Lahat ng Kabanata ng Accidentally In Love With You: Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

“I don’t know what you were thinking, getting involved with that boy,” Maria groused as she stirred the pot on the stove. “He’s no good, Mia. He’s trouble. You’re a good girl and you shouldn’t be anywhere near him. Do you know what the ladies in my knitting group have been saying about you? Do you? Huh? No, of course, you don’t because you don’t care. You don’t care about me being able to hold my head up high with my friends. You only think of yourself—” “Enough, Ma,” Mia growled. She had been getting the same refrain over and over again since the moment she walked in the door. Not to mention the phone calls she’d received from her mother during the week. Mia had stopped answering them after the third one, but that hadn’t stopped Maria from leaving long and detailed voice messages about what a disappointment Mia was and how selfish she was to not think about her family and her mother’s reputation in the community. “I already told you five hundred times, that I am not seeing Dariu

Loud banging on the door of Liam’s apartment failed to garner more than a disinterested look toward the offending noise. Liam was deep in his cups. He snorted. What a stupid and yet completely valid description of just how drunk he was. After being cruelly tortured in yoga class, he was determined to cut down on his drinking…it hadn’t lasted long. Working beside Mia and knowing he royally fucked up any chance with her was doing all sorts of shitty things to his brain and rational reasoning. Alcohol helped too, if not to silence then at least dull the voices in his head. He didn’t need to hear just how much of a dickhead he was. He knew. And working beside her day in and day out, breathing in her scent and feeling the subtle warmth of her body as her arm brushed he was more torture than any person should have to deal with. The banging started again and when he still didn’t get off his arse to answer it, or even acknowledge whoever it was banging the shit out of his door, it burst ope

“What the hell are we doing here?” Frankie asked angrily. “Learning to cook,” Mia replied simply. The four of them—Mia, Frankie, Darius, and Liam—were standing in the kitchen of a local cooking school. They were the only students for this particular lesson, but Mia wished there was more of a buffer between her and her brother…and her and Liam. He’d been quiet over the last few days. Whereas before he’d been constantly trying to get her alone and get her to forgive him, now he’d backed right off and Mia didn’t quite know if she was happy about it or not. Her body certainly didn’t have any qualms about getting close to him and she had to fight the same pull she’d experienced from the moment they’d met. Ten days. Just ten more days and then the temptation would be removed and she could get on with her life. “I don’t need to learn to cook,” Frankie grumbled. “You can’t rely on Ma your whole life,” Mia snapped. “Like you can talk,” Frankie spat back. “At least I’m trying,” Mi

Mia adjusted the pale pink cravat Darius was wearing and fluffed the matching pocket square before she stood back and took in the full effect. Darius wore a pristine white tuxedo paired with a white button-down shirt and a white vest. The cravat, pocket square, and cufflinks were all a soft pink, and he even had matching pink socks, not that anyone would see them. He looked good and the hint of his tattoos that showed above his collar gave the right bad-boy twist that helped him carry off the look. “You look good,” Mia said, more to reassure herself than to compliment him. She was nervous. The White Gala was a big fluffing deal and her new boss would be there. She wanted to make a good impression and prove she was worthy of the job she would be starting in a couple of weeks. “You don’t scrub up too bad yourself,” Darius said. It would have meant more to her if he’d said it while looking at her instead of preening at himself in the mirror. It didn’t matter. She loved the dress

“Mia?” Mia stood on the front porch and looked at her mother who was in her dressing gown and slippers. She knew she must be a sight to behold. Her white dress, her hair and makeup, and jewelry.”What is it? Are you okay?” “Oh Ma,” Mia cried, falling into Maria’s arms. “I’ve made a mess of everything.” “Come inside, love. What’s happened? Have you broken up with that boy?” “I was never dating Darius, Ma,” Mia said, sniffling. “But I was seeing someone else and then we broke up and then I thought we might be getting back together and then…now…now I don’t know.” Maria led Mia through the house and into the kitchen. She got Mia settled at the table and bustled around the kitchen making her dark, rich, hot chocolate. Mia dropped her head to the table feeling completely bereft. She’d had time to think on her journey from the Crown Plaza to the small bungalow where she grew up, and yet all that thinking hadn’t made anything clearer for her. She thought she was ready