If Only Tonight

Blurry Dividing Lines:
Chapter Forty Seven: Missing You?

"That's not even the worst part. The worst part is, he took my car and gave me a curfew! Like, what am I? Fifteen? I've never had a curfew in my life!" Mia vented. "Urgh! I want my Challenger back!"

Hearing Stacie laughing at the other end didn't make her feel any better.

"Come on, Mia. He didn't exactly stick you with a crap car. I mean he gave you his Ferrari to drive! What guy does that?" Stacie gushed.

"A stupid one. I never asked for a car. I have one...and I want it back!" Mia continued. This is so not going my way, Mia thought. She could tell Stacie was on Matthew's side.

"Mia, you have to admit...it's so cute the way you two are going."

Mia, who had been pacing around her new room, upon hearing this stopped.

"What do you mean? We're not going anywhere." She said, a little puzzled.

"So cute!" Stacie said sweetly. "The way he's given you his car and hidden yours, and how Matthew is keeping watch over you. It's adorable."

"More like annoying." Mia muttered, after making gagging sounds. In no way did she find her car being held hostage amusing or cute or adorable. She hated that she had to drive Matthew's Ferrari wherever she went, and even if at first it had sounded caring that Matthew had a curfew for her...she was starting to resent it. She was twenty three and she didn't need some footballer telling her what time to be home by.

"Uh huh...I know you secretly love him, Mia."

"DO NOT!" Mia said loudly. Stacie always knew the best ways to get a rise out of her. She could hear the older girl chuckling.

"Anyway, before I make you blow a fuse, I just want you to know that I will be flying in on Sunday."

"Great! So then maybe you can help me get my poor Challenger out of the garage." Mia said, knowing Stacie probably wouldn't bother.

"Sorry, babe. I think I'm going to like you driving me around in a Ferrari." Stacie giggled. "But I have the ultimate plan. After I sleep off my jet lag, we are hitting the Grad Lounge, then we are having dinner at Wagamama's, and then you and I are going to go -"

Mia stopped paying attention to Stacie's ramblings of what they were going to do. Her best friend was hell bent on repeating their grad student days, and there was no way out of it this time just like there hadn't been then.

Sitting on her bed, Mia put her cell phone beside her and turned it on to speakerphone. Grabbing a newspaper from her desk she started to flip through it, as Stacie talked on and on.

Going through the sports section, Mia's eyes were drawn to a picture of a footballer. It was him. He looked strong, determined. Looking closer, Mia saw it was from many weeks ago...she was standing a few feet away, behind him. Matthew, she thought studying the picture.

"Mia! This is going to be epic!" Stacie's voice snapped Mia out of her thoughts. Quickly, she put the paper away, so she wouldn't be tempted to look at it.

"Yea, I bet it is." She mumbled, hoping Stacie wouldn't notice.

"You better have a really good song ready. Those guys are really looking forward to us coming back. And seriously, so am I...I miss your crazy exam signing." Mia sighed, as Stacie told her this once more.

"You've already told everyone we'll be going to the lounge, haven't you?" Mia said, suspiciously.

"Of course I have."

"Ergh..." Mia fumed, shaking her head. "On a totally unrelated topic...do you want me to pick you up from Heathrow?"

"Don't worry, Mia. My parents volunteered to pick me up, since I'll be staying with them. Never fear, I'll drop by Monday. Just send the directions to your place." Stacie said, sounding smug.

Holding her tongue, Mia decided to let the jibe go.

"I'll do that. Anyway, see you later then." Mia said.

"Yea, see you!"

Hanging up, Mia picked up a sheet of paper. It was probably the best time to get directions from either Lina or Leon, maybe Matthew would be around.

Heading down the stairs with pen and paper in hand, Mia heard sounds coming from the family room. It was the same kind of cursing as she had heard only once before.

"Damn tie! Lina please, please help me!" Came Matthew's voice.

In reply, Mia heard a laugh. Walking to the entrance of the room, Mia saw Lina laying on the couch snickering at Matthew's predicament. His tie was a mess around his neck.

"Hey Mia! Have you ever heard of guys who cry over a tie?" Lina asked, upon seeing her. Matthew turned to give her a nod.

"Nope, just one." Mia replied. "Sorry, Matthew."

He looked back at Lina, with a pleading face.

"Why do you hate tying ties so much?" Mia asked, as Lina finally got up and started to help her cousin.

"They are complicated, itchy, annoying, and-" Before Matthew could complete his sentence Lina swatted him on the arm.

"Stay still, Matty." She said, as she started to fuss over his hair.

"Where are you off too?" Mia asked, as it occurred to her that he was getting ready for something.

"I have a date." He mumbled, receiving another whack from his older cousin. "Hey, watch it!"

"I told you to stay still." Lina shot back.

"So who's the lucky girl?" Mia asked, making sure to keep her tone indifferent.

"Some chick he met at the bar." Lina answered for Matthew. From her tone, Mia thought that Lina sounded unimpressed.

"There you go. You look dashing." Patting Matthew's hair, Lina turned to sit on the couch again.

Realizing she was still holding her pen and paper, Mia decided to ask Matthew since he was around.

"Um...Matt...do you think you can write down the directions to the house? My friend is coming from Australia...and..." Mia caught herself. Why am I explaining to him? She wondered.

"And?" He asked her taking the pen and paper, the look on his face was un-scrutinizable.

"We're going to go out?" Mia said, her voice going up at the end. Why do I have to ask him? She thought furious with herself.

She watched as Matthew put the paper against a wall and started to draw out the directions.

-----

Drawing out the directions, he could tell Mia was a little fumed at him. She hated him questioning her whereabouts. Having stayed home the whole week, he could tell she wanted to go out. She just didn't want him to ask her so many questions.

"Here." Matthew said, handing her the map and pen.

"This is the same friend who used to be your roommate right?" He asked, remembering the time he had taken Mia to the airport to see the other girl off.

"Yea..." Mia sounded surprised that he even remembered.

"Just remember to be home in time for curfew." He added, enjoying the look on Mia's face.

"You're serious about curfew?" She asked, eyeing him carefully.

"Yeah." Matthew said, smirking. Her murderous look was cute, her anger always made him think of an angry kitten.

"If I have a curfew, then you should too." She told him, clearly annoyed.

"Sorry, Mia but I am older than you." He said, trying to reason with her.

"By like a year!" She shot back.

"That's like a whole 365 days, Mia."

"You're so impossible!"

Inwardly smiling, Matthew watched as Mia left to go to her room. It was then he noticed that Lina was still sitting on the couch, she had been watching the entire thing, and the smile on her face did little to put him at ease.

"You two are so cute together." She said grinning at him.

"Shut up!" Matthew snapped, looking out for Mia.

"Aww come on Matty! Why not ask her instead of those lame brainless stalker girls you usually bring home." Lina said, displeasure colouring her words. "You could do so much better."

Unsure of how to respond, Matthew kept silent, giving Lina ample opportunity to continue to vent.

"Mia's intelligent, and seriously pretty. You two would get along so well." Lina told him.

"Yea, well...I'm not interested right now." Matthew said, ending the discussion.

"Urgh, whatever, cousin. I know you like her. You're just being stubborn." Lina said, getting up, and walking out of the room.

"Mia! Do you want to watch TV with me?" He heard his cousin shout up the stairs.

"Sure." Came Mia's reply.

"Come then, we'll grab some snacks from the kitchen."

It annoyed him to think that his cousins and Mia got along better than he did. Lina and Leon seemed to love having a new addition to the household, and Mia looked as though she enjoyed the change from her previously semi-solitary life style. A few days ago he had come home to hear Lina and Mia laughing and talking, making him wistful for the same kind of relationship with her.

At the dorms it had been Nathaniel and Oliver who had had the easy friendship with Mia, and now at home it was both of his cousins. Why can't it be me? He asked himself, annoyed.

Walking in to the hall, Matthew saw Mia come down stairs. Lina took her by the arm, and they headed to the kitchen to get some snacks. As Lina passed him, she winked at him, while mouthing the words 'Tell her!'.

I can't be with her, he thought, I will only hurt her, and I don't deserve her anyway. Clearing his mind from those thoughts, Matthew checked for his keys and phone. Walking to the coat closet, he glanced in the mirror one last time.

"I'll see you guys later." Matthew said loudly, before exiting the house.

The drive to Nobu was quiet. Nevarra had agreed to meet him there, sparing him the trip to pick her up. Savouring the drive, Matthew watched as the lights passed him as he drove down the highway.

The doctor that had been checking his foot had taken the cast off a few days early after seeing the results of his x-ray. Matthew was more than happy, since the doctor had been surprised that there was no trace of the fracture. What the doctor hadn't known was Mia had given Matthew homeopathic medicine to help him heal. Arnica had done wonders for his foot.

He turned on the radio, to keep his thoughts away from Mia as he drove to meet another woman.

Arriving at the restaurant, Matthew parked his car. Reluctantly stepping out of his car, he couldn't help but feel as though he was making a huge mistake. Maybe I should have just cancelled...I could be home spending the evening watching TV with those two...he though. Shut up, I can't keep doing this...I am not meant to be with Mia...I will hurt her...so I need to do this...his mind retorted.

Opening the door to the restaurant, Matthew saw Nevvara waiting a corner table. Here it goes...he thought as he walked over to where she was sitting.

-----

"Guess who decided to join us for a trip to the gym!" Nathaniel called out happily, as Matthew turned to see who he was talking about.

"Oliver!"Nathaniel said loudly.

"Hey guys!" Oliver said, greeting the two enthusiastically.

"Where have you been?" Matthew enquired, as the older player patted his shoulder.

"Busy...training and then taking care of Ariana." Oliver told him with a smile.

"How is she by the way?" Matthew asked, not having been able to catch up with his best friend in a while.

"She's doing well. We were busy picking out colours for the nursery in the new house, and getting clothes and toys. Who would have thought it would be so much work to get a room ready for a baby?"

Matthew chuckled upon hearing this.

"Overwhelmed are you?" He asked, teasingly.

"No, just confused. I don't understand how Ariana makes sense of different colours and those baby monitors...how can you tell which colour will make you feel which way and what monitor is actually better?" Oliver asked, shaking his head.

"Sorry, Oliver. Even I can't help you there."

As they walked towards the treadmills, Oliver turned to Matthew.

"So, how is Mia? I haven't seen her for a while."

"She was supposed to be taking this week off...but she's reading up for her return next week. Her friend from Australia is coming over. I'm guessing she thinks she'll be able to evade curfew." Matthew said, in a factual tone.

He remembered her displeasure on the curfew, and other parts of her life that he had intruded on. Only this morning she had hastily told him off.

"Yes, I called my Dad." She had said when she saw him enter the kitchen. Mia had been finishing her breakfast when Matthew had arrived, and apparently remembered his incessant badgering from the day before. He had promised her father that she would call while recovering...and he intended to make good on it.

"By the way, if you ever think about skipping another appointment. I'm going to use your annoying tricks against you." Mia had told him darkly as she put her plate in to the dishwasher, and left the room.

"So what else has she been up to these days?" Oliver's voice interrupted Matthew's reverie.

"No idea." He replied.

"What do you mean? You live together. Surely, you have some idea what she's been up to?" Oliver pressed on.

Racking his brain, Matthew honestly had no idea what Mia had been doing. Either he was on the team grounds, with the guys at a club, or with Nevarra. What little time he had left, he would spend at home.

"It's not like we spend every waking moment together." He replied, with irritation.

"Too bad, huh?" Oliver grinned.

Shaking his head, Matthew ignored the swipe.

"I'm usually out, or when I do come home she's with Lina or Leon, sometimes I find them all together watching movies."

It was only then he was able to finger the feeling that had been nagging at him for days. Every time he left the house, there had been some pressure on him to stay. I can't possible be missing...He stopped himself from thinking.

"Well, you better make the most of her remaining days off. Next week she'll be busy working, and you'll be missing her." Oliver said, echoing his own thoughts.