The Girl Next Door
Chapter 41

When I fail to respond, she glances at me. "What do you think?"

"Oh, ah..." Even though I have no idea what to do, I realize staying is not an option. At some point, Mia will notice her dad, and I can't allow that to happen.

"You know what? We should go somewhere else." When her eyes widen, I add hastily, "Some place better."

"You want to leave?"

I wince at the shock lacing her voice. "I want our first date to be special, and this isn't going to cut it."

She lays the menu down in front of her. "I can't tell if you're being serious or not."

"Dead serious," I say nervously. "Let's go."

As Mia opens her mouth to pelt me with questions, our server arrives at the table with a smile plastered across her face.

"Hello, my name is Kimber, and I'll be your waitress for the evening. Have you ever been to Marco's? If not, welcome!" Her gaze bounces between us. "The chef has created several specials this evening-" "We won't be staying," I interrupt.

Mia's eyes bulge, looking like they might fall out of her head. Kimber, our perky waitress, stares at me with an equal amount of surprise. "Beck, I don't-"

"Sorry for the inconvenience." I bolt to my feet like a lunatic. This whole evening has burst into a fiery ball of flames. I'm not sure if I'll be able to recover from this catastrophe. But what other choice is there? I can't allow Mia to catch sight of her father.

"Ready to go?" She stares at me in bewilderment as I extend my hand.

"Ummm..."

"Great, let's get out of here!"

Mia glances at our waitress as if she might be able to explain my odd behavior. When I don't retract my hand, she tentatively lays her fingers in mine and carefully rises from the chair. Not wanting her to see Dan, I scoot my body to the side and block her view. It's all I can do to hustle her a*s out of here as fast as humanly possible. If I haven't destroyed my chances with her, maybe we can replace a different restaurant and start this date over again. We can pretend this never happened. Although, that's probably wishful thinking on my part.

Thirty steps, and we'll be in the clear.

I swipe my hand across my brow and realize I'm sweating. This has turned into a real shitshow. I tighten my grip around her fingers and drag her from the table. She makes a squeak of protest before stumbling to keep pace with me. Once we reach the entryway where the hostess station is located, the pressure in my chest loosens, and I can once again breathe.

That was a close one, but I did it. I hustled her out of there before any damage could be done.

Mia tugs on my hand. "We can't leave!"

Why the hell not?

"I forgot my purse at the table." She points toward the main dining room. Goddamn it.

I'm tempted to leave it behind and chalk it up as a casualty of the evening.

"Wait here," I growl with more force than necessary, "and I'll grab it."

Her brows slam together as her mouth pops open in protest.

"Please," I plead, "just wait here." I stalk away before she can argue. As I arrive at the table, I glance at Dan from the corner of my eye. He's still staring at the woman across from him as if he doesn't give a damn that they're in a public place where anyone could see him cheating on his wife.

With a scowl, I shake my head.

If his daughter wasn't with me, I'd march over there and ask him what the hell he's doing. Instead, I swipe Mia's black purse from the table and spin on my heels before grinding to a halt.

Mia stands frozen at the entrance of the dining room. With wide eyes, she stares past me. Her mouth hangs open as shock fills her face.

f**k.

That, unfortunately, seems to be the word of the evening.

I look over my shoulder, but Dan is oblivious to the fact that his daughter is at the same restaurant as his side piece. Her father's attention is focused on the blonde sitting across from him. Their hands are clasped, and the besotted expression on his face speaks volumes. There's no way to misconstrue what's playing out.

I close the distance between us until I can slide an arm around Mia's waist. "Come on," I say gently, "let's get out of here."

She stays rooted in place. Her focus never deviates from the couple on the other side of the room.

"Mia?" I lower my voice, trying to reach her. "We need to go."

"You knew about this?" Hurt seeps into her voice.

The accusation arrows to my heart before exploding upon impact. I shake my head. "No, I noticed them after we sat down."

"That's why you wanted to leave." She nods as if a puzzle piece has fallen into place, and my odd behavior now makes sense. Her shoulders sag beneath the weight of this knowledge. "Yeah." There's no longer a reason to hide the truth.

A sheen of wetness coats her eyes as I steer her toward the exit.

"Come on."

"Should I say something?" She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth as she contemplates the question.

What the hell is the protocol for a situation like this?

Damned if I know.

"No, let's get out of here. You can think about it and then decide what to do."

As I secure her inside the cabin of the truck, a sigh escapes from my lips. It's a relief to be out of the restaurant. The more distance I put between her father and us, the better off she'll be.

I glance at Mia only to replace her staring pensively out the windshield. Pain radiates from her in heavy waves. Unsure how to comfort her, I reach out and snag her fingers before squeezing them. Even though I suspect the answer, I still ask, "Are you hungry? We could go someplace else to eat."

She shakes her head. "No, just take me home."

Once I pull into her drive, I put the truck in park and angle my body toward hers. If I could take away her pain, I would do it in a heartbeat. Silently she reaches for the handle.

As she pops it open, I ask, "Do you want me to come in?" I tack on before she can get the wrong idea, "To talk?"

She shakes her head. "Thanks, but no. Right now, I want to be alone, so I can figure out what to do."

"You don't have to do anything," I tell her. "Whatever is going on is between your mom and dad. It has nothing to do with you."

"I know." With a heavy sigh, she steps out of the vehicle. "I'm sorry about tonight, Beck. I appreciate the effort you put into planning our date."

I force a smile to my lips, wishing there was something I could do or say to make the situation better. When I remain silent, she jerks her head into a nod.

"Bye," she says before slamming the door.

I watch as she walks up the stone stairs and lets herself into the house. Her gaze fastens on to mine, and I raise my hand to wave before she disappears inside. This date has turned out to be an epic fail. Not in a million years did I ever expect our night to end like this.