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"Righttt," she said, voicing dripping with sarcasm. "Just how are you going to take care of it? I have people texting and emailing me, asking me things like, 'Is Rachel as hot in person as she is onscreen?' and 'How sweet is Rachel for trying to help you?'. As if I needed any other proof that this whole thing had nothing to do with me."
I stared at her in awe. I knew Mia was smarter than people gave her credit for, but I couldn't stop the swell of pride at how she'd come here and confronted me, calling bullshit--even if her anger at me was misplaced. Someone that didn't care about their life wouldn't care, but Mia did.
I shook off the moment, tightening the bun at the nape of my neck. "You have every right to be angry at this situation--"
"At the situation?" she snapped. "No, I'm mad at her--and I'm disappointed in you."
That hurt worse than any blow she could have dealt. We'd only known each other for a month, but it felt like I'd always known her. She could be a bit much with the texts and early morning calls, but despite my grumblings I loved that I was the number she called when she was stressed or stuck in some sketchy spot or couldn't sleep. She was more than my client. She was my friend. Which is why I was gonna break the cardinal rule. Well, that and wanting one less person to think Rachel was as kind and relatable as she seemed.
"This morning was my first time hearing about the organization."
"But Rachel said..." Mia didn't finish, cherubic face scrunched as she went through the whole thing again. She slid against the edge of the desk, sending trash fluttering to the floor. She ignored my glare. "I don't get it."
"Rachel and I aren't exactly besties." So I hadn't flat out said that she was a psycho bitch that made breaking up me and Jacob her favorite hobby. I figured I deserved a pass for that alone.
She twisted her mouth into a scowl, still trying to connect the dots. "But why would you two..." The scowl rounded into an O. "A boy. It's always a boy."
"Hey!" I said, feeling a little defensive. He was mine first came to mind even though that wasn't exactly true. He didn't care about her the way he cared about me, but he still used the words. Words that made an already unstable chick skitter over the edge.
I steered the convo away from romance. "We're gonna get a handle on it. I'll take care of it, okay?"
I should have known it was too late for that. I’d already given her a taste of the scandal. The genie was out of the bottle and she had a front row seat to the drama.
“So what’s her evil plan to steal Jacob away from you?” she asked excitedly.
I tried to backpedal. “I didn’t mean it that way. There’s a little tension between the two of us, but that’s because she and Jacob used to date--”
“Oh my god, Rachel and Jacob used to be a thing?!”
My face reddened at how dreamily she said it. Like they were some fairytale come true. Match made in heaven. Truth was, their story would have been a totally different one than his and mine. No one would have asked what he saw in her because anyone with two eyes would be able to see how perfect they were together. No one would have said that he must ‘really love her’ or that their future kids were lucky to have his genes in the mix. They’d say their kids hit the genetic lottery.
Mia waved her hand in front of my face. “Are you okay?”
I blinked, forcing a smile before dropping the lie. “Y-yeah.”
The connection we had called my bluff. Or maybe I was just a horrible actress. “You guys are a cuter couple.”
“Right,” I said said with a snort. “She’s gorgeous, he’s gorgeous. It’s like a real-life movie.”
“And you’re gorgeous. But not just on the outside, on the inside too.” When I flashed her a weak smile she added, “Haven’t you been reading the tabloids? I’m selfish and vapid. I wouldn’t socialize with you if you weren’t at least a 9.”
I chuckled at that, stopping when the phone on my desk rattled to life. I leaned forward and grabbed it, hearing Natasha’s surly voice on the other end.
“Jacob’s on the line,” she barked. “He says it’s important.”
I clicked over, dread returning. “Is your mom ok?”
“Can you come back to the hospital? She wants to see you as soon as possible.”
****
I clutched the bouquet of roses as I stepped onto the elevator, feeling all the apprehension from being in a hospital multiply considering who I was there to visit. The doors slid open and the nurse from earlier was waiting near the desk.
She gave me a bright smile. "It must mean a lot to know that you're the second person she asked to see. I wish I had that kind of relationship with my mother-in-law."
It meant something alright, I just wasn't sure if it meant something good or something bad.
I kept that to myself. "Is it okay if I go on back?"
