NINE:
Joseph Torres was always Mia's definition of perfection.
The 30 year old doctor held the title in the Torres Family of the most successful, even when Mia graduated nursing school.
It crushed her heart to watch everyone praise her brother while she tried just as hard to be like him.
That's the reason the two siblings haven't communicated in over two years.
Mia couldn't take watching her family worship the ground Joseph walked on, and he didn't even realize how much it effected her.
The two were best friends growing up, wanting to do everything together. Mia would tell Joseph everything from grades she's gotten on her tests to heartbreaks she experienced in high school.
He was protective of her as well. Joseph never wanted to see his best friend hurt and same goes for Mia.
So when Callie Torres' father called Joseph in a panic, he hopped on the first plane he could book to the rainy city.
He can't say he didn't know Ben would hurt her, but Joseph had no idea it would be this bad.
How could someone see a person hurting someone they loved?
"We have a lot to catch up on, don't we, sis?" The brother said to his sister, who looked at him with happiness in her eyes.
"Joey." Mia mumbled, while he stood up slowly and wrapped Mia in his arms as she sobbed softly.
She didn't know how much she needed her brother in her life until this moment.
Joseph smiled softly, "Hey Mimi, long time no see."
"You've grown since the last time I've seen you!" The older sister says, looking her little brother up and down.
He chuckled, nodding his head in her direction. "So have you. Your hair really suits you, sis. Did you just cut it?"
Mia runs a hair through her hair, nodding softly as she shrugs her shoulders. "Yeah, when I moved up here I did."
"I think we should talk privately, M," Joseph looks up at Mia who bites her lip, looking at the ground, "about Ben."
"Let me change into my streets and I'll take you out to lunch." Mia suggested, watching as her brother nodded his head in response.
***
The two walked silently down to a small café Mark has shown Mia, making it become her favorite spot.
Joseph noticed something different in the way Mia acted, almost as if someone changed her.
His first thought is Ben and that made him desperately want to run his head into a wall. Another thought, however, was that she met someone.
Mia wears a smile through out everything she's been through and that makes her brother grow curious with the thought of a person making her happy.
And he definitely wanted it to be the second option.
They were seated in the café by the time the two siblings talked with each other, the brother being the first one to break the silence.
"So Seattle, why did you choose it?"
Mia looked up, shrugging her shoulders lightly. "I like the rain."
"You hate rain, Mia."
"It grew on me." The older sibling responds, sipping on her hot beverage.
Joseph watched as she shifted uncomfortable in her seat, a small frown growing across his pale face. "Please don't lie to me, Mimi."
"I'm not lying-"
"I know about Ben, Mia. I know what he's done, and I know you ran away." Mia's brother finally admits, while her eyes widen in shock.
"You have no idea, Joe." The sister whispered, playing with a loose change in the table.
The doctor leans closer to Mia, "Then please Mia, tell me what the hell happened. I thought you guys were happy."
"We were, for a short time. Look Joe, I'm sorry for never calling or texting you for the past-"
"We've been texting for a month straight, Mia. I'm just confused on why you never told me what was happening during our conversations." Joseph tells Mia while she raises her eyebrows, confusion wiping across her face.
"I-I haven't been texting you, Joey. I had to change everything, including my last name. Mom and Dad don't even know I'm here, unless you told them."
The man pulls out his phone, pulling up their text messages. "Look, you can read our whole conversation. I haven't told Mom and Dad yet, but I will-"
"No, they can't know. They will hate me even more." Mia mumbled, grabbing the phone out her brother's hand and starts scanning it.
"They don't hate you, sis." Joseph says quietly, letting Mia focus on reading what was in front of her.
Mia started from the beginning, a small smile spreads across her face when she reads Joe's first text.
hey, i know we haven't talked in a long time, but i'm just checking in on you. mom called me earlier this week and told me to reach out to you. how's ben doing, and work? i miss you, mia. love you, talk soon, yeah?
But a worried expression grows across her face when she reads what she supposedly responded.
Hey. Ben's doing good. Works okay. Ben told me he wants to spend the rest of our days together. Lol, I'd be a fool not to think that.
That's good to hear, sis! Mind if I call you? I miss hearing your annoying ass voice :/
Busy.
Mia stops reading the texts after the last response, her eyes shutting quickly. There's only one person she knows that can text that boring.
And that was the person she feared the most.
"Joe, I didn't write this. When I ran away, I left my cell phone at my old house." Mia quickly states, standing up slowly. She places the phone down quickly, looking up at him.
"What? Then who-"
"Ben." Mia snarled, quickly grabbing her jacket and turns around, quickly running down the busy street of Seattle.
"What? No, that can't be. He would've been here by now if it was him! I thought I was talking to you!" Joseph said in a panic, grabbing the phone from the table to read the texts over.
"Hey! Mia! Wait!" Her brother screams out, standing up quickly. He watches her run down the street, while he sighs.
"She was terrible at Track and Field, how'd she get so good?" He mumbled, taking a sip of his coffee before sprinting after her.
***
Ben Peterson sat in Union Station with a hand gripping firmly on a duffle bag he threw together in a hurry.
Since when have you been in Seattle? Is Ben with you? Were stuck in the blonde's head after he read the text message from Mia's old cell phone.
He grabbed random clothing items, a picture of Mia and him that he would hold when ever he craved her, and a small pistol he kept in his bedside drawer.
"You look ready to board the train." An older woman mentioned towards Ben, looking down at his tense grip on the bag.
He laughed, smirking lightly at her statement. "My girl is in Seattle and I promised her I would find her."
"That sounds romantic, you are definitely a keeper." The woman nudged his shoulder, laughing loudly.
Ben's smirk grows hearing these words, nodding his head in agreement. "One way or another, she will always be mine."
No matter what.
***
OH SHOOTTTTT
HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT BEN GOING TO SEATTLE? WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN?
LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!
love always,
jamiewrites3
comment and vote on what you think will happen next!