Page 66 of Claimed By my Frenemy

The threat is clear, and the deadline only adds to the pressure. I can’t keep this from Mia much longer, but I’m not ready to face her anger and disappointment. Not yet.

I stand up, slip on my sandals, and head for the door. I need to clear my head, to figure out a way to handle this without losing everything. The beach is just a short walk away, and the sound of the waves always helps me think.

The walk to the beach is quiet, the only sound the crunch of gravel under my feet. The sun is starting to set, casting a golden glow over the water. I breathe in the salty air, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

As I reach the shoreline, I kick off my sandals and let the sand cool my feet. The waves lap gently at my toes, and for a moment, I close my eyes, letting the sound soothe me. But I can’t stay here forever, hiding from my problems.

Steve is working his hardest to drive a wedge between Mia and me, and I can’t let that happen.

When I return to the resort, Mia is on her front porch. I almost don’t see her, but then, she moves.

I head toward her porch instead of the resort. Maybe I can hide from this a little longer and pretend that everything is okay.

When I reach the top step, Mia stands. “I just finished eating dinner. Do you want some?”

I nod, but Mia doesn’t immediately respond. She just scans my face for a moment like she can see the worry physically on my face. I do my best to smile. “What did you make?”

“Chicken fajitas. I cut way too many bell peppers though, so I hope you like peppers.”

“Love them.” I sit at Mia’s dining room table, and she brings my plate out a moment later. I can feel her eyes on me as I eat. Something has shifted between us, but I don’t know how to fix it.

I need to come clean, let her know how I’m being pressured, but I think if I even bring up the words “bigger resort,” she might chase me out of here with a broom or hammer or whatever else she has lying around.

I take another bite of my fajita, and when I look up, Mia is watching me. She doesn’t even try to act like she wasn’t.

“The meeting with everyone last week went well, huh? It seemed like everyone liked the idea of free amenities for a year.”

I frown, not sure why she’s bringing it up now. “Yeah, I thought it was a good way to combine my goals with what the community needs.”

“Kind of like bribery?” Mia tilts her head to the side in the cutest way that she almost offsets the challenge in her words. But I catch it anyway.

“Sure, you could call it that. But it’s some pretty great bribery. Besides, not all bribes are bad. I remember when my little sister was being potty trained. My parents gave her candy every time she went on the toilet. That’s like bribery, isn’t it? But nobody has a problem with it.”

Mia smiles a little, and I know that I hit the spot with that story. I take another bite of fajita.

“Sure, okay, bribery doesn’t have to be a bad thing, as long as it’s honest. People would be really disappointed if they thought you were going to do something, then they found out that wasn’t the case after all, like if they thought they were getting pool tables and movies and everything and…they didn’t.”

“Sure, yeah, that makes sense. But I keep my promises. Why? Has… someone said I don’t?”

I think about Steve’s surprise visit to Mia’s house with a different offer. What if he’s come over again and been whispering in her ear about how I don’t keep my promises and I won’t do everyone on Oak Island right?

“No, I… I just wanted to make sure.”

“You know me. I keep my promises.”

Mia grabs a rag and starts cleaning the already-clean counter. “Sure, I do, but it’s been a long time. Things can change, and…money also changes people.”

I want to disagree with her right away, but something tells me I should keep my mouth shut. “Yeah, that’s true.”

With one last bite, I finish my fajita and dust my hands off on my jeans. I want to stay. I want to pull Mia into my arms and whisper to her that I’m taking care of her the best way I know how. But I don’t think she would let me. She wouldn’t let me hug her, kiss her, and make promises to her.

So, I just stand, desperate to escape the awkwardness and figure out a way to deal with Steve’s threat.

“Thanks for the food. You’re a great cook.”

“But now you need to get back to work,” Mia finishes my excuse.

“Yeah, I… There are some things I have to get done.”

---