Fool Me Once... (Part 2)

Part 3

Ryan's POV

Sooner than expected, I hear Mia's car pulling into the driveway. I thought I'd have some time alone... Before she starts looking for me, I leave my, uh, special room, and lock the door with the only key there exists. I designed it for myself, when I  bought this place two years ago after Amanda's unfortunate accident. She was hit by a drunk driver, who was never found. Sad. 

"Hey." I meet Mia at the bottom of the stairs and she doesn't seem too happy. "How was it?"

"How do you think?" She groans, as I envelope her in my arms. She tilts her chin up to kiss me and I reciprocate. 

Mia is a nice girl. She's pretty, but she's no match to Stevie. Mia is oh so naive. I had been following her around for some time before we 'bumped into each other'. I paid one of her friend's for information, I found out her likes and dislikes, I knew where she usually hung out, with whom. Honestly, it was too easy. I'd say, I'm a charming man and charming Mia Fleetwood was a simple task. She was in a vulnerable state, she had just broken up with her boyfriend, so I moved right in. She acts tough, she pretends to be cool and I suppose, the outsiders are fooled, but I got to know her and she's a fragile girl. So unlike her mother. 

"Did she freak out?" I ask about Stevie, when we move to the living room and sit down. 

"Of course she did. She thinks our relationship is the craziest idea ever. She thinks it's insane that I'm dating the father of her son, whom she hadn't seen for four years."

I guess, it is pretty weird. But honestly, I have only seen that boy once, at the hospital, and that's it. I kept true to my word and I let Stevie play happy family with Lindsey. I never liked that man. Even before I met Stevie, I was just like any other fan. I'd read and watched interviews and I've always thought Lindsey treated Stevie badly. I don't know what she sees in him. I also wonder how does it make him feel, raising my child. I do believe he loves her in his own strange way, but does she genuinely love him just as much? They broke up all those years ago just because Lindsey was jealous and controlling. In my opinion, that was simply an excuse to get out of that toxic relationship. Stevie exchanged him for Mick, the drummer, for Lindsey's 'friend'. And when she finally divorced the asshole, I came into her life. Lindsey isn't even Stevie's second best. 

"I don't want to cause any problems between you two." I say, sounding as a concerned, caring boyfriend.

"She can't dictate my life. She thinks I'm still twelve years old and I can't make my own decisions. Screw that! I finally found a man, a real man I'm happy with, I'm not going to break up our relationship just because my mother doesn't approve."

Good, good. That's what I like to hear. If Mia left me, my plan would fail, because it's too soon to act on it yet. I need to get back into Stevie's life, I have to prove to her that I'm a better man, that I have the best intentions where her daughter is concerned, I have to earn her trust back. I will do it and I don't care what it takes. If I have to marry Mia, I will. If she wants to start a family and have children, fine with me. 

"She's so dramatic." Mia rolls her eyes. "I don't see what the big deal is!"

"Well, sweetheart, she is your mother. She cares about you."

"I know and I have no problem with that, but I hate that she wants to live my life for me. I'm no longer her little girl."

Honestly, I want to laugh. Mia thinks she's so independent, she's so grown up... She's been clinging onto me for months now. Because of me she got to move out of her mother's house, because of me she didn't seek further education, because I told her not to. I promised her that I'll provide for her and she could be my pretty little housewife. Mia is still so very young and under different circumstances, I'd tell her to listen to her mother. But now? Now it's an advantage to me that she doesn't, that she's being a rebel. Or so she thinks anyway.

"She's going to tell my dad and she'll try to turn him against me, too."

Hm... Mick. I didn't actually thought about him. I'm sure I'm not in his good graces, since I was Stevie's divorce lawyer. On the other hand, Mia is no longer her Daddy's little girl. I know they had a falling out. Hopefully, he won't be any trouble. 

"I know it's hard for you, but what we feel for each other is honest, right?" I ask, smiling at Mia and she nods her head.

"Yes." She says, circling her arms around my middle, leaning into me. 

I kiss her hair and lean back. This is going great!