If Only Tonight

Blurry Dividing Lines:
Chapter Fifty Seven: You Make Me Feel Like...

"Hey Matt! Have you seen my-"

"Ring?" Matthew guessed, as he pulled it out of his pocket and held up Mia's emerald ring.

Standing before him in the corridor between their rooms, she was dressed in the same frock she had worn to Lucas' birthday party. At the time he hadn't really noticed it, but upon a closer look he saw that the tiny details, the golden bow, made it look graceful and stylish. With her hair let down, and a gold headband pushing her bangs away from her face, Mia looked like she was going out for the night.

"Thanks! Where did you find it?" Mia asked, taking it from him and sliding it on her left hand's ring finger.

"Kitchen counter. I had been meaning to give it back to you." He told her.

The miniscule weight of the ring in his pocket had made him feel closer to her in some way, now that the ring was back on her hand, the emptiness in his pocket felt enormous.

"I must have forgotten it there when I was washing my hands." She thought out loud."

"Going somewhere?" Matthew asked curiously.

She gave him a suspicious look.

"Not anywhere that would interest you." She told him, subtly hinting at his previous date fixing.

Matthew smiled, shaking his head.

"I'm going out with Stacie. We're having a dinner together before she leaves for Australia." Mia said, as she walked back to her room.

Matthew followed only to see her picking out a pair of black heeled boots, a black clutch, and her coat.

"Sounds like fun." He said, watching her as she put on her coat and checked her purse for her cell phone, wallet, and keys.

"You're welcome to join. I'm sure she'd be thrilled to play 20 questions with you." Mia grinned as she walked past him, boots in hand.

From his few conversations with Stacie, he had gathered that she was just like Lina. Perceptive and annoyingly curious. If she had her way, all of his life's secrets would be on her plate by the end of the night.

"As inviting as that sounds, I think I'll pass." Matthew said, politely.

Mia gave him a knowing look, as she smiled. She must have seen the resemblance between the two girls too.

"See you later, then!" She chirped before heading down the stairs.

Hearing the front door shut, Matthew contemplated what he would do with his night alone. Lina had gone off to meet Brendan, Leon was busy in a conference meeting; Oliver was spending time at home helping Ariana, and Nathaniel was going with Lucas to see some movies.

Finally alone for once after the whole Nevarra ordeal, Matthew decided to read something. Going in to Mia's room he saw the stack of newly bought books, picking out the least girly looking one, he walked to the family room, sitting on a couch, before beginning to read.

-----

"So! How's Kind Cold?" Stacie asked, as the two of them made their way through the appetizer.

Taking another avocado spring roll, Mia shot her best friend a look of disdain.

"You should really stop calling him that. He's not that bad most of the time." Mia said, shaking her head. It had been a while since Matthew had been like his last season self, she thought.

"Alright, alright..." Stacie retreated hastily, much to Mia's surprise. "So how's Matthew?"

"He's okay, I guess. I haven't seen much of him over the weekend. I think he was out with Nate. Today he has a rest day, so he was at home." She told her, puzzled at the look that was forming on her friend's face.

"What?" She asked, shifting in her seat uncomfortably.

"Home..." Stacie said slowly, winking at her.

"Not my home, his home!" Mia said, trying to correct her mistake. She could feel the tell-tale heat creeping up her face. She looked away, taking a sip from her glass of iced water, trying to get rid of the heat.

"You two look so cute together." Stacie gushed.

"What?" Mia spluttered, nearly choking on the water.

"We all saw you and Matthew." Stacie said, grinning.

"What do you mean we and what are you talking about?"

Mia was not liking where this conversation was going. Stacie was grinning like the Cheshire cat, and it was clear whatever it was she was talking about was not something that would be pleasing her.

"After Matthew went to the bar, we all saw you go to him. You two were holding on to each other, it was so adorable. You two looked perfect."

Another wave of red crept up Mia's face.

"How many of you saw?" She asked dreading the answer.

"Everyone. But don't worry no one said anything. I just thought I'd mention it since I love watching you squirm while you turn bright red...kind of like a tomato." Stacie laughed.

With silence settling over them as their dinner arrived, Mia took the time to let the heat from her face die out. Dinner with Stacie had always been an occasion for revelations. She had forgotten everyone was there, when she had gone over to Matthew. It had been the most spontaneous thing to hug him, it had felt right. Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, Mia started on her chicken wraps.

"You know, Mia. A year with those guys has done you good." Stacie told her in between bites of her pasta.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mia questioned.

"When I came back, I thought you would need me and that you'd be relieved. But you've changed. You seem to have everything in control, and you're more confident." The older girl told her with pride.

"I'm more confident?" Mia snickered, she would never have called herself confident.

"You haven't seen yourself, Mia. I thought you'd still be as scared of thunderstorms as you were when I left." Stacie told her.

"I am." Mia interjected.

"Yea, but you don't let anything show. It's like you've found your place."

Reflecting on the words her friend had just said, Mia could see what she meant. She was more comfortable, now that she was out of school and holding a good job. She also had found people that held the same values as her. Oliver, Nathaniel, and Matthew; all knew the importance of their families. They had opened their tightly knit circle to include her, making her feel like a part of their family.

Continuing to munch on her food, Mia watched Stacie. The girl hadn't mentioned her crush once.

"So what happened with Julian?" Mia asked, changing the subject away from her.

"Nothing." Stacie answered, looking a little put out.

"Nothing? I thought you two were going out for dinner last week?"

"Well...since I was only here for a month, I told him that maybe we shouldn't rush in to anything. I'll be back in the summer and maybe even for next year, since Garland wants to apply for a research grant to continue some of the work we started. He also asked me to come back as an external examiner for dissertations and do a guest lecture." The older girl explained.

"So you're going to wait on Julian for a year?" Mia asked, it was uncharacteristic for Stacie to be patient about a guy.

"Yea...besides we're still going to talk and text. Maybe it's better this way? We get to know each other better."

"Maybe."

"Besides, there might be some amazingly hot guy when I get back to Australia!" Stacie said, with a grin, sending the two of them in to fits of laughter.

-----

"Look who's coming to movie night!" Lina exclaimed, as Matthew entered the living room.

"Eh Matty!" Leon called out to him, pausing the movie.

Seated on the couch, Leon, Lina, and Mia; looked comfortable with popcorn and chips spread among them. All three of them looked amused at his sudden appearance.

Having come home from training, Matthew had found himself uninterested in joining the other players at Indigo, since Nathaniel, Oliver, nor Mia, would be there with him.

As he had crossed the hallway, he had heard what they were watching. Star Trek. Matthew had loved the movie when it had come out, and listening to the voices on screen, drew him to the living room.

"You guys are watching a good movie, so I thought I'd join you." He grinned, taking a seat beside Mia.

"Yea. I know, Star Trek is your favourite. We just started." The older boy told him.

"If it was any other movie, I bet you'd still come." Lina muttered, as he shot her a warning glare.

Mia didn't notice the exchange, having snuck the pop corn bag off of Leon, she popped some in her mouth. As Leon un-paused the movie, she offered some to him.

"Want some?" She asked, handing him the bag.

"Hey! Who took the popcorn?" Leon asked, looking for the bag.

"Matthew!" Mia piped up, giving him a wicked grin.

Giving the bag back to Leon, Matthew couldn't help but grin back. It seemed as though a little bit of Lina had rubbed of on her.

"Please tell me she hasn't taught you any other tricks." He whispered to the girl.

"Who said I didn't already know some? Besides what she teaches me is confidential!" Mia whispered back, a mischievous look on her face.

Turning back to watch the movie, he found himself relaxing. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Mia and Lina whispering and giggling about something, but still it was perfect. There had never been anyone that had gelled so well with his family. No one that had made him feel so...so in-, he stopped himself tried to stop himself from thinking.

As the movie progressed, Matthew found himself observing Mia more than he was watching the movie. The entire ordeal with Nevarra had put his feelings for the emerald eyed girl in to perspective. Pushed them to the forefront of his mind. He watched as she leaned back in to the couch, her head resting on his shoulder. The ocean scent of her shampoo wafted towards him. He breathed it in. Everything about her enchanted him, he wanted more. For so long he had been fighting to keep himself in check. What if- but his mind stopped before the thought could be completed.

He didn't want to be the one to hurt her, but the more he thought about it he was running out of excuses not to be with her.

-----

Coming out of Felix's office, Mia stopped by the secretary, Ms. Wheldon's desk. There were a few more weeks to go, but Mia wanted to surprise her father. Knowing that her mother would probably find something wrong with her returning home on time, Mia decided that she would be on her best behaviour just for her father. He hadn't called her yet, and she was hoping to beat him by telling him she had already booked a flight.

"Hi Ms. Wheldon." Mia said, greeting the secretary.

"Hello Dr. Brooklyn. Can I help you?" She asked, looking up from her computer.

"I'm going home for two weeks in December, could you please book my flight? I'm supposed to leave on the sixth and come back by the twentieth."

"Of course. Would you like me to book a morning flight out from Gatwick and a late night flight back?"

"Yea sure, whatever's easiest." Mia agreed.

Thanking the secretary, Mia started to walk to her office. As she reached the main entrance, she saw three people coming in.

"What are you guys doing?" She called out, smiling at the coincidence.

"We were about to come look for you. We just got in from training." Nathaniel told her with a grin.

"Me? Why?" She asked, interested as to why they would be looking for her.

"There's a launch party for the new Toshiba tablet tonight, and since they've sponsored our team; we've been invited." Oliver answered.

"Want to join us? You can drive!" Matthew asked, shooting her a grin.

"Well since you've put it that way sure, I'll come." Mia smirked. "It is your car, after all."