By the time we finished our meal, the later half of the afternoon was gone. I turned towards Killian with a raised eye brow remembering he how he had mentioned that he had meetings he needed to attend after lunch. I wonder what happened...

"What?" He asked as he took a sip of his beer, his eyes drawn to the curious look I was giving him.

"Didn't you mention earlier something about a few more meetings?"

"I had Max push them back. They were just small meetings that were able to be rescheduled easily. Besides, it's been nice just being able to hang out with my friends. Haven't done this in awhile." Alexander and Marc smiled and clinked their own beers together.

"So why am I here then?"

"What man doesn't want a pretty lady be their side?" Alexander said sweetly. I smiled with a slight brush.

"He's married." The words were a mere whisper in my ear, and only for me to hear. I turned towards him slowly with an evil smirk plastered on my face.

"Don't worry, unlike you and Marc, I can take a compliment and not expect anything out of it." I hissed. He smiled crookedly and leaned, silently stretching his back.

"I think you need to get laid, Mia." I darted my eyes over to him. His usual cold gaze was now glassy, and a little bit of red was creeping into his cheeks. I wanted to smack him as his eyes dropped lower then they should have before the lifted back up to mine. With a low growl, I turned towards him and glared.

"Don't you have a plane to catch?" I snapped.

"In the morning... I'm all yours tonight," goosebumps rose on arms as Killian's hand landed on the top of my thigh, "I am the giving type. I can give you a night you'll never forget."

"Ha," I laughed dryly, "How about, no." I ripped his hand away, taking a deep breath to help control the rapid beating of my heart, while at the same time, hoping that he wouldn't notice my own blush creeping in. I hated how all it took was one touch, and I was suddenly back to being a sixteen year old girl with a crush on her childhood friend. He may look like my old Killian, but the man sitting next to me definitely wasn't the man I grew up with.

"Oh come on," he chuckled, "Don't tell me your scared?"

"And what exactly would I be scared of?" My voice raised slightly, and suddenly the eyes of Alexander and Marc were on us. Just great, this was not the kind of attention I needed right now.

It didn't stop Killian though, as he opened his mouth, licking his lips, "That you would have to admit to yourself, you actually want me."

"I'd rather choke on Marc's dick."

Marc's eyes widened in response to my comment, and then his skin went slightly pale as Killian send him a dangerous look, "H-Hey now, there's no need to bring me into this."

"He started it."

"I did not. You did."

"How is this my fault?"

"You walked into my office."

"You were the one who dragged me to this lunch. Pretending like you didn't want me here when in reality we both know you did."

"Oh please, this was all your uncle and Marc-" Alexander exploded into a throaty laughter and turned towards us with a grin on his lips.

"You two fight just like an old married couple. It's quite adorable."

"We Do Not!" Both of us shouted at the same time. A second later, our glares found each other and a tiny storm started to form. I kept my stance until suddenly his nose was mere inches from mine. The closeness shocked me for a moment, causing a small yelp to escape from my lips as I pushed myself away.

"What the hell!?"

"You get very distracted when you're angry, do you know that?"

"Ugh!" I stood up from my chair and grabbed my phone, "I will meet you in the car. I'm ready to go home!"

"No." He lashed out and caught my wrist. I tried to yank my hand free, but the more I pulled the harder he squeezed.

"Let go, Killian."

"Sit down."

"No, now let go!" I gave in slightly and then pulled back hard. My wrist slipped free and as quick as I could manage, I turned around and made my way outside where I had to bell boy motion up the car. My uncle got out the moment it stopped.

"Is everything alright, Mia?"

"I'm ready to go home-"

"Mia, will you just wait?" Killian came up from behind with Marc in toe.

I turned towards him, mustering up as much annoyance as I could, "What's your deal, Killian?"

"Mine? What's yours? One moment everything was fine and the next thing I know, you're practically exploding..."

"I didn't want to even eat with you in the first place, okay. I only did it because I didn't feel like pissing off my uncle. I don't want to be in there anymore. I hate this place! No offense to Alexander, but big fancy restaurants don't really suit my style. Now," I yanked the back door open and swirled around coming face to chest with Killian, "Either get in and come home with me or wait till my uncle drops me off and then have him return. It's your choice, but I'm leaving!" With my final words, up in the air, I slid into the back seat and slammed the door shut.

I sat in the dark cab, clutching my chest as my heart raced. I closed my eyes as my vision began to distort, that cruel, cold, lightless ocean clasping my throat with it's deadly hands, heat licking the back of my neck. Deep breaths, Mia. 

***
Killian

The door slammed shut before I could even begin to form a response. Taking a deep breath to prevent myself from making things worse, I took a step back and turned towards her uncle, "Okay, I'm not stupid. This attitude is not like her at all. What aren't you telling me, Roger?"

"Are you really that surprised, Killian? It's already August, what did you expect?"

"Okay, and?"

"What do you mean, okay and?"

"What does that have to do with her nasty attitude?"

"Killian," his gaze was cold and serious, "Tuesday is August 16th."

"I am well aware-" I cut myself short as I felt the world around me go blank. Every rude and mean comment I had made the past few days felt someone was taking a hot poker and repeatedly stabbing me in the gut. 

I hadn't thought about Michael since Mia left. Roger always focused on work around this time of the year, and didn't show a single ounce of emotion regarding the day. I wouldn't even realize it was upon us, until my father was returning home from church for the evening. I was always able to tell, because it was the only day he went to service throughout the year. It was his way to helping his best friend without having to bring it up.

"I'll call Max and have him cancel my trip to Paris-"

"Come on, Killian. You know she doesn't want your pity."

"It's Michael's anniversary, and you want me to just leave her all alone and go work. You can't be serious. I was always there for her, and-"

"And you haven't been there for her for the past four years," he said harshly but truthfully, "She has come up with her own ways of healing. You need to focus on work, and go to Paris. Lucien has already put everything in place to allow me to spend the day with her."

"Seriously, Roger? How can you just expect me to work and go about my day knowing how this day affects her. I know I haven't been there for her these past few years, but she was gone. I wasn't with her. She's here now though. You can't really expect me to do nothing when she is suffering right in front of me..." His anniversary was always the worst for her. Even years after his death, every year was just as painful as the last. I never knew how she handled it during her time in the service, but I hoped she at least had someone to help her.

"I understand where you are coming from," he sighed painfully, "But you suddenly stopping everything to coddle her isn't going to help. Not after all this time. So you will go on your trip and handle your business accordingly. I will stay and take care of Mia."

"Roger-"

"There is nothing less to discuss. My decision is final." He snapped before turning and sliding back into the passenger seat of the car.

With a frustrated sigh, I ran my fingers through my hair and turned back to Marc. There was a gleam in his eye that matched perfectly with the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "What?"

"I should have known."

"Known what?"

"Not wanting to talk about her, not letting me take her out to eat, not letting her leave the table...the picture...I should have known." The next three words he silently mouthed caused me to pause. I stared at him as his smirk grew and immediately wanted to hit him.

"Just keep your mouth shut." I didn't wait for him to respond. I turned around and waited for the driver to open the door before sliding in next to Mia. Her eyes were glued to her phone. A girl named Jessica sending her paragraphs for messages. It took everything in my not to pull her into my arms. Roger was right, I had no place in trying to care for her now. 

***

"Where's Mia?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen with Roger in tow. The kitchen didn't have the strong aroma of breakfast like it usually did since she's been here. There was nothing playing on the living room tv either.

"She's still in bed."

"It's eight in the morning, she should be up by now."

"Tomorrow is Michael's anniversary. As far as she's concerned, her bed is the only place she needs to be. It's how she's always treated the day before, during, and after, you know that."

"Are you telling me the military allowed her to do that?" 

"She made it work."

"So, she suffered for four years," I growled, "Well now she's here, and she needs to eat something." I could understand why she wasn't in the mood to get out of bed, but that didn't mean she could just starve herself for days on end.

"I think I can be trusted to take care of my own niece. I will make sure to bring her food and get her to eat something."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Roger-"

"It's just you feel that you need to be there for her instead of anyone else."

"That's not..."

"Killian, I promise you, she is going to be okay. I have it all planned out. Lucian and I discussed this before we even invited her to stay with us during her leave period. That's actually part of the reason we invited her. We wanted to be able to take care of her knowing that she didn't have the support in the service that she had growing up."

"This is all so stupid." I laughed dryly as I ran my hands through my hair. That statement alone was enough to prove to just how wrong she had been to go into the service. I understood that she found pride in serving her country, but she was the last person who should have joined the service.

Handling her fathers death had never been an easy task for her. For years, his anniversary shook her to her core, turning her into a shadow of her former self, and yet one day she woke up and decided she needed to put herself right in his shoes. I have no doubt the choice was made in order to honor his memory, but there were far better ways of doing it then serving like he did.

Taking a long drink from the room temperature coffee in front of me, I turned on my heel and headed up the stairs going directly to her room. I slid the door open slowly, pausing when there was enough room for me to poke my head in. My gaze dropped onto her in a second.

She was still asleep, curled up on her side. The black duvet was pulled up to her stomach allowing for a sliver of skin between the cover and her sports bra, to show. For once she looked peaceful, and if I hadn't known her personally, the way she looked while she slept would make it easy to believe that she was the kind of girl you wanted to wake up next to in the morning. 

I couldn't stop the images that played across my mind. What would it be like to walk in there, run the times of fingers across her shoulder and down her arm. Would she wake up from my touch, or only stir a little bit before falling deeper into what I had hoped was a blissful sleep.

Unable to stop myself, I stepped in and moved across the room until I was next to her. Her chest slowly rose as she breathed, her eye lids frozen. She appeared to be so calm and peaceful. It pained me knowing she wouldn't be waking up to the same peacefulness that she was expierencing in her dreams. She'd wake up to the annual agony, and like the past four years, she would once again be without me.

With a shaky hand, I reached out only to stop right before I got to her cheek. My fingers burned me be against her skin, but I couldn't. I worked too hard to get to where I was at, and if I went any further, it would all be for nothing.  It's comical really, I thought to myself as I backed away from Mia, and left her to her dreams, I spend four years to building my wall, and you're back for less then a week, already tearing it down...

Pulling my cellphone from my pocket, I sent a text to my driver to bring the car around. My bag was already packed and next to the door. I grabbed my jacket, slipped it on, grabbed my stuff, and was in the elevator before I could even try to go back to that room. As much as I wanted to be there for Mia, Paris was the only thing that would help me pick up the pieces from the rubble and put my wall back together.

***
Mia

"So I ran into First."

"And?"

"He wanted me to give you a message."

"What?"

"Do you remember his little sister, Veronica?"

"How can I not, she practically dragged us off the ship whenever she visited First."

"Well, apparently she called him to tell him to tell us that she was going to visit--she wanted it to be a surprise so she didn't text you or me--and he told her that you transferred, and she messaged me and asked where you were, and I said you had gone to school first but you were now in Chicago visiting your uncle, and she started screaming and told me to tell you that you need to call or text her like asap because I think she's in town and wants to see you. Okay seriously, what's your secret?"

"My secret?" I laughed lightly, "What do you mean?"

"You know a lot of rich people. How?"

"First off, I only know a handful. Second, you and I both know Veronica, and she values our friendships equally, so she doesn't count on my list."

"Wow, don't let her hear that."

"She would forget all about my statement after you tell her how she is the one and only rich person on your list."

"True," she paused before letting out a loud groan. I could suddenly see her, sitting on her chair in medical, with her head thrown back and a look of despair on her face, "I wish I had more leave. I want to come to Chicago and see you both so bad."

"Talk to HMC."

"I did already. She laughed obnoxiously and walked out saying I had to take a piss test because she thought I was on drugs."

"Sounds about right."

"She can just be so annoying some time!"

"At least you don't have to keep your radio on at all times because she had a high chance of getting locked out of medical."

"Yeah, true. That reminds me, MAC actually got into the office by himself today."

"Really?" I didn't think it was possible.

"He was looking at his phone so I'm guessing he saved the code somewhere on it."

"As long as he can get in. I can't keep looking after the old man."

"True, but hey I got it go. HMC just found me and is giving me the evil eye."

"She gave you an assignment, didn't she?"

"I didn't think she would find me. I even bribed the quartermasters to keep my location quiet this time. Can't trust anyone around here! Anyways I will talk to you tomorrow! Call Veronica! Bye!" She hung up the moment I said my own good bye. 

I rolled my eyes and scrolled to the bottom of my contact list, shooting a message to the last person.

*Hey, it's Mia.*

*Hey girl! I hear you're in Chicago.* Her response was almost instant. She must have been waiting for me to reach out.

*Yeah, I'm taking my leave here.*

*Are you staying at a hotel?*

*No, I'm staying with a family friend.*

*Who? Is it a guy? Is he cute? Is he single?*

*Yes, but he isn't really my type. I prefer the kind of man that sticks to one woman.*

*So the family friend is a little bit of a sleaze, huh? Who is he? Maybe I know him. I do have a circle around these parts.*

*I'm sure you do, it's Killian Cross.*

*No way! You're family friends with thee Killian Cross? The prince of Cross Industries...the man slut of Chicago?*

*Is he really that bad? I assumed me slept around, I was told as much, but to be given a nickname like that...* I bit my lip. The fact that Veronica was calling him that meant her circle called him that.

*He has slept with six of my acquaintances. Thank god most of them do not run in the same circle, because if they did, I probably wouldn't have much of a circle left. His buddy is just as bad too.*

*Who, Marc?*

*Oh wow, you know them both. I am so sorry you have had to encounter not just one, but both of them.*

*Killian really hasn't been that bad.* I threw in there feeling the need to defend him for some reason, *Some bickering here and there between us, but that is typical.*

*You're saying that now. Stick around, I promise your opinion of him will change. But enough about him, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?*

*I was just going to lay in bed and watch movies. Killian left for a trip to Paris for a couple of day.*

*Why don't you come over? We can watch movies together and catch up.*

*Any chance you would be willing to come to me?*

*Yeah that works for me. I can pick up some Chinese food on the way. I will trust you to pick out a good movie.*

*Just let me know when you get here and I will buzz you up.*

I dropped my phone with a flat smile. I really wasn't in the mood to hang out, but I knew Carson would be upset that I was just locking myself away. She would never let me mope around during this time of the year. I was doing this for her. In memory of her...

*🍷*

Notice: Once done editing the whole manuscript, this will be split into three different chapter.