Mia smiled back, hers equally as stiff. My sister might be blind, but Mia wasn’t, and my expression said it all. She was less than welcome at my apartment and she knew it.
The rest of dinner moved along awkwardly—at least it did for me. Nic chatted away, completely ignorant of the situation she’d created. I ate quickly, trying to come up with an excuse as to why I had to go to bed early.
“Did you see Mom this week?” Nic asked.
I nodded. “Thursday. She was pretty good, though she didn’t remember about Dad.”
Nic nodded, eyeing me hesitantly.
“What is it, Nic?”
She shrugged. “I went in on Friday and she…she didn’t know who I was again…and she accused me of stealing her chocolates.”
“And were you?” I asked dryly, knowing that no chocolate was safe with Nic around.
“I had one! She was in the bathroom. I was waiting, and they were sitting there. Then she came out and chased me out of the room and down the hallway, yelling that I was a thief.” Nic shook her head. “I get it, it’s funny and all that, but when she doesn’t remember me…I hate it.”
“I worked for a few years in a dementia facility. It can be the hardest thing in the world when they don’t remember you. Try visiting her earlier in the day. Most people suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia seem to be more with it in the mornings. They seem to regress as the day goes on.” I glanced at Mia. Nic nodded slowly.
“Okay. I’ll try that next week.” She smiled gratefully at Mia.
“Your full of surprises,” I mumbled to Mia, who was sitting next to me. She grinned.
“Not really, there’s just a lot you don’t know about me now.” She shifted in her seat, her knee knocking against mine. My body jolted. Was I going to act this way every time she touched me? “Sorry,” she mumbled, blushing.
“No, it’s okay. You can touch me whenever you like,” I muttered. I cringed a little on the inside. Did I really just say that? She smirked at me. Yep. I did.
“So tell me more about your nursing,” I said, trying to steer the conversation away from my stupid statements. It worked,
I listened to her ramble on about her work, taking the chance to look at her without being creepy. Her eyes widened every time she spoke about something exciting, and she did this thing with the corner of her mouth, turning it up when she was annoyed. I could’ve sat there all day taking in her different expressions.
It wouldn’t take much for this girl to crawl under my skin, just as she had ten years ago.
Mia and I stayed up again after the others had gone to bed.
“Me staying at your place…I won’t be offended if you say no. I promise,” she said, embarrassed.
I stretched out on the sofa, my knee touching hers, which again caused my body to react.
“It’s fine, Mia. I’m sorry if it seemed like you weren’t welcome, I’m just used to my own space.” She opened her mouth, and I cut her off. “It makes sense. Why should you spend two hours a day driving when I’m literally four blocks from the hospital? You’re staying and that’s final.”
Part of the reason I’d been against having her there was because I was just as attracted to her now as I had been back then. Her shoulder-length dark brown hair that curled at the ends; those stunning green eyes, which sparkled constantly. And that body.
Fuck me.
She nodded, resting her elbow on the top of the sofa and her head on her palm.
“I have to admit, I like the idea of being just around the corner on my early shifts. I’m so not a morning person.” She screwed her nose up as I laughed.
“You’re not alone there,” I chuckled. “Which is why my job suits me. I deal with international clients so my hours are all over the place.” I wanted to pat myself on the back. Slipping that in right there was genius.
“Do you want a hot cocoa?” I asked. She glanced at me, surprised.
“Yeah, sure. I might jump in the shower while you’re making it. I think I stepped in something funky before. I smell shocking.” She screwed up her nose again.
“I didn’t want to say anything…” I began. I laughed as she reached over and hit me in the arm.
“You haven’t changed, Coop. You’re still an ass.”