“Has Creed tried to reach out to you?”
I shook my head. “He’d be stupid if he did. Between my uncles and my dad, they’ve made it their mission to get him out of hiding. The reward money alone is insane. Uncle Dylan has a warrant out for his arrest, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he alerted people on the other side of the world about it. I think I’d prefer Creed to be brought in before my dad found him. I’m pretty sure Dad would be the one who ends up in jail for murder.”
“I know, Mia. It’s why your parents’, mostly your dad, aren’t allowed in on our sessions anymore. He’s very protective over you. I could see that from the second I shook his hand at the hospital. At first, I thought it was from you missing, him just being worried. Then I realized it’s something that I think you may have struggled with before. Holding on tight to the leash they have on you. Every parent raises his or her kids differently. I’m not saying the way they raised you is wrong, but I think it’s good that they’re giving you some space now. You need it. You’re going to be an adult soon, and they’re not going to be able to shelter you forever.”
“Yeah, the last few weeks they’ve actually let me leave the house with Noah. I got my Jeep back, I guess they found it abandoned at the train station not too long after I went missing. Since I was returned safe and there was no circumstantial evidence found in it, I got it back. It’s been awesome to drive by myself, go to the store, the library, the mall. Sometimes I need to clear my head, so I just drive around, aimlessly... I’ve ended up at those train tracks a few times. Enjoying the quiet privacy,” I shared, thinking about the peace those tracks bring me. “But one thing I do miss is being around people my age. Being homeschooled by my mom is starting to take its toll. I guess it’s just exhausting to feel like I was perfect in their eyes before and now I’m not. Even though I still look the same, I don’t feel same anymore, Doctor. I’m scared that even if my memories come back, I still won’t want to be that girl. It’s what terrifies me the most.”
“Let's not think about that now, you need to concentrate on taking life one day at a time. In the meantime, between our sessions I want you to write in this.” She turned around and pulled a notebook off her desk, handing it to me. “Anytime you remember something, you feel anything, whether it’s a trigger or a dream, I want you to write it in there. Consider it your homework. You bring your notebook to our sessions, and we can talk about what you’ve written down. Makes sense?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, great. You did good today, Mia. It will get easier, I promise. Same time next week?”
“Yes. Thank you, Doctor.”
I walked out of her office, feeling better. I always did when I left our sessions. There was something about being able to talk to her with no judgment, which made it easy for me to speak the truth.
I looked up when the elevator door dinged, letting me know I was in the parking garage of her office.
“Noah,” I announced, not surprised he was standing in front of me.
He did this sometimes. Show up after my sessions were done. As if he knew I needed someone to take my mind off everything that was discussed in therapy.
“Hey, pretty girl. I thought I’d take you to dinner and then maybe a movie. If you’re up for it?”
“Yeah! I’d love that. Umm... you want to drive my Jeep?”
He chuckled, knowing I didn’t want to go on the back of his bike. I wasn’t sure why, it just felt wrong. I chalked it up to being nervous about being on a motorcycle.
“So how was your day?”
“Better now,” he rasped, bumping his shoulder into mine before he threw his arm around my neck. Pulling me into his side.
I liked the way he felt, so warm and cozy. Winter officially kicked in, and we were experiencing our first cold front in Oak Island. I smiled, leaning into his embrace. Enjoying the feel of being wrapped in his arm.
Once we got to my Jeep, he opened the passenger door for me, grabbing ahold of my keys. I put my seatbelt on and pulled out my cell phone that my parents’ had recovered, from the center console. Needing to call my mom to tell her I was going to dinner and a movie with Noah. Knowing she’d worry if I wasn’t home right after therapy.
1 new text message
I clicked over the screen, expecting it to be her or my dad. Checking in on me like they always did after therapy.
“I know you probably don’t wanna hear from me, but needed ya to know... I miss you, babe.” – Unknown Number
“You alright over there?” Noah asked, glancing over at me.
I quickly clicked off the screen. “Yeah, just texting my mom.”
He nodded, appeased with my answer. Focusing back on the road.
I thought about the text message for the rest of the night, not having to guess who it was from.
I knew it was Creed.
And for some reason, it gave me comfort. Not only because he was alive and hopefully well, but because...
He missed me.
“Makes no fuckin’ sense, Creed. You know it and so do I,” Diesel argued, sitting across from me on his couch.
I took a deep breath, hunched over in the chair with my elbows placed on my knees. My head bowed with my hands out in front of me. Taking in everything he was saying. It had been three months since I last saw Mia, or Noah for that matter. I went into hiding the second I rode out of the cemetery parking lot, leaving my whole world behind. Making up some bullshit lie about how McGraw figured out I took Mia and why I looked beat to shit, knowing what would happen if they found out Noah fucked me over. Devil’s Rejects made me disappear until they could calm the shit storm Noah brought on. I was like a caged fucking dog while my old man sent everyone on what seemed like a wild fucking goose chase.
McGraw issued warrants to search all the brothers’ houses. Any property that had our names on it, anything that could lead him to me. Threatening the MC with the consequences of aiding and abetting a fugitive. He had each one of their asses sitting back in that interrogation room, trying to get to the bottom of what the fuck really happened. Cross-examining their stories for any loopholes. Comparing their alibis to the ones they gave since day one, knowing nothing had changed in what they claimed went down with Mia’s disappearance. Noah was the only one who threw my ass under the fucking bus, McGraw had no circumstantial evidence against them. He couldn’t hold him.