Mia Found (Starting Fires Book 3) by Makenzie Smith

to Atlantis. Remembering our perfect day yesterday brought a breath of relief. I was being overly sensitive, too excited and eager. I needed to step back, to remember that whatever was happening with Paul and me was very new.
    Fontenot came out of Fiona’s room and I squirmed on the couch, trying to decide if I needed to escape. Sure enough, he walked over and joined me.
    “ What are you doing here?” I asked. “Why aren’t you out with Fiona?”
    “ Because. I don’t want to be.”
    We were silent, watching a late afternoon judge show. He kept chuckling at the bizarre cases, but I couldn’t take it anymore and said, “Did you have fun with Nicole last night?”
    His eyebrows shot up. “You know Nicole?”
    I pulled a face. “You know she’s friends with Marlowe? Marlowe lives with my brother. Of course I know Nicole.”
    “ Oh,” he said. “Right.” Fontenot took a hand and rubbed it along his jaw thinking about how to respond. “It was fun,” he admitted with a cheeky grin. “That girl’s a straight up tease though.”
    “ Hmm.” I said, not really caring.
    He whistled. “Good God, she can get me wound up.”
    I gave an annoyed sigh. “So you go out with Nicole and get all ‘wound up’ and then come home to Fiona. You sure haven’t changed.”
    Fontenot scowled at me. “You don’t know shit about me, little Mia. Not a goddamn thing.”
    I knew plenty and threw him a weighted look.
    “ Fine,” he said. “You don’t know a thing about me now . Fiona knows what she’s doing. I’m not promising her shit. Besides, I’m leaving for a job soon and won’t be back for a while. It ain’t like we’re getting married.”
    “ Have you told her that?”
    “ Why would I?” His shoulders pulled up in an aggravated shrug. “She’s not my girlfriend. I can do whatever the fuck I want. And I can fuck whoever I want. So lay off with all this crap about Nicole. She’s not putting out anyway.”
    Fiona saw things so differently. What would happen when she realized how heartless Fontenot was?
    “ You should be honest with her,” I said. “Just tell her you’re leaving. She at least deserves that. I swear to God if you just disappear on her…”
    He chuckled. “What are you gonna do about it? Sic your brother on me again?”
    Maybe I should. Lucas wouldn’t mind roughing him up, but I pushed that fantasy aside. Instead of throwing attitude, I tried to reach him with sincerity. “I know how it feels,” I said. “And I don’t want my friend to deal with that.”
    Fontenot closed his eyes, thinking my statement over. “I…” he began, but turned away from me. “You–you know I’m sorry. For what I did.”
    “ So don’t do it to someone else,” I said and stood. I grabbed my phone and went to my bedroom, needing to be away from him and the painful memories it caused. I might not have feelings for him any longer, but it was hard not to hurt for the insecure, younger me.
    After I pulled my paintings out and rested them neatly beside my dresser, I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling. A crack ran from the center all the way to the wall. It meandered and moved so randomly. Over the years, I’d memorized every curve, every small nuisance. I could recreate it with my eyes closed.
    Every so often it would grow a smidgen larger and sometimes I’d lay in bed wondering if one night the ceiling would cave in on me.
    It would never do that. We were friends now, kindred spirits. I understood it. All of its random movements had a purpose. They were deliberate.
    With a frustrated sigh I closed my eyes. I sounded like Gladys.
    I opened them and looked at my hands, trying to see what Gladys did. What wasn’t I ready for?
    The buzzing of my phone made me jump and I hastily reached for it.
    Paul calling…
    I held the phone to my chest, smiling brightly, and then answered, unable to hide my elation. “Hey,” I said.
    “ Hey,” he said. “Sorry I didn’t call sooner. Work has been crazy.”
    “