Page 53 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
“My dad was so angry…at her, not at me. He packed his bags too. We both moved out. He divorced her, and neither of us has spoken to her since.”
Lauren blinked. “That’s so sad, and also, your dad sounds amazing.”
“He is,” Mia said. “He’s the best.”
“I’m so glad you have him.”
“Me too, although I spent years feeling like I broke up their marriage. I had so much guilt about it. Somewhere deep down, I think I still do.” She flinched at the admission, reaching for her wine.
Lauren shook her head, eyes blazing. “You’re not responsible for their divorce. Put yourself in your dad’s shoes. Imagine that your spouse turned their back on your child. Wouldn’t you do what he did? It wouldn’t even be a choice.”
“No,” Mia said softly. “It wouldn’t. I’d never turn my back on my child.”
“Exactly. And from what you’ve told me about him, I’m sure he doesn’t want you to feel guilty about it. Their marriage couldn’t have been that solid anyway, for it to fall apart so easily.”
“He’s told me all those things,” Mia said, surprised to feel a smile on her lips. “And he’s remarried now. Addie, his new wife, is amazing. They’re so happy together.”
“I’m glad,” Lauren said.
“And speaking of my dad…” Mia held up her phone so they could both read the text he’d sent in response to her soup photo.
Che bella zuppa!! Looks just as good as mine. Does this mean you’ll cook for us the next time Addie and I visit? Oh, and of course I see the store-bought pasta in there, cara mia, but I’ll forgive you for it this time. Love you!!
He followed it with a string of emojis, everything from a bowl of soup to a heart to a hand that looked alarmingly like it was flipping her off, although she figured he had mistaken it for a thumbs-up. Without warning, she burst out laughing.
“Not to be dramatic, but I think I love your dad,” Lauren said, grinning.
“It’s the only proper response to a text like that,” Mia agreed.
They laughed through the rest of their meal. In fact, Mia was still smiling as she put away the leftovers. She, Lauren, and Lola settled on the couch to watch TV together, and Mia couldn’t help hoping they got at least a few more evenings like this before things changed.
When Mia went to bed that night, she curled under the covers and fell asleep almost immediately, exhausted but happy.
Lauren’s blood curdling scream jolted her awake sometime later.
15
The door to the apartment was wide open. Lauren lurched upright in bed, blinking into the darkness as terror squeezed the air from her lungs. Footsteps. She heard footsteps, someone shuffling across the hardwood floors. Her heart pounded, goose bumps pebbling her skin, and there was a shadow…
The silhouette of a man. She saw the hoodie, just like the man who’d followed her earlier, and now he was in her apartment. In Mia’s apartment. Mia…
Lauren sat there, helpless, frozen, as he advanced toward her. She couldn’t move, couldn’t scream. Why couldn’t she scream?
“Lauren…”
She whimpered, striking out with her hands.
“Lauren, wake up.”
Her eyes popped open, and she bolted upright in bed, slamming into a body. Before she could panic further, she realized it was Mia, leaning over her. Lauren gulped air, grabbing frantically at Mia. Her hands fisted in the soft cotton of Mia’s shirt.
“Hey,” Mia said softly. “You had a bad dream.”
“Oh,” Lauren mumbled. Her heart was pounding, and she was still irrationally terrified even though the door—when she craned her head around Mia to look—was shut. No one was in the apartment. No one but Mia.
Mia, who was bent over her in a white, vee-necked tee that was currently giving Lauren a perfect view down the front of her shirt. She glimpsed the shadow beneath Mia’s collarbones and the curve of her breasts, and if it hadn’t been so dark, she probably could have seen everything. Lauren dropped her gaze, only to be faced with Mia’s bare legs, andoof.
Lauren squeezed her eyes shut, taking several deep breaths until she’d calmed down. “Sorry for waking you,” she whispered.
