Ice To Meet You

Chapter 80

I wake up to the smell of coffee brewing and something else—something buttery. I get out of the bed and Liam is gone, he didn't even kiss me good morning. He usually does even though I am too sleepy to acknowledge it. I don't see my roses anywhere, I remember Liam keeping them on the floor near the bed. I walk out of the room and Rachel is sitting on the table talking eating pancakes, that what the smell was.

"Good morning Mia," Amy says from behind the kitchen counter.

"Good morning Amy," I say as I look at the breathtaking view. The curtains are pulled back and I will never get over how gorgeous the New York skyline is. I want to so badly do a New York day, it's crazy. Maybe Rachel would like to come along and show me the local spots. I don't even bother looking at the watch, I know it's late. I overslept — as always. This has got to stop. I still don't know what I am doing with my life career-wise and my savings are draining fast. I need to figure out a way to make money.
"Hey, girl! I ate some pasta in the fridge and lasagna, your crib is fire," Rachel tells me as she sits down right next to me.

"It's Liam's house, not mine," I tell her for the 58272728 time.
"You live here, so it's yours, ain't it?"
"Did you sleep well?" I want her to be comfortable.
"Like a groupie," I have no idea what that means but she's smiling and that means it must be good.
"Green smoothie?" Amy asks me and I nod. I always want my green smoothie.
"Do you want some green smoothie too?" I ask Rachel.
"Naw girl, that's too healthy. Do you have some fries or chicken nuggets?" Rachel asks as she digs her fork in the pancakes. This girl has an appetite. Amy and I can't help but chuckle. I am glad she's eating, that's always a good sign. Except with me, that just means I am depressed.
I sip on my green smoothie and it is heavenly. It has avocados, spinach, kale, and banana. Everything a girl wants — okay I want some chicken nuggets and fries but everything a girl should want.
I pick up my phone and there no message from Liam. I foolishly want the "You are beautiful," or a "good morning," text. Is that too much to ask for? So simple yet so sweet. Doesn't every girl want to wake up to a text like this from her crush? Except my crush is also my boyfriend! I can't stop smiling. How did I get so lucky? I still can't believe it. He was so sweet last night, cuddling me so sleep and putting the ice pack on my ribs. I call him.
He picks up on the third ring.
"Everything alright?" He is so busy, I can hear the chatter behind him.
"Why do you always forget that some people work, unlike some other people," inner bitch scolds me.
"I just — " why did I call him?
"Do you need something?" He replies snappily.

"Just you," I say sweetly. I will cut his harshness with love.

"Mia some of us work for a living. I have to go," he says as he hangs up.

"I'll be back," I tell Rachel as I go to the bathroom and force myself to throw up," it just gives me a sense of control. To know I can flush out the calories inside me without causing them to control my life. I want to call Liam up for being a douche to me, last night he was all prince charming and today he is treating me like trash. He knows I am sick and in pain, still trying to work as much as my body allows me. I rinse my mouth and wash my face. I will look for a job today. I won't be a burden on him anymore.

I walk back into the living room and sit on the breakfast table.

"Your man is so romantic, I am jealous!" Rachel says and if only she knew. He's sweet and adorable one minute and a total jerk the other. It's like being on a roller coaster. Except I can get out, I don't have to be a child stuck in a dirty diaper. I can change my situation. I fire up my laptop and work on my article that's based on Rachel as Rachel watches some Netflix show. Soon I forget all about the insanity that is all around me and lose myself in my words. I have written so many pieces about romance and relationships in Substance and this is the one that actually means something to me. The pay for substance was dope though. I wish I could just be paid as much.
I will probably get a check for $100 and that isn't much. By New York standard that is nothing but it is still something. I text Salvadore to have a look at my work and give me the final approval.
Amy brings in lasagna and wow, everybody has a weakness, I think I just found mine. I eat a ton of it and then go to the bathroom to throw it all up again. I can't do it more than once in a day or I will get caught, I remind myself. I walk back in the room and Rachel looks at me funny. I have no idea why.
"Are you okay?" She asks me. She heard me. Shit.
"Yup! Absolutely. I just had an accident and when I eat too much, my stomach can't handle it." I lie, please don't catch me, Rachel.
I mean it is true but I've just — it is true okay? Jeez.
Amy brings me my medication that I gulp it down with water.
"Do you want another smoothie, Mia?"
"No, I'm good, thank you for asking." Amy takes the food away. I sip on my water as Nate calls me and I am glad to get a break from Rachel's mom face. Chill out and figure your own life girl. Stop worrying about me and my health.
"Hey, what's good?" He says and he has a very laid-back voice. It's like he's never heard of a deadline or an emergency in his entire life.
"Just chilling with Rachel, you tell me?"
"That convict whore?" He says a little too loudly. I sit up from the chair, ignoring the slight tinge in my ribs. They are getting better. I hope she didn't hear that. I would hate for her to think that I think the same about her. She deserves some compassion and empathy in a world that has been none of those things to her.
"Hello?" He yells on the phone. I am pretty sure he was the loud kid at church that everybody shushed.
"Hold on," I am finally on the terrace and I can resume my talk.
"Stop calling her that, she's a woman that was in the wrong place at the wrong time," I correct him.
"She's a felon and could be exceptionally dangerous. Does William know?"
"Not yet," I am still surprised we hid it from him for a whole 24 hrs. Or maybe he knows. Amy would have told him, right?
"Mia that woman is trouble. Get her out of your life and especially out of your home. What are you doing?"
"Thanks for your advice Nate but I can live my life. Do you have any other project for me?" He's got to be put in his place. Rachel needs help and I will give it to her.
"Alright have it your way but if something goes wrong, I told you so."
"That's fair," it is.
"Ask Salvador and there is a lifestyle writer job opening at Substance. Liam can get you in."
"I don't want Liam to get me in, I want to do it on my own."
"Look, Mia, why don't you just apply? I think you'll get it even without Liam's help. And once you get in the door, you can work super hard and prove your worth."
"Won't they think it's weird that I quit in less than 2 weeks?"
"Fuck it, man, you quit cause your boss was being a cunt. She's not even here anymore. Just apply and you can list me as a recommendation."
"We didn't even work together."
"It doesn't matter. I'll say I helped in the Rachel article and this way you won't even owe Liam anything. You can't help it if his family owns half of New York but that shouldn't decide where you work."
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Liam will still have some control over me and my life.
"I think a steady paycheck is always a good idea and nobody has to know you and Liam are connected."
"Send me the link and I'll apply."
"I'll text it to you."
"Okay, thank you."
"No problem Mia, talk soon," he says as he hangs up. Maybe I could be a lifestyle writer even though I barely have a life and my style is questionable, to say the least. Maybe I need this. The kick in my butt that Liam gave me in the morning. My ribs can heal as I sit on the chair and write articles, I need to stop making excuses and get my coin.
He texts me the link.
"You don't need Liam to help you get the job, I got you,"
"Thanks, Nate," I text back.
I walk back in the living room and Rachel is flipping through the channels. My chest feels soar, I realize that as I move around.
I sit down and Rachel smiles at me.
"Your man doesn't want me here?" Shit, she heard it!
"My man doesn't know you're here. This was a friend, he's being overprotective."
"He don't sound like a friend."
"He is."

"Is he cute?" I pull my Instagram and show her Nate's pictures. "He's fiiireee," Rachel says and I can't help but giggle.

I text Nate, "apparently Rachel thinks you are fire, want me to set y'all up?"

He replies, "No thanks, I would much rather stay away from the crack head whore."

He texts again, "crack head *felon whore."

I instantly hit back, "That judgmental ass will keep you single forever."

He texts back "Tell Liam about her. You are keeping a criminal in his house."

"Be kind to her, she's had it rough. Liam is understanding," I lie in my text back. Given the rotten mood he is in, he will probably kick her out. He can be so unpredictable sometimes that it's scary.

"Is that why you're hiding it from him?" He texts back and I don't reply. Instead, I apply for the lifestyle writer position. I will not let a man treat me like shit over a job or hold it over me that I am unemployed.

The rest of the night is a blur, we watch a few episodes of Sex and The City. It's so funny that even though Rachel and I have had such different lives, we have the same taste in shows—maybe underneath it all, we girls aren't all that different. I pull out a clay charcoal mask and give one to her and put one on for myself.

"I have never seen stuff like this," she says as she puts on her own sheet mask.

"Yeah they are slimy and drip everywhere but they're really good for you," I encourage her. We laugh as we keep them on our faces for 15 minutes. It's almost 9:30. There is no text from Liam. He usually checks up on me.

"I am going to bed," I tell Rachel. "Do you need anything else to be comfortable tonight?" I already gave her one of my sleep shirts.

"I am good, thank you, Mia. I have contacted one of my acquaintances in Kentucky and maybe I could visit her for a bit." Her voice sounds sad. She has nowhere to go, much like me. Maybe we came into each other's life for a reason.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. Get some sleep and please be in your room. I haven't told Liam about you yet and I don't want him getting the shock of his life."

She agrees and we both head to our rooms. I apply my Vitamin E face oil as I hear the noise outside. It's probably Liam and I should go and see him but instead, I massage my cheeks.

He opens the door to my—his room and barges into the bathroom. I don't acknowledge his presence as I continue massaging my face.

"We need to fucking talk," he yells at me.

"Then stop yelling and say whatever the fuck you want to say, Liam," two can play.

"What the fuck is this whore doing in my house?" He screams again. I am pretty sure she heard it. I am sure her friend in Kentucky heard it. 

Why the hell is Liam acting like such a dick? Are you guys as pissed as I am? Is he justified to kick Rachel out when she is so vulnerable? Or is Liam just being protective