Mateo takes the reins, since apparently dinner is off to too pleasant a start for his liking. “Nah, Vince never liked sharing, did you, Vince?”
It’s so easy for him to water the seeds of irritation he planted so long ago. “We were never sharing,” I remind him. “Sharing implies things like knowledge and consent. It’s just called cheating without both of those.”
“Oh, right.” Mateo nods. “And what was it called when she tried to leave you, but you wouldn’t let her?”
I cock my head, as if in consideration. “I believe you call that love. That’s what you did to the last love of your life, right? That’s why she turned on you? Guess I could’ve learned from your mistakes, but hey, I like to make my own.”
Beth doesn’t seem to be as sore a spot anymore, because he seems more amused and less annoyed than I was hoping for. His hand moves to cover Mia’s, but he keeps his gaze on me as he states, “There’s only one love of my life, and she’s sitting right here.”
It shouldn’t sting, but it does. It’s not pain, like it would have been before Carly. It feels like more of an insult, I guess, if I’m being honest. He stole my favorite toy and added insult to injury by having more fun with it than I ever did.
Mia and I never wanted the same things. I see that now, but I couldn’t back then. She clearly likes this asshole and I never wanted to be like him. The life she has with him is the life she wants, with his domineering treatment and his shit-stirring ways. I like the peace of living in Connecticut with Carly, tucked away from dangerous, powerful men. I love her idea of forming our own family, bringing Laurel to Connecticut, maybe luring Cherie out there. We can keep the pieces of our past that we like and build the rest from scratch.
There’s still a competitive sliver of me that’s annoyed Mateo got Mia, but I realize we’re probably all much happier for it in the long run. Maybe Carly was right; maybe everything does happen for a reason.
My gaze flits to Mia across the table. Her head is bowed, her eyes downcast. She didn’t move her hand, it still rests beneath his, but she feels badly, since he doesn’t.
I don’t want her to feel badly anymore.
“Well, as long as Mia feels the same way, then I’m happy for you,” I say, simply.
Mia’s head snaps up, her wide blue eyes meeting mine. Clearly, she was not expecting that. I wasn’t either, but fuck it. The smile that follows feels damn good. Tentative at first, then wider. Grateful.
Chapter Twenty Four
Vince
After dinner, I hang around talking to Alec for a few minutes until Mia and Mateo separate. He heads off with Adrian and Mia goes alone into the kitchen.
I wait until I can get away by myself, then I slip inside. Tonight she stands in front of the sink, dressed up in a white and gold glittery dress with red-soled heels on her feet, scrubbing a pan until it’s clean. This is how she looked that first night I snuck into her house, though without any of the wealth back then. The sight of her now strikes a bittersweet chord. Why is she even helping clean up? There are people to do that here.
Despite being one of the wealthiest women in Chicago, Mia grabs a sponge off the edge of the sink and scrubs a dirty pot.
“You don’t have to do that, you know.”
Her head snaps up in surprise. Wariness briefly flits across her pretty features, but then she rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “I know. I’m just helping so it gets done faster and everyone can relax.”
I shake my head at her. “You never change, do you?”
Her smile slips. “I’ve changed. We’ve all changed.” She looks down into the sink and her hair falls forward in her face. Without giving it much thought, I reach out and catch the chunk of hair, tucking it behind her ear.
The tenderness catches her off guard. She looks over at me and her eyes shine again. I smile faintly. “Now why are you sad?”
“I’m not sad,” she says, shaking her head and blinking the moisture away. “I am pregnant again, and my hormones are slightly out of whack, but… not sad.”
I did not know that. The knowledge almost amuses me. “He had something to prove, huh?”
“Apparently,” she says, smothering a smile and reaching forward to turn off the faucet. “I’m so glad you found Carly. You seem really happy with her.”
“I am happy with her.”
“That’s what I wanted for you. Desperately. After Vegas, I wasn’t sure…. I felt so horrible. I felt like I’d broken you.”
I shake my head, crossing my arms and looking down at the Tuscan tile. “Only you would worry about that after what I did to you. I hurt you, and you worry about hurting my feelings. Same old Mia, just dressed up in more expensive clothing.”