Chapter 13 When she shares

"Wake up sleepy head." I place the glass of orange juice and two aspirins on the table next to Mia's bed. "How are you feeling?" I grin as I whirl her around on the bed and loosen the rope around her wrists.

"Like I have been kidnapped again, but worse." The pillow muffles her voice.

"Good. You need to get dressed I have meetings to attend." I order her.

"So why do I need to get dressed?" She sits up on the bed taking the tablets between her fingers and places them on her tongue before washing them off with a sip of juice.

"Clearly you can't be left without supervision." I wink at her as I leave the room for her to get ready. She shouted something about not being a child, but I couldn't care less. I had a good night's sleep and was already filled with energy and ready for another day with Mia. If I couldn't separate my work life and personal life then I will handle them concurrently.

I run my fingers across the files in my desk's drawer picking out eight files. These are the ones that already confirmed their purchases and made the payments. I place them into my briefcase and take out my phone sending Gian a message for the go-ahead before I close my briefcase.

I let my mother know that Mia and I will stop by this afternoon and that she should invite Tony and Gabriella. I was finishing this college saga today.

"I am ready." Mia enters my office and flops down on the chair. "I really hope that this meeting doesn't involve any killings. I only have this one dress left before I start walking around in my underwear." She breathes as she let her head rest in her popped up hand.

"Then I hope for your dress's sake you behave." I wink as I pick up the briefcase and walk past her. "Are you coming." It sounded like a question, but it wasn't. She jumped up and followed me.

"Don't you like music?" She questions as she sat on the passenger's seat next to me. "You never listen to music." Her finger runs across the radio's screen pushing all the buttons until she finally gets to a station playing music and she adjusts the volume.

"That is terrible." I turn the volume down.

"Where is your car?" She questions.

"You don't remember?"

"No." She shakes her head. "I remember that you were flirting with some girl and then I wanted to piss you off so I flirted with someone to buy me some shots, but after that nothing." That sounds like the effect of Rohypnol. I suspected so much, but with the way she was throwing liquor down her throat, I couldn't be sure. She was drugged. Probably the work of Theo.

"Why are you so hell-bent on defying me?" I keep my voice low. With Mia you couldn't push too hard otherwise she breaks down and turns crazy. I figure it was her way of erecting a wall.

"That is the only way you pay me attention. If I did everything your way I would just blend into the background." Her eyes bore into the side of my head.

"What do you want from me?"

"What do you want from me?" She mimics my question.

"I want you to talk to me like a normal person. I can't talk to you if you keep pushing me away." I glance over at her still staring at me before changing lanes. "You will never fade into the background." I add.

"Yeah?" She plummets back into the car seat staring out the window. "I don't know okay. I made you out to be the devil, horns, pitchfork, and tail which you kind of are except you don't look like that. You make me feel..." She hesitates as she pulls together her guts I guess. "I don't know how I feel when I am with you, all I know is that nobody has ever made me feel like this before and that scares me. My body betrays me when I get near you and I know that I am not supposed to feel like that with you, but I can't stop it."

"You make me this crazy!" She blames me. "You are a good man with a bad job. Maybe if we met under other circumstances this wouldn't have felt so wrong." She points between me and her.

"You believe that we would have been together if I met you at a bar or something?" I frown.

"Yes, like normal people." She nods. I doubt that to be true. I would have noticed her, yes, but she would have been a fuck for the night, but I wouldn't have thought about her twice thereafter. It sounded harsh, but it was true. I wouldn't have trusted her to tell her about what I do. She came into my life through work, a tough situation.

"Even if we did meet like that it would not change what I do."

"I know, but then you wouldn't have done anything to me. You wouldn't have hurt me."

"I hurt you?" This was a surprise to me because I tried to do everything in my discretion to keep her from getting hurt. "I am sorry you feel like that."

"See, this is why I do what I do. You don't give me the response that I am looking for. You apologize and try to be delicate. That is not who you are! You are a fucking killer. You traffic children and god knows what else. You don't treat people nicely!" She started crying out at me and I pulled the car onto the curb switching the hazards on.

"You want me to treat you like I treat everybody else?" I put the car into neutral and turn to her. "You are right. I traffic children and I make my money selling them to people. When I speak to people I work with I have to be stern because I am their boss. My family gets treated with respect and I see you as family. God Mia, can't you see that? The moment I met you on that stairway that night I wanted to safeguard you. You make me better. I try my best to do whatever I can to please you. I am not giving you the reaction you want, because I think I am in love with you!" I couldn't do this any longer. She needed to know what she meant to me because if she didn't feel the same I could let her go. I put the car into drive and switch on my indicator to turn onto the road.

"You are?"

"Yes."

"You said that I could never be your girlfriend."

"I said many things."

"Isn't this the part where you kiss me?"

"No."

"Well isn't this a nice surprise?" Angella smiles opening her arms as she near Mia. "I would have never thought that we would have you present here?" She squint her eyes at me over Mia's shoulder, mouthing: "Why is she here?"

"Neither have I." Achille's voice echoes through the quiet room from behind me attracting the attention of the men that already sat at the big conference table for a moment, but they quickly return to their own conversation when he places his hand on my shoulder when he takes a stand next to me, but he quickly removes it almost instantly to support Mia's weight when she withdraw her body from Angela's grip whipping her body around and dart directly into Achille. Wrapping her arms over his shoulders she pulls him in for a hug. "Oh... Ciao cattivello." He chuckles putting his arms around her and swirl her around a few inches from the floor before putting her back on the floor. "What are you doing here?" He softly questions her, but I knew the words were rather directed in my direction.

"She will be joining us today." I remark not in the least interest on explaining my actions today. In fact it might be due to the inability to admit that Mia seemed to careless and calm in Achille's presence. They behave like they have known each other for years. Not once have I seen her get mad at him, or have she yelled at him or even run away from him. She appeared to comfortable to my preference of him list Ook ng her into the air with his hands all over her, touching her. I don't like it. Call me jealous, because that I was! I wanted that with her so much, I wanted to be her safe place. "She can sit there next to you seeing that the two of you clearly missed each other a lot." I extend my hand showing her the way before we join the rest of the table who rise when I get closer. "Good morning." I greet everyone before I take a seat and they follow.

"Ciao, Mia." Tomasso shows of his pearly white teeth also eagerly happy to see Mia again. "It is good to see you smiling for a change." He winks at her playfully, just like I learned to accept him. Always playful, funny or having fun. His life was all about enjoyment.

"It is nice to see you in some light and clear air for a change" She bites back.

"Touch." He chuckles. "I will take you into the dark and smokey places if that is what you are asking? I bought some new stationary too" He drag his tongue over his front teeth, tilting his head to one side and his long hair follow.

"Only if I get to use it on you!"

"That is enough." I warn them. "We have important things to discuss and I am needed alsewhere." I place my suitcase on the open space on the table in front of me clicking both sides open simultaneously. "These files are almost completed. Gian is picking the kids up as we speak." I inform everyone as I remove the files from it's casing. "I assume the home checks panned out?" I focus my attention on Elena who seems like her old self again. That boy of hers must be behaving.

"Let me see if I get this?" Mia pipes in. "Some of your rich friends place an order for a child." She frowns at me diverting her attention to Elena before she continue. "and you check them out and a prove such said transaction." I could see the bitterness in her face. She didn't like the idea, but I couldn't focus on her likes and aversions. She wasn't even suppose to speak, I should have warned her, Like that was going to help. I mentally roll my eyes.

"Don't." I hold up my for finger in the air when I push out my arm towards her in a manner of telling her to wait or stop and she listens. You could have killed me right there... Or at least the look on her face almost did. She was throwing daggers with her eyes and I knew that I was going to face them later on.

"Everything on my side is in order, there doesn't seem to be any hiccups with the clients." She speak with authority. "I believe that all the children will be going to good homes." She add for Mia's benefit and through the corner of my eye I could see her listening with intend, but she doesn't say anything. She crosses her arms and lean back into the chair.

"The birth certificates?"

"Here they are." Elena pushes a small heap of papers towards Angela. "All eight of them." She adds with a smile. I am glad to see her back to her old self, she even look a few years younger.

"I will have everything signed and delivered by the end of the day." She pronks. "I will need the next batch anywhere during the next three days, otherwise I won't be able to have them ready in time. I am going to my sisters wedding and I am switching off my phone for the whole week." She reminds us playfully. I knew she wasn't actually going to switch of her phone, because in our kind of work it was impossible, but I knew what she meant. "I have been telling you this for almost a month now so please if there is anything urgent that you need me to look into send them through to me so I can attend to them before I leave." She addresses everyone at the table.

"There might be a client during the week that is interested in an adoption, but he has a very specific criteria, so it might be longer, but I will let you know. He can be a very good alliance in the future for business." I add to let her know how important the client is.

"Criteria?" Mia scoffs next to Achille. She should be so glad my brother was sitting in between us. I would have stuffed something into her mouth a few sentences earlier. "These are people you are talking about. Children, not some accessories for the rich." She throw the upper part of her body forward in the chair so she can see everyone at the table.

"Mia." I warn, my voice stern and my eyes focussed on her, willing her to shut her mouth and sit back in the chair, but of course she wasnt intend on backing down or keeping her sweet rosy lips sealed.

"No Ben. I refuse to sit here and listen to you planning and orgastrating multiple kidnappings and selling of children on the black market. What type of person..."

"Can we talk about this when we get home." I interject. It wasnt a question although it might have sounded like one. "Or I can ask Achille to strap shut that smart mouth of yours." I threaten her, but she doesn't settle down until Achille bends to her side and whisper something into her ear. She looks pissed but at least she is quiet and we can continue with what we came here to do.

Do we have any word of how far things are going with the college? I have a dinner with the pooh bear that has his hand in the honey jar."

"That is done and dusted. Congratulations Ben. You are now officially the owner of the college." Angela announce clapping her hand together, very pleased with her accomplishment. "You may make and break as you please now."

"Good." Something was working out smoothly for a change I nod reverting my attention to Tomasso. "Tell me you also have good news for me?"

"Unfortunately, no. The deeper I dig the more questions arise. All that I am currently sure of is that someone from outside is using local kids to distribute heroin to the clubs and boss... This is now targeted to only clubs owned by Damian." I became aware of the sudden flood of narcotics, but I didn't know that it was due to a cease of dealing at the clubs. This was news to me. "The heroin is cheap and cut with many other ingredients, there is no sign of it ever being pure and the overdoses are rising rapidly. I am almost everyone that used it before died. They are definitely not looking for new clients boss, this is a massacre." He shake his head from side to side.

"I guess the question of how they die so quickly after we catch them has been answered. Whoever is using them to sell is scaring the shit out of them and I want to know who that is!" I place my fists on the table, my knuckle turning white when Mia opens her mouth and quickly shut it again. She obviously wanted to say something, but Achilles prevented her with his words earlier. What the fuck did he tell her? "What is it Mia?" I address her before she explodes. Her face turned almost red and her fingers tapped against the chair as she kept her breath letting her cheeks swell up.

"May I speak?" She raise her hand into the air showing of the bluish discoloration around wrist from the previous night and at the sight it felt like somebody stabbed a knife right through my thorax. I needed to stop hurting her, she needed me to stop hurting her.

"Yes, Mia?" I sigh giving her permission to speak her mind. I want sure if it was the best decision, but I couldn't let her suffer for much longer.

"You said that these people are all overdosing from heroin?" She questions Tomasso who nods in agreement as an answer. He did just say this much. "and the heroin is badly mixed with other substances?"

"As they usually are." Tomasso roll his eyes looking a little irritated for having to repeat himself, but he doesn't mention it.

"Have you had someone look at what it was mixed with?"

"No, there never seem to be any drugs on the guys we catch selling. The person behind this is clever. We are unsure about how they hide it or if maybe they swallow it when they are caught. They are hiding it somewhere where we are not looking, but it has to be near them for them being able to sell it to the others."

"Check their cigarette." Mia surprises me and everyone around the table if I was reading their expressions correctly. They seemed impressed and maybe a little dumbstruck and she noticed. "What?" She shrug innocently. "I have done things." She inform us laying her eyes onto mine. She was going to have to explain this to me later on, but not right now.

"Now that you mention it. These guys were all smoking and I found it strange that they were all smoking the same brand of cigarettes. I did of course check it, but it never occurred to me to rip open the cigarette itself. The weight and size appeared the same as normal cigarette's."

"Give me your phone?" She extend her hand to me, palm facing the roof and without hesitation and way too much trust in her I hand my cellphone over, almost immediately regretting it has her expression and demeanor shift when she unlocks it and a photo of me and Liliana comes to light. I completely forgot to change the picture of my shirtless self looking at the camera as Liliana snaps the picture laying back against my chest. The sole purpose of the photo was meant to keep my mother from setting up on more blind dates, not to piss of Mia which I seem to be have been doing quite well myself. A lot has happened after that picture was taken and I have been meaning to remove or at least change it, but I have been busy with more pressing matters than a meaningless picture on the background of a phone I don't even like to use.

"This is from four months ago." She hand me back my phone and opened on an article in one of New York's newspapers about a string of heroin overdoses laced with fentanyl on the streets of New York City. All of them are fatal.

"When did the overdoses begin?" I raise my eyebrow at Tomasso.

"A little over three months ago."

"The exact same thing happened in New York four months ago," I inform all the waiting eyes in the room sliding my phone across the table to Tomasso. "This cannot be a coincidence."

"That fucking Colombo family., Achilles interjects. "They are well known to the underbelly for heroin distribution and it does explain why they were trying to kill us back in New York. They might have thought that we found out and was there for retaliation, but since we never mentioned anything or reacted they assumed we had something else planned. Maybe that is why they are now only targeting your clubs. They want to close you down, connect you with the bad narcotics. At least that is what I would do if I had a bad batch of heroin and an enemy."

"They want you out of the picture." Mia breathes softly barely audible, but her words are drenched in worry. Was she referring to the crime family or herself regarding the picture she saw on my phone?

"We better fix this before it ends in war," Achilles mentions the obvious.

"I will have a sit down at the hotel opening."

"I will arrange the invitations," Antonio speaks for the first time.

"Good." I nod my head in agreement. "I need all the heads of their families to attend. Arrange a private sit down and make it worth their while to come." These men won't dance according to the newcomer's strings, but they all have a love of money and an appetite for making new business alliances. "Arrange enough security, it is going to be a tense-filled afternoon."

"Consider it done." He nods.

"Piero?" I mention the man with the least problems at the table's name.

"Everything is smooth sailing on my part, sir. Nothing to report." He grins.

"Isn't it always?" Tomasso rolls his eyes. "When was the last time anything exciting happened to you? Maybe you should come by the club tonight, I bet I can find you something to your liking or should I say, someone?" He winks at Piero.

"God, you are such a..." Mia stops mid-sentence. Was Mia at a loss for words? This was a first.

"A what?" He taunts. "Oh, Mia..." He breathes her name a little too easily to my taste, but I knew Mia could handle herself. She has proofed it over and over again. Besides if I got involved now she will only end up pissed at me for reasons unknown. "Jealous you aren't invited? You could have just asked. I am sure we can find someone to get you excited too." He chortles.

"Thank you, ladies and gents." I ignore the two of them biting at each other so the rest of us can continue with our day. "Angela get your sister something nice for her wedding and don't worry about the price. Put it on the company card." I hand Angela a credit card with my name printed into it.

"Will do." She winks accepting the card, thanking me when she takes it from my hand in between her middle and forefinger. "I need to run." She greets everyone as she darts for the door, followed closely by everyone else.

"That was nice of you." Mia speaks softly taking a seat on the dark wood of the boardroom table next to where I was busy placing the deed to my new college into my suitcase.

"She is family." I explain shortly. Angela is family and that made her sister family by default.

"The woman on the photo? Is she also family?" I was certain that this was going to come up today, but I assumed it would have taken her a little longer to pull together the guts to ask. I guess she was getting comfortable in my world.

"No." My answer was quick and shirt, because I was I going to explain that the purpose of a half naked me and another women was for the expense of my mother. What will she think of me if I tell her that I felt nothing for the woman on that picture and was only fucking her as a way of stress release. How do I explain any of this to her when she already believe her own thoughts.

"Are you in love with her?"

"No."

"But you did sleep with her?"

"We fucked..."

"After we met?"

"Yes."

"While I was sitting in your house, waiting for you to come home?" I wasn't aware that she waited for me to return when I wasn't there.

"You wait up for me?"

"You have a dangerous job, okay. It doesn't mean anything and don't try to change the subject. Answer me!" Her voice rise slightly getting a little higher, but she controls her temper. Barely by the sight of her knuckles turning white as she grip the table on both sides of her legs.

"Yes, but..."

How could you say those things to me earlier? Oh... God!" Tears start to form in her eyes. "How could you even touch me like that... While you are sleeping with her." Mia's voice start to break as she cuts me off. I close the briefcase diverting my full attention to her where she still sat on the hard and cold table looking defeated. Her head hung low, her legs pressed together hanging from the table and her hands now resting in her lap.

"I am not sleeping with her. We fucked before, but that all is over. I don't even think about going there anymore. I stopped going there since I realized she wasn't you." I suck at apologies but I had to try. For Mia's sake.

"It is fine." She wipes the tears from her eyes lifting up her head to look me in the eyes. "It is not like we are dating or anything." She shrug and I have to admit. The words she spoke might be true, but it didn't sting less. They were nt easy to hear.

"I wasn't dating her." Stupid me had to say something stupid like that.

"And that make you using her like a whore so much better." She states sarcastically. I knew she was going to take it the wrong way the moment the words left my lips, but she needed to understand that I don't date, ever.

"I didn't pay her to sleep with me, she's no whore."

"So a slut then..."

"Can you just listen to me? I request shoving her legs a little to the side to create a space for me to take in my seat at the table. "We were both two conventional adults who were not interested in having a relationship or any attachment, who casually fucked. There is nothing wrong with that nor is there anything more to it."

"I can never be that." She calms a down at my words.

"I would never have asked you to."

"So that is it then." She slide of the table finding her balance once she lands on her feet.

"I have never before giving the idea of having a relationship any thought intill I have met you." I grab her by the arm pulling her towards me in a quick movement so she could sit on my lap. At first she fought against me for a few seconds, but once I claimed her lips, licking into her mouth her whole body went numb giving me the advantage of snaking my hand around the back of her head burying my fingers in her hair, deepening the kiss we shared as I close the space between is. My other hand planted on her waist keeping her prisoner. Her breath was cool against my skin and she taste of mint. She was a breath of fresh air to me. Exactly what I needed.

"I have something for you," I inform Mia as she enters the kitchen with a bottle of fine Brunello in the early hours of the morning.

"My God!" She clasps her hand over the floral material covering her chest with her free hand. "What is wrong with you?" She snaps pausing her activity midway, probably to catch her breath or insult me some more. I couldn't know with her, but I wasn't complaining. The light coming from outside fell onto her softly embracing the outline of her perfect body from her head spiraling down every curl flowing down her body, across her chest, and ending at her back. This was a moment I wished I could keep clear forever. She was gorgeous, perfect. "What are you even doing?" She continues once she has her breathing under control. I actually didn't mean to scare her, in my defense I assumed she saw me due to the light source lighting up the room, but I wasn't apologizing to her. It is after all my house, my kitchen, and quite frankly my wine.

"I could ask you the same thing." I smile unable to keep my fixated eyes away from her while she takes two steps back and searches for the light switch against the wall with her free hand.

"Oh... This?" She gives me a rewarding smile blinking a few times until her eyes adjust to the new citation of light illuminating the once darker kitchen. "I didn't think you would mind, you want some?" She holds up the bottle playfully. I love these kitchen meetings we so often found ourselves at.

"Per favore" I nod in acceptance rising to my length on my way to open the bottle for her. I round the kitchen nook towards the cupboard above the one Mia is campaigning through two crystal wine glasses, to remove the corkscrew when suddenly I become aware of the small frame relating heat intensely close to me which is Mia's body. She was too close for comfort and I needed to create space between us before I did something that she would definitely hate me for, but I couldn't push away the feeling that she might also be this preoccupied with this situation.

"What are you..." She gasps turning around next to me when she becomes aware of my presence towering over her. I didn't answer her, because I was sure that I wouldn't be competent to withhold the scrutiny in my voice if I did. I just placed my other hand on the marble top next to her to steady myself to not brush up against her as my other hand continue its rondivouz in search of the bloody corkscrew that might be becoming obvious isn't where it used to be anymore. "Are you looking for this?" She teases moving the corkscrew in between her fingers. Her tongue pushes against the back of her teeth as she tries to subdue her laughter. Why was only being this near to her so difficult for me, but it did faze her in the least. She was surely unaffected by my charms.

"I should have assumed." I grin lowering myself from the ball of my feet to my usual length letting my other hand fall to the cabinet on the other side of her in the process. Blocking her in between me and the hard wooden doors.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Her eyebrows pull together forming a 'V' on her forehead. Was she teasing or did I actually upset her? She was unpredictable like that, never a dull moment.

"That I know about your little habit of sneaking off to your room with a bottle of wine in the early hours of the morning when I occur a little bit of insomnia situation due to overthinking things in that beautiful head of yours." I brush a wavy curl from the side of her face and tuck it in behind her ear and instinctively she lays her cheek against the palm of my hand.

"I don't overthink." She protests, closing her eyes for a brief moment absorbing my touch. "I am just a realist. You have everything sorted out and this whole thing that happened finally worked out better than I initially thought it would, but I am still here for absolutely no reason or purpose. Who thought being in the wrong place at the wrong time could lead to this? She lowers her head and coolness settles in my palm where her cheeks were not so long ago. "You won't let me leave even though I have no use for you."

"Mi-a Amore." I lift her head gradually with my thumb and forefinger at the lower part of her chin. "You are here because I want you here. Here I can keep you safe. To me, you will always have a purpose." Why couldn't she see that? She has a very big purpose! She is my purpose!

"That is the thing, Ben." She closes her eyes placing both her hand's palms down against my chest, but she doesn't push me away. Instead, she leans in closer placing her temple just above her hands. If she was listening to my heartbeat I wasn't sure, but there is no doubt in my mind that she wasn't able to hear it beat for her. Faster than normal, because that was exactly what she did to me and I was fighting against every fiber in my body to not give into my animalistic urges and fuck her on this marble kitchen counter like I have been wanting to do since the first time we were alone in this kitchen. "I cannot be here for that purpose only. I feel worthless and I am always the third wheel, in the way or need a babysitter and I don't say this because I want to be a priority, but for as long as I am here I told you, I need to keep busy, find a way to be of use for me to fit in. My place in this whole messed up situation." She keeps on trying to fit in, but she was meant to stand out, but I understood that she didn't feel she belonged and that was what she was craving.

"I get that and you will, soon," I promise her, and she opens her eyes at my words. Her eyes are washed clean by the few tears she so strongly tries to fight back. Those green emeralds sparkle with a whole bundle of emotions and my body betrays me as I move my arms around her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, you'll her tightly against me, hugging her. Just holding her forever in my arms where I always knew she was safe and away from everyone and anyone who even made her feel slightly insecure, but instead, I reached past her for the bottle of wine and opener she placed on the counter and lift it over her head creating much-needed space between us.

"For you miss." I try to lighten the mood by handing her a glass with not much more than a mere sip of the red liquidy substance which she gracefully accepts. Her fingers diligently fold around the stem giving the liquid a quick swirl before pouring it back into her mouth. She swirls it around in her mouth a few times appreciating the fleshy texture of everything dark.

"Nah..." She sticks her tongue out in a manner of being disgust. "You have the worst taste in Wine, sir."

"May I remind you that you chose the bottle, madam?" I frown at her sudden rejection of a wine she seemed to be so fond of.

"Fine then." I place the bottle on the marble top and turn towards the door to go find Mia something more to her liking.

"Ben, where are you going?" She steps in front of me.

"To get you something a little less bitter."

"Go sit down, Serio. I was kidding." She burst out in laughter rounding me before grabbing the bottle with one hand and the two glasses with the other.

"I am glad to be of amusement to you." I glare taking a seat at our usual spot in the kitchen nook where one has a full view of the entire kitchen and she quickly joins me when her giggling subsides.

"Me too." She smiles clinging her glass against mine in a manner of toasting me to for entertaining her. "So why are you awake and how do you know this is not the first bottle I took? Have you been spying on me? If so Mr. Damian I feel very violated and a little stalked." She bats her eyes at me taking n gulp of the wine she poured, this time actually enjoying the taste so much that she licks the remaining drops from her lips.

"I was working and needed a few minutes to reset when I heard you walking through the house and like I said; I have something for you." I pull the small bracket from my dress shirts pocket.

"Oh my God!" She gasps reaching for the delicate piece of jewelry with both her hands. "I thought I lost it that night when we met. Where did you find it?" She closed her arms around my shoulder and pull me in for a very quick hug and a peck on my cheek which of course was like a million bucks to me and a severe stir in my groin that could only be controlled by a good fuck or a cold shower and what they both had in common was that I would be admitting to what she did to me and that wasn't something that I felt like exploring right now.

"It feels different." She declares after a thorough look at it and she starts to inspect it more carefully.

"I added an emerald." I confess. She was bound to notice it anyway and I feel that it was only right that she wore the color that suited her best. "They had to fix the bracelet where it snapped so they also cleaned and polished it, that might be why it looks and feel a little different. It must have broke when you were in my room, I found it on my bed. She swallows hard at the words leaving my lips. The memories of the night I regret most will forever be laced onto that bracelet now.

"You shouldn't have done that." She pulls both her hands holding the charms inwards until they reach her chest, right where her heart is located. Finally she seemed pleased with something I have done so telling her that I practically changed all the stones to authentic ones wasn't such a good idea now.

"It is only fair that you capture some memories with me in your stones too." I breathe removing the bracelet slowly out of her hands. "Let me." I offer and without any comeback, objection or Wittgenstein she allows me lowering her arm for me to clasp it around her wrist.

"My mother gave me the bracelet when I turned 16, it was my birthday present during a year that everything started to go wrong. My mother has never really been healthy, but that was the year it got worse. My parents wasn't financially able to give me anything for my birthday and although I didn't care my mother insisted that I have the bracelet." A smile spread over her fame while her fingers play with the stones around her wrist. "Apparently it is the only thing she had left of her own family whom she rarely ever mention, they are all deceased. Died when she was very young." Mia finally start to share some information without me needing to pressure her or go to someone else to find the information. I wondered what the significance of the bracelet was, I did assume it meant something to her, but I had my doubts due to the bracelet's worth. "Leatta, is what my mom calls it. Come to think of it I never asked my mother who Leatta is." She smiles at her own memories, I presume.

"Maybe it is not a who, but a what." I chuckle at her innocence. "It means loyalty." I inform her.

"Oh..." She frowns. "I always assumed it was her grand mothers name or someone dear to her, but I guess loyalty makes much more sense. My mother was always reminding me to be lyal to myself and the ones dear to me, my family." Her eyes lock with mine as her own words settle in her mind.

"What is it?" I question her wary eyes.

"Nothing." She blocks away the emotion from her eyes, shutting the windows that showed a peak of her soul closed. Dammit, I was so danm close!

"Tell me about the stones?"

"They were gifts from my dad mostly. Each time we hit n certain milestone he bought one, but it doesn't matter. I don't want to bore you with such nonsense. Thank you for having it fixed, polished and..." she pauses for a second before removing the green clip-on from the chain. "I cannot accept this." She places it on the counter.

"What do you mean? It is yours." I insist knowing that she might kick back against it, but wanted her to have it. Why was she so fucking resistant to accepting anything from me.

"I don't want you buying me such expensive things. I will never be able to pay you back in this life time." She softly whisper placing her hand over mine. "You did so much for me already and I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am for that, but this... It is just too much."

"Well I cannot take this back or wear it myself so put it on your bracket or don't. I stand up, and gulp down the last of the wine before I leave the kitchen. "And get some sleep." I add right before exciting the room completely.