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“Yeah well we know how that ended.”
It ended by a woman stabbing me in the heart. Metaphorically.
“I don’t understand why you don’t just go after her. You have a chance at happiness and you let it walk out of your life.”
“Mia left. She chose to leave. Without a fucking word.” My voice had gotten louder and more aggressive than I wanted so I took a moment to calm down. “Yeah, that hurt, but she made her choice. I have to respect it. I’m not going to chase after her like a lovesick puppy.”
“I just think the way she disappeared was weird, especially after how close you guys got.”
“You mean it’s not normal to spend Christmas snowed in with someone, have amazing sex for days, confess your feelings for each other, and then completely ghost them?”
“Uh, yeah. Not normal. But what I meant was, something had to have happened to make her leave. And I don’t doubt it could have been something your charming ass did,” I flipped him the bird and took another sip of beer as he continued, “but what if it was something else?”
I didn’t want to admit he could be right. Because that would have meant my selfish wallowing won out over my protective side.
“I appreciate your concern, man, but I really don’t want to talk about it.”
Dane held his hands up and nodded his head in acquiescence. He knew when not to push. But his words had shot straight to my heart. Or rather, Mia had. Was it possible that I was really that much of an asshole that I’d let the woman of my dreams walk out of my life and not go after her—not find outwhy—because I was too proud to admit how hurt I was?
I glanced up at Dane, who had a look on his face like he was observing a dangerous animal in the wild.
Yeah. I was the problem here.
* * *
Later that night I awoke still buzzed, with a throbbing headache and heartburn so strong it could’ve knocked down a moose. But the only thing on my mind was Mia.
Mia Gallo.
The woman who surprised me at every turn. The woman who had me breaking down my walls and letting her in. It had only taken a few days, trapped together in a snowstorm, for me to fall head over heels for Mia’s sugar-sweet personality. The same personality that put me off at first. The exact opposite of my demeanor, and what the hell did she see in me anyway?
But once I had, it was like a damn fairytale. Like people write sonnets about or sing disgusting ballads over. Seeing her smile set off fireworks in my stomach, and touching her was enough to set my heart on fire. And the entire time, it seemed like she felt the same.
Maybe once the snow melted and we got back to town, she realized she was crazy for entertaining the thought of being with me. Maybe she realized I was too much of an asshole for her sweetness to overcome.
Oh god, maybe she regretted everything we’d done together.
Flashes of our bodies connecting, exploding with pleasure, ran through my brain. I wasn’t exactly gentle with her. But at the time, she wanted it. Begging for it, egging me on, taking everything I had to offer. If I were a betting man, I’d say no way would she regret it. But was it possible she did?
Is that why she ran?
I got out of bed and walked down the hall to grab some antacids from my bathroom medicine cabinet, purposely avoiding my reflection in the mirror. It was three in the morning, I’d been drinking all night, and I stewed over Mia the entire time. I knew I looked rough.
I dumped out a few of the chalky mint antacids into my hand and tossed them in my mouth. I chewed through them, then took a sip of water directly from the faucet to help with the dryness.
I wondered what Mia was doing right now. Sleeping peacefully in her cute little pajamas, probably. Or what if she had a man in her bed?
Fuck no.
A heavy lump of aggression formed in my chest.
I’d told her she was mine. I staked my claim and she let me. And then I let her just walk away?
That wasn’t staking a claim, that was spouting bullshit. I needed to do better. What if Dane was right, and there was something else going on? I’d just let her walk away, let her think she didn’t matter enough to go after.
I stalked down the hallway and grabbed my phone from the nightstand.
Drew:I miss you.
