Page 11 of Discord
The conversation with Raven hadn’t gone well. It was only a matter of time before Mia realized she didn’t belong in a premade box. Her innate peculiarity destined her for greatness, but if she allowed her family to dictate her actions and emotional responses, she’d never reach that pinnacle. It was best if she came to terms with it, though there was a constriction in my chest as Mia wept over her pestering family. They were the bane of my existence, and I had no idea why she cared about them.
I knelt on the floor next to her. The suspicion on her face didn’t fade despite the symbolic white flag I was waving. Christ, it wasn’t easy to deal with her.
“It’s obviously something if you’re crying about it. You’re not even doing it in the right room. You know this is Raven’s room, right? I thought teenage girls throw themselves on their own beds after slamming the door behind them.”
“We’re not all so dramatic.” Mia wiped her cheeks since the tears wouldn’t stop seeping out. There was a different type of pain in my chest, relentless in its pursuit. I pulled her to my chest without meaning to do so.
The way Mia tensed in my arms signaled her shock, but she didn’t fight it. Instead, she splayed a palm over my heart and her shoulders shook in my hold, tears soaking through my gray t-shirt. Locks of golden hair shielded her face as she buried it into my chest.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” I breathed into her hair.
Her reply was so inaudible that I nearly missed it. “I can’t. This isn’t about me.”
I frowned. I had assumed Mia spoke to Raven about college, and the conversation went south. “If it’s not about you, then why are you so upset?”
“Because sometimes we care more about other people than we care about ourselves.”
I stroked her hair, unable to respond. Mia’s words had a direct line to my soul. While she could articulate issues others struggled with, she discounted possessing a healthy way to express herself.
Everyone claimed Mia lacked the skillsets for normal human behavior. Fuck them and their opinions. At least Mia was self-aware and tried to better herself. She was attuned to people’s responses and mimicked their socially acceptable mannerisms. Time and time again, I was captivated by her determination to apply knowledge—whether from a classroom or by observing others—to improve herself. What could be more humbling or grown-up than that?
I shook my head. “Why do you always have to act like such a grown-up, Bunny?” I murmured, unable to leave out the nickname from her childhood. “It makes me forget that you are only seventeen.”
I inhaled her sweet lavender scent. When I exhaled, my shuddered breath was unmistakably loud. It snapped Mia out of our momentary truce. She tried to detangle herself from my hold. My arms tightened instinctively, pressing her delicate body against mine. I ran my fingers through her hair, and spoke to her gently, encouraging her to break this pattern with her siblings and to choose her own path instead.
She countered, “There were times when we wouldn’t see our parents for months on end. When you grow up like that, it becomes anus against the worldmentality. Wanting to protect and wanting the best for one another becomes second nature—a habit.”
“A habit?” I scoffed. “It’s downright weird that you guys meddle in each other’s business so much and invade one another’s privacy without any regard. Raven has your calendar synced to her phone. Milo has a chart hung up in his work-study with your life plan on it.” It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen. He had mapped out the next ten years of her life.
Mia was aware of their shared codependency and unwilling to do anything about it. “What do you suggest that I do?” she asked.
“Perhaps start by cutting that umbilical cord with Milo.”
“I doubt Milo and I will be very close moving forward.”
I tensed, never expecting to have heard those words. My life would simplify if Mia cut ties with Milo, though the context made no sense. I leaned back to study her expression when my eyes fell on Mia’s neck. A dull knife sharpened itself against the bones of my chest. There was a dark bruise forming at the base of Mia’s neck, rendering me nearly speechless.
“Mia, what happened to your neck?” I scared myself with the intensity of the words I whispered.
She touched her neck, tugging at the collar of her sweater dress to cover it up. “Nothing,” she said unconvincingly.
Panic exploded inside me. Someone had grabbed her, and all I could think about was what if they hadn’t let go in time. Rage pounded through my veins. Raven ran out of here in a hurry. Did they get into a fight? Did Raven shove her before she ran out? Did she put her hands on Mia?
I narrowed my eyes. “Mia—”
“Brandon, it’s okay,” she cut me off. “Don’t worry about me.” Mia unsuccessfully tried to wiggle out of my hold, but I couldn’t be apart from her right now even if I’d tried. Wouldn’t be able to deal with it if the warmth emanating from her was taken away.
Mia’s face was covered in sadness. She hadn’t processed the shock of whatever happened, nor would she discuss it tonight. I should put a pin on it until she was ready, but fury like I had never known burnt through me. Mia stared at me with her big, blue eyes, and before I could press her for more information, she shocked me by slamming her lips against mine.
My rib cage threatened to break open at the ferocity of the beating inside of it. My dick jerked when her tongue tangled with mine, though I tried to calm down. She was vulnerable, and this would be a classic predatorial move on my part.
Meanwhile, every other part of my body was disconnected from rational notions. Within seconds, I circled my arm around her as she clawed at my shirt.
* * *
Mia
My terrible decision-making skills led to this moment. As usual, I exercised my eavesdropping and impulsive habits to their full extent. This time, I paid the price.
