Track Limits

Mexico - Clarity

CHARLES POV:

"Mia," I called out walking into our hotel room. The confusion was building on me. She wasn't in the living area, so I pushed open the door to the bedroom. She was sprawled across the bed on her stomach. Comfy in a hotel robe, a wet braid of hair, feet up in the air behind her, and her work glasses on the tip of her nose. She was drafting away on the computer. This was personally a look that was one of my favorites. The causal feeling making it feel homier, knowing Mia was relaxed and carefree. It was definitely something different than I was used to. This evening it wasn't having the same effect on me as it usually did.

Ever since I ran into Pierre and his parents in the lobby before dinner with Fred and Xavi, my mood has gotten darker and darker. Pierre's dad hugging me hello and everything it's usual way until he whispered in my ear. Take good care of my daughter. I could only step back and give a polite grin after being too thrown off to respond.

"Hi," Mia said sweetly from the bed looking up at me. I realized that I've been frozen in the door frame for a few seconds now and she recognized my hesitation. "Feel like relaxing yet?"

My mood got in the way of having a reasonable start to the conversation. "I ran into your parents before dinner," I said flatly. "Any reason they only went out with Pierre?"

"Yeah, remember I texted you I had something to tell you tonight? It's because they took me out to lunch," she said eagerly. I do remember the text coming before an interview but didn't put much thought into what it might be. Mia's body language looked eager at the moment as she shifted into a sitting position leaning towards me with a grin forming on her face.

She was slowly confirming my thoughts. Mia did tell them something. "Please tell me you didn't say anything to your parents," I whispered frustrated.

It was like I blew out the flame in her and I felt the guilt pulling at me just from her reaction. Her face fell and she leaned away. Her body language now completely shut off.

"You can't be serious."

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "Mia unless we want to have this in the public, you can't go around sharing."

Mia squinted her eyes glaring at me. I definitely just set off a side to her that I wasn't prepared for. "I see," she said flatly swinging her legs off the bed and standing. The tone was calculated. "So you think by telling my parents I might as well be shouting it to the world. Do you really think that was my intention."

"It's not like it's been fun keeping it a secret either Mia." Mia rolled her eyes at me which got my temper unusually flared. "It's your world then. Tell whoever you'd like without me but just know what you will face."

Mia took a step towards me. It was like she was yelling without the volume on max. I pissed her off. "This is so fucking unfair Charles and you know it."

"Please, I can't even tell my best friend that I'm the happiest I've been."

"And I can't tell my brother or other siblings! I haven't been able to tell anyone until today and it's been eating me alive Charles. Not friends, drivers, work colleagues who ask me if I'm seeing anyone. I have to act like a pathological loner whenever someone asks about me because I only want to be with you. Your mom knows, Arthur, Carlos, and your entire personal team. So I'm sorry I had a trusting conversation with my parents and got the first slice of relief!"

I opened my mouth due to my mood but my brain told me to shut up. The moment of silence letting me realize Mia was completely correct. She had been carrying her feelings alone for the last month only able to express them with me.

"I wanted to tell you about the conversation today but you didn't even give me a chance," her voice leveling and body plopping back onto the bed defeated. That was all the disappointment she would give me. I knew she was too tough to show anything else in the moment.

"Mia I'm," I stuttered out.

She shook her head. "Don't bother."

I went and sat next to her on the bed even though she didn't look at me. "I'm sorry. I've never thought about it that way and it's very unfair."

She didn't respond but simply leaned into me letting the silence fill the room.

"I'm a dick," I let out quietly pushing into her shoulder.

"Maybe. But a dick that still could do no wrong in my parents eyes," Mia whispered. It seemed to be her peace offering so I jumped on the opportunity desperate to recover from my stupid comments.

"What did they say?"

Mia leaned back finally revealing her face to me after those quiet minutes. Our conversation a whisper following the harsher words that came initially. "They were delighted and saw it coming from a mile away."

My eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Mia's eyes showed a smile even though her face kept level. "They think us working on this ourselves is reasonable and not to worry about sharing until we are ready."

I nodded letting an apologetic grin show on my face. "Well that is good news and I shouldn't have come in hot. I am stupid," I said exaggerating the popular phrase.

That finally got a subdued chuckle out of Mia who pushed her shoulder back into mine. "You are stupid," she repeated giving her best impersonation.

"Well maybe I am for what I'm about ask after starting the first fight. The timing may be poor."

"We crushed our first fight," she said kissing my cheek. "Especially because I won so feel free to go on," Mia said teasingly.

"Well I think this." I chose my next words carefully. "Passionate chat."

"Sure," said timidly.

"Well I think I've known this for a few weeks now but we both just verbalized it without even realizing it. Happiest we've been. Only want to be with each other."

Mia hummed to my comments agreeing.

"Well maybe my timing is poor, but why not call this what it already is. Our own private official relationship?"

"Yeah?" Mia asked now grinning at me.

"Well," I offered back.

A blush reached Mia's cheeks. She shook her head while speaking. "Sure," she smiled.

"Just sure?" I scoffed playfully.

Mia turned her whole body to me now, arms wrapping around my neck. "Don't fight it Charles, I know you want it too," she giggled. "The answer is yes," she whispered kissing my lips lightly.

The smile grew on my face keeping our foreheads together. "Your parents saw this coming from a mile away didn't they," I whispered out.

"I think we were getting into too much mischief to realize it. Or we were just too young," she said more realistically.

I hummed. "It was this mischief," I replied pulling Mia into my side. "I think it was there all along."