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“Trent Norway,” I said. “I was just here yesterday.”
“I see a ton of people a day, Ma’am. I don’t remember who I saw yesterday.”
I kept quiet because I feared being thrown out if I said what I felt, but I was sure the look on my face showed how displeased I was.
“Yeah, it says here your paperwork hasn’t been processed yet.”
Her words felt like a bomb. I was so disappointed I wanted to scream.
“That can’t be,” I said. “Why hasn’t it been approved? You said twenty-four hours was all it would take. There must be some mistake.”
“I don’t have that information here, ma’am. Only the warden can tell you that.”
“Well, can I talk to him now? I'm sure he can clear this all up and we can go back and visit.”
The woman huffed and puffed as if I made her job harder than it was, and I didn’t care. I didn’t see any reason for my paperwork not to be approved. I had no criminal record. My license was valid. Nick had a proper ID, and we traveled all the way from California to get there. I was sure there had to be a mistake.
“You’ll have to call him on your own time,” the woman said. “You can find the number posted on the bulletin board near the door.”
“What?” I frowned. “No, you can call him from here and tell him there’s someone here who needs to speak to him. What kind of prison are you people running here?”
“Mia, let's just go. Come on.”
Nick's hand on my arm and the look in his eyes were the only things that stopped me from losing my mind in that place. I was so angry, but he was right. We needed to go, before I ended up in prison too.
Chapter Twenty-Three ~ Brayden
When I got the call that Mia’s trip didn’t go as planned, I felt inclined to do something special for her. I knew how excited she was to finally see Trent, and how disappointed she was that it didn’t happen after she traveled all that way. So, I rented out the lake house not too far from the cabin and hired event caterers to make it extra special for her.
I wanted her to remember how much fun we used to have on our date nights when we were head over heels for one another. When it came to dates, I was no perfectionist, but for her, I went the extra mile. So, I went all out for her return. I even went out and shopped for her favorite color gown and an expensive pair of high heels for the evening.
A lot of planning went into my surprise for her. A dance; ballroom style. A feast fit for royalty, and gifts; lots of gifts. Not only that, but true intimacy. I had to set the tone for the truth I had to reveal.
I was a nervous wreck the entire day. She and Nick were set to get in from the airport that afternoon, dinner wasn’t until later that evening, but my nerves were all over the place. I decided to stay at the lake house until she got there, that way I could try and collect myself as best I could before seeing her. But it didn’t help. I ended up having to call my uncle for some advice.
“You’re the one who wanted to go this route,” he said. “You can’t turn back now. You just have to trust that you’re making the decision that feels best in your heart and go for it.”
I felt like the best decision was to come clean, but I also felt sick about it. In my heart, I knew there was a pretty good chance that Mia wouldn’t respond well to my honesty, but I had to get it out. It rested too heavily on my heart and mind to keep it in.
“She may be pissed at you in the beginning,” Uncle Joe said. “But in the end, she’ll realize why you did it. And if she loves you as much as I know she does, she’ll come around. If she takes it hard tonight, give her some time to process it and then try again.”
“You make it sound so easy,” I said. “Mia’s rage is even worse than mine at times. That woman can hold a grudge for years if she’s got her mind set on it. I just don’t want her to feel betrayed after we’ve made so much progress, you know?”
“Life is trial and error, kid. Sometimes things are easy, other times they’re hard. Especially when there’s love involved. But always remember, true love prevails.”
I kept my uncle’s words in my head all day while I continued to prepare for Mia. I hoped and prayed she wouldn’t stray away from me again after I broke my silence about the night of the accident, but I wasn't so sure she wouldn’t
Your lady has just arrived. We're getting her hair and makeup in place and then she’ll be on her way.
I got the text from the stylist I hired for Mia right on time. I wanted her to be pampered and relaxed before she came to dinner. So, I hired an entire team to do just that. She got a massage, got her hair and makeup done, was ushered into her sexy gown and heels, and driven to me by a personal chauffeur. By the time she arrived, she was halfway in tears at all the thoughtfulness to make her day special.
I met her at the door wearing a tuxedo the same color as her dress and the minute she saw me, she blushed so hard I couldn't tell if it was makeup, or her cheeks, and the photographer captured the moment perfectly. I wanted her to feel like we were the stars in our own little galaxy.
“What is all of this, Brayden?” she giggled. “You’re going to make me cry and ruin this gorgeous face the girls put on me.”
“Just a little something to make you feel better about Florida,” I said.
Before we entered the lake house hall, we took more pictures and posed for short videos. Although I was still nervous about telling Mia the truth, I can honestly say I felt great about her reaction to my surprise.
