I dare say, I had never felt before.

And yes, I know I should have gone home the exact moment Kayla got up from that table, but... I was alone with him again. I would have been very smart to just get out of that car and grab a taxi, but Apollo seemed like friction. And I was a magnet.

"I still can’t believe you’ve never watched Friends." Apollo brought up the subject I thought I’d forgotten. I huffed.

"I can’t believe you’ve never heard Adele." I shot back, clutching my coat tightly as my hand started to shake when Apollo stared at me.

"In my defense," he turned onto a different street, and I thought he was avoiding Monday traffic, "I told you I’d only listen to it in your kind presence."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. Deep down, I felt privileged knowing that he still remembered our conversation. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who spent the night replaying those brief moments.

"Also, in my defense," I started with an arched eyebrow, "I’ll watch Friends, as long as it’s with you." I smiled, proudly.

Apollo moistened his lips and glanced at me sideways.

"Are you setting up another date, Mia?" A crooked smile painted his lips.

I felt my face burn. Damn, his eyes were so blue, and the light, blonde stubble... For the first time, I paid attention to how tempting he could be. But not for me.

"Uh..." I cleared my throat.

I couldn’t...

Apollo chuckled, and I stared at him seriously.

"Not a date like that," he said quickly. "I know you’re married, but we’re friends, right?"

I grimaced and shook my head.

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

"Sexy?" he suggested.

That, sexy...

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

Damn, I wasn’t thinking clearly, I was... An annoying little voice was in the back of my mind.

"I don’t want you just as a best friend."

I closed my eyes, focused on everything that I was, and stopped being so weak to those thoughts. But it was simply impossible when a scent invaded my nostrils.

"Put your number in my phone," Apollo’s voice made me open my eyes. He was indicating his phone to me. "In case we have some movie updates or..." I waited for him to continue before finishing typing my number. "Or just if you want to talk to an annoying, conceited person."

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

"Apollo?" I called loudly enough, noticing the strange street we were on. "Where are you going?"

"I..." He looked in the rearview mirror, and I saw his skin turning red, which I found adorable. "I think I took a wrong turn." He answered, without much conviction, and sped up towards the main road.

"I thought you were a better actor." I teased as I noticed he was lying.

I knew because, besides his cheeks turning red, his eyes almost disappeared when he thought of an excuse.

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

My smile grew when I noticed his eyes shining even more. I wanted to say that he should learn to pretend anything when around me, but deep down, I wanted to know why we were in such a distant neighborhood from my place.

"So, what’s the truth?" I insisted.

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

"I took a wrong turn to spend more time with you." His voice was low, and my fun disappeared.

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

The light turned green, and Apollo drove on.

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

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

"Did I leave you speechless, Mia Lauren?" Apollo wanted to know, and I forced myself to break free from it.

"Actually, I’m trying to figure out if it’s really you or if you’re just acting." I changed the subject.

"And what did you conclude?"

"You’ll never know." That’s all I said, smiling shyly.

Apollo exhaled, smiling. And we were each second closer to home.

"I hope to find out as soon as possible." Apollo said when he stopped the car in the same place as the night before.

"Maybe it’ll take a long time." I replied as I removed 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 an immense ambiguity in every word that left his mouth. And it burned my imagination.

"We’ll see each other, Apollo." My voice was hoarse, and I quickly got out of that car before I lost my mind completely.

With urgent steps, I reached the doorknob and then, I was safe. The living room was empty again, and I was thankful Bradley was still working. I quickly greeted Duart and mentioned I’d take a bath before going down for dinner.

I went to the room, and Bradley wasn’t there. For the first time, I felt relieved. I went into the bathroom and allowed myself to sink completely into the bathtub.

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

It was just me. Mia, the orphan girl.

I had a mental conversation with my mother and imagined what advice she’d give me. 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 away."

But for the first time, I felt like my mother was wrong. I had to run away, I’d have to give in and ignore it all. I was great at ignoring feelings, actually.

Rising from the bottom of the bathtub, I took a deep breath, changed, and looked for something comfortable and warm enough. Not too comfortable though; Bradley hated any form of slackness, even if it was just the two of us.

When I came out of the bathroom, my phone screen was on, lying on the bed. I approached, picked it up, and brought it to my hand. A new message.

Good night, Just Mia! How about starting 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 distant enough from me.

Damn, run, run! I didn’t respond and attended to my thoughts.

In a dark green dress, covered by a huge coat and small heels on my feet, I went downstairs.

Bradley was in the living room. The cold hit me more effectively.

He was holding a wine glass between his fingers and reading the critiques the newspapers brought about his record label. He wore a black linen shirt, and once again his hair was messy. His face serious, the stubble showing. 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.

Carefully, I made as though I were going to the kitchen to help Duart, but Bradley noticed my presence.

"What are you doing?" His deep voice made me stop instantly. "Where have you been?"

Making a silent prayer, I turned on my heels and looked at him. His eyes were still on the paper.

"Good evening, Bradley." It was the first thing I said.

"I asked where you’ve been." He raised his dark eyes to me, and my legs wavered.

"Kayla." I lied. "I was with Kayla."

Bradley laughed and threw the paper on the coffee table.

"Funny, before I came home, I saw her, and guess what, Mia?" He smiled, and I was startled. "She was alone." His voice reverberated through the room, and I trembled.

"I had already taken a taxi." I tried, my voice quiet.

"In an imported car." He stood up from the couch and began to approach me. Damn, he was home. "I wonder how you paid for it." He spoke very close to my nose.

"What?" Understanding hit me slowly. "Are you suggesting that..."

"No!" he shouted, and I stepped back. "I’m telling you, you’re lying to me."

I felt humiliated enough by his yelling and his last insinuation. I was exhausted.

"Yes, Bradley. I am lying." I spoke without the conviction I expected. "You do the same to me."

Bradley stared at me, his eyes sparking, and suddenly, I didn’t feel so scared.

"Do you expect me to tell you every minute of my life?" He crossed his arms in front of me. "Please, Mia, I don’t owe you any explanation."

"Fine, Bradley." I lifted my head to stare at him. "Because I don’t owe you any explanation either."

Bradley looked at me, incredulous, and I felt so, so angry at him.

"But of course..." He started, trying to touch my arm, and I was quicker to pull away.

"You’re so afraid that I might do to you what you do to me, that you want to control every breath I take." I had finally understood everything, and then I went straight for the stairs.

"No, I’m not afraid. Because you’re incapable." He yelled at my back. "You’re incapable of anything without me. Live with it."

I stopped on the stairs and gave him one last glance, a fake smile came to my lips.

I went straight to the room and then, responded to Apollo’s message:

I want you to take me to a place where I can feel capable.

I clicked send, and I realized I didn’t have to run from Apollo.

But from Bradley.