Page 36 of Prove Me Wrong
I run a hand down my face, a sense of uneasiness settling into the pit of my stomach before grumbling, “Jade and I are leaving.”
“What, why are you going?” Nate groans.
I stand from the booth, not wanting to listen to any of them.
Sliding Jade’s backpack over my shoulder, I hold my daughter to my chest, looking at the three guys laughing like hyenas. “Because now you have me thinking that I did something completely wrong,which I didn’t. I did something nice. It wasn’t creepy or weird,” I snip back defensively.
My friend’s brows rise so high before Nathan cracks a grin. “Wow, you really do like her, don’t you?”
I grunt, but don’t deny it, as my friends keep poking fun at me. It’s been too long since I have felt anything for a girl, and I will not let my friends get in my head.
Buckling Jade into her car seat, I slide into the driver’s seat and let out a heavy breath. What if I do like Mia? Em isn’t here anymore. I’m allowed to be happy again, and Mia has made me happier in two weeks than I’ve felt in years…
Chapter Thirteen
MIA
Ineed coffee.
My throat feels like it’s on fire as I walk towards the café on the main street. After that headache of a therapy session, all I need right now is caffeine. And not crappy, stale caffeine.I need the good stuff.
Gosh, I really do sound like an addict…
Walking down the path, the sun beams down on me, heating my skin in a refreshing way. The mornings and evenings are bitterly cold now, but the days are still warm enough that I can get away with wearing short sleeves but wrap a jumper around my waist, just in case.
I’m in my oversized tee and black bike shorts, wanting to cover up as much of me as I can. My phone rings in my hand. Sinnett’s name flashes, and I grin before answering. “Hi, Sin."
“Hi, twinkle fingers. How was therapy?”
I shrug and fold my arms as I slow my pace, giving my brother my undivided attention. “Nothing unusual,” I lie.
It was a painful session, opening up to Charlotte about the panic attack yesterday, and my thinking that Noah could hurt me when he’s been nothing but nice to me. She told me that I need to work on letting people in and not closing myself off to people. But that’s exactly what I want to do. By letting someone in, I am giving them a part of me, and ifthey abuse that, it’ll shatter what little trust I have. It gives them a way to hurt me, and I don’t want to give them that chance.
“Great,” Sin lets out. “And you want to tell me why you’re lying to me?”
I wince and rub my forehead. “Gran called you, didn’t she?”
“She called last night and told me what happened. Why didn’t you text me? I thought we had a deal?” His tone sharpens with each word.
I pause on the side of the road, toeing some loose gravel as I tightly wrap an arm around my stomach. “You’re busy with your own life, Sin. I didn’t want you worrying about me.”
“I will always worry, Mia. You’re my sister. I don’t want anything to happen to you, especially if it causes you to have a panic attack. Did Noah do something to you?” Groaning, I feel Sinnett’s muscles stiffening through his voice alone. “What did he do?” my brother snaps into the phone. “If he touched you, I swear I’ll cut his hand right off!”
“Stop, he didn’t do anything like that.” I wince. “Noah didn’t do anything wrong. I just wasn’t expecting him to leave a text that reminded me of what Ryan used to say. Noah’s nice and makes me feel more comfortable than any other man in a long time, and I know he didn’t mean anything bad by that message, but the moment it flashed up on my screen, I freaked out. All I could think about was how I trusted Ryan, and he told me he was making me happier when he was just using me. I’m too scared to open up to people, Sin. I guard myself so much because I’m scared that I’ll be hurt again.”
My throat burns with rawness as I keep my eyes from watering. I don’t want to cry right now. I hate feeling weak.
Sinnett remains silent, and my anxiety buzzes through my veins like bees waking up.
“Why do you feel like you need to open yourself up to him? He's your boss.”
I bite my lip so hard that the skin breaks open and begins bleeding. The taste of salt and metal tingles against my taste buds. “Umm,” I hush out nervously, trying to think of something to say.
Sinnett grunts into the phone. “Don’t tell me that you are starting to feel something for him.”
I feel my cheeks flushing crimson as I glance around like someone could be listening in on our conversation, which is impossible, but it still adds to my ever-growing anxiety. “I don’t know,” I whisper.
He grunts again. “That’s the girl way of saying yes.”
