Page 25 of Off-Limits

Mia turns to me, hesitation in her eyes. But before she can introduce me, I step forward with a friendly smile.

"Hi there," I say, extending my hand towards him. "I'm Jake Morrison. A friend of the family."

He shakes my hand firmly, his grip surprisingly strong for someone his age. "Pleasure to meet you, Jake. I'm Cesar, your neighbor across the street." He pauses, then adds with a playfulwink, "You two weren't watching any... explicit movies, were you? That's not why I heard all those 'odd noises', is it?"

Mia blushes again, her cheeks turning even darker this time. But I just laugh, shaking my head. "No, sir," I tell him. "Just a suspense film with some loud action sequences."

He chuckles, looking back and forth between the two of us. "Well, I suppose that makes sense then." He hesitates for a moment before continuing, "I was actually just here to check in on the house while your parents are away. Make sure everything's alright, you know."

"Of course," Mia says quickly. "We really appreciate it, Mr. Patel. And please, don't feel like you need to keep coming by all the time. We're more than capable of taking care of things here."

He looks taken aback for a second, then smiles softly at her. "Very well," he says. "But if you do need anything while they're gone, just holler across the street. I'm always happy to help out." He tips his imaginary hat towards us before turning and walking back down the driveway.

As soon as the door is closed behind him, Mia lets out a sigh of relief. "That was close," she murmurs, leaning back against the door.

I nod in agreement, still feeling the remnants of desire coursing through my veins. "Too close," I say, moving towards her and caging her in with my arms on either side of her head. "But now that he's gone…"

She looks up at me, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Now what?"

I lean down, pressing my lips softly to hers. "Now we finish what we started," I whisper against them.

And this time, no one knocks.

???

A few days after our close call with Mr. Patel, I'm sitting in the living room, engrossed in a book about business strategy, when Mia walks in, her face pale and eyes wide. Something's happened and I don't like it.

"Mia," I say, immediately concerned as I put my book down on the couch beside me. "What's wrong?"

She takes a deep breath before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper. "Tom's here."

I blink at her, taken aback. Tom—her ex-boyfriend? The one who cheated on her and broke her heart? The same one who confronted us at the wedding?

"What do you mean, he's here?" I ask, standing up and moving closer to her.

"He's outside," she says, nodding towards the front window. "He just showed up at the doorstep."

I feel my hackles rise immediately, my protective instincts kicking into high gear. Mia must sense the change in me because she puts a hand on my arm, giving it a squeeze.

"Jake," she says, her voice pleading. "Please don't do anything crazy. I can handle this."

But even as she says it, I can see the doubt in her eyes. Mia isn't very good at lying. She may think she's strong enough to face him alone, but I know better. Mia deserves someone who will stand up for her, who won't let anyone hurt her again, and that person is me.

"I'm coming with you," I say firmly, pulling away from her touch and striding towards the front door. Mia follows me,her footsteps echoing behind me as we make our way outside together.

As soon as we step onto the porch, Tom turns around to face us. He's dressed in his typical preppy attire—khaki pants, a polo shirt with some stupid logo on it, and boat shoes without socks. His hair is perfectly coiffed, but there are dark circles under his eyes that suggest he hasn't been sleeping well. I wonder why, though whatever the reason, it wouldn't make me feel any pity for him.

"Mia," he says, flashing her a smile that I'm sure once melted her heart, but now just makes my blood boil. "I've been trying to get ahold of you."

Does he mean since meeting him at the wedding? Did seeing her again awaken something in him? Whatever it may be, it doesn't change anything.

She crosses her arms over her chest, looking at him with an expression I can't quite read. It's not quite anger or sadness, but more like resignation mixed with disbelief. She's changed.

"I don't have anything else to say to you, Tom," she says calmly. "We're done. You made that very clear when you decided to sleep with someone else."

His smile fades, replaced by a look of sheepishness as he rubs the back of his neck. "Look, I know I messed up," he says. Is he for real? "But I want to make it up to you. I can't stop thinking about you." What?

I scoff at that, earning me a glare from Tom. But I don't care. I'm not about to stand here and let him spew his bullshit. Mia doesn't deserve to hear it.

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