Free Mia Found (Starting Fires Book 3) by Makenzie Smith Page A

asked.
    “ Sorry,” he said, looking remorseful. “I have to be up early tomorrow and need to call it a night. But really, Mia, today was perfect. Amazing. I want to see you again soon.”
    Disappointment settled in my belly and I frowned. I wasn’t ready for our day to be over.
    “ I promise,” he said, grabbing my hand. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
    A small wave of self-conscious dread filled me. It had been so long since I’d wanted to date anyone and I hoped I was reading him correctly. With a strengthening breath, I pushed that aside.
    “ Okay,” I said. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
    When I moved to get out, he reached for my forearm and pulled me back.
    “ I will call,” he said. “I’m not playing some mind game with you.”
    Men were hard for me to read. Usually, I believed everything that fell from their lips and then within a month or week, sometimes even a day, I learned how gullible I’d been. With Paul, the truth of his intent was still cloudy. I didn’t want to believe he was like all the rest.
    “ Okay,” I said again and went to him when he gently tugged on my wrist. Our mouths connected and my doubts melted away. He’d call. I knew he would. “Goodnight,” I said as he pulled away.
    “ Night, Mia.” Paul smiled, rubbing a thumb along my bottom lip.
    Over his shoulder, I saw Fiona’s car pull into the complex and I quickly opened the door, not wanting them to have another interaction.
    He gave me a wave and drove away just as she was pulling in.
    “ Was that Paul?” she asked, meeting me on the steps.
    “ Yeah. You just missed him.”
    She sighed. “That’s a shame. I could use some eye candy right now.”
    I rolled my eyes and walked up the stairs. “Well, where’s Fontenot?” I asked, but then remembered he was out with Nicole.
    “ Couldn’t tell you,” she said. “Haven’t talked to him all day.”
    “ Trouble in paradise?” I chided.
    “ Please. We don’t have to be up each other’s asses all day like some couples.”
    Couples. Is that what she thought they were? Maybe I should tell her where he was. “You know—”
    “ Stop,” she said, pushing past me. “Fontenot and I are fine. Stop with the jealousy.”
    Jealousy . That was her favorite word, even when it didn’t make sense. Why would I be jealous of them? She just knew how much I hated the jibe and used it liberally.
    “ Fine,” I said, throwing my hands out. “I’m so jealous of you and Fontenot.”
    Inside, we went our separate ways. For the rest of the night, our apartment was quiet and I turned in early, thinking of the way Paul’s lips felt against mine.
    It was 3 a.m. when Fontenot’s obnoxious laugh reverberated outside my bedroom door. I threw a pillow over my head and drowned out their energetic coupling .

CHAPTER TWELVE
     
    OUR APARTMENT WAS QUIET the next morning, and I tiptoed around not wanting to wake the “lovebirds.” Half-full beer bottles and crushed cigarettes littered our table and I scowled at Fiona’s bedroom door. Smoking?
    She and I had gone through a phase when I hung out with Candace, Lucas’ ex-girlfriend, but we’d agreed to leave it behind. Fontenot had apparently convinced her to pick up the habit again. I hadn’t planned to clean before leaving for class, and didn’t have time. The trash would have to wait until I got off work because I knew Fiona wasn’t going to pick it up.
    With a huff, I grabbed my bag and slammed the front door as loud as I could, taking pleasure in the small annoyance I might have caused them.
    During class, I tapped my pen against my notebook, but couldn’t concentrate. My eyes drifted to my phone every few minutes and each passing hour brought another pang in my gut.
    Paul hadn’t called or texted.
    It was only 11 a.m. when I finished with my classes, but I knew he was awake and doing something. He’d said he had to be up early. Why hadn’t he texted me?
    As I pulled up to Faeries and Moonbeams, I ran two frustrated hands