One Time Thing [Wattys 2021 Shortlist] ✔️

Chapter 15: Change

MIA

Mia felt she was on the verge of breaking. Her mind was running wild and her heart was hammering so loudly she thought it would actually leave permanent damage. It most likely wasn't healthy to be so long under this amount of stress.

She shouldn't have used Xander as a refuge, she knew that. But it was almost irresistible to have an unknown shelter. No one would find her there, no one would suspect she was there. But it was wrong and selfish and she knew it.

The lock clicked and Mia entered her apartment, bracing herself for what awaited inside. Of course, she hadn't let Jeff known where she's gone. She was even tempted to leave her phone home. The results of that action would have been catastrophic.

Mia entered her living room; the TV light was on which meant Jeff was awake. It wasn't even midnight. As soon as he heard her, he muted the TV and switched the lights on.

Jeff waited with his arms crossed while Mia quietly took off her shoes, not daring to leave the safe area around the door. She could turn around and escape again. But she sighed and faced her boyfriend, feeling like she was on a walk of shame.

"Is there anything I need to know?" He asked, his eyes sorrowful under the brown rustled hair that fell over them.

Mia put down her camera and took off her blazer slowly, buying time and avoiding eye-contact. Talking to him would be frightening, but silence was even more unbearable. She took a deep breath and looked at Jeff.

"I'm gonna quit my job." She said, her words dry on her tongue. The most excruciating fact was that this wasn't even the biggest change in her life recently.

Jeff's eyes widened and he approached, his toned muscles moving under one of his white shirts. He loved those shirts and Mia loved the way they smelt. The familiarity of his movements caught her off guard and she was almost instantly on the verge of tears.

"What happened?" He asked gently.

"Nothing." Mia rubbed her eyes. "Nothing happened. But I can't do it, Jeff. I hate it, I hate every moment I spend in that office. I never should've chosen it in the first place." All of her insecurities poured out in front of him and she felt like a little girl saying no one in school liked her.

"Mia, come on, it's okay." Jeff went in for a hug, his strong arms finding their way around Mia, but she wasn't feeling any comfort. "You're the best in that office, and if Mathilda is being mean, which I know she is, it's only because she knows you're better than her."

"It's not about that, Jeff." She wiggled out of his embrace and walked over to the kitchen, needing to do something with her hands.

"Then, what is it about? Mia, it's your career. If you don't want to work in that office, you can always ask your father to..."

"My father is not going to help and you know it. He's hell-bent on providing me with the experience of grovelling for success. The same way he did." The bitterness on her tongue surprised her and she grabbed a glass of water, thinking it might help.

"But maybe he could recommend another office, or I could find something..."

"Jeff, it's really not about that. I'm just not happy doing it and I think my time would be better spent-"

"If you found some other place which you'd prefer, you'd remember how you felt when you went to college-"

"Jeff!" Mia hit the white counter with her hand, her anger spilling all over it, right next to the water. Jeff shut up, his beautiful brown eyes staring back at her in disbelief. "I'm quitting. And that's final."