About Last Night

He nodded. “Hell yeah, it was harsh, but it was all true, and sometimes the truth hurts.”

I swallowed hard, looking down at my feet.

“What’s wrong, Mia?” Harry asked before adding quietly, “Someone took your smile.”

That was all I could handle. I dipped my chin, crumbling as my shoulders shook in silent sobs. Lifting a hand, I swiped at my eyes. “I’ve had a bad week.”

Harry made his way over, took my hand, and hauled me into his arms, hugging me tightly. “Minnie.” I rested my head on his shoulder and sobbed. “You just cry it out. Cry that sadness away.”

A few minutes of crying and I felt like talking about it. Pulling back, I reached for the tissue box. “Thanks for that.”

“It’s okay. You know, I don’t think I’ve seen you cry like that since Mark Wayne cut off one of your braids in seventh grade, which makes me think there’s a little more to this.”

He always knew when something was wrong with me. This was Harry. I could talk to him about anything. Couldn’t I? I tested the water to see if it would get weird. “You’re right.” I sighed, wiping my eyes with a tissue. “There’s this guy…”

His shoulders tensed and he gritted his teeth. “Wait, what guy? Who? Did he hurt you?”

I shook my head. “No. Well, yes, but not in the way you’re thinking.” I did my best to explain it. “I really liked him, Harry, and I think he liked me too. But he told me he wasn’t looking for a relationship. I went on a date the other night, and he was waiting for me when I got home. I think he just wanted to see me, and he did.” I winced. “Coming home from my date. With my date.”

I thought about Kit and how wonderful he was when I called to tell him I wasn’t ready to date again. He took it in good grace and offered me his friendship. He was a genuinely nice guy and I wished him all the best.

Harry looked uncomfortable, but not enough to stop me from continuing.

“He said some awful things, Harry. Mean things. Things said to inflict hurt. Things that I don’t think I can forgive. He keeps apologizing and saying he didn’t mean what he said, but I don’t know.”

Harry nodded slowly, processing what I’d just told him. “Sometimes men can be really stupid, Mia. It sounds to me like this guy saw you with another man and realized he was losing you, and he got angry about it. He probably said some things out of anger, and things said out of anger are designed to hurt. I’ve done it. Haven’t you ever said something you wish you could take back?”

Yes, I had. I’d done it just the other night with my mom. “Yes,” I whispered.

Harry smiled. “They say you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, and it seems this guy of yours panicked. He reacted badly. Let me ask you this. Was him acting that way out of character?”

My response was immediate. “Yes, completely. I was shocked…and disappointed.”

“And you like him?”

My eyes filled with tears and I choked out, “I’m in love with him.”

My brother smiled at my declaration. “I’ve not seen you make a bad decision in your life, Mia. You’ve always had a good head on your shoulders. I think you should trust your gut. What does it tell you?”

“It tells me to forgive him. But not right away.”

Harry tipped his head back and laughed. “Okay, so let him stew for a while.” He stood, lifted a hand, and squeezed my shoulder. “As a man, I can tell you that we can be real idiots, but we’re not all bad. If you’ve found someone who you think is right for you, I’ll trust your judgment.” He walked to the door and I followed him. He stepped outside and we said our goodbyes. Just as I went to close the door, he called out, “Mia.” I looked over at him. He uttered a sincere, “I hope you work it out with your guy.”

I smiled at him and closed the door, leaning back against it.

Me too, Harry. Me too.

The next morning, I woke, showered, got ready for work, and stepped outside my apartment.

And almost smooshed the white box directly in front of my door.

I frowned at it, picked it up, and then brought it inside. Lifting the lid of the box, my eyes widened at the message frosted on the red velvet cake.

Sorry I was a dickhead.

Underneath the message was a vanilla-frosted cartoon-like penis. I couldn’t help but smile. Shaking my head, I chuckled lightly. Lifting my phone of out my pocket, I sent a text.

Me: You think you can win me over with cake?

His response came a minute later.

Quinn: No. Definitely not.

Then,

Quinn: Unless if it worked. Then yes.

A smile stretched at my cheeks.

Me: Well, it didn’t.

Quinn: But you’re talking to me. That’s more than I could have hoped for right now.

My smile waned.

Me: I’m not ready to forgive you.

His response was delayed.

Quinn: Okay, Mia. And I know you’re sick of hearing it, but I need to say it one more time. I am so sorry for what I said to your date. I’m sorry I hurt you. If I could take it all back, I would. I miss you, and I miss your laugh. I never want to see you look at me the way you did that night. It will haunt me for the rest of my life.

A moment later came,

Quinn: I’m not letting you go. I’ll fight my corner. You deserve for someone to fight for you.

It was too much. I turned off my phone, left it at home, and went to work.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Quinn

Candice stood in front of me, her lips quivering, blinking away tears. “You quit? Just like that?”

I pulled the mature woman into a tight hug. “It doesn’t mean I’ll never see you. I’ve agreed to still do some date work, but no sex.”

She sniffled and pouted. “But you’re my favorite. What am I going to tell your regulars?”

My chin rested on the top of her head. “Tell them I went and fell in love.”

Candy hugged me hard. “I hope she realizes what she’s got in you. She’s lucky to have you, Matty.”

I responded on a squeeze. “I’ve still gotta convince her that I’m right for her.”

She pulled back, smiling up at me. “You will. I know you will.”

“Thanks, Candy.”

I left DFT feeling better about myself, and better about the situation with Mia. She got the cake I ordered this morning. When she got home tonight, she’d

get another surprise. I had an entire week of them planned out. And if need be, I would play dirty.

I would have Mia. She belonged with me. I knew this, because I was lost without her. I needed to be the man she came home to. I needed to be the person who she first saw in the morning, and the last she saw at night. I needed to be to her what she was to me.

I just needed Mia.

And I would prove it to her.

I arrived at the police department a little after three pm.

My heart was racing. Rejection was my biggest fear, but if I wanted a life with Mia, I would work for it. Being an escort was no longer an option. In my heart, I knew Mia would never ask me to leave my job, but what kind of man would that make me?

A creep. A jerk. A cheater. I didn’t want to be any of those things.

The last few days had been tough, but I imagined if this was how I felt, then Mia likely felt worse. The things I had said to her…

Jesus. How I wished I could take them back. But I couldn’t, so I would deal with the consequences. I was ready to tell Mia how I felt about her. It was unfortunate that it had taken me seeing her with someone else to realize I wasn’t ready to give her up, but life was funny that way. It never waited until you were ready for it. It simply dropped the bomb and you decided how to deal with it.

I loved Mia, and that was a big deal for me. I didn’t love easily. Furthermore, I was not the easiest person to love. She was the person who hung the moon in my sky. She lit the dark and made me want more than I was comfortable with. The funny thing was that she never asked anything from me, but I saw how she looked at me. It was the way I looked at her—with heart and soul, and completely invested in the other person.

The senior officer at the front desk stared over me. “You just gonna stand there?”

It broke me from my thoughts. I cleared my throat. “Sorry. I was wondering whether you could help me. I need some information.” I added, “I want to become a police officer.”