Under the Radar

Epilogue (Daniel's POV)

Once we were on the lawn, I punched him again and again until he started fighting back. "Daniel, stop it!" Charlie shouted. Mia seemed to have sobered up, and stood there in shock, crying.

I'm so stupid. What have I done. I broke her all over again. "I'm so sorry." I cried as I continued to fight with James.

Charlie, Molly, and Andrew took Mia and led her to a car and drove off. I continued to beat the shit out of James, who just laughed as the blood spewed from his nose. His laughter just made me want to hit him harder.

"Daniel! You need to stop, man!" Jax ripped me away from the monster. "He's not worth it!"

"You're right," I wiped my mouth, spitting in James' general direction. "Why would I waste my energy on him."

The most I could do was walk away out of respect for myself, not the creature laughing on the grass. I stomped up to my car and slid into the driver seat. I sat there in thought, tears began to slide down my cheeks. I slammed my hands on the wheel, and screamed out.

Maybe I was the monster. I was the one to jump to conclusions. I didn't support the girl I loved. I didn't even bother to listen to what she had to say. I treated her like shit when in reality, I was the worthless piece of shit. Not her.

A knock on the window jolted me from my thoughts, Tanner stood there looking concerned. I rolled the glass down, and wiped my eyes. "Listen, you're not in the right mind. Let me or someone else drive you home," he said.

I shook my head. "Nah man, I'm fine. Thanks."  With that, I started up the car and without a second glance sped off down the street. "I'm such a f*cking idiot!" I slammed my hand down on the wheel again. I couldn't go home, I couldn't face my grandmother knowing what I've done.

Knowing that I had a bottle of Jack Daniels and a blanket in the trunk, I went to the one place where I would be alone yet he listened to. Pulling up to the black iron gates, I parked the car, grabbed my stuff and tread through the uncut grass and fog. I only stopped when I came to the familiar headstone of my mother.

"Hi mom," I sat on the blanket and propped myself up against the stone. "Remember the girl I told you about? Well, I completely screwed up. She-" I let out a weak sob, my body hunched over and I reached for the bottle of whiskey. "Mom, she was like you. When I found her, she was broken. I helped put her back together only to break her again. She was abused, mentally, physically... Oh my god, how she must have felt when I said all those things to her."

Wiping the tears from my face, I took a large swig from the glass bottle and cringed. "I don't want to be a monster, mom. I don't want to be like dad."

I kept drinking until my vision was fuzzy and I felt my stomach churn. I sat in the cemetery for hours, speaking to the stone and the occasional crow that would perch nearby. "You know what? I-I'm gonna call! I'm going to tell 'er!" Pulling my phone out of my pocket and entered her number.

My eyes teared at the thought of her not answering, but then again why would she. "Hello?" Her tired voice answered. "Who is this?"

"Mia?" I cried. I was relieved yet terrified as I didn't know what to say.

She stayed silent, taking a moment to think. "Daniel, what do you want?"

"I... I don't know. I-"

"Are you drunk or something?" She mumbled.

I sniffled and blinked away some tears, "Mia, I should have listened to you."

"Please stop, don't call again." I knew she was about to hang up, but I couldn't let her. I just needed to hear her voice.

I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "My dad, he was like James." She hesitated, listening. "He beat my mom, sometimes me. But eventually, he beat her to death. You remind Gramm of her, you know?"  I chuckled humorlessly, "Now, thanks to me she's going to lose you. I lost you too though. It pained me every day to look at you and see you away from me. I should have listened to you rather than those soul-sucking demons. The one girl that I've ever loved, I let ooze through my fingers like tar. You left traces of you behind, ya know? I can never get you out of my head, and my heart breaks at the thought of you."

"I..." She trailed off. I knew she wanted to hang up, but even after all the shit I put her through she was still too kind to hang up.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I know I don't deserve a second chance, after everything I did. I don't deserve to be talking to you or hearing your voice. But, I needed to. Even if it's the last time we'll ever speak to each other. I needed to get everything off my chest; Mia I love you. I tried to make myself stop loving you but I couldn't. You can't love me after what I've done, but even when we move across the country from each other, just know that I will still love you. I will always respect you, I will always listen. There will never not be a day, where I will not support you in everything you do."

"Daniel, you're drunk. You don't know what you're saying."

"I mean it, Mia. Whether it's just as a friend or something else; even if I'm just a guy with open arms willing to listen when no one else will. I promise, I will be there. I will never be untrusting or you or anyone else ever again." She stayed silent. I wondered if she actually fell asleep during my speech until I heard a tiny sniffle and some shuffling. "This is goodbye, Mia."

"Wait!" She screamed, but it was too late. I hung up the phone as fast as I could and sighed in relief. Graduation was in a few days. It would be the last time she would ever have to see me. Then, she will truly be happy. And me? I'm not as lucky.

PRESENT DAY.....

  To the sound of the alarm clock, I woke up. I rolled over with a groan and reached across the bed, slamming my hand down repeatedly on the mechanical piece of plastic until the irritating noise cut off. Running a hand down my face, I sighed before rolling off the bed and walking myself out of the room. Was Mia happy? Yes. Was I?

"Daniel, I have to get to class! While I'm out, would you mind fixing the TV? I pressed a button this morning and the whole thing basically went up in flames," she chuckled as she zipped up her sweater.

Smiling, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead. "As long as we get pizza tonight rather than your cooking, I'll do anything."

Huffing, the beautiful brunette slapped my arm jokingly. "Ha ha, very funny. Seriously though, I have to go. See you later?"

"Of course," I kissed her one last time and watched her walk towards the front door. "Oh and Mia?" She turned around with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Just as Mia left, my phone rang. Jax, who I haven't spoken to since Mia's birthday, was calling. As soon as I picked up, I heard his rapid and panicked panting. "Jax? You alright, man?"

"Jasmine," he cried. I automatically assumed the worst. A friend from my childhood, Jax's little sister, has been in a coma for a while now. "She's awake!"

I stared at the doorway Mia was in just moments ago. "I'm on my way."

The end.
(For-realzies this time)

Sequel "BREAK" is now published and ready to read! The story continues with Jasmine, Jax's brave little sister, as she wakes up from a coma, moves in with her brother, and meets the man who made Mia miserable for years