Time Alone and Trust Issues 3/3

Mia took off at sprint across the road slapping the hood of a car as it barely stopped, and through an alley. She ran three blocks down, crossed the street again and skirted onto a path near the beach. Mia pulled the sunglasses back down over her face. And jogged through a park before finding the beach and walking the rest of the way to the cottage.

Timothy wasn't at the cottage when she got there. Then she remembered that she didn't know the code to go inside. Mia even needed Tim to enter their vacation house now. Beyond angry, Mia flopped into a beach lounge chair and glared at the surf. It had been nearly two hours since she had left Timothy at the bar.

Another hour passed before she heard Timothy slam open the door to the cottage. She didn't bother to get up from the chair. Timothy flung open the sliding door and stepped outside.

"Mia!" Timothy yelled toward the beach.

"Stop yelling. I can hear you fine." Mia told Tim.

Mia swiveled her head to look at Timothy. "Right here, it's not like I could get inside."

Tim took three extremely deep breaths; his jaw was clenched and his voice like gravel. "Do you have any idea how terrified I have been?" Timothy stomped over to Mia and pulled her up to stand before him.

"Yeah, I bet. You were just upset I wasn't there for you to treat inferior." Mia snapped.

Timothy felt like shaking her. "Are you insane, right now? You were spotted, Mia. It's all over the internet. There are no less than four sedans searching for you right now. Dominic is here. I saw him."

"That's ridiculous. Why would he come after me? For what purpose?" Mia felt confused.

Timothy scrubbed a hand over his face. "He must know you are with me. He's come to take you back to Lane residence."

"I don't understand why you ran from me?" Tim questioned with frustration.

Mia scoffed, "I am not some penniless orphan you can simply order into submission anymore, Timothy!" Mia tried to wrench herself free from him. He did not let go. "I won't let you turn me back into that broken, stupid girl."

Tim sighed and shook his head. "Just because I want to care for you doesn't mean I think you're incapable or that my will supersedes your own. Caring for you gives me joy; it is not some master plan to subjugate you."

"You can't care for me by forcing me to your will. I will always run from that life. It's no different than what Dominic is doing right now." Mia said tiredly.

"I didn't see it that way, but I do see your point. Mia, you must promise to never run from me again. You cannot run away because you disagree with me. Yell, scream if you must but you can't run." Tim sighed, his hands moving to her face.

"I will run from you if I feel threatened." Mia snapped.

Timothy wanted to shake sense into Mia, so he dropped his hands from her. When that didn't help, he walked away down to the beach. Mia went inside the cottage and lay down on the bed. Tim didn't know what to do or what to say to make her see that her current course only made things worse. He was pacing on the beach when he saw one of the black sedans. It was far away so he crouched down behind a log until the car drove slowly past.

When he could not see it anymore, he jogged back to the house rushing in to find Mia asleep on the bed. Tim sighed, when she had run from him earlier, he had at first been annoyed. As time went on, he became fearful that something had happened to her. The dockside area where they were wasn't safe for a woman especially not a woman like her. Even dressed down she stood out from the crowd.

When two hours had passed and there was no sign of her Timothy became frantic. It was then that he saw the sedans pull into the seaside town. He watched as Dominic got out of the car and showed a photo to several people asking about Mia. Tim had swiped his phone open checking for anything and there was Mia caught in a crowd.

It had taken him an hour to skirt around Dominic's guards without being seen and get back to the cottage. Tim couldn't even call for his car because it would stand out at the cottage and alert Dominic to their presence. Tim needed to know she wouldn't run from him. If Dominic had picked her up, he would have had to go to war to get her back.

Tim kicked off his shoes and crawled into bed beside Mia. He needed to feel her against him and reassure himself that she was safe, they were together, and they would be fine. He moved his body against hers and was gratified when she nestled in closer to him in her sleep. Tim wrapped an arm securely around his wife and soon fell asleep.

When Mia woke, she was warm, and she felt like a steel band had been anchored to her midsection. She quickly realized Tim was tightly wrapped around her and after trying unsuccessfully, she couldn't get free. Mia really needed to use the bathroom since she hadn't gone since morning. When she tried to get up his arm only tightened.

Mia had no choice but to wake him. "Tim, Tim! Wake up! I need to go to the bathroom."

Tim grumbled groggily, finally moving his arm and rolled over to watch Mia as she jumped off the bed and went through the bathroom door. With some effort he sat up and put his feet on the floor. He was stiff from several hours in the same sleeping position. When Mia came out, she looked at him hesitantly. Tim didn't like it and caught her hand pulling her to him before wrapping his arms around her waist and placing his head against her stomach.

"Baby, I don't want us to be at odds with each other. I was so scared today." Timothy said thickly.

"Don't try to force me to your will and I won't need to escape." Mia replied running a hand through his hair.

"I will not force you to do anything but don't tell me I cannot take care of you. That is a ridiculous request, and I can't honor it." Timothy said fiercely.

Mia sighed, "then accept that sometimes I can take care of myself."

"Fine. I can accept that for now but please don't run from me if we disagree on this from time to time." Timothy asked Mia looking up at her.

Mia leaned down and kissed Timothy sweetly. "All right."

The newlyweds made turkey sandwiches with chips and drank wine in the lounge chairs on the beach. Timothy explained to Mia that they didn't dare go out or call for the car. They had seen two sedans on the road since coming out to their secluded beach patio.

Tim told Mia about Dominic searching the crowds for her in the village, even showing a picture around. Mia brought up Dominic's risky behavior since it would cause more of a stir if anyone knew he was searching for her. She wondered what he had found out that had him acting so impulsively.

Unable to help herself, Mia texted Nathan asking why Dominic was hunting her down. Nathan responded that Dominic had tracked her leaving town with Timothy but not coming back so he had been on the warpath. Mia asked Nathan to remind Dominic that the paparazzi would have a field day if they found out about the search.

She asked Nathan to remind Dominic that her life was hers to do with as she wished. Nathan said that probably would make him search harder and asked when they would be back. She told him the next day if they could sneak past the goon squad. She jokingly told Nathan that if not they would just send for the children and never come back. Her phone began to ring, it was Nathan.

Answering she laughed, "I was kidding Nathan. We must come back; we've already bought a house."

"Thank the stars, you scared me." Nathan chided her.

"I am the one being hunted, brother. What exactly does he plan to do if he catches me?" Mia asked. Timothy lifted an eyebrow at her question.

"I think it goes something like kill Barrett and bring you back and lock you in the dungeon." Nathan said seriously.

"We don't have a dungeon. How can Dominic hate Tim so much that he would treat me like this?" Mia couldn't understand it.

"Mia," Nathan sighed, "it has to do with you and the twins dying in that hospital when they were born. You three were there for a full day before we transferred you to Norde City. It was touch and go. Dominic was personally offended that you had been harmed at Barrett's estate and he never checked if you were going to be alright."

Mia glanced at Timothy who looked pained.

"I was there the next day. I came as soon as my grandmother survived her third surgery in twenty-four hours, and the nurses told me that Mia and her baby were dead. My staff was there but Connor wouldn't tell them anything. I don't think that situation has been painted quite fairly. Timothy's words were clipped. "Regardless, Dominic won't listen he blames you for Mia's death and isn't known to be a forgiving man." Nathan's voice was calm.

Timothy sighed, "I don't want a war with the Lane's. We are family now but I will not give up my wife. Dominic's crusade against me will fail. Nothing will change the outcome of this situation."

It was Nathan's turn to sigh, "An annulment would still be possible for a small amount of time if Mia wished it. If she changed her mind, we would make it possible."

Timothy's throat seized but it was Mia who answered her brother. "I won't change my mind, Nathan. If Dominic would just stop, I would be completely happy." Timothy smiled brilliantly at his wife.

"Are you sure, sis?" Nathan asked.

"Yes, I am sure." Mia replied seriously.

Timothy cleared his throat. "See there is no purpose to us fighting against each other, We are family, and we will stay family."

"So, it would seem. There are worse things than a union between the Lane and Barrett families" Jason remarked cordially. "The judge says that your documents are legitimate for as long as Mrs. Barrett wishes them to be."

Timothy barked out a laugh, "Understood, counselor." Mia looked at Tim funny, she didn't understand what was meant by that. Then she got it,

"Timothy, you bribed that judge, didn't you? You're such an ass!" Mia scolded.

Tim was laughing, "allegedly..."

Mia snickered. "You being an ass isn't alleged. That's a fact. I can confirm it."

Nathan and Jason were talking to each other in the background. "She seems fine to me." Nathan said.

"Dominic is losing his head over this. All we want is her happiness. Mia seems well." Jason agreed.

"Did one of you tell Eva that I'm doing fine and that everything will work out." Mia asked worried about her sister.

"I will tell her now that I am convinced that you actually want to be where you are." Jason replied.

"Sister, you need to stay out of Dominic's grasp for the next two weeks. When the engagement has been called off and you have been married for a few weeks then you will be in a better position to put this situation right. If Dominic finds out about this now, I fear he will stop at nothing to separate the two of you." Jason told Mia seriously.

Mia took a deep breath, "I know."

They said their goodbyes and Mia hung up the phone.