Chapter 244

"Evie!" Mia's voice cracked suddenly, and she rushed towards me, tears welling up in her eyes. "Are you okay? I saw everything on the news about what happened!"

"Mom?" I blinked in surprise, my mind scrambling to comprehend her sudden appearance. She reached me in seconds, her arms enveloping me in a tight embrace.

I tried to compose myself as she squeezed my mid-section. "What... what are you doing here?"

She wept into my shoulder. “I came to see you, of course! I had to make sure you were okay.”

The events of the past few days flooded back – the chaos, the fear. "I'm fine, Mom," I assured her, pulling back slightly to meet her worried gaze.

"Why didn't you call me? I would've been there for you," Mia's voice quivered with emotion, and a hint of guilt gnawed at me. I hadn’t even thought about contacting her.

"I... I couldn’t. It all happened so fast," I stumbled over my words, trying to explain but feeling inadequate.

Timothy stepped forward, his expression tense. "We had to move quickly. Things were escalating, and we didn't have much time."

Kamran, standing beside Mia, folded his arms across his chest, his gaze fixed on us. "You could've at least let us know something was going on. We're your parents. We would've helped."

Timothy's jaw tensed as he shot back, "We couldn't risk anyone getting involved. Bruce was dangerous, and time was running out."

"Bruce?" Mia's voice wavered, confusion etched on her face. "Who's Bruce?"

The name hung heavy in the air, and I hesitated, unsure how to explain. "He's... my stepbrother," I finally admitted, watching as shock registered on Mia's face.

"Your stepbrother?" Mia's eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God, Evie, I had no idea."

“Most people didn’t,” I said, attempting to hide the bitterness in my tone. “And it’s not like you called me either.”

Mia's emotions spilled over, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "I didn't know. I'm sorry, Evie. I should've reached out. I should've been there for you."

I nodded, knowing it was more beneficial to just accept her apology. I still felt a pang of disappointment, as she’d chosen to catch me here rather than attempt to call me. "It's okay."

"You both should've told us what was going on," Kamran stated, his voice firm with frustration as he directed his words at Timothy.

Timothy's temper flared, his tone edged with defiance. "We were on a time limit! Bruce was getting violent. We couldn't just wait around!"

Mia, visibly confused, stepped closer to us. "Bruce? As in your stepbrother – that Bruce?" Her voice carried a note of disbelief.

I sighed. "Yes. Even after dad died, Bruce stuck around, though his mother hardly did," I told her, unsure of how she would react.

Mia's reaction was unexpected—she broke into hysterics, her words choked with remorse. "I can't believe I left you alone with that little psycho. I'm so sorry, Evie!"

Taken aback by Mia's emotional outburst, I tried to soothe her. "Mom, calm down! It's okay now.”

Despite my attempt to reassure her, Mia's emotional state added to the chaos of the evening. Timothy, sensing my discomfort, intervened. "Evie and I should go. It's been a late night."

I nodded in agreement, grateful for his understanding. "Yes, Timothy's right. We need to leave."

As Timothy and I attempted to walk away, a sense of unease lingered within me.

"Evie, are you alright?" Timothy's voice held concern as he glanced at me, noticing my discomfort.

I nodded, trying to mask my unease. "Yeah, I'm okay. It's just been a lot to process."

Timothy squeezed my hand reassuringly. "I think we should head home. It's getting late, and you need some rest."

Before we could take another step, Mia's voice cut through the air, determined and insistent. "Evie, wait! Let's hang out, just us girls."

I turned to see Mia, her eyes pleading for a moment of companionship. I hesitated, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling in, but Mia's persistence was unwavering.

Timothy glanced between us, sensing my discomfort. "Mia, I think it's best for Evie to get some rest tonight. We can catch up another time."

But Mia wouldn't relent, her enthusiasm unwavering. "Oh, not tonight, but some other time. We could watch a movie or something. Please?"

I felt torn, but Mia's insistence was undeniable. I sighed, knowing it might be easier to agree. "Alright, fine. We can hang out for a little while."

Mia beamed with excitement, linking her arm through mine. "Great! I’ll call you when I’m free, then I can come to your place!"

Her words made my heart skip a beat, a shiver of discomfort running down my spine. The thought of Mia coming over to my apartment felt invasive, but I didn't want to disappoint her in front of the others.

"Uh, sure," I responded hesitantly, trying to mask my apprehension.

She smiled wide. “Awesome! Well, we’ll leave you two to yourselves. Kam and I have a date tonight ourselves.”

She wrapped an arm around Kamran’s arm, and he smiled down at her. It was still an uncomfortable reality, our parents dating. Knowing Mia’s flighty personality, I hoped it would be just a fling.

As they went inside the restaurant, I exchanged a puzzled glance with Timothy. "That was odd," I murmured.

Timothy nodded in agreement, looking equally perplexed. "Yeah."

As we turned to depart, I felt a mix of emotions swirling within me—a sense of relief to escape the situation, but also a lingering unease at the emotional turmoil that had unfolded. Mia's unexpected reaction had caught me off guard, leaving a sense of vulnerability in its wake.

The night air felt cool against my skin as we walked away from the scene. I leaned on Timothy for support and he wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Are you sure you want to hang out with your mother?" he asked suddenly. “I know she was insistent, but you can always say no.

I sighed, feeling a pang of uncertainty. "I don't know, Timothy. It's been a weird day. And she seemed pretty determined to make it up to me.”

Timothy's expression grew serious, concern etched on his face. "Evie, I don't want Mia forcing her way into your life. Especially if it makes you uncomfortable."

My defenses rose instantly, feeling a sense of protectiveness. "She's not forcing her way in, Timothy. She's just... I don't know, trying to reconnect. And my mom... she was trying to apologize after all these years."

Timothy's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Do you really believe that, Evie? Sometimes apologies come with other intentions."

His words pricked at a sensitive spot within me, dredging up old wounds. "Why? Because us middle class women all have gold-digging intentions?"

He held up his hands in surrender, his voice softening. "I'm just looking out for you, Evie. I care about you."

My defenses softened, but the sting of his words lingered. "I’m sorry. I don’t know where that came from.”

The tension between us hung thick in the air, and I felt a sense of frustration creeping in. I didn't want to argue, especially with Timothy. But the emotions stirred by Mia's sudden appearance had brought up complexities I wasn't ready to confront.

“It’s just…this is personal. Let's just drop the subject, okay?"

Timothy nodded, though the concern in his eyes remained. "Alright, Evie. Let's go."

As we walked toward Timothy's car, an uncomfortable silence settled between us. My mind raced with conflicting thoughts—Mia's uncharacteristic behavior, Timothy's concern, and the complicated emotions stirred up by my mother's attempt to apologize.

Once inside the car, Timothy broke the silence. "Evie, I'm sorry if I upset you. I didn't mean to push you."

I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. "It's not just you, Timothy. Today has been a lot."

Timothy started the car, his voice gentle. "I understand. I'm here for you, okay?"

I managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Timothy. I appreciate it."

But a knot was still forming in my gut, and the realization of my actions began to settle on me.

Mia was back in my life, and it didn’t seem like she’d be leaving anytime soon.