Shit, I don’t know if any of us would.
I wrap my arms around Mia, pulling her against my chest. Her tears wet my shirt.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. I’m sure the doctor is just busy right now. And I think it’s good that they want to give you the results over the phone. If it was bad news, wouldn’t they want you to come into the office to discuss it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know how my mom got her results.”
My stomach sinks. I grip Mia tighter.
“I’m so scared, Reed. What would happen to Ben? And the boys, I can’t,” she sniffs, her body shaking. “I can’t leave them.”
My eyes connect with Beth’s over the top of Mia’s head. She blinks, sending tears down her face as her lips try and give me that sweet smile of hers. They barely lift before she turns away to hide her emotions. Tessa’s face is buried in her hands.
Fuck. This can’t be happening. Not Mia. Not our Mia.
I press my mouth into Mia’s hair. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. Ben’s going to be fine, those boys are going to be fine because nothing is taking you away from them. You’re strong, Mia. You need to stay strong right now, okay?”
Her head moves against my chest. Another whimper is muffled.
“I’m going to go outside and try and talk to Ben. Promise me you’ll stop thinking the worst.”
She leans back, dropping her arms from around my waist. “I promise.” Squeezing my hand, she looks up into my eyes. “Thank you for coming over.”
“Damn it, Mia. Stop thanking me. You know I’d do anything for you.”
Her lips quiver into a weak smile. Letting go of me, she turns and starts rubbing her hand down Tessa’s back, whispering words to her I can’t make out. Only Mia would think to comfort other people right now when she’s barely keeping herself together. Sometimes I think she’s too good for all of us.
I’m almost out the front door when footsteps quicken on the hardwood behind me.
“Reed, wait a second.”
Turning my head, my gaze falls on Beth. Her eyes are still threatening tears.
“Yeah?”
She slowly moves toward me, studying my face with rapt attention. “Are you okay?”
Letting out a deep breath, I lift my shoulders, barely raising them. “I don’t know. I’m trying to be. It’s Mia, though, you know? This is fucking scary.”
“I know it is.” Reaching her hand out, she wraps it around my forearm and applies the lightest pressure. “You two are really close, huh?”
I look down as her thumb begins moving along my skin. “Yeah. Well, we all are. Everybody loves Mia.”
“You were so sweet with her in there. I think you really helped her.”
“You’re helping her too.” I swallow, looking into those big, dark eyes. “It’s really nice that you’re here for her. I know that means a lot to Mia.”
Beth’s mouth twitches. “I was really shocked that she wanted me here. I just met you guys. I’m not used to people taking to me so fast.”
“Who wouldn’t take to you?”
Her hand flinches against my arm, squeezing me, as those perfect lips slowly part. Air rushes into her lungs, her face washes over with color. She’s isn’t hiding her reaction to me, and for the first time since I met her, I wish she was. This is not what I need to be doing right now. Brushing my hand along her cheek, allowing the heat of her blush to warm my fingers isn’t what Mia asked me over here for. I can’t see that I still do this to Beth. Not right now.
My hand falls away from her face when she begins to lean into it. “I gotta go outside. See what’s going on with Ben.”
She wets her lips, looking over my shoulder briefly. “Okay.”
Stepping back, I open the door and head outside before all the blood in my veins reaches my cock. It’s fucked up, but it’s Beth. I’m beginning to realize it doesn’t matter where, when, or what the fuck is going on around us. I can’t turn it off with her. Hell, I’m not sure I want to.
I walk down the side of the house, unsure of what I’m about to get myself into. I know what’s going through my head right now. I can’t imagine amplifying that to the extreme the way Ben does with everything involving Mia. He can’t control shit when it comes to her. I’ve seen him pissed off plenty of times. That’s threatening enough. But angry and upset?
Luke comes into view first. Standing at the back of the property, he’s facing the wooded area that separates Ben’s house from the one behind him. I hurry across the yard as a loud cracking sound breaks through the air, then two more, quickening my pace. It’s coming from the woods. Luke turns his head when I’m almost at his side.
Arms crossed over his chest, he acknowledges me with a quick jerk of his head. “Sorry, man. He needs to break shit right now, and it was either this or Nolan’s swing set.”
I stop beside him and look between two trees.
Ben has a stack of 2x4s I brought over for the deck scattered on the ground. Some are split in two already. He drops the splintered piece in his hand and swaps it out for another, mumbling curses under his breath.
“You try talking to him?” I ask, watching Ben take the piece of lumber and strike it repeatedly against a thick tree trunk. Tiny shards of wood break off with each blow.
Luke looks over at me, the one side of his mouth split open. I stare at the dried blood sticking to the wound.
“Yeah, I tried talking to him. He doesn’t want to talk. He wants to do this. If you think you can calm him down without taking a fucking punch, go for it.”
“Shit.” I rub my hand along my chin. He hit Luke? “If he starts whaling on me, pull him off, all right?”
“Yeah, sure. No problem.”
Ignoring the sarcastic undertone in Luke’s response, I walk through the trees and come up to the pile of wood behind Ben.
If it wasn’t for Mia, I’d still be standing next to Luke, keeping my fucking distance. I’d rather not bleed out in my best friend’s backyard. But Mia’s scared. She called me over here because she’s worried about Ben. I need to at least try and talk to him.
Ben swings the wood across his body and it breaks against the trunk. He turns around, scowling when he notices me, tossing the wood at my feet.
“Shut the fuck up, Reed.”
“I didn’t say anything yet.”
“Yet,” he grumbles, picking up another 2x4 and pointing it at my chest. “I won’t have a problem busting your mouth open either, so don’t fucking test me. There’s nothing to talk about.”
I hold both hands out, palms facing him. “You don’t know anything yet, Ben. Mia could still be fine. All of this you’re doing is just making shit worse for her.”
He drops the wood. “What the fuck did you just say?”
I take a step back when he moves forward, keeping space between us. “She’s scared. You’re fucking scaring her, man, and I know you don’t mean it. This shit can’t be easy on you. I’d be going crazy if I didn’t have any answers yet. But think about Mia. Think about . . .”
“Think about Mia?” he yells, clenching his teeth, moving closer with quick strides. “What the fuck do you think I’m doing, asshole? I’m always thinking about her! She’s all I fucking think about!”
I wrap my arms around Mia, pulling her against my chest. Her tears wet my shirt.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. I’m sure the doctor is just busy right now. And I think it’s good that they want to give you the results over the phone. If it was bad news, wouldn’t they want you to come into the office to discuss it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know how my mom got her results.”
My stomach sinks. I grip Mia tighter.
“I’m so scared, Reed. What would happen to Ben? And the boys, I can’t,” she sniffs, her body shaking. “I can’t leave them.”
My eyes connect with Beth’s over the top of Mia’s head. She blinks, sending tears down her face as her lips try and give me that sweet smile of hers. They barely lift before she turns away to hide her emotions. Tessa’s face is buried in her hands.
Fuck. This can’t be happening. Not Mia. Not our Mia.
I press my mouth into Mia’s hair. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. Ben’s going to be fine, those boys are going to be fine because nothing is taking you away from them. You’re strong, Mia. You need to stay strong right now, okay?”
Her head moves against my chest. Another whimper is muffled.
“I’m going to go outside and try and talk to Ben. Promise me you’ll stop thinking the worst.”
She leans back, dropping her arms from around my waist. “I promise.” Squeezing my hand, she looks up into my eyes. “Thank you for coming over.”
“Damn it, Mia. Stop thanking me. You know I’d do anything for you.”
Her lips quiver into a weak smile. Letting go of me, she turns and starts rubbing her hand down Tessa’s back, whispering words to her I can’t make out. Only Mia would think to comfort other people right now when she’s barely keeping herself together. Sometimes I think she’s too good for all of us.
I’m almost out the front door when footsteps quicken on the hardwood behind me.
“Reed, wait a second.”
Turning my head, my gaze falls on Beth. Her eyes are still threatening tears.
“Yeah?”
She slowly moves toward me, studying my face with rapt attention. “Are you okay?”
Letting out a deep breath, I lift my shoulders, barely raising them. “I don’t know. I’m trying to be. It’s Mia, though, you know? This is fucking scary.”
“I know it is.” Reaching her hand out, she wraps it around my forearm and applies the lightest pressure. “You two are really close, huh?”
I look down as her thumb begins moving along my skin. “Yeah. Well, we all are. Everybody loves Mia.”
“You were so sweet with her in there. I think you really helped her.”
“You’re helping her too.” I swallow, looking into those big, dark eyes. “It’s really nice that you’re here for her. I know that means a lot to Mia.”
Beth’s mouth twitches. “I was really shocked that she wanted me here. I just met you guys. I’m not used to people taking to me so fast.”
“Who wouldn’t take to you?”
Her hand flinches against my arm, squeezing me, as those perfect lips slowly part. Air rushes into her lungs, her face washes over with color. She’s isn’t hiding her reaction to me, and for the first time since I met her, I wish she was. This is not what I need to be doing right now. Brushing my hand along her cheek, allowing the heat of her blush to warm my fingers isn’t what Mia asked me over here for. I can’t see that I still do this to Beth. Not right now.
My hand falls away from her face when she begins to lean into it. “I gotta go outside. See what’s going on with Ben.”
She wets her lips, looking over my shoulder briefly. “Okay.”
Stepping back, I open the door and head outside before all the blood in my veins reaches my cock. It’s fucked up, but it’s Beth. I’m beginning to realize it doesn’t matter where, when, or what the fuck is going on around us. I can’t turn it off with her. Hell, I’m not sure I want to.
I walk down the side of the house, unsure of what I’m about to get myself into. I know what’s going through my head right now. I can’t imagine amplifying that to the extreme the way Ben does with everything involving Mia. He can’t control shit when it comes to her. I’ve seen him pissed off plenty of times. That’s threatening enough. But angry and upset?
Luke comes into view first. Standing at the back of the property, he’s facing the wooded area that separates Ben’s house from the one behind him. I hurry across the yard as a loud cracking sound breaks through the air, then two more, quickening my pace. It’s coming from the woods. Luke turns his head when I’m almost at his side.
Arms crossed over his chest, he acknowledges me with a quick jerk of his head. “Sorry, man. He needs to break shit right now, and it was either this or Nolan’s swing set.”
I stop beside him and look between two trees.
Ben has a stack of 2x4s I brought over for the deck scattered on the ground. Some are split in two already. He drops the splintered piece in his hand and swaps it out for another, mumbling curses under his breath.
“You try talking to him?” I ask, watching Ben take the piece of lumber and strike it repeatedly against a thick tree trunk. Tiny shards of wood break off with each blow.
Luke looks over at me, the one side of his mouth split open. I stare at the dried blood sticking to the wound.
“Yeah, I tried talking to him. He doesn’t want to talk. He wants to do this. If you think you can calm him down without taking a fucking punch, go for it.”
“Shit.” I rub my hand along my chin. He hit Luke? “If he starts whaling on me, pull him off, all right?”
“Yeah, sure. No problem.”
Ignoring the sarcastic undertone in Luke’s response, I walk through the trees and come up to the pile of wood behind Ben.
If it wasn’t for Mia, I’d still be standing next to Luke, keeping my fucking distance. I’d rather not bleed out in my best friend’s backyard. But Mia’s scared. She called me over here because she’s worried about Ben. I need to at least try and talk to him.
Ben swings the wood across his body and it breaks against the trunk. He turns around, scowling when he notices me, tossing the wood at my feet.
“Shut the fuck up, Reed.”
“I didn’t say anything yet.”
“Yet,” he grumbles, picking up another 2x4 and pointing it at my chest. “I won’t have a problem busting your mouth open either, so don’t fucking test me. There’s nothing to talk about.”
I hold both hands out, palms facing him. “You don’t know anything yet, Ben. Mia could still be fine. All of this you’re doing is just making shit worse for her.”
He drops the wood. “What the fuck did you just say?”
I take a step back when he moves forward, keeping space between us. “She’s scared. You’re fucking scaring her, man, and I know you don’t mean it. This shit can’t be easy on you. I’d be going crazy if I didn’t have any answers yet. But think about Mia. Think about . . .”
“Think about Mia?” he yells, clenching his teeth, moving closer with quick strides. “What the fuck do you think I’m doing, asshole? I’m always thinking about her! She’s all I fucking think about!”
