Mid Size For The Billionaire

7- Adia

 I was frustrated with myself.

Three days had passed since I ran away from Cris, and I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. Guilt gnawed at me for the way I left things, and I found myself in an endless cycle of self-reproach. I thought I had conquered my insecurities, but it was painfully clear that I was wrong. The moment Cris showed interest, I began to unravel. He was everything—handsome, grounded, family-oriented—and all I could fixate on was how much better he deserved.

He had once told me I was beautiful, inside and out, unlike the other girls who hovered around us at school, but that was years ago. How could I be certain that the person he liked back then—the confident, ambitious version of myself—was still who I was now?

There were too many uncertainties, and as always, when faced with a situation I couldn't easily resolve, I ran. It was a childish impulse I needed to outgrow. Cris had messaged me twice in the past couple of days, which only deepened my insecurity. I had expected him to reach out more, or at least make more of an effort to find me if he truly cared. But I knew my behavior had been toxic—I was the one who had walked away, so I had no right to expect him to chase after me. Yet, despite my awareness, it still stung.

I scooped another spoonful of chocolate ice cream, stuffing it into my mouth. Stress-eating like this reminded me of when I caught Chad cheating. To this day, I regretted not slapping that smug look off his face.

I had tried to distract myself by watching The Big Bang Theory, but I couldn't make it past the first few minutes without being reminded of Cris and how I had ruined the lovely movie night he'd planned for us. So, I switched to The Vampire Diaries—a choice that only made me feel worse. Elena could attract both Salvatore brothers while I couldn't get through a day without tearing myself apart with self-criticism. It was pitiful how low I'd sunk.

A sudden knock at the door startled me, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. Reluctantly, I pulled myself off the couch and made my way toward the front door.

"I'm coming!" I called out, almost tripping over an empty pizza box on my way.

I really needed to snap out of this funk and tidy up.

As soon as I opened the door, Tia breezed past me, her voice full of energy. "Hey girl, let's go out," she announced, but then her words faded as she took in the mess in my living room. She turned to me, eyes wide with disbelief.

"I leave for three days, and this is what happens?"

I had considered calling Tia during my three-day spiral for advice or comfort, but I didn't want to burden her with my constant need for reassurance. I needed to learn to stand on my own. Besides, she'd been away at a conference, so I had convinced myself I couldn't bother her.

"What happened here?" she asked, her tone laced with concern.

"Nothing," I mumbled, gathering the empty boxes and taking them to the kitchen. I'd deal with them later.

"Nothing?" she echoed, incredulous, as she followed me into the living room. "Adia, what do you mean, 'nothing'? This place looks like a disaster zone!"

I sat back on the couch, clutching my tub of ice cream, even though deep down I wanted her to help pull me out of this hole. It felt like every time someone tried to be there for me, I clammed up, pushing them away.

Tears stung my eyes as I averted her gaze. A single tear rolled down my cheek.

"Oh, honey, what's wrong?" Tia's voice softened instantly.

"W-well, it's Cris..." I stammered.

Her gasp cut through the room. "Did he cancel the date? I swear, I'll kill him!"