Stolen Love

Chapter Two

Mia

I exhaled deeply as I arrived at an abandoned parking lot in our old high school, gazing out at the field. The familiar gum tree still stood tall. I recalled fragments of our youthful selves laughing, his strong arms draped around my shoulder as I gazed into his blue eyes.

"Motherfucker!" I shouted. The pent-up scream finally broke free as I pounded my fists on the steering wheel. I was furious with this foolish man.

Not once had his eyes wandered from me to another in our relationship, and I hated this damn feeling. At 25 years old, I was on the brink of divorce and homelessness. Meanwhile, I sat in my car in the high school parking lot, cursing and slamming my hands on the horn.

I sat there for two hours, staring into nothing in particular, contemplating what my future would now hold.

We were planning to have a baby. We were going to start a family, and he ruined it in one night.

I was determined to make a fresh start. To find a career and commit to it. Leaving everything behind to start anew.

Starting the car, I raced out of the parking lot and headed for the nearest highway. I was returning to the South. NSW.

Ashton

"Have you located her yet?" I snapped into the phone.

"No, Sir Ashton, we haven't found anything yet. She's covered her tracks well. The information was limited. She knew we would investigate her. She's clever. I'll give her that," he replied.

"Colby, I chose you because I heard you were the best in this field," I hurriedly stated, annoyed that he hadn't found anything in a whole week.

I was frantic. It had been three months since she walked out and left me. My calls no longer went through. I was still legally married to her. I just wanted to know if she was okay. To provide her with a proper explanation about that night.

I had hired numerous private investigators in the span of three months. But no luck, it was like someone knew I'd do this.

I was losing myself, I had already lost the love of my life, my only love, Mia.

It was the weekend when the boys and I went to Jarrod's bachelor party. He was getting married, and he was sure that Lisa, his girlfriend of three years, was the one. Coach had been pushing us hard all week, knowing that we would be off in Brisbane's river on a massive party boat the same weekend. Clint, our wing, had rented the boat and arranged for many of Jarrod's family and friends to join in on his celebration of finally becoming a man. It was supposed to be a boys' night. But there were women scattered everywhere, especially on the second floor.

I wanted to back out at the last minute, but Jarrod had been my best friend since high school, and as the best man, I just couldn't let him down. I just didn't want to spend the night fending off eager girls. It was going to be a long night.

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The first time I saw her, she was stunning. I spotted her under the old gum tree on the field. Books were strewn around her like a fort as she was engrossed in a book.

Our high school sports teacher, Mr. Hudson had us practicing at every opportunity before our weekend game. It was crucial for us that week. There were scouts coming to watch us in the upcoming game on the weekend.

We were having a mock game to practice our ball play. Jarrod kicked the ball in the opposite direction, and we all watched as it landed in her lap. Some of the guys were joking, saying she was the school's new nerd, that they never saw her face because she always had a book covering it. I found it odd because I knew of her but never noticed her.

Seeing that no one made a move to retrieve the ball and Mr. Hudson was growing impatient, I gestured to them that I would go and get it. I jogged over to her. When she looked up, I stumbled. I never really paid attention to the girls at school; I had friends who were girls, but I never felt any attraction to any of them. Having a relationship was too distracting. Or so I thought.

She extended the football to me, and I found myself unable to look away. It felt as though I was drawn into her world, enveloped by her presence until I was completely captivated. Her long black hair reached down to her waist, complementing her beautifully tanned skin and the most mesmerizing green eyes I had ever seen. And it certainly didn't help matters that her lips appeared so inviting. She was beautiful.

I felt an overwhelming urge to hear her voice, to confirm whether my mind was deceiving me, and I wasn't succumbing to her presence. I took hold of the ball and crouched in front of her, ensuring we were eye to eye. As I brushed my fingers against her soft ones, my heart raced within my chest.

"Thanks. You're the new girl, right? Mia? I'm Ashton," I greeted her with a smile.

I had hoped to hear her speak, but her actions kept me utterly engrossed. The way she brushed her long hair behind her ear and gazed down at her lap with those long, slender fingers. She nodded, sparking a desire to learn more about her.

I wanted her. The soft pink hue blossoming on her cheeks caught me off guard, as it rendered me unable to look away or even remember why I was there. I stood frozen, like a lost puppy waiting for her undivided attention. Until she completely shut me out, leaving me face to face with the hard cover of her textbook.

I could feel the heat rising, and I knew my ears had turned crimson. That had never happened to me before. It was like a harsh wake-up call, snapping me out of whatever trance had confined me.

When Mr. Hudson blew his whistle, I turned back and ran to rejoin the rest of the group. They bombarded me with a barrage of questions, akin to a team discussion about ball play. The conversations could become quite heated. Was she hot? Or how come she always hid her face? Was it because she was ugly?

Jarrod looked at me with confusion, and then a sly grin crept across his face. He knew there was something else, and that's how it started.

From that point on, she consumed my thoughts. I always found myself looking for her and creating excuses to catch up with the guys later. Jarrod knew. I sought out "coincidental" opportunities to talk to her or say hello. Because it took me three whole months until she finally engaged in a five-minute conversation with me. Those five minutes were the highlight of my life.

After six months, I found the courage to ask her out. I posed the question beneath the ancient, towering gum tree, a place where I had first encountered her, thinking it would be romantic. Initially, I felt a twinge of worry, as she seemed like she might say no. But then she smiled and nodded eagerly. She was mine, and I was the happiest man alive. Undoubtedly, she was the most stunning woman I had ever encountered, and I was utterly in love with her.

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