32

They stood in a circle in front of the table and spoke so muddled that I didn't catch a word. Everyone interrupted everyone and it was pure chaos. I would have loved to give them a stress ball and only the one holding it was allowed to talk. But then they would probably tear it away from each other, as aggressive as the atmosphere was here.

"I have to go to work! But there will be consequences!" my mother yelled hysterically and stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

I looked at Kiyan, who also looked over at me at the same time, only to come towards me and take off his jacket. What was he up to? Thomas was still there!

My heart was racing as he stopped right in front of me and my eyes were level with his belt. I swallowed hard, feeling my cheeks glow, and looked up at him into his fixed brown eyes. A few strands of his messy hair fell lightly in his face and I felt frozen again.

"Hold on, please," he said suddenly and then handed me his leather jacket. "I'll make us coffee first."

Coffee? Serious?

I turned to face the window with the jacket on my lap and faced the sun. I hadn't slept a second and now he wanted to give me caffeine as well. I thought I'd die of blood poisoning, or die in the woods because Zayn would crush me, but now I was sure I'd languish from exhaustion.

"So," Thomas snapped me out of my thoughts and sat down in the chair across from me to cross his arms on the table and give me a thoughtful look. Then, in his red and black lumberjack shirt, he raised his hand and pointed to a spot on his neck. I didn't know what he wanted from me, so I raised an eyebrow questioningly and he leaned in a bit towards me.

"You should pull up your sweater," he whispered, grinning, and the hickey immediately came to mind. I widened my eyes in embarrassment and straightened Micah's black sweater, then thought about why he was suddenly being so nice.

I hadn't forgotten how he grabbed Kiyan by the collar, nor how he threatened me in front of my mother. In addition, Kiyan had told me on the playground that Thomas wasn't a good person, at least not to him. So why was he suddenly so helpful? That didn't go with the rest of his demeanor.

I really started to believe that everyone around me was crazy.

I ignored him again and looked down at Kiyan's leather jacket, which I held tightly in my hands and whose smell was unfortunately masked by the coffee that the black-haired man put in front of my nose.

"You'd better go to your room," Thomas instructed and then looked at me. "I'll talk to your mother, but only this once. In the future, please abide by the rules of this house."

He got up and disappeared into the hallway with Kiyan. After that I stopped and closed several doors but didn't know who went where.

In complete silence I then sat there alone and drank the hot coffee, ready to wait for my mother and to talk to her. I had no hope that she would calm down once I apologized, and I didn't want to feel like I owed Thomas anything, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

As soon as the coffee was gone, my tongue burned and my heart pounding wildly, she came back into the open kitchen in a smart gray pantsuit and straightened her wavy red hair.

"Mom," I addressed her, then nervously waited for her reaction.

"Mia," she said coolly, picking up her purse from the kitchen island and then looking down at me.

"I'm sorry I'm not on the phone. I had a fight with Juline and Micah."

I nervously fiddled with the leather jacket in my hand and then faced her. She looked at me thoughtfully and then took a few steps towards me in her heels.

"You think I want something bad for you. I can understand that after what happened between your father and me, but Mia, I just want to protect you!"

She sounded sincere and somehow I could understand that she was so angry. Of course I was still disappointed in her about Papa and also that she hadn't defended me in front of Thomas, but that morning she had every right to be upset with me.

"One week house arrest... and you help me with dinner every day. No visitors! No secret trips. You could also help me around the house."

She looked at me sternly and I just nodded in agreement. I was afraid she would come for therapy or something, but I was fine with house arrest, after all my friends probably never wanted to see me again, or rather I never wanted to see them again.

"And that with Kiyan, that'll stop," she continued and immediately I looked her in the face again. "I'm not from yesterday, Mia. The way he looks at you is scary and since he's been living here, you've been in trouble more and more often. Just take care of yourself. I wouldn't want to throw Kiyan out on the street!"

Without letting me get a word in, she left the house and absolute silence fell over me again.

Throw him out? She couldn't just do that, after all he was... how old was he anyway? Frightened that I didn't even know that about him, I just wanted to go to sleep and forget everything for a while, but then I suddenly felt a pleasant vibration in my crotch. Completely irritated, I lifted my jacket and as soon as I put my hand in the right pocket, I had Kiyan's cell phone in my hand.

And then several messages flashed from Chloe...

Should I? No! I wasn't the type of person for that... but just pull down the bar and read quickly?

Kiyan said he never learned to trust...if he knew that then....

Oh man!!!

I sat there with my phone in my hand and was torn....

What should I do?