Page 42 of Power Plays & Proposals

"Lia," He used both hands to gently cradle my face, and I stopped rambling.

He tilted my head back so I was staring up at him. His blue eyes were intense, but not in an angry way. He should’ve been so angry at me, and the fact he wasn’t made me feel all the more guilty.

"Dad?" Penelope asked.

We both looked and saw her and Erin standing a few feet away. I didn't know where the CPS worker went, nor did I care. Penelope's face had been washed clean, and there wasn't a speck of the makeup she'd been using earlier. Her hand, on the other hand, had a big patch of gauze and tape covering where she'd been cut.

"Can I go home with Mom?" Penelope asked him.

Another layer of self-loathing was added to the pile of feelings inside me. He was going to miss out on his weekend with her because she got hurt in my care.

"Is that what you want?" He asked, and I knew it must hurt him to say it.

She nodded, and he let go of me to hug her goodbye. He whispered quiet words into her ear, and I saw a brief smile from Penelope. Hope that I haven't ruined their relationship burned bright. Penelope only gave me a short look; she didn't give me a smile or a wave before she walked away with her mom.

Nate drove me home, but we were both quiet during the drive. The silence between us hurt more than I think words would have. Exhaustion hit me like a tidal wave now that the adrenaline rush had dropped. With each passing minute, it got harder to keep my eyes open, and I was grateful that the drive was short to Maria's. Maria opened the door as soon as Nate's truck pulled up outside. No doubt she'd been in the lobby waiting for me. I didn't wait to see if Nate would open my door, I was out of the truck before I could hear him tell me what I already knew.

He's better off without me.

Maria kept her gaze on me and opened her arms for me as soon as I stepped inside the building. She didn't let go as I heard Nate's truck drive away. The small part of me that had hoped I was misreading everything died at the sound. I tucked my face into Maria's shoulder and sobbed. It was only after the first wave of sobs passed that I realized we were still standing in the doorway.

Maria loosened her hold on me. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head no, and stepped out of her hold.

"I made brownies," She said softly, as she guided me to the elevator.

"The super thick ones?" I asked.

"With extra fudge," She confirmed.

"Have I told you how much I love that you stress bake?"

"Only a hundred times" She laughed. "I've got your favorite movie on the TV. I'll go get those brownies, while you get into your PJs."

I didn't argue. I simply went to my room and changed into a pair of leggings and an old t-shirt that's soft from being worn so much. I completed it with a pair of yellow fuzzy socks. I wrapped up in a blanket that's on my spot on the couch and Maria handed me a plate of the most chocolatey brownies ever. She sat down next to me and, using the remote, pressed play.

Somewhere between Elizabeth Bennet hearing Mr. Darcy's insult, and Jane getting sick, I drifted into a fitful sleep, ensnared by dreams tainted with echoes of heartache. Maria's gentle shake roused me from my restless slumber, and she guided me to her room where she tucked me into her bed. I started to protest, but I was so tired words were hard.

"I'll see you in the morning Lia. Try to get some sleep," she murmured, her voice a soothing balm to my heartache.

"Maria?" I asked. My voice trembled with unshed tears, and the ache in my chest threatened to consume me. "Why does this hurt so much more?"

"I don't know, Lia." Maria whispered, her own voice shaking. "But so help me if I wake up and you've caught a plane somewhere."

A fleeting smile graced my lips, the first glimmer of hope in the darkness. "Don't worry. I'm too broke for that."

Chapter 18

Days passed, and I survived on baked goods from Maria. The morning after the hospital, I didn't get out of bed until my body forced me to. Instead, I'd laid in Maria's room staring at the ring still on my hand. I'd need to give it back to him. Maria had gone to the bakery, and when she returned she told me that Sofie had helped her man the counter. The day after that, I'd moved to the air mattress so Maria could have her bed back. Then I'd tortured myself by watching highlights from the Glacier Bay hockey team on my laptop. I'd used so many tissues my room looked like a blizzard had hit. Maria sighed, and brought me a garbage can.

By the third day though, I was tired of wallowing. I picked myself up, cleaned up my mess of tissues and started a cleaning frenzy. Maria had come home to a floor so clean she could have served food on it. Not that she would, that would be crazy.

On the fourth day I got a phone call from an unknown number. I'd answered, just in case it was CPS wanting something from me. But it wasn't. It was the salon owner in Crestfield.

"Lia, Kim told me you're amazing. Are you available for an interview?" she asked.

Completely shocked, I agreed. She asked me questions about my license and experience.

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