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Chapter 3
Mia
The next morning, Mia’s legs ached as she turned onto her road. The birdsong and the rustle of the trees were her background music as she jogged towards her home. The heavy footfalls from behind her got closer. The hair on the back of her neck stood to attention. Her belly flipped and twisted into knots.
Was it him? Andre Stone was the only one who’d ever had her so tied up. Finding out her new friends were connected to him had stolen the breath from her lungs. Having him corner her in that bathroom had thrown her off her axis. He’d called her a liar, and it was like he could see through her. How did he know? Besides, not all lies were bad. Sometimes lives depend on lies.
She turned to look over her shoulder. His eyes darted from her backside to the road in front of them. Apparently, he wasn’t so immune either. Andre increased his speed yet again and passed her, his manly scent drifting over to tease her senses. Her already sweaty body had now gone up an extra ten degrees instantaneously. Why did this man affect her so overwhelmingly?
Too bad he had to be an asshole.
***
Mia made it back to her house, drinking some cool water before venturing to the backyard to move through her yoga poses. This time she didn’t have an audience.
After she showered, she got dressed in a simple pair of dark purple leggings that came to her calf and a black muscle shirt. She checked her watch. She had a few minutes to call Carmen before she headed towards the studio to meet the construction crew.
She pressed her friend’s contact information and the call buzzed through.
“Mia! Amiga, cómo estás?”
Mia smiled. “Bien! Y tú?”
“Niná, I miss you so much. I know you said you needed a change, but why did it have to be on the other side of the country?” Carmen asked.
Mia sighed. “I just wanted a fresh start. Too many memories back there.”
“Running from your problemas won’t make them disappear, cariño,” Carmen warned.
“I know. But it’s been mostly good things over here so far,” Mia said.
“Yeah? Have you made some friends? How’s the studio coming?” Carmen asked.
Mia smiled. “I did happen to make a couple new acquaintances. One woman owns a café here in town and the other a bed-and-breakfast.”
“Oh, good. So we have somewhere to stay when Mamá, Papi, Mateo, and I come to visit.”
“Yes. And I am heading out as soon as I get off the phone with you to meet the guys at the studio to begin renovations,” Mia added.
“I’m so excited for you. Mateo has been asking how you are doing,” Carmen said.
“I’ll call him sometime soon. Give your parents and brother a hug for me.”
“I will. Te amo, chica,” Carmen said,before making a kiss sound.
“I love you too.”
***
Thirty minutes later, Mia pulled into the parking lot of her new yoga studio. She stacked the boxes of donuts and placed the several cups of coffee on top, balancing the paper bag full of sugar and creamer as well. She walked towards the door as someone came from behind her to hold the door open.
“Good morning, Mia.”
“Buenos días.” She smiled back, entering where her future lobby would be. Mikel took the cups of coffee and the paper bag from the top of her pile and placed them on the card table set up in the corner with a few stacks of papers and tools.
“You brought sustenance?” Mikel asked.
“Yes. I figured your team would need it for the long day ahead.”
