Saving Ever After (Ever After #4)

by Stephanie Hoffman McManus

  “Mia, seriously, this is enough.” My irritation was growing.

  “If you’re not going to give me back my champagne, you can just go, Chrissstian.” I was taken aback by her hostility. This was a side to her I hadn’t seen, and one I really didn’t like. I couldn’t find any trace of the sweet girl I usually saw, in those cold eyes. Whatever was going on with her, I had a hard time accepting that this angry, out of control person was really her.

  The real Mia, her eyes were usually warm and sometimes a little sad, but when she smiled it was dangerous, because it made you want to work your ass off to be the one to put it on her face, even when you knew that job didn’t belong to you and never would. And her laugh, the genuine one that bubbled up from inside her and spilled over, infecting everyone around, was nothing like the flat, listless giggles that fell from her drunk lips now. I knew, because I’d heard and felt the real one. I’d seen the real Mia. She didn’t stay with us very long last year, but it was enough for me to see the girl that she was when she wasn’t trying to be anything else. The girl who was now hiding behind this hard, defensive exterior.

  “Hey Chris,” Sadie came up beside me, but before she could say anything else, Mia turned and threw her arms around her sister.

  “Sadie! My favorite sister, the only one doesn’t think I’m a complete screw up. Dance with me. You’re getting married!”

  Sadie’s face fell as a wobbly Mia tried to pull her into dancing. “Mia, that’s not true. You’re not a screw up, but I think you should come sit down with me for a while and sober up.”

  “Sober is no fun,” Mia whined playfully, and then sighed, “Sober Mia is no fun. I’m fun now though, and the champagne makes it not suck as much.”

  “What sucks, Mia?” Sadie asked her softly.

  “All of it,” she whispered, and the heavy sadness clinging to her words ebbed some of my irritation with her. This was more than her letting loose and not knowing her limits. She was clearly not having a good time and trying to cover it up. She dropped her head to Sadie’s shoulder. “I don’t feel so well. I think maybe you’re right and I do need to sit down.”

  “Come on,” I put one arm around her back and let her lean on me so I could get her over to the couch. Mia finally seemed to notice the few eyes that still lingered on her, and realize that she’d caused a scene.

  “I’m sorry I’m ruining your party, Sadie. You’re the only one who still cares and I just wanted to be happy for you. I tried to make myself happy, but now I think I’m just drunk.” She tipped her head back against the sofa cushion and closed her eyes.

  “Oh, Mia,” Sadie whispered, pained, but I don’t think Mia heard her.

  “She needs to go home,” I told her.

  “I know. Ace and I will take her. I just want her to rest a little first.”

  “No. You guys can’t leave your own party. I’ll take her,” I offered.

  “Chris,” a voice sounded behind me. I hadn’t even realized Katrina had followed us over, but she appeared more than slightly annoyed.

  “You don’t have to do that, Chris,” Sadie said.

  “It’s okay, I don’t mind.” I looked at Katrina. “You can follow in my car, and then we can come back or head home, whatever you want,” I told her.

  “Fine.” Her mouth was pinched in a tight line.

  “Thank you, guys.” Sadie sounded relieved. Katrina gave her a strained smile. I’d have to make it up to her later.

  Despite Mia’s attempts to refuse my help, I was able to get her outside and to her car. It took ten minutes of arguing with her before she handed over her keys. She kept shoving at me, trying to get back inside, demanding somebody else drive her home. I hated that she wouldn’t let me help her, that she seemed to want anyone but me to help her. I didn’t know what her sudden problem with me was, but my frustration mounted and I snapped.

  “You’re a fucking mess right now, Mia! Nobody else wants to deal with you,” I shouted at her, instantly wishing I could take it back when I saw the look of hurt on her face.

  After my verbal slap to the face, she handed the keys over without anymore protest and dejectedly climbed into the passenger seat. She managed to buckle herself in while I stood there regretfully, trying to think of something to say that would take away some of the sting of my harsh words, but I didn’t know what. I just walked around to the driver seat and slid in.

  “Look Mia,” I started once we were driving, but she stopped me.

  “Don’t bother apologizing. We both know it’s true.” She leaned her head against the window. Her eyes stared straight ahead.

  “Not it’s not,” I tried to say.

  “I said don’t,” she bit out sharply, trying to mask the emotion in her voice. The rest of the ride passed in silence.

  When we pulled up outside her dorm, I found the closest parking spot and shut off the car. I climbed out and walked around to the other side to help her inside. She was still being stubborn, refusing my help and pushing me away. My patience was wearing thin and my irritation was flaring again. I wanted to demand she tell me whatever her issue was with me helping her. Instead I made another asshole remark.

  “Mia, you can’t even walk straight, especially not in those damn shoes. Just let me help you inside before you fall on your face.”

  Her stubbornness only rocketed up, and she started kicking off her shoes. “Look, now I can walk just fine. You can go home and leave me alone.”

  Before I could argue with her further, or shake some sense into her, we were interrupted.

  “Mia, that you?” We both looked over to see a small group approaching, three girls and two guys. Even with the lack of lighting in this parking strip, I could see one of the guys was very blatantly checking Mia out. Ignoring my presence, he let out a low whistle, “Wow, you look good tonight. What’s the special occasion and where were you all day?”

  Mia looked me dead in the eye, “Somebody doesn’t think I look like a mess tonight,” she said in a small voice, and then turned toward the guy who couldn’t keep his eyes above her neckline.

  Fuck, of course she looked beautiful, even sloppy drunk, and yeah, I noticed, even though I shouldn’t. She had to know it. She had to own a damn mirror and be able to see what I did, and that jackass did and every other male with eyes. Obviously my comment had wounded her more than I thought.

  “I was at my sister’s engagement party,” she explained to her friends, not giving me a second look.

  “Oh that was tonight? I completely forgot you told me about that,” one of the girls said.

  “Well, what a coincidence,” Mr. wandering eyes drolled out lazily, “you’re just coming from a party and we’re just headed to one. You still in the partying mood, pretty Mia?” He flashed a sleazy grin at her.

  “Mia, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said softly in her ear and then fixed a hard glare on the asshole that didn’t even care that Mia was in no shape to party anymore. “She’s all partied out for the night guys. You should go on without her.”

  Mia snapped her eyes to mine. “Go home, Chris,” she hissed and then bent down to grab the shoes she’d kicked off. “Hell yes, I’m still in the partying mood. Lead the way!”

  Everything in me wanted to stop her from going with them, even if it meant throwing her over my shoulder and getting her the hell out of there, but the honking of a car horn behind me, stopped me. Katrina was in my car waiting for me at the entrance to the parking lot. I knew she was growing impatient. As much as I hated the idea of letting Mia go with them, I couldn’t exactly lock her up. She wasn’t my responsibility and I had no way to stop her, short of locking her up, so I forced myself to turn around, leaving her in the hands of her friends. I stalked away angrily

  “What was all that?” Katrina asked, climbing out of the car and moving over the passenger’s side so I could climb into the driver’s seat.

  “Mia’s friends. They wanted her to go party some more. I tried to tell her she shouldn’t go, but she wouldn
’t listen. Girl is so damn stubborn!” I slammed my hand against the wheel in frustration.

  “Whatever, it’s not your problem. She seems like a spoiled little brat that only thinks about herself.” I couldn’t blame her for thinking that. This was the first time she’d ever met Mia, and it wasn’t exactly one of Mia’s shining moments, but still I found myself defending her, not even sure why I was, or why I was letting Mia get me so worked up.

  “You don’t know her.”

  Katrina’s eyes on me turned assessing. “And you do? Is that why you’re making her your problem?”

  I spared one more glance for Mia, who was climbing into a car with that guy. Something more than just frustration churned in my gut. I didn’t know exactly what it was, only that it had everything to do with me not wanting to leave Mia in the hands of that fucker. I wanted to slam my hand down on the steering wheel again, or hit something, but I forced myself to let out a deep breath and I kept my hands firmly on the wheel, putting the car in drive and getting us out of there.

  “I know she’s not my problem, and I know Mia didn’t make a good impression tonight. Maybe she is a little bit selfish and spoiled, but she’s not a brat. If you knew how she was raised, what her parents are like . . . Mia’s got a lot of growing up to do, but it’s not all her fault. She’s only eighteen and trying to figure out her place and how to deal with the shit going on in her life. Don’t judge her too harshly for it.”

  “You seem to care an awful lot what I think about her,” Katrina commented. “You sure you’re not trying to make her your problem?”

  “It’s not like that. I can just relate to some of what she’s going through and I don’t like seeing what it’s doing to her. She’s Ace’s family now, which makes her family. Period. That means I give a shit.” Only I knew I’d give a shit whether she was going to be Ace’s family or not. It wasn’t her relationship to anyone else that brought it out in me. It was her. Just her.

  “So that’s why you were watching her all night, because she’s family.” She said skeptically. I didn’t like what her tone implied, but I couldn’t tell if there was an accusation in her observation or not.

  “Katrina, if you’re trying to say something, just say it, or if you have a question, just ask me.”

  She sighed wearily, “No, I don’t know what I was saying. I guess I just didn’t like having to share your attention with that girl tonight, but I know that you’re trying to look out for her. I think it’s sweet and admirable, even if I don’t get it.” I took my eyes off the road briefly to turn and look at her. She was looking back at me with a soft expression. “You’re a good guy, Chris.”

  “Thanks, babe, and you’ve got nothing to worry about. Mia’s not a threat to you or us. I’m all yours.” I took her hand and brought it to my lips, placing a kiss on the back of her fingers. Whatever pull I felt that made me want to help Mia, and do shit like punch that joker back there in the face, I needed to tamp it down. It didn’t mean anything, but more than that, it couldn’t.

  “Did you at least have a good time tonight before we had to play taxi cab?” I swiftly changed the subject.

  “Yeah, I did, before all that,” her tone was unconvincing.

  “I know you haven’t spent much time around my friends, but it’s important to me that you’re comfortable with them.”

  “Your friends are great. You know I like them.” Again there was something off. Her tone was too light and almost sounded forced. I partly blamed myself for not bringing her around them more often. It just seemed that with both our schedules being so crazy, her traveling all the time for her photography career and me with the band, that any time we were both in town, we spent it at her apartment, just the two of us.

  “It’s important to me that you like them. They are my family. We should have them over to the apartment some time, or all go out together.”

  “I don’t know. Is some old lady going to dump water all over me every time we hang out with them? What was up with that earlier?”

  I chuckled, “I’m not sure. I’ve heard Ace’s Grandma Helen is a little odd.” I’d heard plenty of Grandma Helen stories throughout the years to know that she was more than a little odd, but everyone seemed to love her. Even if she was nutty. I didn’t know how to react earlier when she bumped into Katrina and started shaking out her tiny bottle of water all over her. I could’ve sworn I saw a tiny cross on the bottle, but that didn’t make sense. It had to have just been part of the label.

  “A little?” she said skeptically. “At first I thought she had a flask in her hand and that she was just boozy, but it was only water. I just don’t get it, there’s no way that was an accident. It was deliberate.”

  I agreed. The laughter I’d caught Mia trying to hide and the way Grandma Helen had slinked off right back to Mia’s side like they were colluding, made me think Mia could provide an explanation. I wasn’t about to say that to Katrina. It was already unlikely she would warm up to Mia any time soon, and after the Elvira comment from Mia, I was pretty sure it was mutual.

  “At least it wasn’t booze. That would have been worse, right?”

  “Just get me home, baby, so you can get me out of this dress. It’s been a long day.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I’d been looking forward to seeing her out of that dress since she stepped out of the bathroom at her apartment with it on. For some reason my mind went to the way that guy back there had looked at Mia in her dress, and then I was thinking about him stripping it off of her. My grip tightened on the steering wheel.

  Chapter 7

  Mia

  I washed my hands and splashed cool water on my face. I tried to focus on my reflection in the mirror, but everything was becoming distorted and out of focus.

  What the fuck are you doing Mia?

  This was not how the day was supposed to go. It had started out on such a hopeful note. I’d been excited, and now here I was, almost too drunk to stand, feeling sorry for myself in some stranger’s bathroom. Why did I do it? Why did I let Leila and Chris’ pretty girlfriend get to me? Why did I drink an entire bottle of champagne? Why was I so awful to Chris? Why did I go with Leland?

  Oh yeah, now I remembered, he said I was pretty. He noticed me and all the extra effort I’d put into my appearance today. He didn’t make me feel so completely and utterly lacking. When he looked at me, it made me feel special, glamorous even. Was that so wrong? Something in me cried out, Yes! Being here felt completely wrong.

  Damn it.

  I should have just listened to Chris and gone up to my room, I thought as I shoved off the counter and stumbled my way out of the bathroom and back through the unfamiliar house. I hadn’t even wanted to come to this stupid party, but I’d just been so angry and humiliated. I don’t know what I thought I was proving by going with them, other than I didn’t need or want Chris’ help. I wasn’t a child. I could take care of myself.

  Obviously I was doing a grand job of it. I had no idea where I was or what time it was. I couldn’t find my friends anywhere in this house, and everything was more than a little fuzzy.

  Shit, I was drunker than I thought.

  I’d let Leland put a drink in my hand as soon as we walked in the door, even though I tried to tell him I didn’t really want it. I only took a few sips before discreetly ditching it and switching to water when he wasn’t paying attention. I thought I should be sobering up by now, but I felt much worse than I had when we got here. I didn’t even know how long ago that was, but it didn’t feel right. I just wanted to get out of here, but first I had to find someone I knew.

  Leland had been clinging to my side since we walked in the door. I was surprised he hadn’t tried to follow me into the bathroom. For some reason my instincts had urged me to get away from him. As my thoughts grew fuzzier, I had a hard time recalling why he’d made me uncomfortable. Now I just felt like I needed to find him or any of my friends. I’d lost them when I went in search of the bathroom.

  I turned the corner and smacked righ
t into someone. A very sturdy someone. I stumbled backward, and rough hands reached out to grab me. “Woah, there.”

  I knew that voice

  “Leeelannn.” I slurred, and disappointment settled in my gut. I should have been relieved that I’d found him. I wasn’t. “I wasss looking for you,” I slapped a hand on his chest, unintentionally leaning into him when that threw me off balance. He just grinned down at me and rested his hands on my hips to steady me.

  “Well you found me.” He tightened his arms around my waist and pulled my body in close to his. He was so warm, and he smelled good, but I couldn’t quiet the part of me that did not want his arms around me. Instead I just ignored it, and relaxed into him. I knew he’d take care of me.

  “I need to go home. I don’t want to be here anymore,” I sighed.

  “Then let’s get you out of here, pretty girl.”

  He called me pretty again.

  “Mmhmm,” I mumbled into his chest, my head feeling lighter and my eyes growing heavier by the second. He had to half carry me out of the house. I was pretty sure he stopped to talk to someone, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open. A heaviness had settled in my head, pushing me deeper toward unconsciousness. I fought it, and Leland got me to his car, putting me in the back seat. Rather than question why I was in the back, I just collapsed, my cheek pressed to the seat.

  My door slammed closed. Then two more opened and closed, but wait that wasn’t right. It was just me and Leland.

  The car rumbled. Warmth cocooned me and quiet music streamed through the speakers, quickly relaxing my already drowsy brain, and then there was nothing. I didn’t remember anything else of the car ride back to the dorm, or Leland helping me out of the car inside. It was only when I was already inside, propped up on the bed, that I started to come around to the feel of someone’s hands undressing me in the dark of my room. I groaned and started to bat the hands away, but a soft voice murmured, “Shh, it’s okay, Mia. It’s me.”

  Leland, my mind registered the voice. “I don’ feel s’good,” I mumbled, hearing the way my words came out slurred.