Page 55 of Hidden Echoes

She grins wider now. "You said he was our first child, remember?"

I roll my eyes, chuckling. "Of course I did. And now we have to take care of him."

"I guess we could go get him some stuff," she suggests, her eyes brightening at the thought. For some reason, the idea of doing something as simple and normal as buying things for a cat feels comforting. Like maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something less chaotic.

"Okay, let's go. Let’s take care of our first child," I say, laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

And so, with Mia by my side and a tuxedo cat that’s apparently now part of my life, we leave the apartment, ready to face the rest of this insane day.

I don’t knowhow I went from freaking out about getting impulsively married to being in a pet supply store, buying things for my new cat with Mia. But I mean, it kind of makes sense. I can’t exactly let the little feline go hungry.

I shouldn't have bought into Mia's idea of this "You're mine" thing. I should have stopped her when she tried to kill my client. But now, it's too late, and we’re married.

I can’t even process the idea of an annulment right now. I’ve just turned what was supposed to be a few weeks of checking in on her into an even more complicated and messy situation.

"Look at that Mickey Mouse outfit!" Mia says excitedly, pointing to a tiny cat-sized costume.

I smile despite myself. I don’t even know how she knows about Mickey Mouse, considering she spent years locked away in a basement and a brothel. But apparently, they let her watch TV, and now she’s got this very Hollywood view of the world. Lucky for her, Los Angeles gets that vibe. But unfortunately, our trip to LA will have to end at some point, and so will our wedding.

I’m twenty six, and I’m going to annul my marriage. I think I’ve transcended the boundaries of messed up and lonely.

You could just not cancel.

Wait, where the hell did that thought come from?

I don’t have time to be married. I’ve got tattoo workshops and everything. I’m not the type to settle down in one place.

I don’t even go to my house in Dallas—not that I mind. I bought it to keep some distance from my family in Austin, and it does the job.

I feel like the biggest idiot in the world for putting this girl in a situation where she’s going to spend the rest of her life with me.

I’m a fucking mess. A broken man who’ll never be able to give her what she deserves.

I’m the kind of guy who takes what’s best and doesn’t hold on.

It’s been working great for me all these years.

But Mia is slowly turning my life upside down.

My phone buzzes, and it’s a text from Carter.

Between getting drunk, getting married, and buying clothes for our cat, I haven’t had much time to talk to my business partner.

Carter:Considering you missed your appointments today, I take it you still haven’t gotten rid of the girl—and she’s already causing trouble.

Shit. I completely forgot.

Me:Dude, you gotta find a way to get along with Mia... stop this fuckin bullshit.

Carter:Why? it's just for a few weeks, right?

Me:It’s a little more complicated than that.

Carter:Define complicated. I don’t like her. I don’t want her on the trip. She’s already making us lose money. I don’t like that.

Me:You’re loaded. Shut up.

Carter:And the parties—you’re not showing up to any of them anymore.

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