“You make me believe it, Ty. I love you.” I grinned as I pressed a light kiss to his lips.
“I love you too. Now, get back to work. You’re stalling,” he winked as he smacked my ass and spun me.
I spent that entire afternoon and evening running turn after turn and going over my audition piece. Ty had been right. I nailed it, and one of the judges told me the same thing. I made it look effortless and seemed like I was born to dance. I’d spent the night soaking in the tub, much I like I was doing now.
I stayed in the water until it cooled before climbing out and hobbling into my tiny kitchen area. I popped a few painkillers before wrapping my ankle and falling into bed. Dinner could wait. I didn’t need the extra weight, and I was so tired that sleep was the only thing I was interested in at the moment.
As my eyes fluttered closed, and I let myself succumb to exhaustion, my dreams filled with thoughts of Tyler and wondering what he was doing at that very minute. How could I convince him to come to ballet, and what would it take to get him to forgive me? There had to be something…
MORNING CAME ALL too quickly, and when I slowly rose from my bed, my ankle protested against the weight. I glanced down at it, and I grimaced in pain. It was swollen and purple. I couldn’t believe that a sprain could be that painful. I slowly lowered myself back down on the bed as I pulled my foot into my lap. This was not happening. The top of my foot was slightly discolored, but when I removed the wrap I’d placed on my foot the night before, I hissed. It looked bad. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had an injury swell or bruise so quickly.
I slowly hobbled into the kitchen, took a few more pain relievers, and grabbed my phone off the counter. Tears pricked my eyes as pain sliced up my leg, and reality slowly began to sink in. Something was really wrong, and my worst fear seemed like a possibility. I bit the inside of cheek as I dialed Garrett’s number.
“Lo?” his groggy voice came on the line. “That you Mia?”
“I need your help,” I sniffed as I tried to keep my voice steady.
“What’s wrong?” I could hear the sheets ruffling on the other end of the line as Garrett perked up.
“I don’t know. I think I really hurt myself yesterday.” I was panicked. “Garrett, what am I going to do? What if I can’t dance?”
“Calm down. We don’t have to be at rehearsal until late today. Did you rest it?” I could hear him moving more and figured he was getting dressed.
“Yes. I tried to walk this morning, and it hurts so badly. I’ve never had a sprain hurt like this.” I began to sob.
“Did you run on it or anything last night?” he murmured.
“No! Nothing!” The tears were coming now and so was the panic. “I came home, soaked it, and went to bed. What am I going to do?” I shrieked. “We open in four days!”
“Ok, I’m on my way over. Give me like ten minutes and calm down.” The line went dead, and I tossed my phone on the bed, rolling to the side, and curling up in a ball. This was my worst fear. Not dancing. If I had to tell Joe that I couldn’t dance, he’d replace me. I’d lose my spot, and my career would take its first hit. It wasn’t fair in the least.
By the time Garrett made it over to my place, I had worked myself into a full on meltdown. I was convinced that my career as a dancer was over, and I was destined to be a has-been. I’ve always been melodramatic, but today, I seemed to take it to a whole new level.
“Let’s get you to one of the company docs and see what they say. You may just need a couple of days rest.” Garrett smiled as he helped me into his car. He had given up his morning at the gym to help me, and if I’d been thinking clearer, I would have been a little more thankful.
We drove to the studio, and after a few minutes with Joe, we were referred to a clinic across town. Supposedly, they were the best in their field and would offer the care and diagnosis that I’d need. I was hoping a few days of pain medication and elevation was all I needed, but as my foot throbbed, making me aware of the pain I was in, I had my doubts.
“SO, THAT’S IT,” I grumbled when we made our way back outside. We’d been at the clinic most of the morning, and the news I was given was not what I wanted to hear.
“I’m sorry, babe.” Garrett hung his head as he helped me back into the car. “I’ll help you get settled, but what about taking some time off?”
“I don’t want time off,” I muttered. “I want to dance,” I frowned as I stared down at the air cast that wrapped my ankle.
“Well,” Garrett’s brow scrunched as he climbed in behind the wheel. “I think time off is exactly what you’re getting whether you like it or not.”
A broken ankle. That was what the doctor had said. I had a hairline fracture in the fibula. I could still walk, but the injury would heal faster if I didn’t, so now I had this lovely set of crutches to go along with my bruised ego. While we made our way back to my place, I watched my dreams go up in smoke. It would take months to get back to this place once I healed, and based on my prognosis, I wouldn’t be dancing in The Nutcracker or anything else until at least March. Six weeks of crutches, then another month of physical therapy before I could start training. Only then would I be able to really put weight on it and dance. The problem with that… I’d be sorely out of shape, and lacking the dancer’s body that I worked so hard to achieve.
“Cheer up!” Garrett offered a half-smile. “It could be a lot worse.”
“I can’t dance! How much worse could it get?” I squealed as I fisted my hands and pounded them against my thighs. “I’ve worked my whole life for this, and then in one afternoon, it was all taken away.”
“You’ll get it back. You’re not getting kicked out Mia,” he sighed as he pulled over in front of my building. “So Shannon will go on for you this winter. Big deal. I know how much you wanted this part, but we’re doing Swan Lake in the spring. Concentrate on getting better so you can nail the lead.” His lips pulled up on one side as he shifted to face me. “I know you can do it.”
“I guess,” I mumbled as a tear slipped down my cheek. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should go home for a little while. Get some perspective on things.”
“You haven’t seen your parents in months,” he chuckled. “It might be nice to have your mom help take care of you. I think getting around with these things,” he nudged the crutches, “is going to be harder than you think.”
“Maybe.” I squeezed my eyes shut before releasing a deep breath slowly. I nodded before shoving open my door and climbing out. I hopped a few times as I positioned the crutches under my arms and used my hip to shut the door.
Garrett rolled the window down as he looked up at me, “You sure you don’t want any help getting back to your place?”
“Thanks, but I need to learn to do this on my own. I appreciate the ride, Garrett, and I’m sorry I’m not going to be the one in your arms next week.”
“I’ll live, but get better soon, ok?” He chuckled as he rolled the window up and slowly pulled out into traffic.
IT HAD BEEN a few weeks since I’d seen her, but that didn’t keep my mind from going into overdrive. I don’t know what it was about Mia, but she captured my attention like no other. It had always been that way. The day I saw her on the playground, fiery hair whipping in the wind as she stuck her chin up and refused to back down to Mikey Clark, I knew I needed to know her. We were only ten at the time, but when she turned her eyes on me, and I saw them sparkle, I was done for. It took me years to move past the friend zone and kiss her, but when I did, it felt like our hearts fused together. At thirteen, I wasn’t sure what love was, but as we moved from innocent kids to something more, I knew I loved Mia Callahan.
“Daddy’s got a meeting this afternoon. Wanna do a late lunch?” Christina’s head popped through the door of my office bringing me out of my musings.
“Can’t,” I muttered as I clicked the window I been staring at on my laptop closed, and brought up the file I was supposed to be working on. I was going to court in three days
, along with another associate, and even though I was sitting second chair, I knew I needed to be more prepared.
“Can’t? Or won’t?” She moved farther into the doorway now, and the hair on the back of my neck rose in preparation of a fight. Chrissi knew I couldn’t really argue here at work, at least not with this many people around.
“Can’t,” I grumbled as I shuffled the papers in front of me. “June was supposed to be ordering me takeout from down the street. I have too much to do today. I can’t spend any time messing around.” I barely looked up, hoping that she’d get the hint and leave me alone, but she did just the opposite.
I heard the door click shut, and before I knew it, she was leaning over my desk, pressing her breasts in my face. “I need to talk to you, and despite wanting more privacy to do it, I guess this will have to do.” My head snapped up at her tone, and my eyes trailed her as she moved to the side of my desk. Her black pencil skirt rode up her legs slightly as she leaned against the corner of my desk. I swallowed as I attempted to look away, but when her hand landed on my shoulder, I froze. “I’m late,” she shrugged her shoulders slightly as she waited for me to look up.
“Well, you better get going then,” I muttered and rolled my eyes.
“No Ty. I’m late, as in my period. It’s late,” she shook her head at me as she shifted to stand.
“What?” I gawked as the words rattled around in my brain. “How?”
She turned, lowered herself into my lap, and if I’d been thinking clearly, I’m sure I would have pushed her away. “We’re going to have a baby.” She smiled, and I wasn’t sure if she was serious or if this was some desperate way to keep me in her life. I had been pulling away over the last several weeks, and Chrissi had noticed. She’d been trying much more often to sneak in my office or stay late with me.
“How did this happen?” I gasped as my throat tightened up. The world began spinning around me as I watched my future dissipate.
“You fucked me without a condom multiple times.” She flipped her hand in the air as she rolled her eyes. “Nothing’s a hundred percent.”
“I can’t have a baby, not with you,” I scoffed. “Your dad is going to fucking kill me when he finds out. Shit!” I stood, pushing her off my lap. “You can’t tell him it’s mine. Fuck!” I began pacing in front of the windows of my office, furiously yanking my hair as hard as I could.
“I might be able to keep it a secret,” she paused for effect, “for the right price.” A gleam filled her eyes as she turned to face me.
“Chrissi, you have all the money in the world, way more than I do.” I let my mouth drop open. “What could I possibly give you that you don’t already have?”
“You,” her smile grew as she moved gracefully across the room. She stopped right in front of me and began toying with my tie. “I won’t tell Daddy that the baby’s yours, if you keep pleasuring me. No more office trysts though; I want you in my bed. She pressed her lips together as her head tipped to the side appraising me.
“You’re blackmailing me with sex?” I sputtered.
“Don’t think of it that way,” she tsked. “Think of it as spending time with the mother of your child. You come to my apartment in the evenings to take care of my needs, and I’ll keep my mouth shut. You stop coming, and I’ll spill the beans to Daddy. Deal?” She yanked on my tie causing my head to snap forward slightly.
“That sounds like a relationship, not a deal?” I grumbled.
“It’s that or nothing,” she shrugged.
“Deal,” I mumbled as my stomach dropped. “Fuck! I have to go home for Christmas. I was going to be there for two weeks.” I rubbed my hand over my eyes.
“I’ll give you a pass for that.” She shrugged again as she stepped away. “See you at nine, Stud.” She waved her manicured fingers flirtatiously as she stepped back out into the hallway and disappeared.
What the fuck just happened? I stumbled back over to my desk and fell back into my chair as I stared at nothing in particular. Did that really just happen? Was I going to be a dad? I didn’t think we’d done it that many times. I needed to get away and clear my head and fast.
Before I realized what I was doing, I sent Charlie an email telling him I wouldn’t be in court with him. I messaged my boss, feigning a family emergency, before sending him all the files I’d worked on. Then without even thinking it through, I pulled up the train schedule, and booked a ticket to Cherryville for that evening. If I left work now, I could pack my things and be at the station in plenty of time. I reserved a car, one I knew would work well in the snow, and then grabbed my briefcase and laptop bag. As I began closing out the windows and shutting my computer down, I couldn’t help but stop and pause at the screen covered in Mia’s photos. She was still one of the most beautiful women I’d ever laid eyes on. She always saw the best in me. What would she think of me now if she saw the mess I was in?
As I rushed out of the building with my coat half on, I sent Chrissi text. Vacation started early. See you in 2 weeks. I turned my phone off as soon as the message sent to avoid having to answer it when she would undoubtedly call me back, stuffed it in my pocket, and climbed into the first cab I could flag down. This was not how I ever pictured my first visit home in years, not at all. What the hell was I going to tell my brother when I showed up at his door tonight? The truth? Would he even let me inside when he found out what I’d done?
“FUCKETY, FUCKETY, FUCK!!!” I hissed under my breath as I wrestled my bag over to my rental car. I hadn’t been back here in five years, and I still couldn’t believe that I’d been cursed with coming in the winter. I’d forgotten over the years how much snow this part of New York got. In the city, it was cold, but the snowfall was nowhere near this. “Damn you lakes and your stupid lake effect snow!” I shouted into the darkness as I wrenched the driver side door open before grabbing my phone and turning it on.
I tossed my luggage in the backseat, and went to work cleaning the windshield off with a snow brush. As I rounded the passenger side, my phone vibrated in my pocket. “What!” I barked into it.
“So you did leave town?” Gavin laughed on the other end.
“Fuck you!” I growled. “I didn’t have much of a choice. “She’s crazy, and I’m not screwing anything else with work up. I’ve only been partner for a little over six months. Christina is not ruining that for me,” I sighed as I finished cleaning the snow off my windshield, and climbed in the Malibu I had rented.
“So where are you?” Gavin chuckled.
“I’m in bum fucking nowhere,” I groaned.
“No seriously. Where are you?” he muttered.
“Cherryville. I came to see my brothers and sister-in-law,” I cranked the car up hoping to get some heat soon.
“You know,” he chuckled. “I heard from Daniel, Mia’s brother that she went home for the holidays too. Something about an ankle injury. You have fun with that. K?”
“Shut up,” I grumbled. “Mia wrote me off years ago. I don’t care if she’s here or not. I want nothing to do with her,” I snapped. “Listen. I’ll call you in a few days. I gotta drive in this crap, and it’s not easy.”
“Sure dude. Later,” Gavin clicked off the line and I tossed my phone over onto the passenger seat. This was fucking great. Mia was in town. Not only was I going to have to avoid work now I was going to have to avoid her too. Easier said than done, you crazy stalker.
When I reached Taylor and Morgan’s place, I pulled into the driveway and stared at the house. There weren’t any lights on inside, and I wondered if they were even awake. It wasn’t that late for most people, but here in Cherryville, it was pretty dead at night in the winter.
I climbed from the car, grabbed my suitcase, and dragged it along with myself up their front steps. I rang the doorbell, and waited hoping that Taylor didn’t slam the door in my face when he saw it was me. It didn’t take long before I could hear the laughter of my brother coming from the inside. The door flew open, and he stood there staring at me. “What th
e hell, Ty?” He shook his head.
“Nice to see you too,” I grumbled as I began to kick snow off my shoes.
“What are you doing here?” He scowled as he ran his hand through his messy hair. “You’re not supposed to be here for another couple of weeks.” He must have either been asleep on the couch or wearing a snow hat.
“I wanted to come for a visit. Plans change. If you don’t want me here,” I shrugged as my voice trailed off and I noticed a shadow from the corner of my eye. It was Morgan, and as soon as she saw it was me, she smiled.
“It’s about time you came back here.” She grinned as she reached for my luggage. “Let him in, Tay. It’s cold out there.” She pushed the suitcase over by the stairs before turning back to face me. “Come in here and have a seat. I’ll get you some coffee or tea.” She pointed toward what I assumed was the living room as I began unwinding the scarf around my neck and unbuttoning my coat.
“I’m glad you’re home,” Taylor mumbled before moving closer, “but what gives?”
“Let’s just say I will never, EVER,” I stressed, “get involved with someone from the office again.”
“Shit, Bro!” he hissed. “What’d you do?”
“I fucked the wrong person, and now I might lose my job over it.” I hung my head as I removed my shoes, pasted on a smile, and walked in the direction Morgan had pointed with Taylor trailing behind me.
“What do you mean?” Taylor grabbed my arm, stopping me before we made it into the room.
“Let’s just say that interns are strictly off limits for a reason,” I sighed as my head dropped. “I’ll tell you about it when we can be alone.”
“We can be alone now. Come on,” he waved me in the direction of the stairs and began climbing them slowly. “I’ll be back in minute, baby. I’m just showing Ty to his room.”
Beyond the Cherry Trees: The Cook Brothers Series Page 4