Delayed by Nathan Kingsly (best manga ereader txt) 📕

closing I’ve ever heard of, and it’s about half a mile from Mia’s.

“You moved back home for your family or for a girl?”

“How can it be for the girl if I don't know where she lives?”

He shakes his head. “Here you’re falling in love, and I’m lucky not to get bored with a woman before the end of a week.”

“Who says I’m in love?”

He ignores my question. “Variety is the spice of life, my friend, and you’re willing to live with the bland, predictable taste of love instead. What a sap you turned out to be.” He flashes a grin and runs a finger across his mustache.

“Yeah, I don’t know why we’re friends.”

He barks a laugh. “Neither do I.” He shakes his head as he starts to head towards the front door. “Let’s get you moved in.”

In this space, even with my stuff brought in, it feels empty. The next night I have off, I’ll find a few things to fill out the place, make it mine.

“Dude, this is sad,” Brian says, seeing the same thing as me.

“It’s called square footage, douchebag.”

He opens his mouth, but I cut him off. “If you want pizza and beer before crashing on my couch tonight, you won’t say what you’re thinking.”

Shrugging, he walks off into my living room and plops on my couch.

The front door slams and I swear, under my feet, the foundation of my house shakes.

“What the hell Liam!” Mia shouts into the house. I roll my eyes and shake my head as I find her pacing in the entryway. Ever since I moved out, I get a visit from her at least every few days. She comes over to pick fights over things that don’t matter, but I think it’s so that she can see for herself that I’m still here.

“What is it this time, Mia?”

“You’re getting mom her own place?” Her face is flush, the same shade of red creeping up her throat. “What’s wrong with her living with me?”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean into the archway between the entry and the kitchen. “You came over just the other day complaining that you and your boyfriend ...”

“Daniel.”

“Right, Daniel, don’t have any privacy. When I offered mom a place here, she said she wouldn’t intrude. So, what do you suggest?”

“To not make any decisions without me.”

“Next time I take a shit, you want a text for which bathroom I should use?”

“Don't be crude.” Her nose wrinkles.

“Yeah, dude, don’t be gross.”

Mia whirls around. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Brian…”

“Never heard of ya!”

Brian raises an eyebrow. “Used to be your brother's neighbor...I brought his stuff from California.”

She turns back to look at me. “So that’s where you were hidden away? Had to cross the entire US, huh?

“Harsh, they didn’t even know where you lived?”

They both look shocked, like my arms stretched as Mister Fantastic in Fantastic Four and slapped them across the face.

”I’m here now.”

“Too little too late, if you ask me.” Brian cocks an eyebrow.

“Ooh.” Mia looks over her shoulder, and Brian smiles at her. “I like you.” Mia faces me again and throws her thumb over her shoulder. “He can stay.”

I open my mouth, but Brian replies. “Actually, he can’t. I gotta get going.”

Brian walks up to Mia, grasps her hand, and kisses it. Mia blushes, actually blushes. “Nice to meet you.”

“And, uh, you.”

Pushing away from the frame, I meet him in a handshake. His hand as calloused as mine and grips like a vise.

“Keep in touch,” I say.

He nods. “Oh yeah, I won’t be far, a text away after all.”

The moment Brian is out the door, Mia can’t help herself. “Why can’t you be charming like him?”

“Are you here for something other than insulting me?”

Tilting her head, she purses her lips together, starts to shake her head, then stops mid-shake. “Oh yeah! Don’t make decisions about mom without me?”

“Oh, like the decision you made about the letters and other things I’m sure I don’t know about?”

“That was different.”

I sigh, “Forget about me trying to move mom. If you want that job, then do it; just don’t come here acting like you want a solution.”

“As if I would come to you for any problem-solving. You can’t even fix your own.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, my shoulders tensing as I look down at her, “What does that mean?”

“You’ve been here, what two months? Mom told me about the letter. Bet you haven’t even started looking for her yet. I’m tired of watching you mope around. Even that girl that spent four days with you knew to get out while she could. You’re so self-absorbed.” She rolls her eyes.

My hands drop and ball into fists. “Fuck you, Mia. Get out.”

“What …?”

“Get the fuck out.” My right arm flings toward the doors, and she flinches back.

She recovers quickly and straightens. We stare down each other's resolve as we wait for the other to cave. “You really fell for a slut you met in a hotel, didn’t you?”

I’ve never wanted to hit a girl more in my life. “Don’t call her that,” I growl.

She lifts a brow. “What do I call her then?”

“Her name is Emma.”

“Fine, you really fell for Emma ...” she says her name with disdain. “You were only with her for a few days.”

“And…”

“There’s no way. Prove it.”

“I don’t have to prove shit to you.”

“I thought you said that’s what you’ve been trying to do. Proving your worth?”

“Not this. Emma is none of your damn business and has nothing to do with what’s going on between us.”

“Then, what are you doing this for?”

“What? Haven’t I explained a hundred times already?”

“Oh shut it, Liam, you’ve proven yourself to us. I didn’t think you would do it, move here, but …” She gestures around the house. “You couldn’t have made a bigger statement.”

I can’t imagine my expression; to be perfectly honest, I can’t feel my face or anything else from this shocking statement. Is she … forgiving me?

She stabs a finger between us. “That doesn’t mean you can