Chapter 8

It wasn't the sunlight entering her window that woke her, or the annoying sound of her alarm clock either, it was the fact she was alone. It wasn't a big surprise to wake up alone in the bed, a big part of her expected it, but was still a little upset by it. Mia was eighteen, but not stupid as she pulled the sheet over her chest while looking around the room, for any evidence that the night's evens really did happen. The folded up piece of paper on the pillow beside her, she didn't read, ripped it into little pieces before throwing it in the trash. It hurt, like not a little, but a lot. Mia got up from the bed heading into the bathroom turning on the shower. She tried to push the memories out of her head, but it was having to remember them to push them away, it hurt. After cleaning herself, Mia wrapped a towel around to see her phone had missed four calls, two were from Lincoln, she deleted the messages without listening, one from her boss, he was telling her that tonight the club was closed, for fumigation. The last was from Becky telling her what a great night she had with L.J.

Lincoln sat at the desk in the little office; did it regret what he done? No, but leaving Mia, he wished he didn't, but he couldn't take it back. She'd not answered his calls, so he assumed she was upset. Lincoln clicked around on the computer, he wasn't sure what he was doing, and he wasn't a computer person. Lincoln glanced to the clock on the wall seeing it was twelve thirty, glancing around the little room he saw L.J standing in the doorway holding Mia's Macbook carry case. "Hey just letting you know, I'm gonna be a little late for work, gotta drop Mia's things to her…" L.J's face was forlorn.

Lincoln sat up straight before studying L.J's face, "What's wrong?" He asked while L.J shrugged. Lincoln didn't like the look expressed on his son's face.

"She just phoned, said she wanted all her stuff from the house, she sounded…" L.J pursed for a seconds before exhaling, "She sounded blank." He added while shrugging. "I said I'll spend some time with her…" L.J tapped the laptop.

Lincoln bit his lip lightly; it was a sinking feeling that he was responsible for this. He now inhaled quick before looking over L.J, "You know what, just take the day off, I can handle the place alone." He turned back to the computer, L.J was standing dumbfounded.

"Erm, yeah so I'll see you later…" L.J pursed before looking over his father, his eyes looked dead a head at the computer, but something felt off about it, or maybe it was just L.J's imagination.

Lincoln waited until L.J had left before picking his phone up, dialling her number quickly before listening to it ring before going to voice mail, he held his breath, "This is Mia, leave a message after the beep. BEEP, ha fooled ya…" her voice was cheerful; Lincoln couldn't imagine her voice being blank.

"Hey, Mia. Linc here, I wanted to talk to you, about last night, I won't change it for the world, please call me back." He hung up before placing the phone in his pocket; his eyes scanned the room, before doing more work.

Sofia stood at the counter, her eyes staring blankly in front of her; Lincoln had got home at four in the morning. He told her his car broke down, a part of her didn't want to believe him, but she didn't want to think he was lying to her. "So can you do that for me?" Sara asked snapping Sofia out of her day dream, her eyes looked worn and Sara was worried.

"Baby sit Michael, yeah I can do that." Sofia's voice was soft as she played with a coffee mug. Sara smiled taking a sip of her coffee before brushing a hand down her side.

"I feel weird, I mean it's hard for me move on, but I need to live, if that sounds right." Sara added while playing her fingers around the rim of her mug, her brown eyes focused into the dark liquid of her drink. "I just don't know if it's right for me to be dating." She added while Sofia stopped staring blank.

Sofia had never really bonded with Sara as a friend, but she was close to them, more due to the fact that her son was Lincoln's only nephew. Sofia's eyes soften looking to little Michael playing with cars on the floor of the kitchen. "I think you need to live your life, Michael wouldn't of wanted you to be alone forever…" her words careful as Sara nodded, she licked her bottom lip before glancing down to Michael, his eyes bright, he looked just like his father, but it didn't hurt her to look at him anymore.

Sara nodded carefully her hair was tied up, wearing a soft blue dress, "Yes, he would of wanted that." Her voice light, her hands played on the counter, she'd still wore her wedding ring, it was hard for her to take it off, but a part of her wish she could. Michael making a high pitch squeal, Sara snapped out of her train of thought looking to Michael staring up at her. "Hey little man, you wanna hug?" Sara asked while her son raised his hand, and so she picked him up giving him a hug.

Sofia watched Sara with her son, it made her insides knot, it was weird, that after being with Lincoln for four years, they hadn't really moved forward with their relationship.

Mia was sat on her bed looking out the window, it was just after twelve, she'd phoned L.J, she was wearing a old string vest in pale pink, her cut off jean shorts, she pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail. She didn't know what to do, she'd phoned in sick, even if she wasn't sick, she didn't really want to work. Her phone rang as she stared at the I.D for a few moments, it was like a black hole was forming slowly inside her stomach, then it stopped going to voicemail, another one to delete. A part of her wanted to listen, to hear his voice, but scared of the rejection, was she starting to love a man she couldn't possible claim as her own. The door knocked, Mia crawled off her bed pulling her underwear out of her butt, it was annoying, but she felt better seeing L.J. Her arms wrapped around him, he hugged her back holding her tight, and Mia would always love L.J's hugs. "Is there something I should know?" L.J asked her when the hug broke apart, her eyes looked glazed over, but he could sense something was wrong.

Mia moved nervously from one foot to the other, her hands fiddled on the band of her jeans. "It's just, I had a bad break up…" she said in a dull tone, L.J gave her a funny look, his eyes focused on hers before taking a deep breath.

"I didn't even know you were seeing someone…" he placed a hand on her shoulder; it took a while before her eyes met his.

Mia moved back to the bed before lying on her back staring to the ceiling fan spinning around, "Well I was, and he dumped me, cos I found out he wasn't single…" her voice kept the same dead tone that scared L.J a little, he placed her Macbook onto the table before lying by her side.

"Maybe it's best that it ended," L.J moved his hand placing close to Mia's, she moved her hand to hold his, their fingers laced together, but she kept looking up, as did L.J. "Want me to kick his ass?" L.J asked lightly, but Mia burst into a fit of giggles.

"No please don't…" she squeezed his hand, her voice getting back to its normal tone. "How about, one, you tell me about the date with Becky. Then two me and you have a fun day…" Mia wanted nothing more than to just get back to her normal self.

L.J nodded, it was natural to be lying with Mia, the ceiling fan mesmerizing. "The date was good, I went back to hers, and well you can guess the rest…" his voice smooth and Mia lightly nudged him with her shoulder. "What it's been a while…" he added while she laughed loudly.

"Nice to know, really…" Mia moved on the bed, she leaned on her elbow looking down on him with a small smile, "How about, me you, go out tonight, we can get completely wasted, and you can carry me home!" she smiled while he sat up looking into her eyes, the blue iced over.

L.J nodded holding his hand out to hers, his green on her blue, she gripped his hand shaking it hard, "I think that sounds cool, plus I got paid," L.J added while brushing a hair out of her face, "Do you want to talk about how you feel?" he asked while she shook her head.

Mia didn't really want to tell him the truth, it wouldn't have gone down well, plus she just really wanted to put it behind her, and start remembering she didn't do love. "Na, I just want to forget it." She moved off the bed before looking to her closet, "Anyway night out…" she pulled out a silk style purple dress, her eyebrow wiggled.

The club was loud, L.J stood at the bar getting the second round of drinks, but it was ok cos the club knew Mia and L.J. He walked back to the table with his beer; she wanted to drink every cocktail on the menu. She was on screaming orgasm, Mia took her drink with a smile, her hair was straight, her make up made her eyes look like ice. L.J placed his beer down looking to Mia. "So how much more to drink before you dance?" he asked while she looked to the people they were with, Becky was sitting beside Mia, her hair was pinned up, a tight tank top with black pants, L.J wanted to take her on the dance floor to show her off, but didn't want to leave Mia on her own.

Mia leaned over the table, her hand grip the front of L.J's shirt her eyes wide, "L.J wanna dance with Becky?" she called over the music, her voice cracked, but he heard her. J.L glanced to Becky getting to her feet, she held her hand for Mia, also taking L.J, and they went to the dance floor. The song was poker face by Lady GaGa, Becky stood behind L.J, and Mia stood in front of him as they both danced on him slow and sexy. L.J's hands gripped carefully onto Mia as she moved to the music, her eyes looked up into his. It was strange to see this side to Mia, it was her hands moving up his shirt before Becky stepped from behind L.J to dance on Mia, it was like on of them guy fantasies that you never think to happen.

Mia sat back at the table, she didn't really want to dance that much, she watched as Becky and L.J danced close together, it made her jealous. It wasn't her to get jealous, but some reason she hated the feeling of lonely, she'd never felt lonely before getting her drink downing it before picking up her purse walking to the exit. Mia jumped when she felt L.J holding her shoulder, "Mia, please don't go…" he sighed looking into her eyes, his hand touched her face as she rolled her eyes going back to the table where a new drink was, she also saw several shots, so she couldn't be a party pooper.

Sofia had handed Michael over to Sara who had come to pick him up. Lincoln, on the other hand was sitting on the couch staring at the blank TV. He spent most of that day thinking, he'd remembered the phone call from L.J saying he was going out that night with Mia, it sparked envy. Lincoln listened to the door closed, but tried to think of the right words to say, but couldn't say them when Sofia was standing in front of him with her hands on her hip. "We need to talk…" she said while Lincoln kept still on the sofa, he glanced up to her, but didn't say anything. Sofia on the other hand bit her lip before sitting by his side, "I can't take it anymore, it's like I don't know you, I've been thinking, I'm going to go and stay with my mother for a few days, and you can figure out if you still want me or not…" her voice scared, it was like she wanted Lincoln to beg her not to go, but he wasn't going to do it. "Well I've packed my bag, my brother is picking me up in a few minutes…" she added, her voice was so desperate to have him try and change her mind, but Lincoln got up.

It wasn't that he didn't want to say anything, it was Lincoln needed this time alone, as he walked into the kitchen to get a drink, she'd followed him into the kitchen where her eyes wouldn't leave him alone. "I don't know what you me to say, I think it's best if we have this time apart, I have a lot to think about…" he said slowly, but Sofia glanced away.

"I have to go…" she whispered walking out the room, she went into the hallway picking up her bags, placing her keys on the side table, a tear fell down her cheek before she opened the door leaving with her suitcases, she didn't know if there was any love worth saving anymore.