CHAPTER 5- Never Been Saved

MIA'S POV

"I might be a little late later," Roman says, reading messages on his phone. It pings again for the 10th time over breakfast.

Mia eyes his vibrating phone. "You don't have to pick me up every day."

He looks up at her. "Of course," he says stiffly, putting his phone down.

"Plus, I picked up an extra shift. So, I'll be done by 9," she says, avoiding his eyes.

Mia feels the need to lie about her date with Killian. It's not like they're in a relationship but for now, her guts tell her to leave it out of the conversation.

"I should be able to pay you enough by the end of the month."

It is good news but Roman doesn't think so as his lips form into a thin line.

"I wished you'd stop seeing me as your landlord."

"How should I see you, then?"

His mouth works but no words come out, caught off-guard by her straightforwardness. Roman clears his throat.

"A friend."

He seems embarrassed saying it. Mia raises her eyebrows. "Where are you off to?"

Just like that, the hard glint in his dark eyes returns. "Some business with an old friend."

She almost smiles. Roman can be intimidating but one thing is for sure, he's not a good liar.

"Going to a gig?" Mia suggests as if to help him better with his excuses. Roman smirks.

"You could say that."

Mia is worrying about her date later with Killian when she catches a reflection of his handsome face. She thinks her nervousness has finally snapped her into seeing hallucinations but he is there, unloading something at the supply closet.

"You're early."

Killian jerks back then breaks into a grin when he sees her.

"No, I was just helping Raul with the beans," he says. "I'll pick you up here later, okay?"

Nodding her head, she resists smiling like a giddy little girl. She no longer remembers the last time she felt the thrill of delicious nervousness of going on a date.

"Mia, dear," Raul greets her, breaking Killian and Mia's eye contact. He looks back and forth between the two. "You two know each other?"

"We met yesterday. I'm taking her out for dinner tonight."

Raul's eyes twinkled with merriment behind his glasses.

"Why don't you show her around the city? Go on, me and Ava can handle today,” he says kindly. “Don't forget to leave your apron, dear."

"Awesome. Let me unload the rest first."

Killian and Raul walk back outside, leaving Mia with fluttering butterflies.

"Aren't you popular?" Ava quips, startling her. She sidles up closer to Mia.

"Maybe you could leave Roman alone, and you could leech off Rodriguez instead. The son of a lucrative engineer got much more money than a college dropout anyway."

"What do you study?" Mia asks as she feels Killian hovering behind her.

They are in the art gallery of the university. He isn’t expecting her to be that invested with the paintings and the sculptures so he lets her navigate on her own as he follows her around.

"Electrical engineering," he says, walking closer to the abstract painting she is perusing. "How about you? You can't be older than me."

"I just finished high school."

"So, what do you want to take?”

Mia bites her lip. "I haven't given it any thought."

Before everything, she has plans to go to college. Just like anyone, she has dreams. But as usual with life, she has to put it on the back burner.

They stop at a portrait of a young girl. Flowers and messages litter below it. Memories and sorrows surround the name that is inscribed on the marble.

'Lucretia Caro 2009-2021'

She looks at the portrait again. The girl was very pretty with her straight black hair and bright smile. Her jaw slightly drops at the realization. She glances at Killian and is taken aback by his stone-cold expression.

"Were you close with her?"

His set jaw relaxes and his eyes go back to their cool, collected browns.

"She was an ambassadress of our social project. She was very active, cheerful, always brought us coffee," he chuckles, "willing to help everyone in need. Seeing someone like that get murdered at a young age—" Killian pauses, still staring at the portrait. "I was just lucky to have known her even for a short time."

"Was the murderer put in prison?" Mia asks. His intense gaze shifts back over to her.

Before he could open his mouth, her phone rings. She hears him exhales deeply as she answers the call. It’s Ava.

"My dad's in the hospital. Get here fast."

Raul has been hit by a motorcycle. That is all Mia could get out of Ava before she rushed out of the cafè. The accident isn't that bad but Raul is in his fifties. Even a motorcycle accident could have serious repercussions on his health.

"You don't have to stay with me."

All afternoon, Killian helps her around the cafe. It isn’t a hectic day and she can get by on her own but he didn’t leave her alone. Even now that she is locking up, he stays by her side.

“Of course I do. What would Raul think if I let you walk on your own at this time?”

“That you have better things to do than this?” Mia teases.

“Well I do but, I’m worried about you,” he confesses. Mia’s grin drops and a blush forms on her cheeks. He pinches one of her cheeks gently.

“After what happened to Raul, I need to see you home safe, or else I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

An intense roar of an engine suddenly breaks through the night. Out of the dark, a bright headlight lights up Mia’s body from the back. Before Mia could turn to look, a heavyweight slams against her.

Her brain seems to have hit a pause button. She blinks repeatedly to a hard chest. Killian saves her in a nick of time. Mia extracts herself from Killian's arms. A loud whine of what is clear to her now as coming from a motorcycle intrudes again on the eerie night. This time, the white light flashes them right in their faces as the rider clad in all black turns to rush in their direction again. The intent to harm them becomes apparent to her.

"Killian!"

Before she could, Killian pushes her out of the way. The hard pavement makes contact with her back and her breath is knocked out of her lungs at the force.

Panic starts to settle within her but Mia starts to feel relieved as she slowly senses his body on top of her. Mia groans beneath the weight. Killian immediately gets up.

"What the actual fuc-"

His jaw tightens in anger as his eyes lock in on the motorcycle. He is about to follow it before it could get away when he notices that Mia is still on the ground. The guilty look on her face roots him on his spot. Killian ignores this and helps her get in on her feet.

"Are you alright?"

Mia is still frozen. She swears she caught a glimpse of the familiar pair of blue eyes behind the flash of light.

As Killian puts his arm around her, unbeknownst to them, Roman is watching from the shadows, the tidal wave of jealousy threatening to take over him.