My Mother, The Counselor

Chapter Twenty One

'I promise I'm not talking to her, let alone dating her behind your back!'

I had just confronted Alex on his secret affair with Becky. Of course all he was doing was denying it. He didn't seem to realise that I wasn't an idiot.

'She told Molly herself, Alex!' I chuckled coldly.

Although I was hurt that Alex was still dating Becky behind my back, a part of me was sort of relieved. If Alex was dating Becky, then Becky was dating Alex, meaning she was cheating on Blake. I was more upset for Blake than for myself.

'You know what?' Alex shouted. 'This is ridiculous. I'm not wasting my time here. Goodbye Mia.'

With that, Alex turned on his heels and stormed through the lobby and out the front door of the hotel.

'See ya later, Alex!' I called back, sarcastically.

'Hey, what happened?' Mum came from behind  me. 'Where'd Alex go?'

'He's dating Blake's girlfriend, Becky.'

'Oh no, honey I'm so sorry.'

Mum pulled me in for a hug and I began to laugh hysterically. It wasn't a normal laugh though, it was like a crazy person's laugh. High pitched, and breathy.

I fell from mum's arms and sat on the floor, still laughing. I felt a tear or two fall down my cheeks, but no more. I had never felt this way before. It was an odd feeling, but I still felt like nothing. I didn't know why I was laughing.

'Honey, Mia are you okay?' Mum knelt down beside me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

I started shaking intensely. Mum rubbed her hands up and down my shoulder and I was shot right back to Blake's birthday.

As soon as Blake saw me quivering on the floor, he threw himself on the ground beside me, and pulled me into him. 'Are you ok, Mia?'

'I will be.' I sniffed, raising my head from Blake's torso.

'You're shaking!' Blake exclaimed, with a concerned tone. 'Here.'

Blake took his cardigan from the coat rack and put it over my shoulders. He rubbed my arms up and down to make me warm although I wasn't cold, I was just trembling with shock and fear. I didn't have the heart to tell him I wasn't cold, though.

'Thanks, Blake.' I mumbled. 'You can go back to your party, I'll be fine.' I attempted a smile on his direction.

'Don't worry about me, Mia. I need to make sure you're alright.'

Blake gave me a warm, comforting hug, and I finally felt safe. I felt safe in his arms. I felt safe by just his scent, and the warmth from his body.

Blake held me tight until I felt good enough to go back out to the party. This meant that I took an hour and a half out of his party time, but he didn't seem to mind.

I stayed on the floor in silence as I was shot back to that night. My imagination replaced mum's arms with Blakes', and I felt his jumper around my shoulders.

Alex was a distraction from Blake, but somehow he became the thing that reminded me most of him. I couldn't understand why it was so hard for me to be completely and totally happy.

'I'm okay, mum.' I lied, rising from mum's chest. 'I can go back in now.'

'Are you sure, honey?' Mum asked.

'Yeah.' I lied again, stretching a fake smile across my face. 'Totally. Let's go dance.'

I spent the rest of the night forcing a smile on my face, and dancing timidly. When I went back to myself and Molly's hotel room, I cried for a while, then just felt nothing.