Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
She held it up to me as I ate my eggs. “You look so beautiful!”
Tucking my hair behind my ear, I smiled, “Thanks. I get it from my mom.”
My mother walked over to me with concern on her face and took my hand in hers. “I noticed you haven't been wearing your engagement ring. Is it getting resized? Or...”
It was time to tell the truth about everything. My mom listened while I talked. When I was done, she asked, “Could this Penny girl be lying?”
“The Board minutes confirmed it. Theo only proposed to me in order to improve his image for the company.” The minutes had solidified everything for me. Penny hadn't been lying.
“I'm sorry, Mia,” Mom said, brushing hair out of my eyes with her hand.
“I was so stupid to fall for a playboy. Penny has known Theo for years, but I've only known him for a few months. I should have known there was something more to their relationship.”
My mom shook her head sympathetically. “You couldn't have! You trusted him. That doesn't make you stupid.”
I felt stupid. Theo had never cared about me, only his company. When I uncovered those orgy photos, that should have been a sign to me that Theo White was a womanizing asshole.
But, no. I fell for it. I walked right into his trap. To think, I almost married him. To think, I could have been in a sham of a marriage. Even though Penny wasn't my favorite person in the world, I had her to thank from saving me from years and years of grief.
23
Theo
I spent a few days relentlessly returning to Mia’s dorm and begging Jill on hands and knees to tell me where Mia was. I didn’t blame Jill for wanting me far away from Mia, but after I explained myself, she told me Mia was in Carpinteria at her mom’s.
I jumped on the next available flight in the morning to get down there as quickly as possible. It had already been a week since the incident. Who knew what was going through Mia’s head?
The more time that passed the harder it would be to get Mia back. There was no way I was going to come back to the Bay Area without her. My life would forever be incomplete without Mia by my side.
The night before my sleep had been fitful. My blackout curtains, the three oscillating fans, and even a Benadryl couldn’t give me a decent night sleep. All I could think about was Mia. Worse case scenarios kept playing in my mind.
What if she refused to take me back? What if she had already fallen out of love with me?
She’d left a tank top that she wore to sleep. Hugging it close to my chest and breathing in her floral scent, my heart thudded like a heavy brick.
What would I do without her in my life?
I’d finally discovered what love was and how splendid it felt to love and be loved. It was all gone because of Penny and her psychotic rage. My hope was that once I saw Mia face to face I’d be able to explain everything.
The negative thought that she would refuse to talk to me lingered in my throat nearly bringing tears to my eyes. I missed her so much, but I fought back the urge to wail. My mission was to fight for her. I’d plant myself outside her mother’s house until I was dragged away or vultures swooped down to eat my pitiful carcass.
The next morning, the flight down to Carpinteria was just as agonizing as the night before, if not more, since my eyes were heavy with fatigue and my nerves were shot. I felt like a walking zombie. All I could think about was seeing Mia’s beautiful face again.
Once in her hometown, I rented a car and headed straight to her mom’s. Carpinteria was charming in a small town way without being too folksy or outdated. As I drove through the main part of town, I imagined the biggest vat of guacamole set up there. Mia had told me in animated detail about the Avocado Festival. I was actually looking forward to going to the festival and taking part in one of Mia’s traditions.
I pulled up to Mia’s mom’s house, my nerves tingling with anxiety. The blue cottage style house was cute with flower boxes in the windows and a matching blue mailbox that had colorful painted birds all over it. It looked like the kind of home Mia would have grown up in: fun, charming, and provincial.
As I released a breath, I knocked on the door. Mia’s mother answered. “Can I help you?” she asked with a worried brow. The resemblance between Mia and her mother was uncanny. They had the same eyes and cheekbones.
“Yes, Ms. Smith, I’m here to see your daughter, Mia,” I begged desperately.