Pieces of Summer(15)
“I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for Mika.”
My head snaps up, and my eyes narrow on her. That name is getting too common to hear. I spent years not hearing it uttered, and now it’s on the tongue of everyone, and constantly driving me insane.
“Mika sent you? I don’t think so.”
I grab my sketchbook, trying to mock up a design for a client I have in a few days.
“No, but she’s… I think she’s sick or something. And I don’t think she should have to suffer whatever it is alone.”
That has my sketchbook falling to the floor when I stand abruptly.
“What the hell does that mean?”
Why does it look like she’s about to cry?
“She bought that bowling alley for closure. I didn’t know what that meant, but this morning, she and Aidan were having some cryptic conversation, and her health was mentioned. She also bought her father’s house… It seems like she came here to make peace with something, if you know what I mean. It’s definitely not normal. None of it. It would only make sense that she essentially came here to die.”
It feels like a blade is ripping up my spine and slamming into my chest at the same time. Dying? Fucking dying?
“Beth!” I yell, grabbing my keys.
She darts back inside, eyes wide.
“Cancel my appointments.”
Whit follows me out to my truck, grabbing my elbow. “She mentioned that bald eagles mate until one dies, also,” she says quietly. “It… It broke my heart, Chase. She seems so… I don’t know. I never noticed how broken she was until today, yet she seems so distant and detached, almost like she’s afraid to feel anything. And Aidan is very anti-you. You should definitely let me call him and get him and Hunter out of the house before you go over there.”
“She’s at home? Not at the bowling alley?”
She nods and pulls out her phone. I wait very impatiently as she calls someone, probably Aidan.
“Hey, it’s me. Thought maybe you and Hunter would want to meet for some lunch or something.”
She eyes me and nods.
“Now sound good? Great. I’ll see you at Vera’s Diner in ten.”
As soon as she hangs up, I feel awkward. What the hell do you say to your ex who is trying to help you go see your other ex because she’s… I can’t. I can’t even try to process that. Whit has to be wrong.
“Make sure his car is gone before you go in there. He’ll end up kicking you out. You’re a trigger for Aidan.”
“Learned a lot about him in one night, did you?” I quip.
Aidan always seemed disinterested in me and his sister when we were younger. No idea what has his panties in a wad now.
“I learned more this morning than I did last night. Other than the fact he was phenomenal in bed. Guy has stamina for days.”
I cock an eyebrow at her, and she rolls her eyes. “Just wanted to see if you had one ounce of jealousy in your body. Guess not for me.”
I almost feel guilty, but I consider us even since she fucked a guy before breaking things off.
Getting in my truck, I try to slow my breathing down. This had all better be wrong. Mika had better be just fine. Then we can go back to keeping our distance until she realizes Hayden isn’t her home and goes back wherever it is she belongs.
Chapter 16
MIKA
The house is quiet as soon as Aidan and Hunter leave. Both invited me to come out for lunch, but they knew I didn’t want to get out. Not after Aidan pissed me off by even getting that close to telling Whit my darkest secrets.
I sit down on the sofa, flicking through channels like I’m going to find the answers to the universe on the screen if I search hard enough. Aidan’s right; this place is toxic for me. Chase is in my head, whether I want to admit it or not.
It’s twice as hard not to think about him now that I know he and Whit are over. That was keeping me sane, sadly enough.
A pounding at the door startles me, and I yelp while diving off the couch. Damn it. I’ve seriously watched too many horror movies. And axe-murderers don’t exactly knock.
I regret not checking to see who’s here when I open the door to a very angry looking Chase. My heart jumps into my throat as his fists clench and his jaw tightens. It almost looks like he wants to hit something, but I know he won’t touch me.
“We should talk,” he says with an eerily calm tone.
“No. We shouldn’t. Whit broke up with you just this morning. I don’t know why you’re here, but if it’s because you want a revenge fuck, you’re out of luck. I don’t do that.”
It’s hard to keep my voice even, and I start to shut the door, but he shoulders his way in, and slams it behind him.
“Let me rephrase that: We’re going to talk. What the fuck are you doing in Hayden? Answer me this time.”
Sick of avoiding this, I finally blurt it out. “Because I want to be here. Because this is my father’s house. Because I needed closure. What the hell are you doing here?”
“Hayden is my home,” he growls. “What fucking closure?”
“You hate this place,” I snap, ignoring his question. “You always swore you’d get out of here if your mother ever died. Even said we’d sell the bowling alley and move away… Shit,” I grumble, hearing how cold that sounds about his mother and realizing I’m back to saying we. That’s not healthy.
“I left and decided Hayden was the only place that made sense for someone like me. Now tell me what closure you want.”
I look at him incredulously. “You really need your ego to be fueled that badly? Us, Chase. I needed closure on us. That’s what. I never got it. Instead, I got crushed. I was devastated. I can’t seem to move forward, and I blame you. Happy? Feel good about yourself? Good. Now get the fuck out of my house.”
He looks confused for a second, as though he was expecting another answer. His eyes soften, and he takes a step toward me. I practically leap backwards, and his look hardens again.
“You’re scared of me?” he asks quietly, sounding pissed. “You think I’d hurt you?”
I laugh humorlessly. “I know you’d hurt me. You already did.”
All emotion leaves his face and he takes a step back. “I broke things off because you deserved a hell of a lot better than I could give you, Mika. You know it. I know it. Even your father knew it. I didn’t want you to end up like your mother.”
If he only knew how much I hated to even hear anything about my mother…
“Good for you. Problem is, you forgot to actually end it. You just went cold and silent on me, never giving me any semblance of closure. And now I’m here in Hayden to get what I need. Get over it. Deal with it like a fucking adult. Leave. Me. Alone.”
“Are you sick?” he asks me softly, surprising me.
Hot flush creeps up my body for the second time today.
“You’re sick, Mika. Your brain isn’t functioning the way it used to. We have to retrain the way your mind works if you ever plan on having a normal life again. We can help you. Just trust us. Talk to us, Mika. Let us help you. Let us find out exactly what is going on.”
“Please don’t. I just want to go home. Where’s Aidan? I’m not sick. I’m not sick. It’s not like that. Please don’t make me keep doing this.”
“Yes, it is like that, Mika. Look at what you’ve done to yourself. Let us help you.”
Shaking out of my thoughts, I turn my back on him while tugging at my shirt, making sure my stomach is covered. “Who told you?” I whisper quietly.
The temperature in the room seems to plummet.
“It’s true then? You’re fucking dying and you weren’t even going to tell me?”
Confusion hits me hard, and I turn around to face him. It’s then I realize how that conversation this morning must have sounded to Whit. That’s who must have sent him over here. It makes sense now.
It’s sad that I’m relieved she thought I was dying instead of figuring out the truth.
“Not dying, Chase. I’m not that sick. Please leave now.”
“How fucking sick are you?”
Sick enough to forget how easy it is to be broken when you’re standing this close. Sick enough to forget the very set-in-stone rules I have.
“I’ll be fine. Promise. Just a cold,” I lie, smiling bitterly.
“Bullshit. She said you and Aidan were talking about your health. Whit doesn’t just freak out for any reason.”
“Whit is under the impression you and I are something we’re not. She’s… There aren’t words enough to describe how big her heart is. You really fucked things up with her. Then again, that seems to be your specialty—destroying women and spitting on the pieces you leave behind.”
That coldness replaces his anger, and he nods slowly.
“Got it. So you’re not dying? You’re not sick?”
“Nope. Feel free to hate me—even though you have no reason to—without that nagging feeling of guilt for hating a dying woman. I’m just fine, Chase. Just fucking fine.”
He starts to turn around, and I relax, letting my arms drop away to hang at my sides. One second he’s moving toward the door, but the next, he spins around and stalks toward me.
I start to move, but he grabs me at the waist before I can, and I feel my back thud against the wall seconds before his lips crash against mine in a brutal, almost painful kiss. His hands grip me roughly, pulling my body against his as he thrusts his tongue inside my mouth.