Saving Ever After (Ever After #4) Read online

  “Jax said she’d love it if you wanted to go back and see her. She’s sorry she interrupted our breakfast and that you spent all day waiting out here,” Sadie told her.

  “Oh, umm, that’s alright. I don’t want to make you guys wait. I’m sure you want to get home with Ace, now that he’s back. You can just take me back to my dorm. I’m sure I can see Jax and the baby another time.”

  “Hey, why don’t you guys get going,” I found myself speaking up, “Ace can take you out for dinner or something, and I’ll give Mia a ride back to her dorm, that way she can come see Jax with us and you guys don’t have to wait to have some alone time,” I offered.

  Mia smiled at me and Sadie asked her if that was okay. She nodded, almost too enthusiastically, and I worried that maybe I shouldn’t have offered, but it was too late to take it back now.

  Mia followed me and Spade back to Jax’s room, and even though Jax was friendly and made it clear that she was happy to see Mia, she mostly stood off to the side while Spade and I visited with the new parents. Their little guy was a handsome one, obviously his looks came from his mom, even though Ky insisted he had a part in it.

  “I’m really glad you came, Mia,” Jax said as we were making our goodbyes not too much later. “Sorry you had to spend all day in the hospital. I hope you’re settling in alright here. I know Sadie is really excited that you decided on a school in Boston.”

  “Thanks. I really like it here,” Mia said shyly. “And congratulations. Your son is really beautiful. Um, if you guys ever need a babysitter, well, uh, I don’t have much experience with babies, and I’m sure you guys could probably find someone better . . .” Mia started to trail off.

  “We’ll definitely keep you in mind, Mia,” Jax said. “I’m sure you’d be a wonderful babysitter.” Mia grinned at that.

  I leaned down and hugged Jax since Ky was now holding Abel, but as we were making our goodbyes, the nurse came back in to take him to the nursery for the night.

  “How long do you guys have to stay?” I asked Jax once the nurse was gone.

  “Well, Abel is healthy and strong, and I seem to be recovering fine, so if no problems arise, we should all get to go home sometime tomorrow. We’ll let you know, and then you guys can come over and see Abel again. Maybe then Ky will let you hold him,” she chuckled, looking fondly at her husband who hadn’t been willing to give Abel up from the moment we walked into the room, until the nurse had just taken him away.

  “I’ve already had to share him with too damn many people today. You all can wait your fucking turns,” he grumbled, but there was a smile on his face that he couldn’t hide.

  After saying goodnight, the three of us made our way out of the hospital, and by this time, the photographers were gone, so we were able to get to our cars without being hassled. Spade headed home, presumably, and I made my way through the city toward Boston University with Mia riding quietly in the passenger seat.

  “So what dorm are you in?” I asked her.

  “Myles Standish.”

  “Nice,” I said, “but not usually a lot of freshmen in there.” If I remembered correctly, most freshmen were placed in West Campus or the Towers.

  “There’s a few of us. I think my dad felt guilty about how much of a mess everything has been with him and Mom, and that he couldn’t come help me get moved in, so he paid for me to have a big room to myself. No communal bathroom for me,” she joked halfheartedly, but I got the impression that she couldn’t give a rip about what room she was in. I had experience with a parent who tried to buy off her kids to ease her guilt. I knew it rarely meant shit.

  “How are things between you and your parents?”

  She just shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” She was quiet for a minute and then added solemnly, “They’re getting a divorce.”

  “I’m sorry. I know how rough that can be.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” she said as we pulled up out front of her residence building, “but it’s whatever.” I could tell she was putting up a front, acting like she wasn’t bothered by it, but she wouldn’t have brought it up if it wasn’t upsetting her. “Thanks for the ride, Chris,” she grabbed the door handle, climbing out of the car and, without looking back, hurried inside.

  I watched her go, wishing I’d had better words for her besides, I’m sorry, but then my phone started ringing with a familiar ringtone and Mia was inside and out of sight. I picked it up, sliding my finger on the screen to answer. “Hey babe, I’m on my way to your place right now.”

  As much as I felt for Mia and what she was going through, there wasn’t anything I could do about it. She was tough and would hopefully figure out how to navigate this messy shit life was throwing at her.

  It was almost another month before I saw her again, and in that time, I tried to put her out of my mind completely, but there were a few times I was unsuccessful and wondered how she was doing, but I never brought it up with Sadie or Ace to ask.

  Chapter 4

  Mia

  “Holy shit, you’re getting married!” I exclaimed over the phone after Sadie announced that Ace had proposed.

  “Yes, I am!” Sadie’s voice came back equally excited.

  “When did this happen?” I asked, not that I was surprised. I had been expecting it for a while now. Ace was head over heels in love with my sister, and she felt the same way about him.

  “Last night,” she said. “I was completely surprised.” I guess she was the only one who hadn’t seen it coming.

  “Well, tell me how he did it,” I urged her to spill the details of his proposal, and she did. I listened raptly as she told me all about his quiet, but still very romantic proposal in the music room of their house. It was so sweet and sounded like it had been the perfect moment for them, even if others might have thought it understated or too casual and informal. As romantic as grand gestures and extravagant and elaborate proposals could be, Sadie didn’t need that.

  She’d been through a lot with the loss of her first love and the child she’d been carrying at the time. She’d been engaged then, and that loss still weighed on her. Ace was her rock. He showed her how to really live again and to love and trust again. I was so happy for her, even though my chest ached with longing.

  I wanted to know what it felt like to love and be loved like that.

  “Anyways, Jax is throwing us an engagement party next weekend. I want to make sure you’ll be there.”

  “Of course,” I promised her. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.

  “Okay good, now tell me how you’re doing. Classes still going good?”

  “Yeah. I’m still really enjoying my Lit class. Mathematical Reasoning is really boring, but I’m doing alright in there, and I don’t think the rest of my classes will be too big of a struggle if I stay on top of my reading.”

  The first three weeks of classes had gone by, and I was proud of myself for how well I was managing. I’d already written my first college paper, not that it was a real challenging one, but still it was an accomplishment. I had my first big test coming up though. It made me a little nervous since math wasn’t my best subject, but I was confident I would do alright.

  “That’s good, and you’re getting out and having fun too, right?”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “Just not too much fun.” I knew Sadie still worried, but I wanted to put her at ease.

  “No Mom, just the right amount of safe fun,” I told her, and it was true. I was still spending most of my time with Jillian, Dawn, Heidi, Derek and Leland, or some combination of that group, but I’d avoided anymore parties like that first one. Mostly we just hung around campus and ate meals together. I’d made a few other friends in the dorm and in my classes as well. I was even starting to think that Leland had a slight crush on me. I just hadn’t figured out how I felt about that.

  Every time I tried to imagine kissing him, the image always shifted in my mind and I found myself looking into a different and more alluring set of blue eyes. It didn’t help any that those sam
e blue eyes stared back at me from the poster on my wall, and had been wreaking even more havoc on my thoughts since he gave me a ride from the hospital.

  “Good,” Sadie laughed softly, and then her tone changed. “Speaking of Mom, have you talked to her or Dad lately?”

  “I’ve talked to Dad a few times, briefly. You know how he is, always busy. I guess Mom’s been really busy too. I’ve tried calling her a couple times, but haven’t been able to reach her. I left her a message, but I haven’t heard from her yet. She’s probably stressed with trying to keep a positive spin on the divorce and all that. You know how much image means to her.”

  “Yeah, what about Cait and Leila?” She asked about our other sisters.

  “We text every once in a while. They seem to be handling the divorce fine, going on with their lives.” The twins always had each other. Because of that, they’d always been more independent from the rest of us.

  “Are they all still coming out for family weekend next month?”

  “Dad said he was. I’m not sure about the twins. I guess it will depend if they have better things to do, like shopping.” I said it jokingly, but we both knew I was serious.

  “Yeah, I know how they are, and don’t worry about Mom and Dad. Things will settle down soon, I’m sure. I know Dad really wants to be there for you more, he’s just got a lot to deal with right now. He’s not used to being very involved in our lives, but I don’t think we should give up on him yet.” She didn’t say anything else about Mom. Not that there was much to say. I’d tried so many times since my accident to make peace with her. I knew I could be difficult, and that I hadn’t made things easy on her. I lost my temper and got frustrated with her a lot, but I’d apologized so many times. I was trying to make things right, but my efforts went unacknowledged by her.

  I sighed, “Yeah. It’s okay. I know he’s trying, and I’ve got you.”

  “Yes you do. I’m always here, even though right now I actually have to go. We’re watching Abel and from the look on Ace’s face right now, he needs to be changed. Jax will be picking him up soon and then I’m sure she’ll want to talk about the party.”

  “Okay. Well then go take care of dirty diapers. Oh, and congratulations. I’m really happy for you guys. I love you.”

  “Love you too, Mia, and I’ll see you this weekend if I don’t see you before then. Call me if you need anything.”

  I ended the call, still smiling. I’m a sucker for happy endings, and my big sister was finally getting hers after so much struggle and heartbreak. I hoped that someday I would find a guy like Ace. My mind immediately went back to Chris, like it had so many times the last few weeks. Before the day at the hospital, I hadn’t seen him since the night of Sadie’s disastrous birthday dinner when Leila had spent all night flirting with him.

  After that night, I’d tried to make myself forget about him, told myself so many times that he would never be interested in me. I was too young and immature and not his type. I’d contented myself with following him online like every other girl in the country and relinquishing the hope of ever having any more of connection than that. I’d allowed myself the silly celebrity crush, because everyone had one and I thought they were harmless.

  Then, after one afternoon in a hospital waiting room, and a fifteen minute car ride, suddenly he was all I could think about. He was on my mind to the point of serious distraction, and the way he was consuming me felt anything but harmless.

  Unfortunately for me, Chris was so much more real to me than the usual celebrity fantasy most girls have. I didn’t have to imagine how wonderful he was, or how good he smelled when you were in close proximity to him, like cooped up in his Porsche Cheyenne. Or if those bright blue eyes that always appeared in his photos, drawing you in, were real or photoshopped. I already knew all those things. I knew his eyes were real and that it was all too easy to get lost in their depths. He was also sweet and funny and thoughtful and down to earth and the kind of gorgeous that made girls stupid. He talked to me like he was actually interested in what I had to say, and he seemed to genuinely care when I brought up my parents’ divorce. I don’t know why I did that, other than it was the other thing, besides him, that was always on my mind lately.

  Before my happy mood could sink any further, there was a knock on the door of my room.

  “Hey, I texted you like fifteen times,” Jillian said when I pulled it open. She’d only texted me three times, but it was all the same to her.

  “Sorry, I was on the phone with my sister. She got engaged last night,” I shared.

  “Ooh, I love weddings. That sounds like a reason to celebrate to me. Let me call Heidi and she’ll find out where the party is at tonight.” She didn’t even give me a chance to object before pulling her phone out and dialing Heidi. Even though it was a Saturday night, and I hadn’t been out since that first night I went with them, I still wasn’t sure another party was a good idea. I tried to mentally prepare excuses, but once she talked to Heidi, plans were already set in motion and I didn’t have much say in it. She eyed my worn cut-off shorts and black tee with the royal wingcrest from Zelda across the chest.

  “Is that a band logo?” she asked. I hesitated a second before answering her, afraid of coming across as lame or dorky if I told her the truth.

  “Uh yeah, they’re called, uh Triforce,” I mumbled and her face scrunched up.

  “I’ve never heard of them.”

  No she wouldn’t, considering the Triforce is an ancient and very fictional relic of power from the game that only few are able to wield. I doubted that she was a Zelda fan and would know Hyrule from the kingdom of Gondor. “They were a small local band back in Seattle that I saw play a few times. Maybe one day they’ll make it big and you’ll see them on TV.”

  “Cool, but we need to get you ready.” She practically shoved me back inside my room, insisting on helping me pick out something to wear. It was the first time she’d been in my room, and before raiding my closet, she took a minute to look around and examine my space. Something about it made me uncomfortable. I could see, as her head turned and her eyes made a slow perusal of my things, that she was forming opinions and judgments about me. I just didn’t know what they were.

  My room was my space, the place where I didn’t have to care what anyone expected of me. The place where my seven hundred dollar Manolo Blahnik wedges could sit next to my forty dollar Chuck Taylors, and my Fendi and Valentino bags could hang on the rack that sat under my Final Fantasy XIII poster. Gamer girl nerd met high class, and I didn’t have to worry about what anybody thought about it. Or well, I didn’t until now.

  “So, you’re really into video games?” Jillian asked, now eyeing my entertainment center, but it was difficult to read anything from her tone.

  “Oh, not really, but my dad’s company develops some of the software used in game design, and being a guy in the tech industry, he didn’t always get that, in a house full of girls, we’d all rather have Gucci than X-box,” I joked and she muttered, “Dads,” on a an eye roll like they were all clueless and would never understand daughters.

  When she moved on to my closet, she was much more impressed by what she found hanging in there.

  “I love your wardrobe,” she proclaimed as she rifled through hangers of dresses and designer tops.

  “Thanks.”

  That was the wardrobe that belonged to the Mia everyone got to see. The put together, polished, lover of pretty things Mia. I couldn’t deny that I really did love pretty things, and sometimes had a bit of a shopping problem. There were times though, that I didn’t want to have to be so put together. The drawer full of t-shirts, like the one I had on, was for when it was just me, a pizza box, a bunch of those five hour energy shots and a new game I had to beat before morning. Last night had been one of those nights, and had lasted into this morning. I’d squeezed in just enough of a nap before Sadie had called with her news, that I should be able to make it through whatever party Jillian dragged me to.

  She pulled
a top and skirt from their hangers and thrust them into my arms and pushed me toward the en suite. When I emerged, she was dangling a pair of my favorite strappy black Louboutins from her fingers.

  A few strokes of eyeliner, a couple swipes with the mascara brush and a spritz of my favorite perfume later, and the party girl Mia persona was in place and ready. Even though, I would have preferred another quiet night in, catching up on the Walking Dead or beating the most recent Assasin’s Creed. Again. But I couldn’t pass on a third weekend of partying without disappointing Jillian, so I put on my smile and followed her out the door.

  Later that night, when I returned to my dorm, I was mostly sober and feeling better about having gone out with Jillian and the group. I felt good after a night of laughing and dancing with friends, this time not on the coffee table. I’d kept just enough of a light buzz all night to be able to let loose and enjoy myself, but not enough that I would have any lingering regrets in the morning.

  Leland had spent most of the night flirting with me, and even that was fun. I wasn’t sure if I liked him like that yet, but he was funny and great to hang out with. It didn’t hurt that his light hair and pretty blue eyes reminded me of someone else. Maybe that was wrong, but Leland wasn’t completely out of my league like a certain rockstar was. He might help me forget him though. At least I pretended that was actually a possibility all week.

  Monday afternoon, after my lit class let out, I got back to my dorm to find Leland hanging around outside, waiting for me in hopes that I would go get coffee with him. I smiled and told myself that I was happy to see him, excited even that he’d been waiting for me, and that the lack of flutters I felt didn’t mean anything. There was no rule that said a guy had to give you flutters or you couldn’t accept a coffee date invite. It wasn’t his fault that all my flutters had been hijacked by someone else.

  He took me to a little local shop just off campus, frequented by college students. He paid, we sat and talked. It was nice. He was nice. He was more than nice. He was funny and charming and smart and easy to look at.