Page 76 of Spark

“I see.” He reached for his phone, checked the time, and slid the device back into his pocket before standing abruptly and putting the notepad back into his pocket.

Mia stood as well, and he raised his hand for her to shake.

“Thanks for chatting. We will be in touch with anything we find.” His gave her another smile.

“Okay.” She shook his hand lightly, nervous and shaken at his sudden decision to leave. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course.” He smiled. “That’s my job.” He gave her hand a little pat and released her, turning and striding to the exit.

Mia was left standing there, unsure if she should go back up or wait for the police to leave. She decided to head up and seeif they were done just as the two officers were walking down the stairs.

“All set, ma’am.” Officer Wilde said, giving her a slight tilt of his hat. “There is some broken glass, so please be careful.”

“Of course, thanks.” Mia gave them each a small smile.

The officers made their way to the exit, one carrying a CSI case she hadn’t noticed before. Her heart fluttered, hoping none of Aurelio’s prints would come back to bite her in the ass.

“What the fuck was that all about?” Tony exclaimed, suddenly standing in front of her, hands on his hips with wide eyes. “Was any of that about the asshole you sucker punched yesterday?”

Mia laughed, deep and hearty, letting the nerves from the whole situation out.

Her friend stared at her like she was crazy. “Girl, what is going on?” He placed a hand on her shoulder.

Mia blew out a harsh breath. “The last couple of months have been crazy.”

She concocted a story about how the guy had made a very rude sexual advance before she hit him, and Tony nodded along, taking it as complete truth before asking about the police. When she explained, her friend got a very serious look on his face and leaned in closer.

“Mia, I should have said something to you earlier, but…” Tony’s usual tan complexion paled. “…Oliver is obsessed with you.”

“What do you mean? I haven’t seen him in a week and the last time I did, he barely waved before running off.”

“Good. That boy talks nonstop about you and what you’re up to. I finally had to say, ‘Listen, she has a man. And Aureliowill kick you ass if you don’t stop bothering her! Leave her alone.’”

Mia’s face went white, eyes blinking in disbelief. “Tony, don’t tell me you told Oliver the name of my boyfriend.” Her words were careful and quiet.

Tony gave her a “no shit” look. “Of course, why the hell not? It’s a great name.” He waggled his eyebrows, but Mia’s stress was back in full force.

“When did you have this conversation with him?” Her mind was putting the puzzle together faster than she could logically realize what was happening.

“Yesterday, after you left in such a hurry. The poor girl behind the counter didn’t know what to do when you decked the guy, so she called 911. Oliver heard the call come in and took it.” Tony gave Mia a face.

“Okay, and what happened?” she asked, needing to hear what she knew was coming.

“He just about lost it. The guy you punched took off before Oliver even got here, and his nose was all kinds of messed up, by the way.” Tony cringed at the memory. “Anyway, Oliver asked where you had gone, how long since you left, and which direction you went. I had enough. He has been talking about you every day for weeks. I had to get him to understand you are taken.”

Mia knew what happened after Tony told him that; she didn’t need it to be said. Oliver had broken into the apartment; he was the one who had smashed everything. He lost his temper. He knew Aurelio’s name.

“I have to go.” She rushed past her friend and went upstairs, bag on her shoulder and coffee forgotten.

The door to her loft was still open, the mess in full view. The first thing she saw was the glass the officer had warned her about. The vase with fresh flowers from Aurelio was smashed on the living room carpet. He gifted her new flowers every few days, saying he loved the way she lit up when he brought them in. The bouquet of sunflowers and daisies, only two days old, was ruined, and petals were everywhere.

Mia scanned the rest of the room. Her eyes caught on her books, some wet and ruined from the broken vase. She avoided the door, her heart not ready to see all the damage. She took stock of broken things; books she would be unable to return the following week, papers she was glad were backed up on her laptop, the couch was destroyed, and her clothes littered everywhere. She hadn’t taken stock of the bathroom earlier, so when she pushed the door open, she was greeted by another mess. Her shower door was cracked; the glass was fragmented but none of it was on the floor. As she stepped inside, she heard a tinkling sound. The whole mirror and every bulb on her vanity had been shattered; the entire thing was cracked and falling down.

“Oh,” Mia said quietly, her heart breaking. She had brought the piece with her from home, a leftover from her dad. He bought it when she was 12, telling her all girls needed a private place to check how they looked. And with 4 boys in a one-bathroom house, he never wanted her to have to fight for it. Now it sat shattered and broken. Her makeup was spread across the floor, cracked. Her claw foot tub was okay, thankfully. At least one thing she loved had survived the onslaught.

Having checked just about everywhere, Mia left the bathroom and looked at the door. Her heart caught in her throat; the thudding of it made it hard to breathe. She walked slowly towards it, each step causing her heart to shatter a littlemore. The wall was torn down almost completely. Pictures lay crumbled on the ground and notes from her dad over the years were ripped with corners still hanging on the wall. Her dreams, hopes, and memories… all trampled on.

“Oh,” Mia murmured again. The silence in the room was almost too much for her to bear. She wished more than anything Aurelio was there to hold her, to let her cry with him. But he wasn’t, and so, her tears went unshed as her mind kicked her into cleaning up. Picking up the rest of the house was easy. Broken things to the trash and salvageable stuff to various locations to dry. She worked diligently, moving swiftly across the floor, broom in hand, to sweep up the glass and debris. She was halfway done when her phone rang, her bag forgotten by the front door. She walked over to it, recognizing David’s ringtone and realizing she was definitely late to work. She unlocked the phone and answered.

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