Chapter 150 Chapter 150

Chapter 150 Chapter 150
The car turned onto the familiar street just after midday. Mia felt the shift in her chest the moment the old house came into view the same slightly uneven front walk, the same porch with the two chairs her parents never fully retired, the same flower beds her mother refused to let anyone else touch.
Before the driver had fully stopped, the front door opened. Mark and Laura came down the steps almost at the same time. Laura reached the car first, already smiling so wide it looked like it hurt. The second Mia stepped out, her mother’s arms were around her, tight and unapologetic.
   “You’re here,” Laura said into her hair. “You’re actually here.”
Mark was right behind her. He pulled Mia in the moment Laura loosened her hold, one solid arm around her shoulders, the other hand briefly cupping the back of her head the way he had done since she was small.
   “There’s my girl,” he said, voice rough with the kind of happiness he never bothered to hide. “Look at you.”
   Mia laughed against his shoulder, the sound lighter than it had been in weeks. “Hi, Dad.”
   Sophia climbed out of the other side with her bags, already grinning. “Don’t mind me. Just the extra luggage.”
   Laura turned and pulled her into a hug just as quickly. “You are never luggage. Come here both of you, inside, now. Shoes off if they’re muddy. I don’t care about the rest.”
They barely made it through the front door before the talking started. Bags were dropped in the entryway. Laura kept touching Mia’s arm like she needed the physical proof she was real. Mark asked about the drive, about the traffic, about whether they had eaten. Sophia launched into a dramatic retelling of how she had invited herself along, complete with hand gestures, and Laura laughed so hard she had to lean against the kitchen counter.
The house smelled like coffee and something cinnamon baking in the oven. The same framed photos still lined the hallway. The same worn spot remained on the living room rug. Mia felt the tension she had been carrying for days start to loosen with every familiar detail.
They ended up in the kitchen, all four of them, talking over each other in the best way. Sophia told Mark about the security gate drama without using names. Laura asked Mia three times if she was sleeping enough. Mark started explaining a new tool he had bought for the garage and Sophia interrupted with questions that made him laugh. The conversation bounced without effort old stories, new updates, small complaints about the weather, nothing heavy.
   After a while Mia excused herself, pointing toward the hallway. “I’m going to change and settle for a minute. I’ll be right back.”
   Laura waved her off. “Your room is exactly how you left it last time. Towels are clean. Take your time.”
Mia climbed the narrow stairs and pushed open the door to her old bedroom. It was smaller than any room in the mansion, with the same pale curtains and the same desk under the window. She set her bag down, pulled out a soft pair of shorts and an oversized shirt, and changed quickly. The simple clothes felt like permission to breathe. She sat on the edge of the bed, phone in hand, and called Kai.
   He answered on the second ring.
“You made it.”
   “I made it,” she said, smiling even though he couldn’t see it. “My parents nearly knocked me over in the driveway. Sophia is already in full form downstairs.”
   “That’s okay.” His voice was warm and low. “You sound different already.”
   “Different how?”
  “Lighter like someone took a weight off your shoulders and you noticed.”
   Mia lay back against the pillows, staring at the familiar ceiling. “It feels good to be here and my mom is baking something. My dad is talking about tools. No one is measuring my face for cameras.”
   “I’m glad.” A short pause. “I miss you already, though.”
  She laughed softly. “It’s been less than two hours.”
  “And?”
  “And you’re being dramatic.”
  “I’m being honest.” His tone shifted into something lazier, more deliberate. “What are you wearing right now?”
   Mia glanced down at herself. “Clothes, Kai.”
   “Specific clothes.”
   “An old shirt and shorts. Nothing interesting.”
   “Everything on you is interesting.” His voice dropped further. “Especially when it’s something you only wear when no one else is watching.”
   Heat flickered low in her stomach. She turned onto her side, pressing the phone closer. “Don’t start.”
   “I already started.” She could hear the smirk in his voice. “I’m thinking about the way you looked when I kissed you before you left. The way you held onto my shirt. The way your mouth opened under mine.”
   Mia’s breath caught. “Kai…”
   “I’m thinking about having you against me right now. My hands under that old shirt. Your voice in my ear the way it gets when you stop trying to stay quiet.”
   The warmth between her legs turned sharp and sudden. She pressed her thighs together and shut her eyes. “Stop. You can’t talk to me like that while I’m in this house.”
   “Why not?”
   “Because I’m at my parents’ house. And you’re making me…” She cut herself off, embarrassed by how affected she already sounded.
    “Making you what?” His voice was pure satisfaction. “Wet?”
   “Kai.”
   “Say it.”
  “I’m not saying it.”
   “You don’t have to. I can hear it in your breathing.” He was quiet for a second, then added, softer but no less intense, “If I was there I’d be holding you right now. Pulling you into my lap. Making sure you felt every word instead of just hearing it.”
   Mia bit her lower lip hard. The ache between her legs was impossible to ignore. “You need to stop. I can’t sit down there at the table like this. My mom will take one look at my face and know something’s wrong with me.”
   Kai laughed quietly, low and pleased. “Fine, I’ll stop. For now.”
   “Thank you.”
   “But you’re going to think about it later. When the house is quiet. When you’re alone in that small bed of yours.”
  “You’re the worst.”
  “You miss me.”
  “I miss the version of you that doesn’t try to ruin my afternoon.”
   “No you don’t.” His voice gentled again. “Go be with your parents. Eat whatever your mom is baking. Let Sophia talk too much, I’ll be here when you’re ready to call again.”
   Mia exhaled slowly, trying to calm her body. “Okay.”
   “And Mia?”
   “Yeah?”
   “Don’t miss me too much.”
   She smiled despite herself. “Goodbye, Kai.”
“Bye.”
She ended the call and dropped the phone onto the bed, staring at the ceiling while her pulse slowly settled. The flirting had left her restless and warm in a way that felt completely out of place in her childhood bedroom. Almost on cue, the door opened and Sophia bounced in, eyes bright, already talking.
   “Your mom just took the cinnamon bread out of the oven and your dad is trying to convince me that the new wrench set he bought is ‘life-changing.’ Also, she asked if you still like the corner piece because she’s saving it for you. What did Kai want? You look weird.”
   Mia sat up, face still warmer than she wanted. “Nothing, he just checked that we arrived.”
   Sophia narrowed her eyes, then grinned. “Uh-huh sure. That’s why you look like you need a cold shower.”
   “Sophia.”
   “I’m just saying.” She flopped onto the bed beside her. “Come downstairs before your mom starts calling up the stairs. And wipe that look off your face or she’s going to ask questions neither of us want to answer.”
   Mia groaned and pushed her off the bed. “You’re the worst too.”
“And yet you love me.” Sophia was already at the door again. “Five minutes then we’re eating bread and listening to your dad talk about torque.”
She disappeared back into the hallway, still buzzing with energy. Mia stayed seated for another moment, pressing her palms to her warm cheeks, then stood and followed. The smell of cinnamon was stronger now. The voices of her parents and Sophia floated up from the kitchen, easy and open.
For the first time in a long time, the next few hours required nothing from her except to be present. She left the phone on the bed and went downstairs.