Chapter 269
**Mia’s POV p>
I asked the Uber driver to stop at the intersection because I had drunk quite a bit today and felt queasy.
“You sure you’re okay, miss?” the driver asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror with concern.
“Yeah, just need some fresh air,” I replied, already reaching for the door handle.
After getting out of the car, I took a deep breath. The air was humid and heavy, pressing down on the city like a wet blanket.
My head was still spinning slightly from the alcohol.
A flash of lightning suddenly lit up the night sky.
The sudden brightness made me flinch, cutting through the darkness like a photographer’s strobe. For a split second, the entire street was illuminated in stark detail-the empty sidewalks, the parked cars, the looming apartment buildings.
Then came the thunder, a low rumble that seemed to shake the ground beneath my feet.
It was followed by a downpour.
The rain came down in sheets, soaking through my jacket within seconds. I cursed under my breath and started running toward my building, my heels clicking frantically against the wet pavement.
Even though I was only a few hundred meters from home, I was still soaked to the skin by the time I reached the entrance.
My hair was plastered to my head, and my carefully applied makeup was probably streaming down my face in black rivulets. I looked like a drowned rat.
Today was definitely going to be a bad day.
I fumbled with my keys at the front door, my wet fingers slipping on the metal. A security guard I didn’t recognize looked up from his desk in the lobby, probably wondering why a waterlogged woman was trying to break into the building at midnight.
“Evening,” I said with a sheepish wave as I finally got the door open.
He nodded politely but kept watching me until I disappeared into the elevator.
I got home late, so I tiptoed around as quietly as possible. The apartment was dark except for a small light my mother always left on in the kitchen.
I guessed that my mom and the twins were already asleep.
They were probably curled up together in the guest room, Alexander sprawled across the bed like a starfish while Ethan carefully maintained his precise sleeping position. My mother had a gift for making bedtime feel like an adventure instead of a chore.
I kicked off my soaked heels by the door and padded through the living room in my bare feet. Gas lifted his head from his bed by the couch, his tail giving a lazy thump when he saw me.
“Hey, boy,” I whispered, reaching down to scratch behind his ears. “Good dog for keeping watch p>
He settled back down with a contented sigh, apparently satisfied that I was home safe.
I changed out of my wet clothes in the laundry room, wrapping myself in the fluffy bathrobe hanging on the back of the door.
I took a long, hot shower, letting the steam fill the bathroom while I scrubbed away the smell of cigarettes and spilled drinks from the bar. The hot water helped wash away some of the tension from my shoulders, but my mind was still racing.
While I was drying my hair with the blow dryer on its lowest setting, I sent Thomas a message.
Our chat had stopped at the brief exchange we’d had in the morning before he left for his business meetings. He was in Chicago for the past two days, dealing with some complicated merger his company was working on.
“Hope your meetings went well today,” I typed. “Miss you p>
I waited a moment, then added: “Don’t just be a workaholic p>
I set my phone on the bathroom counter and continued working on my hair. Usually, Thomas responded to my messages within minutes, even when he was in meetings. The man was practically attached to his phone.
But tonight, the screen stayed dark.
By the time I finished drying my hair, Thomas hadn’t replied.
He might have already fallen asleep. Or maybe he was still stuck in some corporate dinner that was dragging on past midnight.
Thomas had a tendency to throw himself completely into work when he was stressed.
I shook my head gently, thinking about how different tonight could have been if he’d been here.
Thomas had normal protective instincts toward his family. I thought about how Morton and Scarlett had seemed to reconcile today, at least temporarily. If Thomas found out that Morton had swept back into Scarlett’s life just when she was at her most vulnerable, he’d probably be furious.
When I walked into my bedroom, I was startled.
Thomas was lying on my bed.
He was asleep, still fully dressed in his business suit from the day’s meetings. His dark hair was mussed, his tie loosened but not removed. One arm was thrown across his face, blocking out the soft light from the hallway.
He was sleeping very soundly, his breathing deep and even.
He might have been waiting for me, but exhaustion had won out.
I moved quietly toward the bed, careful not to make any noise that might wake him. Up close, I could see the dark circles under his eyes, the slight tension in his jaw even in sleep.
I touched his face gently, feeling the fine stubble that had grown throughout his long day.
His skin was warm beneath my fingertips, and he stirred slightly at my touch but didn’t wake up.
I quickly applied some face cream at my vanity table, going through my nighttime routine as quietly as possible.
I prepared to lie down and sleep, pulling back the covers on my side of the bed.
I might have made some noise, because Thomas suddenly stirred. His arm moved away from his face, and he blinked slowly, trying to focus in the dim light.
He wasn’t fully awake yet, and his voice was still hoarse from sleep.
“Mia?” he mumbled, his voice rough and confused.
I softly said, “Hey p>
Thomas shifted on the bed, reaching toward me even though his eyes were still half-closed. “Hey, come here p>
I walked over to him, perching on the edge of the bed. “You didn’t tell me you were here p>
He mumbled something I couldn’t quite understand and pulled me down beside him. His arms came around me immediately, holding me close.
He kissed me on the top of my head, his lips warm against my damp hair. Then he cupped my face with both hands and kissed me properly, his mouth soft and familiar against mine.
“I had a nightmare,” he said against my lips, his voice still thick with sleep. “I dreamed that you had left me again p>
I pulled back slightly to look at him. “Again p>
“I’ve never left you,” I continued, my voice quieter but still pointed. “You’ve misunderstood me twice, but I’ve never left p>