Chapter 2 Beginning of a Disaster
Rick let out a sigh before he called out to her. “I’ll be gone then. I love you.”
Mia stormed out to the balcony, letting the cool night air slap against her heated skin.
“Arrghhhhh!”
She let out a loud exclamation as she gripped the rail so tightly that her knuckles whitened. Her breath was ragged as though she had just run a marathon.
Anger! It pulsed in her veins, yet again. It’s not just at Rick, but at herself. At the way she kept circling back to the same hollow disappointment.
She feels stuck. She hated how familiar it felt.
Her chest tightened as an old memory slipped in, uninvited but vivid. She could see him again, hunched over his desk, papers scattered, his pen moving furiously. She had hovered by the doorway, biting her lip.
“Are you even listening to me?” she had asked.
“I’m listening, Cariño.” His eyes never left the page.
“No, you’re not,” she pushed. “You care more about these stupid papers than me. Sometimes I wonder if you even love me anymore.”
That finally made him look up. His gaze softened, the pen falling from his hand.
“Don’t ever say that,” he said gently. “You know there’s nothing in this world I love more than you.”
“This,” she described what he’s doing with her hands. “Doesn’t prove that.”
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling. “You know I meant every word I just said.”
“Maybe I will when you prove it.” She whispered, half daring, half desperate.
“Come on, pumpkin… If I stop now, there’ll be consequences. You know that.”
“Then let there be consequences,” she shot back, her lower lip trembling. “Because I need you more than they need those papers.”
“You don’t know that.” He tried to convince her, but she’s not having it.
“Really?”
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
“Fine!”
He pushed the files aside, stood, and walked over to her. He pulled her into his arms, pressing his forehead to hers.
“My mind may be with work,” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers, “but my heart is always with you. Always.”
She chuckled.
“Why were you angry again?” He mumbled as he kissed her all over her face.
“Was I?” Mia shied away from the question.
“Is that it? Do you think I love you now?” He continued to kiss her.
“Just a tiny little bit.” Mia teased.
“Oh, really? Then I’m going to make you pay for getting me off that chair.”
Mia chuckled even more.
And then he kissed her on her lips, deeper, until the sting of loneliness melted away. “El Patricio is going to have our heads.” He muttered softly.
El Patricio!
Another thought cut through. El Patricio? Rick’s words echoed in her mind, snapping her back to the present.
El Patricio? Going to prison?
She hurried back inside and snatched up her phone, her fingers trembling as she searched the latest headlines.
Breaking: El Patricio Sentenced—Gang Leader Faces Prison Time.
Federal Authorities Confirm Blood Brotherhood Crackdown.
The words were there, clear as day, splashed across every news outlet. She scrolled furiously, refreshing again and again as if one article might tell a different story. But they all said the same thing.
Still, something in her refused to accept it. Men like him didn’t just disappear into prisons. Men like him found ways out.
Mia sank into the couch. “This can’t be real. It’s not the end but surely the beginning of a disaster.”
The sun soon sank into the horizon, and the cold night seeped through the windows. Rick, as usual, was cuddled up in his Peter Rabbit pajamas with his phone in his hands. Mia lay beside him, still in her jeans and tee. She stared at him, and when she couldn’t take it any longer, she started.
“Do you think we’re okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, look at us. Look at you. Are you happy?”
“Of course I’m happy. What do you mean by that question? Aren’t you happy?” He dropped his phone on the bedside table and turned to face her.
The look on her face made him worried, so he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. That’s what’s wrong. Nothing at all is happening between us.”
“Baby, I already told you. I’m a lawyer, not a psychic. I can’t know what you want to say until you actually say it. All these pieces... You know I’m bad at games.”
“It’s just… I’ve been thinking…”
“Whenever you start like that, then it’s a long conversation.”
Mia smiled but continued talking, staring at the ceiling.
“Rick. When we first met, I didn’t tell you so many things about me. All you knew was that I wanted to forget my past and move on. And I am grateful that you didn’t ask or force me to say anything.”
“Okay, so?” Rick interrupted impatiently.
“Just listen, please.” Mia snapped back.
“What was I trying to say again?” She took a deep breath and then picked up from where she stopped.
“I was trying to say we can’t pretend I don’t have a past. You know, needs and things like that. I know you have a life and work... but I also have a life to get back to, you know? I can’t be stuck here while you have all the adventures that you want to have. I mean, I hate that nothing is happening. I’m just... Rick? Rick!”
“Arghhh,” Mia groaned again. “I can’t believe you right now.”
