Chapter 81

Renee’s POV

It takes a second for me to orient myself after that kiss with Eric. For a moment it’s like we were somewhere else. Somewhere far away from cameras, from judges and jurors, a place where it was just us two without prying eyes and personal questions.

It’s like we were on a private island, with nothing but natural beautiful and peace.

Quickly I come to my sense when I hear something like a chimpanzee go wild, only to realize that it’s Mia have a complete mental breakdown.

The court rooms gives her space has she falls to her knees grabbing her hair and screams. I always knew she was slightly crazy, I mean you have to be to steal someone’s design work and claim it as your own and to force a man to love you only to die him when you get rejected, but this is a different level.

Her eyes are wide but I don’t think she’s seeing anything in front or her. “You’ll pay for this,” she says to no one in particular, or many to all of us. Then as if realizing she was talking out loud she closes her mouth and quickly picks herself up.

She smooths her hair and touches up her make up, as if transforming into a completely different person. I look around to see what others are thinking and just as expected, no one knows what to think.

Eric’s fan base has their phones out recording her, as do the cameramen. “I’m leaving the country,” she says almost giddily. “Ha ha! Then you’ll see,” she says and looks around the room just before darting out.

“What a psycho,” Eric says watching her whip open the heavy courtroom door like it’s nothing and disappear down the corridor.

The fluorescent lights begin to flicker as though Mia’s crazy energy was sucking them dry. “Let’s go home,” Eric says my words back to me as he wraps his arm around me and pulls me close to his side.

“Yeah,” I agree trying to sound relieved, but the truth is some part of me still feels unsettled. Mia is crazy, that doesn’t just go away. She’ll only get crazier and what will she do next?

We’re scripted by security to our car, successfully able to avoid getting swarmed and locked into a ring of questions. When we reach the parking lot, it’s down pouring and I expect that’ll deter the media, but of course it doesn’t.

It’s not until we’re in our car with the engine running that we’re give some space, barely.

Eric turns the wipers onto full speed and the defroster on full blast. I lay my head back and breathe letting the sounds of the car act as white noise.

“Thank you,” Eric says after some time of silence. I look at him puzzled.

“You should be thanking Jasper,” I say and instantly regret the bite to my voice. Though Eric doesn’t recoil or react. He simply nods.

“I will,” he tells me and I know he means it. “But I also want to thank you for being there for all those court dates and for sticking it out with me when it would’ve been easier to leave,” I laugh.

“Would you have let me go?” I ask half-jokingly, half not. Eric smiles.

“Probably not,” he admits then he grows serious. “No one has ever stayed with me through so much,” he says and I think he’s going to say more but he doesn’t.

I turn in my seat to face him and turn down the loud whooshing sound of the air vent. “No one has ever pursued me as much as you have,” I tell him and his ears perk up. For a split second I see Eric as a vulnerable child and it makes me want to cry. Especially with knowing what I’m about to say next.

I open my mouth to speak but my phone chimes and I’m thankful for the distraction. I dig in my sleek leather purse and pull out my phone. “Its from Emily,” I say.

Out on the open road. Without being tailed by the media Eric drives at a much calmer pace. The sky is a Heather gray and the roads are slick. I pause for a moment before opening Emily’s text, enjoying the fullness of the atmosphere, wanting to soak in this rare moment of mundane.

Then my anxiety gets the best of me. I slide open the text and read out loud what Emily said.

“Mia is VIRAL on the internet now. LOL.” Her text leaves me wanting to know more. I close my messaging app and open the internet and sure enough already on front page news is the picture. The face that social media will use when referencing Mia for a life time.

On her knees, her black stockings getting ripped by the jagged wooden floor, her uncles gripped tightly around her knotted hair, her eyes squeezed shut as her mouth hangs open as though in agony crying out to the heavens. “Wild Woman goes West,” reads the headline.

It’s not the most clever but damn do these reporters work fast.

“Do you really think she’ll flee the country?” I ask Eric.

Eric turns on his signal and makes a slow left turn. “Maybe,” he says sounding hopeful. “If she does she’ll likely have to stay there,” I set my phone down.

“Why’s that?” I ask.

Eric shrugs. “You’re a designer,” he tells me with a sideways glance. “You saw her expensive court outfit, not to mention she hired the best lawyer there is, and still lost might I add, so that’s going to cost her extra. If she hasn’t blown through the rest of the money I gave her mom, and if Jane hasn’t blown through it all already, and she can afford a ticket I doubt she’ll be able to make it a round trip,”

I consider what Eric’s saying and it might be true. Mia was always good at spending money and appearing g rich, never budgeting or saving.

“What is it?” Eric says when I don’t respond. I hesitate. Worry lines etch into Eric’s forehead.

“I think she’s going to retaliate,” I say. Eric doesn’t seem to process what I’m telling him.

“I doubt it,” he says but doesn’t explain why. I sigh.

“Well, I don’t,” I say and turn the heat on the car suddenly becoming cold. Eric is quick to make amends.

“I’m sorry, it’s just she’s be crazy to try something again,”

I nod. “Exactly. Mia is crazy,” this time Eric doesn’t respond. We both sit there and think what this could mean, but it’s hard to put ourselves in Mia’s shoes considering neither one of us is at demented she is. “I meant what I said back in the courthouse loyal I tell Eric.

“About going home? Where five minutes away,” Eric says joking but I know he’s deflecting. I don’t laugh.

“You know it’s safest if we pull back on our relationship,” Eric looks like he wants to argue. “Think about Debbie,” I add and Eric’s shoulders slouch.

“You’re right,” he says and glances at me as he slows to a light changing from a golden yellow to a crimson red.

“Thank you,” I release his hand and pull my cashmere sweater tighter around me in need of a hug. I lean my head back and stare out the window as raindrops slide down the glass making a puddle at the top of the door.

We drive the rest of the five minutes in silence, but it’s comforting. After well the chaos it’s good to just sit. Even though Eric and I are back to taking things slow, if we ever even took things fast to begin with, it’s good.

It has to be.