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I didn’t see Mia, but I did see Caroline and Andi crossing the street and disappearing into O’Malley’s. It’s a popular karaoke bar I hit up with the guys on the team a few times when we came to Frosty Harbor for Christmas a couple years back. I don’t remember ever seeing Mia there back then.
I pulled to a stop on the side of the road outside the bar and managed to scrape together just enough self-control to stay right where I am. I didn’t go in after her.
I didn’t go in, but I didn’t leave, either. I considered picking another bar. I could take my mind off the frustration of Mia and her constant rejection by hooking up with someone else. I could take her back to the guest house at Jesse’s where I’m staying, get laid, and clear my head.
I could, but the idea doesn’t do a thing for me. It just makes me feel more empty, so I stay right where I am, squeezing the steering wheel until my hands hurt.
I don’t know how long it has been, but I eventually see the door open and a group of four women emerge. It’s Mia with her instantly recognizable bright red hair in a sexy black dress mostly covered by a huge coat. There’s Paisley, Andi, and Caroline, too. Paisley looks like she can barely walk straight. Something in the way they’re all walking a little too fast makes me perk up in alarm. Why do they look like that?
I’m already reaching for the door handle when I see four guys emerge right on their tails. They’re all small shapes against the backdrop of white snow and the yellowed windows of shops. One of the guys actually reaches out and grabs Mia’s coat, pulling her to a stop.
I don’t remember running or getting out of my car.
I’m sprinting across the street, though, feet crunching and nearly slipping on ice.
I use both hands to shove the guy holding Mia’s coat. He stumbles backwards, only avoiding the wall of the bar because his friends catch him.
He straightens, fixing his coat and glaring at me with eyes I recognize from earlier.
I’m breathing hard, breath puffing in front of me in thick clouds. Anger still thuds hard in my chest with every heartbeat.
It’s the guy from the restaurant. Mia’s ex. “You’re still bothering her?” I ask him. The words come out as more of a growl.
“Nolan?” Mia asks, stopping the guy from whatever he was about to say. “What are you doing? Were you following me?”
“Just go,” I say.
“I’m not leaving,” Mia says.
“Go,” I say again.
“There are four of them and one of you,” Mia says.
“She’s right,” the guy says. “Do you like your odds, Hockey Boy?”
“My odds of giving you something to remember before your friends can jump in? Yeah. I don’t think they’re so bad.”
I size up the men. By my guess, I’d probably get my ass kicked, but I’ve got all offseason to heal up. I’d at least get a good hit or two on Mia’s ex before they could pull me off of him. I think it would probably be worth it.
“Nolan,” Mia says. “Come on. Just leave. It’s not worth it.”
“I never was worth it to you, was I?” her ex says. “Just a placeholder while you keep thinking about some asshole you used to date.”
“...outside O’Malley’s” I hear Andi saying into her phone. “Okay. Good. I love you.”
His words make my ears feel like they're burning. I look at Mia, who immediately yanks her eyes away from me. “Just leave, Marten,” Mia says. “This isn’t the time or place to talk about our relationship. Which is over,” she adds.
“What if I don’t want it to be?” Marten asks.
“Doesn’t matter, asshole,” I say, focusing on keeping myself between the women and the guys. “She said it’s over. So it’s over.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Mia says.
“And maybe you should listen to her, too,” Marten says, grinning. “Sounds like she wants you gone.”
“I’ll leave as soon as you do. So fuck off,” I say. “Before someone gets hurt.”
“Marten,” Mia says. “Just go back inside. You can talk to me at the restaurant if you really want to talk. But tonight isn’t the time.”
