Page 26 of Never and Always
“Fuck the money, Mia. What happened to make you think you should dothis?”
“Glenn. He called me a whore, he said if I wasn’t such a whore I wouldn’t have lost our money.” She covered her mouth as she brokedown.
Nick bit down hard on hislip.
This was wrong. He understood the anger, and Glenn was his friend, but Nick couldn’t stand by and allow him to treat Mia this way. He took hold of her shoulders and tried to calmher.
“Babe, I’m sorry,” he offered. “Mia, if I had two million dollars I’d give it to you. Since I don’t, we just have to leave the police to do their work. Stripping or whatever mad idea you’ve come up with isn’t anoption.”
“I can’t live like this anymore. He just blames me, all the time. If Claire was here I would have gone to stay with her, but I have to be here with Glenn hatingme.”
“Mia, I told you I’d take care ofyou.”
“No,” she replied, surprising him. She pulled in a short breath and shook her head, looking seemingly more distressed. “I don’t want youto.”
“Why?” He couldn’t imagine why she would say that. “Mia,” heprodded.
“Because, being around you is too confusing,” she blurted, stepping backwards out of his grasp. “I can’t doit.”
She was already crying, but the next tear that ran down the smooth skin of her cheek got to him, and the anguished expression that filled her green eyes couldn’t have spoken louder than if she were shouting her feelings tohim.
He held her gaze, feeling torn because he didn’t need clarification on what she meant. He understood perfectly what she meant, because he felt ittoo.
Theconfusion.
The confusion was the same for him. Being around her and wanting to do what his mind, body, and soul told him to do, and resisting. Having to hold back, having to touch her and remind himself that it couldn’t meananything.
Having to remember that his loyalty should lie with a friend that had always been there for him, a friend that had stood by his side when Nick went through the darkest time in his life. And Mia was the one thing he was told he couldn’thave.
The confusion overwhelmed him sometimes, but just now it consumed him because it was the first time that Mia had ever given away any indication of what she felt forhim.
He opened his mouth to say something to her, he wasn’t sure what the hell that would be, but he never got thechance.
The sound of a door slamming made them both turn. It was the frontdoor.
“Miaaaa!” Glenn roared. The sound of his voice echoed around theroom.
“Oh God. He knows. He knows about the paintings. He knows.” Mia winced, starting to shake. She clutched her hand to her chest and looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. “Nick.”
Instinctively he cupped her face and gazed into her eyes. “Leave it tome.”
“Mia!” Glenn thundered, storming into the room. He looked even more angry when he saw Nick holdingher.
Mia jumped back and backed away into thewall.
“The paintings. They’re gone!” Glenncried.
“Glenn, it’s in hand, we went to the police and they’re trying to track them,” Nickoffered.
“We?” Glenn whirled around and faced him. “You knew about this and didn’t tellme?”
“I was investigating. It was something that cameup.”
Glenn turned back to Mia. “Did you know there was a chance the paintings could get stolen before you came toChicago?”
Mia gazed at him and nodded. “I’m so sorry. I was scared to tell you. I didn’t want to disappoint you any more than Ihad.”
“I can’t even laugh at the absurdity of that. You’ve always been a disappointment tome.”
