More to You ✔

Chapter 57 - Ocean Eyes (Maria)

Mitch's thumb rubbed circles on the back of her hand, and his eyes slowly opened. "Am I dreaming?"

Maria shook her head. "I needed to see if you were alright. I wanted to come last night, but..."

He sighed. "It's good you didn't."

Maria nodded with a sinking sensation in her stomach. The way he'd said 'alive' last night had shaken her to her core. It was too similar to talking Adrian down from his break-downs.

He squeezed her hand and smiled. "But I'm glad you're here now."

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you yesterday, after everything with Tom, I..." A tear rolled down her cheek, and Mitch caught it with his thumb.

"Tom would have torn both our heads off. I get it."

"Instead, he went after yours. I'm so sorry, Mitch. You didn't deserve his anger." Mitch had backed off during their relationship, and it had been Maria who'd flirted with the lines of their friendship.

"I deserved a little. But, yesterday was..." He exhaled a long breath and his eyes held a vacantness like that night before the pool party. "More than just Tom."

When Mitch didn't add more, she asked, "Emily?"

His voice was low and whisper-like. "And every other terrible fucking thing I've done."

Her vulnerability tugged at her heart until she reached out to stroke his jaw, letting the stubble tickle her fingertips. "You're much more than that."

Mitch shuddered and closed his eyes tightly. "There's so much you don't know."

"I'm here if you ever want to tell me."

"Thanks. I'm not ready yet, but someday." He leaned into her touch and smiled. His eyes glistened. "You're more than I deserve."

"Just slightly more, like a heaping tablespoon of sugar. Not enough to ruin the recipe but improve it."

Mitch laughed and stared at her. "I missed you and this."

"Me too."

They lay there staring at each other, not daring to inch closer or amplify the distance. The blue hues of his reminded her of a stormy ocean today.

Mitch pushed his hair away from his eyes and frowned. "I'm sorry about Christmas and the weeks leading up to it. You've always been incredible, and I've never appreciated it. I treated you awfully, and I'm doing everything in my power to avoid doing it again."

The rawness of those memories prickled her skin, but his closeness and the way his refusal to take his eyes off her fought against that apprehension. "I appreciate the apology."

Mitch drew in a shaky breath. "I'm getting set up with a therapist this week. Shawn thinks it'll help with everything."

Maria smiled and pulled him into a brief embrace. "It will. That's so great you're going."

"I've hurt so many people. I need to do better for everyone, especially you."

She'd thought she'd seen flickers of his desire in his ocean eyes over the past few months, but today it all shone through. Yet he didn't make any move to close the gap between them, nor did she. Either he sensed it was too early for physical intimacy for Maria, or he wasn't ready or perhaps both. He had, however, shown her his vulnerable side, which was much rarer than a kiss.

"Therapy's a good route. It helped me a lot when I was a kid."

He sat up a little more. "You?"

Maria nodded. She hadn't talked about this in years, not even to Adrian, but she wanted to ease Mitch's hesitance to share his vulnerabilities. "My mom had sent me off with my auntie and Sunshine one morning, and I'd forgotten my favourite stuffed animal, so we drove back. The door was still open, and when I peeked into my mom's room..."