More to You ✔

Chapter 57 - Ocean Eyes (Maria)

Maria fought the urge to run to Mitch's room all evening and night to confirm what she'd already heard on the phone. Shawn had said Mitch needed space, but she only lasted until 9 am the following morning, when Emma's cell lit up with a text from Shawn on the nightstand. Maria got dressed quietly and sneaked over to Mitch and Shawn's, which was next to theirs.

Shawn answered the door and greeted her with a bear hug she needed more than she realized. She melted into his arms like she would her cousin's if she were back home. One of Sunshine's lines about her coworkers being the best people Maria would ever meet rang in her mind.

She pulled away and studied Shawn's tired smile. He had still maintained his clean-shaven look. "How's your morning going?"

"It's quiet," he said with a tone of relief.

"After this weekend, we could all use a dose of that."

Shawn chuckled and glanced at the bed where Mitch was sprawled out in a sleeveless top and boxers. "Yeah. How are you doing?"

Maria focused on Shawn. It was too soon to be checking out Mitch. "Going through the five greatest emotions: guilt, regret, shame, fear, anxiety."

"We're always our harshest critics."

"The men I date are close seconds." She smiled, even if the thought stung.

"You have had some rotten luck, but he has nothing but good things to say about you." Shawn inclined his head toward Mitch.

"How is he doing?"

Shawn tucked his hands in his shorts pockets. "Better, but only relative to yesterday. He's not... he's dealing with a lot..."

As Shawn exhaled a shaky breath, Maria gave him another hug. Handling Adrian's moods had always drained her, and it couldn't be any easier on Shawn.

"I can stay if you need a break," she said.

"You don't have to do that."

"Suffering isn't easy on us empaths. You deserve rest too."

"Are you sure?" After she nodded, he added, "I don't know how he'll react but take everything with a grain of salt, and if something seems off, call me."

That was a grim statement. Something had happened last night from Shawn's warning and Mitch's ominous 'alive' comment yesterday. She had her suspicions but hoped she was wrong.

Shawn slipped on his sandals. "Do you want anything from the breakfast buffet?"

"Um, always?"

He laughed. "I'll grab us all some food. Is Emma up?"

"Not yet."

"I figured that much. Good luck and thank you."

Once Shawn left, Maria scanned the room. No booze in sight and the space was much cleaner than Mitch's apartment last weekend, although they'd only had a few days in this spot, and Shawn was taking care of him. The morning light illuminated Mitch's form, sprawled on his stomach with his head facing toward the middle of the bed. Maria lay beside him as softly as she could, glancing at the dark circles under his eye, his dishevelled hair, and his pale skin.

His outstretched hand rested the closest to her, and she placed hers within it, giving it a gentle squeeze. A small smile made its way to his lips, and he whispered "Maria" without opening his eyes. Did he think about her that instinctually, or had he heard her earlier? He would have said more if he were awake. She wished to scoot closer until she was in his arms, but her breakup with Tom was too fresh to navigate anything romantic with Mitch, and Shawn's warning hung in the air.