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“I want us to have a good time tonight,” I said. “There’s also something I want to talk to you about, but before I do, let’s get inside and get this night started on a good note.”
Her expression changed after that. She still looked happy and pleased to get on with the night, but I could tell she was curious to know what I wanted to talk to her about.
“Is everything alright?” she asked as I led her into the dinner hall. “You’ve got me nervous now.”
“Yes and no,” I said. “Right now, I just want to admire having you here at this moment. How beautiful you are, how much fun we’ve had together over the years. I want us to enjoy this meal I had prepared and wind down for a bit. I know you were angry about not getting to see Trent, I just want you to know that all hope isn’t dead, you know? Let your hair down and relax. In due time, everything will work out the way it should.”
I pulled out her chair for her and handed her a glass of champagne when she was settled in. Before I took my seat, I gave her a quick gentleman’s bow, and took a seat across from her. We were sitting like a true king and queen; me at one end of the table, her at the other.
It was a little too far away for me, but for the sake of role playing, I remained in my seat. Besides, I got a kick out of admiring her beauty from afar. It was like looking at a dream that was so close, yet still unreachable.
“This is all so beautiful,” she said. “Thank you for this. It was something I needed after such a disappointing trip.”
“No problem,” I smiled. “I know how much that trip meant to you, and Nick. How was he when you got there, by the way?”
“Oh brother,” she rolled her eyes. “He was a nightmare at first. In the end though, it was him who calmed me down and reminded me that the trip didn’t have to be all bad.”
I was pleased to hear that. I thought for sure They'd get into some kind of argument and Nick would run off and get himself lost in a state he knew nothing about.
“That suit looks nice on you,” she said. “I don’t think I've seen you in a suit since you asked me to prom.”
“Oh yeah?” I chuckled. “I don’t dress up much. I’ve never been a flashy kind of guy. I'm perfectly fine in my t-shirt and jeans.”
Her smile was as bright as ever. The thought of ruining it with my confession made my heart flutter at a speed I had never felt before. The more we talked and sipped, the more I wanted to hell with confessing. But it was too late; I had already mentioned it and I knew she was anxiously waiting to hear it.
I thought about Trent and how he would feel once I told Mia. I knew he would think it was a stupid idea, but he’d be proud that I told her. We always prided each other on being honest men, even when we knew the truth would hurt.
“I can’t get over how beautiful you look tonight,” I said. “I don’t know why, but it’s like I'm seeing you for the first time.”
“Brayden,” “Don’t make me blush. You know how much I hate blushing. I feel like a schoolgirl who doesn’t know any better.”
Man was she gorgeous. The most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and it was much more than just her looks. Mia had a kind heart; a kind soul. She was fun and uplifting. Challenging and unforgettable. Her smile was dazzling and her eyes, the brownest and gentlest eyes you’d ever look into. She was just a pure soul with a genuine heart, and I never wanted to lose that.
“Remember the first time you took me on a date?” she asked. “I thought you were going to faint because you were so nervous.”
“I think I did faint once I got home,” I said. “I had so many butterflies in my stomach I think they sucked all the blood right out of my head.”
“Shut up, you did not,” she laughed. “You weren’t the only one who was nervous. I had never been on a date before in my life. Never even kissed a guy and there you were, making me forget all about the things I had never done. I think after that night was when I gained my confidence and decided to really live my life as my true self.”
That was the moment I decided to come clean. Before either of us got any further in disclosing our feelings, I wanted to lay it all flat; get out in the open. That way, I wouldn’t feel worse than I did if the L word slipped.
“Mia,” I sighed and lowered my head for a moment. “There’s something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago. I just didn't know how to come clean about it. All those years we weren’t speaking didn’t make things easier. Not that this is easy to say after all this time anyway.”
She perched in her seat and looked at me with questioning eyes. The fear and doubt I saw wash over her face shattered my healing heart once more. I knew then the minute I spoke my peace, she would leave. It was written all over her face.
“Tell me what?” she asked. “Are you married with children or something?”
I wish that was the case. I felt like it would have been a lot easier to say than what I had to say.
“No. Nothing like that,” I said. “This is about Trent and the night we got into the accident.”
Her eyebrows frowned and she glared at me like she needed me to spit it out immediately. I tried dragging my feet with things to soften the blow that would hit the same regardless of how slow I threw it. Then, I just blurted it out.
“I was driving that night.”
A pause in time cracked through the air like lightning. I felt like the whole world had completely stopped spinning and I was under Mia’s fire, waiting to be crucified. When the pause in time became too intense, I continued my confession to clear up any misunderstandings.
“I should have come clean about this years ago, but it was a pact that Trent and I made to keep it between us. He knew he would be sent away regardless, while I had no criminal record and something like that would ruin my life. I told him to; I begged him to let me tell the truth, but he made me promise not to say anything. Essentially, he sacrificed himself to save me.”
