Mia Like Crazy (19 page)

“Mmm-hmm.”

“I’d really like to kiss you right now.” His request sounded so sweet and reasonable, I saw no reason to deny it.

I felt his lips touch mine lightly and then more firmly. I was disappointed I didn’t feel his kisses spreading through my body like Drew’s did.

I wasn’t enjoying this and I wanted to stop him, but didn’t have the energy. Apparently, he was enjoying himself because his kisses became more passionate, and I felt his weight on me. His hands began moving over my body, much the way Drew’s hands had that night in the car, but these sensations were different, and this wasn’t Drew.

The last thought thrust me back into reality. I pushed Lance away and struggled to get out from under him. “Let go of me!” I screamed hysterically. Lance moved off me and put his hands in the air.

“Don’t freak, Mia. It’s okay.”

I was wide-awake now and knew for certain I didn’t want to be there. “I’m sorry.” I tried to explain, “you seem like a really nice guy, but—”

“Please don’t say anymore. I get it. I’m a really nice guy, but I’m not the guy you came here thinking about.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry I gave you the wrong impression.”

“You were pretty drunk. I should have known better. You’re just so beautiful…I really should have known better,” he repeated apologetically. “I’m sorry. Look, if you ever get over this bad boy you’re into right now, give me a call.”

“What makes you think he’s a bad boy?”

Lance sighed. “They always are.”

He helped me out of the car, but I was much more surefooted now. As we walked back across the parking lot together, I decided I’d been wise to stay away from hard liquor all this time.

A gentleman to the end, Lance hailed me a cab and made sure I was safely in the back seat before saying goodbye.

He’s exactly the kind of guy I need. Why isn’t he the kind of guy I want?

~

When I arrived home, Drew was nowhere to be seen. He was probably pacing in his room, and I hoped he stayed there for the night because I didn’t know what I would say to him if I saw him.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror that hung next to the door in the living room. My hair was a mess and my clothes were rumpled. I looked like a woman who’d picked up a man in a bar and made out with him in his car.

I thought it would be best if I went up to my room and got into bed. It would definitely be better if Drew didn’t see me like this. Besides, I was too embarrassed about what I’d done to defend myself against his barbs tonight. I picked up my purse from the couch and turned toward the stairs.

The front door burst open and Drew blew in like a hurricane. He slammed it behind him.

“Did you have a good time tonight,
Mia
?” His voice was as cold as ice when he said my name.

“Not particularly.”

He pointed at me with his index finger. “That’s a lie!” I saw what looked like blood all over his hands, and smears on his dark suit and white shirt.

“My God, what happened to your hands?” My mind went immediately to the cops and their vendetta against him. “Who did this to you?”

“
You
did it to me
, Mia.
” I could see that he was in raving mode. “You and your talk about how I could change things and acting like you weren’t going to leave me, but you did!”

“Drew, what are you talking about? What happened?”

“You happened, and he happened…and look at you! He was all over you, wasn’t he?”

My stomach turned over. “Who are you talking about?” I tried to ask calmly.

“The guy in the silver Mercedes—Pretty Boy.” He smiled strangely. “Well, he
was.”

“What did you do to him?” My voice was quivering and my eyes were riveted to the blood.

“He deserved it. I knew he did…and just look at you!” He waved a bloody hand toward me. I was too alarmed to be ashamed.

I remembered Lance’s handsome face and his kind words when we parted. Panic seized me. “What did you
do
to him?” I screamed.

“I killed him,” he answered very calmly. “He touched you and I wanted to kill him. So I did.”

I felt my stomach lurch and I ran into the guest bathroom and emptied its contents into the toilet.

This had to be a nightmare. I couldn’t have gotten someone killed.

Lance’s kind, smiling face was all I could see, as I splashed cold water on my own. I dried off and walked on shaking limbs back into the living room.

“Where is he now? Did you call 911, at least? He may not be dead.”

“Oh, he’s dead all right,” Drew assured me as I reached for the phone. “What are you doing?”

“Calling 911—where was he when you left?” I thought my voice sounded oddly calm. The phone was torn from my hand. Drew yanked the cord out of the wall.

Without another word, I reached over and picked up my purse, fully intending to walk out the door.

But I heard a phone ring, and I ran to the kitchen to pick up the extension. It had to be Meridith. Maybe she could get Drew to tell her where Lance was.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mia?” The male voice sounded familiar. “This is Lance. I just wanted to warn you that I think your boyfriend is on a rampage. He walked up right after you left, screaming about me touching you or something. Then he started trying to bash my car windows with his bare hands. He actually cracked a couple, but I guess that wasn’t enough, so he went around and smashed all my lights out. Mia, are you there?”

“I’m here, Lance. I’m sorry… I’m glad you’re all right.” The relief rushed to my brain so fast, I felt lightheaded.

“I’m worried about you. That guy was a complete lunatic,” Lance warned. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will. And I’ll call you in a couple of days to get estimates from you. The lunatic will pay for the damage.”

I was so relieved, I couldn’t speak for a few moments. And I was actually thankful I’d been so drunk, I’d given Lance my phone number.

Then, I was overcome by a fury like I’d never known. I whirled around and headed back through the swinging door.

Drew was leaning against the railing post at the bottom of the stairs, examining his bloody fingernails as if nothing earth-shattering had happened.

I was running completely on adrenaline and emotion now. I rushed toward him and slapped him as hard as I could across the face. He looked stunned, probably not by the slap itself since it didn’t even leave a mark, but by the fact that I’d done it. I took him by his upper arms, near his shoulders, and actually managed to shake him a bit.

“Are you so devoid of human emotion you don’t even realize what you did? You convinced me you had
killed
someone—I believed that the man I loved was a murderer! I thought a wonderful person was dead…
dead
…because of me! And now, you stand here propped against the staircase like it’s some kind of harmless practical joke!”

Drew somehow managed to miss the point again. “So you really
love
me?”

“You
are
Satan!” I yelled, as I strode to the kitchen and picked up the phone again.

Chapter Twelve

Meridith arrived, an hour later, with a doctor to see to Drew’s wounds. I’d called her, reported the incident to her, and told her, in no uncertain terms, that I would not be tending to his injuries or taking him to a medical facility. Meridith said she understood under the circumstances.

When they arrived, I came downstairs and made a pot of coffee. I sat in the living room with Meridith, while the doctor worked on Drew a few feet away at the dining table. I’d showered and changed, but I was weary down to my bones and it showed.

“Mia, sweetheart, you don’t have to stay down here with us. You look tired,” Meridith said.

Drew overheard. “Mia sweetheart,” he said mockingly, “did you tell your sister-in-law who the guy was in the parking lot?”

“She told me the whole story, Drew.” Meridith sounded annoyed, for once.

“And I guess you’re taking her side, huh?”

“Could you be any more childish?” I was way past annoyed. “There’s not a side for her to take, here. You were a jerk, then I did an incredibly stupid thing, and then you acted like a lunatic.”

“So we’re even?” He sounded like an eight-year-old.

I put my face in my hands. After a few seconds I slid them up slowly until my forehead rested in my palms and my fingers were laced through my hair. I closed my hands into fists. I had a flashback of myself, as a young child, sitting in my room in the same position.

“Meridith,” I said. “I can’t do this.”

“Don’t make any decisions until you’ve had some sleep,” Meridith advised.

Drew chimed in, “Besides, you’ve learned your lesson, now, so this kind of thing won’t happen again.” He had the audacity to smile.

I wanted to slap him again. “You’ve already driven me to violence once tonight. We could make it a double homicide.”

“You mean me and Lance?” He chuckled.

“Still think I’m good for him, Meridith?” I asked.

She held her tongue.

~

I got up the next morning starved and thinking I would need to rustle up my own breakfast after what had happened the night before.

Instead of making myself presentable, as I had each morning since I moved in, I went downstairs with my hair a mess wearing my exercise pants and a big T-shirt.

I headed for the kitchen, hoping to find some cereal or bread for toast. What I found was Drew, whistling while he whisked eggs as though nothing monumental had occurred between us a few hours before. He turned and looked at me in my disheveled state.

“Wow, I’ve never seen you like this before. You look hot!”

I found his teasing in poor taste, considering the fact that he had never even consummated our marriage.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, omelet boy.” After noting the dark shadows under my eyes, as reflected in the chrome refrigerator door, I started searching the cabinets.

“What are you looking for?”

“Cereal.”

“Don’t have it. Don’t believe in it.”

“It’s nice to know you have some convictions,” I said. “I was starting to think you were amoral.”

“See, you don’t know me at all—oh, Meri’s on her way over for breakfast.”

“Great,” I answered sarcastically, thinking the last thing I wanted this morning was to have breakfast with two denial junkies. The doorbell rang.

Drew was in mid-omelet at the stove, so I walked to the front door and opened it. I could see by the look on Meridith’s face she was taken aback by my appearance.

“Mia. I’m so glad to see you, sweetheart. How are you feeling today? ”

At least she didn’t tell me I looked hot.

I turned and walked toward the stairs without answering Meridith’s question. “Drew’s in the kitchen,” I said. “I’ll be right back down.”

I took only a few minutes to apply some concealer to my dark shadows and brush my hair back into a low ponytail. I steeled myself for whatever ridiculous conversation I was going to have to sit through in order to earn my breakfast.