Chapter 36

“Gabriel, darling, if you want Mia to be more responsive to you…” his mother rubbed his shoulder, her voice calming to his ears, “be nicer to her.” She said as if it were the most obvious solution.

“I have been,” he declared, shrugging his mother’s hands away from him. Comfort from her made him feel like an invalid. “Haven’t I kept my mouth shut about her stupid attempt at independence?” he barked furiously. He’d driven to his mother’s house after the whole debacle with Mia after she left home and declared to be staying the night at her sister’s. She’d kicked and screamed to get away from him, her defiance lasting longer than he’d predicated or cared to tolerate.

“You mean her job?” Marina asked for clarification. She knew her son was upset and she had been trying to help him.

“Yes,” He snarled. He had known about Mia’s feeble attempt at flying below the radar from the get go. She thought she knew who to trust but he’d been in control the whole time. He found it exceedingly stupid of her to assume that his own mother would take her side.
He laughed inwardly at how slick she thought she was being, she knew fully well that if she resumed any corporate jobs he’d more than likely find out. So, she settled for teaching the kids of rich brats. The joke was on her. He’d always known, but it was no threat to him.

“It’s so embarrassing that my legal wife is working as a teacher for a measly salary.” He’d seen the numbers from Nylah. He couldn’t believe Mia would rather defy him for such an insignificant amount of money. It was a huge disrespect.

At first he had a little fun with it, coming to his mother’s house and them putting up a whole charade to boost Mia’s adrenaline. He almost couldn’t contain his laugher when his mother called her, giving the impression that their false confidence was being threatened.
Now she was taking those tiny privileges that he allowed her as a false sense of security. He banged his fists against the counter, there had to be something he could do.
****
Mia fell into the conversation she had last night with Harvey. It was a miracle she recalled the dialogue even now. She’d been so preoccupied with his presence that her cognitive ability was severely impaired. When she worked in the corporate sector she was responsible for heading numerous presentations and she had never felt as intimidated as she did with Harvey. He made her feel vulnerable. If he stared at her for more than thirty seconds it felt as if he was reading some intangible script on her soul.

“Relationships are a huge step up from what we are now.” She’d averted her eyes to the food on the table; a big blur of colours. Getting lost in Harvey’s eyes was not an option during a discussion of this calibre. She feared she’d agree to any and everything under his hold.

“I know that.” He shifted uncomfortably. Rejection was an emotion of his forgotten past that threatened to reappear with Mia. He’d come to terms with her possibly running for the hills once he’d stated his intentions but it was too late to take them back. He had to have her. The impatience riding his bones; an impetuous vibration that robbed him of tolerance. He wanted her and he wasn’t prepared to be told otherwise.

“Do you?” she swung her arms off the table and shuffled the palm of her hands under her; shifting to sit on them. The shivers, she suspected, had nothing to do with the cold. “I will actually have expectations of you.” Mia added quickly, her intent to scare him away from this debate. Men were scared of expectations, weren’t they?

Mia liked Harvey. She liked him immensely. More than immensely, she had to admit to her herself.

But—
The freedom to grasp the things she wanted was illusionary. She knew, because Mia had been the sole architect of such artifices. In reality, there were imperceptible metal restraints bound to her arms, legs and neck; tying her to a defined radius. Moving completely forward was out of her control.

“I want them.” He responded steadily, “I am ready to fulfil all of your expectations.” He adjusted the tie at his neck, twisting it to loosen. Mia gulped the contents in her glass; her mouth suddenly dry.

“I don’t know.” She replied uncertainly. Was it even possible for her to have a secret relationship?

*Technically, right now you have a secret husband and child. What’s another secret?* her subconscious shrugged impassively.

“We don’t have to focus on labels, Mia.” He tried a different tactic. He could tell she was considering his suggestion and that made him try to sway her mind further. The lack of an outright, ‘no’ giving him hope that she did in fact want more with him too. But something was stopping her, he just didn’t know what.

“There is so much we still need to know…” she paused, inhaled a huge breath and continued, “about each other.” She particularised. *There was so much you don’t know about me,* she screamed inwardly.

“And that information will flow naturally with the passage of time together.” He attempted to calm her mind. Harvey was no fool. He was fully aware that they were different people who only knew each other for a few weeks. There was a long way to go, but he was willing.

“We can just see where things go.” He continued, she’d been obsessively biting at her lower lip for the entire discourse. It was particularly distracting to him, “I want to be exclusive with you.” He climbed out of his sexualised brain to let her know of his intentions. Yes, he’d had her and he wanted her still, but not just for ‘fun’ as she’d put it.

“Oh,” Mia paused, she assumed that was what they were already doing, sexually at the very least. “is it that you’ve been having sexual relationships with other women this whole time?” Her stomach was churning at the idea of him sharing his bed with numerous other bodies at the same time.

“Is that what you think of me?” the shadows on is face seemed more pronounced, his eyes darkened at the insinuation to the point that Mia could barely recognise his eyes.

“I don’t know anything about you.” She countered, the question remaining unanswered. Her entire body shuddered. If he had been touching multiple women the same way he’d been touching her this whole time…

“I haven’t been able to see another woman since I met you.” He said behind the cover of shadows. “I hope that answers your question.” He was stern, unfeeling and yet the words seemed sincere to Mia’s ears. The storm in her stomach subsided and she was finally able to concentrate again.
She did eventually give in, agreeing that they’d been elevated from mere flings but not quite a relationship yet. All she knew for sure was that they were exclusive.

“Does he know about Gabriel, yet?” Amber yanked her out of her recollection, her expression grave.
Mia shook her head. There was a possibility but if Harvey was to be believed, then no. “The first time we bumped into each other I was with Gabriel at a function.” She began, “However, Harvey didn’t even look at me, didn’t even remember me when I saw him again.” She recalled their meeting at the school. He didn’t even recognise her face.

“So, it’s safe to assume he is completely unaware?” Amber clarified, an ominous mood collapsing down on her. Mia had two completely secret lives and it was bound to catch up to her if she wasn’t careful.

“Yeah.” Mia agreed on a sigh.

“Are you going to tell him?” Amber eyed Mia’s pensive profile.

“He might want to see me more and I am running out of believable lies.” Mia scratched her head. As it was, she didn’t want to lie to him. He’d been kind to her and the last thing she wanted to do was betray the trust of someone. “I’ll have to tell him.” She promised herself out loud. It was no secret that Mia enjoyed the life she cultivated apart from Gabriel. It was an escape but she couldn’t escape at the price of someone’s trust.

“I think that’s necessary.” Amber was satisfied with Mia’s response. The sooner he knew the truth the less burdened Mia would feel.

“What are the chances of him wanting to stay with me when he finds out the truth?” Mia turned her attention to Amber now, her eyes sparkling with a glimmer of hope.

“We can’t predict emotions, Mia.” Amber snuggled closer to her sister.

“Speaking of emotions,” Mia took the opportunity to hijack the conversation, “I see a huge rock on your finger.” She grinned at Amber.

“You don’t seem surprised.” Amber blushed.

“I spoke to Nate a few days ago since you told me he’s been avoiding you,” she admitted. She was worried they were both about to throw away what they had. “He’d told me that it had been in his mind for the past weeks so I was expecting it.”

“You sly, dog.” Amber drawled, closing her eyes against her sister’s warmth.