Take Me Anywhere

"Sidney, please, let me in," Mia begged from the outside of his hotel room the next morning. "We're adults, not teenagers. Please, I need to tell you my side of the story. It's not what you think, really. Please, just trust me and let me in."

After a moment, the door was tugged open. Sidney stood aside, allowing her in. He looked completely disheveled, and she bit her lip nervously. "You wanted to talk," he stated calmly. "Talk."

"Where do you want me to start?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"How about this one," Sidney inquired sarcastically. "What is your ex-boyfriend even doing in Vancouver?"

"He's friends with some of the athletes," she mumbled.

"Next question," he said. "Why were you kissing him?"

Her eyes looked up to meet his. "I didn't kiss him. He kissed me. I was sort of drunk, and he took advantage--"

Sidney shook his head. "Mia...you told me that you don't drink."

"I don't!" she protested. "Not ordinarily...but he bought me a drink, and it seemed rude to just...waste his money, and I only had a little bit, but..."

"So you knew what you were doing the whole time?" Sidney demanded. "You knew, and you didn't try to stop him? You know what, here's the bigger question, why were you even out with him in the first place? I thought you were coming to watch our first game!"

"I was," Mia insisted, tears forming in her eyes. "Nate asked me to meet him and I was going to tell him to leave me alone. But then after that one drink, I just got lost in the time, and before I knew it, the game was over and he was all over me. I tried to push him away, Sidney. I did...but you just showed up at the wrong time."

Sidney rubbed his temples with his index and middle fingers. "I can't believe this is happening."

Mia bit her lip again and spoke up. "I have a question for you, now."

He looked up at her. "What is it?"

Fidgeting slightly with the hem of her sweater, she asked, "Why did you kiss me?"

He stared down at the floor. "I didn't think you were awake."

"Why'd you do it though?" she asked quietly.

He sighed loudly, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Do you really not know, Mia? Or are you just asking me this so you can torture me some more?" Mia didn't say anything. "I'm in love with you, alright? There, it's out in the open. I've been in love with you practically since the first time we spoke. Alice and Jordan knew, and if Jordan knew it, then you must have, too."

Mia looked down, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I...I did know that you had feelings for me," she admitted. "But I wasn't expecting to hear...that."

"What were you expecting then?" Sidney asked her quietly. "I love you, Mia. And you really hurt me."

She walked over to him and tried to place a hand on his chest, over where his heart was, but he flinched away. "I'm sorry, Sidney," she whimpered, her hand retreating. "I wish I could make things easier, and I know it's not something that you can just forget. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Mia stood in front of Sidney for a second, hesitant about what to do. Finally, she stood up on her tip-toes and kissed him softly on the lips. Before he could register what had just happened, Mia was already on her way out.

"When you're ready to talk, call me," she whispered. "Goodbye." Then she quietly closed the door behind her.

Sidney collapsed onto the couch and shook the thoughts of Mia from his head. The room was silent. From outside in the hallway, he could faintly hear Mia's footsteps as she traveled away from him, her small sobs piercing his ears.

No matter how hurt he was, it broke his heart to hear her cry.

* * * * *

"I'm sorry, Mia," Alice sighed, pulling her sister into a big hug. "I don't know what else to say. Is Nate still texting you?"

"No," Mia sniffled. "I think he got the idea that I wanted nothing more to do with him after I screamed at him and nearly punched him in the face after Sid saw us."

Jordan shook his head. "This sucks."

"Agreed," Alice nodded.

"I'm just going to stay here for a while," Mia told them. "You two go out and watch some more of the events. I don't want you to miss out because of me."

Alice looked skeptical. "Will you be alright here by yourself?"

She nodded. "I have my guitar."

Alice knew when Mia spoke those words that she would be fine. All that her sister needed was a distraction, and music could fill that need. She ushered Jordan out of the hotel room, leaving Mia alone.

She walked to her room and took her guitar out of its case. Sitting on the bed with it in her lap, she drummed her fingers along the mahogany body before firmly holding the pick between her fingers and carefully strumming out a quiet, wistful tune. Her phone didn't ring once.