Chapter 9

9 - Mia Lauren Hudson

"Why are you here? How can you push me down even more? What more can you take from me?"

- The Incredibles

I crossed the doors of the house and the cold that had been absent until then hit me once again. I tried not to get nervous or scared as I saw the empty room dimly lit.

"Duart?" I called out, not raising my voice too much because deep down, I didn't want Bradley to notice my presence.

Our maid quickly positioned herself in front of me.

"Yes, Mrs. Hudson." She began.

My body froze the moment I remembered... No, no. I refused to think about... that... that irritating person.

"Where is Bradley?" I asked, finally.

Duart stopped to think for a moment, her dark eyes stared at me as she replied:

"He left an hour after you. But he didn’t give me any explanation I could pass on." Her face was embarrassed, and I hid the lump that formed in my throat.

"He must have gone to take care of something at Starlight." I said, trying to convince myself of a huge lie.

It was obvious that Bradley hadn’t gone to work on a Sunday, and it was also obvious that it still bothered me.

"I’ll go upstairs, Duart." I informed the maid. "You’re dismissed. Have a good night." I began to move away because I needed a place to rest my pain.

"Don’t you want something to eat?" Duart called again. "I prepared..."

"You can keep it." I said, not looking at her because I didn’t want anyone to see how I was. "I’ll eat something tomorrow." Then I quickly went up the stairs.

I headed straight to my room and swallowed hard when I realized I would be alone.

I didn’t want to be alone. I hated not having company. I wanted someone at that moment to tell me about their day, about my dream that would soon come true. In fact, I had found someone for that. But I didn't allow myself to think about it.

No, no!

I let out my breath and searched for a warm nightgown before heading to the bathroom to take a hot shower. A masculine, woody scent with a hint of pepper lingered on my clothes and skin. I needed to get rid of that! After drying my hair, I turned off all the lights, but I opened the curtains so that the moonlight would illuminate the room. Illuminate the darkness in which my feelings and thoughts were trapped.

I was so scared of the future version of Bradley as a consequence of defying him, so hurt by not knowing where he was and who he was with. And I missed my mom and dad so much.

Then I found myself crying once again. And this time, I didn’t need to muffle the tears into my pillow.

I felt each emotion tear at my heart, and I felt when sleep pulled me and cast me into unconsciousness, and the only thing on my mind during those short two hours of sleep was a pair of blue eyes I had long avoided.

It was after these two hours that a noise at the door of the room brought me back to consciousness.

It was Bradley.

I watched his enormous silhouette, his hair disheveled, as he lay down on the bed beside me. I swallowed hard, feeling a sweet scent, not mine, emanating from his body.

I struggled not to feel jealous, I forced myself to ignore the love I still felt for him. But that was beyond me, he was my husband, and I missed something that, in reality, we had never had.

Still lying on my side, I lifted my eyes to stare at him. The darkness reflected in his dark hair, his breathing getting heavier, and he had laid down on the bed still wearing his shoes. I fought the urge to hug him, but I still wanted to speak to him.

"Bradley?" My voice was incredibly low. "Where have you been? Aren’t you going to..."

"Shut up!" His yell startled me, and I swallowed hard. His voice was much louder than mine. "I don’t want to hear your voice." He turned to the other side of the bed.

I took a deep breath. Held back the tears. The thoughts I had been avoiding cleared my mind.

And every thought; it was him. Apollo.

Apollo cared about me. Bradley never showed interest in my life.

Apollo opened the car doors for me under a storm. Bradley had never been so kind.

Apollo asked how my day had gone. Bradley hardly noticed me on his days.

Apollo didn’t ask for an explanation when I asked for his phone. Bradley wouldn’t let me take a step without informing him.

Apollo wanted to know about my favorite singer. Bradley never cared about the songs I listened to.

Apollo called me beautiful. Bradley made me feel like the lowest woman.

Apollo liked my lipstick. Bradley, just hours earlier, had hated it.

The smiles, the voice, the kindness, the memories I was keeping of Apollo were my foundation to endure that dark, cold night.

While Bradley’s voice still echoed with "I don’t want to hear your voice," in the back of my mind, a deep voice overcame all that humiliation with "I love hearing your voice."

And that day, I had discovered the sweetest devotion of my life.

I allowed myself to dream again with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes.