Page 121 of Apparently, I’m Trouble

“Just give it some time,” I said, my voice low. “She’ll be fine.”

Mia shook her head, her eyes now glassy. “I can’t act like this is something she’ll just get over.”

I tried again. “Let’s take a breath here. This photo thing only just happened.”

I slid my hands down her arms, trying to comfort her, but she stepped back, hugging herself as she said, “I don’t think that’s what this is. I think she–I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

She turned to leave, and I wrapped a hand around her elbow. “Hey. We can figure this out.”

We could get through this. We just needed a chance. She had to know that.

She bit her lip and eased out of my grip. Her hands were… shaking. This had hit her harder than I realized.

“She hates me,” she said, her voice strained. “I want to pretend it’s going to be okay, but it isn’t. She’s your daughter. I can’t be with you if she doesn’t want me to be.”

“Mia, wait, no. I want you. I love you.”

Her glassy eyes spilled over. She started sobbing. Tears trailed down her cheeks. I’d never seen her cry before. It ruined me. Acting on impulse, I pulled her into my arms and let her hide her face in my shirt.

I spoke into her hair. “Hey. It’ll be okay.”

She shook her head.

“Right now, it isn’t,” she sniffed. “And I don’t know what else to do. I don’t want to hurt her any more than I already have, and this is the only thing I can do to make it okay.”

It came on fast. Panic pulsed inside me. I felt desperate. Like I wanted to pick her up, throw her over my shoulder, and find a way to make her stay.

But I couldn’t think of a thing to say. I kept reaching for words and coming up short. I could feel her here, in my arms, under my fingertips, but somehow, it felt like she was slipping away.

I had to do something. I needed to do something.

But instead, I stood there, mind racing, chest pounding. I was losing her, and I couldn’t even fucking stop it.

My grip on her was tight as she murmured into my shirt, “We can’t do this. Not if it hurts Kira.”

Two Weeks Later

Rochelle’s Apartment

Friday Night

“When do we get our results?” Kira whispered to Miles.

“Uh, next week, I think. Miss Fares said we’ll know where we stand before opening night.”

Kira groaned. “I don’t want to be on stage anymore. I don’t need any more attention.”

“It’s four weeks away. Everyone will forget about your dad and Miss Walker by then.”

Kira and Miles probably didn’t know I could hear them.

They stood in Rochelle’s kitchen with their backs to the rest of the room, heads bent together, whispering, and honestly, I thought I’d hate seeing Kira like this. Confiding in someone who wasn’t me.

But this was good. This was what I wanted. My daughter was happy with Miles, and after everything she’d been through, she deserved that.

Even if making her happy meant I couldn’t be.

It had been two weeks since I last saw Mia. Two fucking horrible weeks.