More to You ✔

Chapter 34 - A Mistake? (Mitch)

Maria's melodious laugh filled the air before Mitch saw her enter the courtyard. A smile tugged at his lips. Five days spent without her were harder than expected. Perhaps Shawn and Hans had a point. It was high time to tell her how important she was to him. He imagined her challenging his statement, then once he'd soothed her disbelief, he'd pull her into a kiss that would mean infinitely more than their first. His facial muscles stretched into a broader grin.

Emma's voice carried from the apartment doors. "I still can't believe she chased you two off the terrace with a broom."

Maria's voice joined in as their footsteps grew louder. "We were close to the edge too. Not our brightest idea to fall asleep under the stars."

"But I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Tom said.

His voice made Mitch's breathing hasten. Tom and Maria had slept together under the stars. No reason to get too jealous, it was just Tom. His moves competed for speed with glaciers traversing a valley. When they rounded the corner, Maria's hand was encased in his.

Son of a bitch!

Her face still lit up when Mitch met her gaze, but she didn't let go of Tom's hand. Mitch's stomach stung like he'd been punched in the gut. He longed to speak, but the air was trapped in the bottom of his lungs.

"Mitch! How was the South? All those wild parties?"

He exhaled and brought more oxygen into his body. Was that assumption why she had gotten close to Tom? She'd given up hope for Mitch? Tom would have supplied those ideas: getting loaded, being obnoxious and hooking up with strangers.

"We stayed in Koh Tao to do more scuba diving. It didn't get very wild, but we met interesting people. You would have liked it."

Her smile widened. "I can't even imagine exploring underwater for hours. It looks incredible in videos."

"There are some beautiful fish and very bizarre ones too. How was the North?"

Maria's smile illuminated her face even more than before, her brown eyes sparkling. Clearly much better than sharing joints with near-strangers on the beach to celebrate a new year.

"Amazing! Tom planned a tour with Prae's brother the first day, and we swam in waterfalls." She met the grinning ginger's gaze. Mitch bit his cheek, trying not to ignore Tom's hands on Maria's bikini-clad body. "Then we had three nights of huge home-cooked meals. Prae showed us around the village, then we relaxed, drank rice wine, enjoyed life."

"It sounds incredible," Mitch said. Anything with Maria would have been. Why didn't he try to include her in his New Year's plans? He was a fool.

Maria nodded. "It kind of was."

Tom widened his grin. That smug bastard. She wouldn't have considered that jerk if Mitch hadn't rejected her offer... or gotten cold and mouthy with her around Christmas. What the hell had he been thinking?

"And what about this?" He nodded at their entwined fingers. Maria didn't shift away uncomfortably like he thought she would. "You two a thing now?"

"He's taking me out on Thursday, right?" She glanced at Tom with a smile that drove a knife into Mitch's chest.

"Yeah, we haven't decided where yet. Any recommendations, Mitch? You know the neighbourhood well."

He also knew Maria better than Tom did. The spoiled jerk didn't deserve this date if he couldn't think of a place on his own, but Maria stood wide-eyed like an eager puppy. As much as he hated it, this was the best thing for her, not her asshole neighbour with unresolved emotional baggage. He took a deep breath. Helping Tom would make Maria happy, and he wanted that the most. Even if it hurt like stepping on a rat trap.