Mia Lake

Amelia, Ezra and I, are out shopping for an event that's tonight. We're surrounded by racks of glittering gowns. The store smells like fresh lavender.
Amelia has picked out a emerald green satin dress, that hugs her curves perfectly. And now she's pushing me to find something.
I've told her many times that I already have a few old ones at home, but being who she is, she wants to give me a new one.

"Come on Mia, this one would look beautiful on you." She says holding out a gorgeous dress. It's sparkling in gold.

"I have one similar to this at home." I say lying. And she knows it.

Amelia rolls her eyes, pushing the dress in my hands. "No you don't. Come on try it." She pushes.

I laugh and head for the changing rooms. Ezra has insisted on paying, and even though I protested first, he wouldn't take no for an answer.
And if you know him...he can be pretty intense.

I put the dress on and turn to the mirror. My breath catches. It's stunning. The gold fabric catches the light and shimmering with every movement. The lower back making me feel sexy.
And for the first time in a long time, I feel...powerful.

The dress:

I head out and show Amelia. "What do you think?"

Her mouth falls open. "You look incredible!" She claps her hands.
"This is the one." She adds as I nod.

Ezra walks to beside Amelia. "Great, take this, I'll meet you guys outside." He says, handing Amelia his black credit card before heading out to his car.

***

When Alex pulls up to pick me up, I catch a glimpse of his sleek black car before I step out of the door. I take a deep breath. I tell myself that it's not a big deal, just another event I'm invited too, just another night. Just...Alex.

When I step outside he's already leaning against his car. Dressed in a tailored black suit. His hands are casually in his pockets, but the way he's standing, it's like he owns the space around him.

I walk toward him, my heels clicking, that's when he looks up. His eyes lands on me, and for a second, everything freezes. The way his eyes move over me is slow, deliberate, taking in every inch of me from my head to toes.
I can feel the weight of his gaze. The way it makes my skin prickle with awareness. There's no hiding under it, no pretending like I don't notice the shift between us.

"You look..." he finally says but pauses, not finding the right words.

I can't help but blush. I've never seen him look at me like this before. It's like I'm more than someone he's physically involved with. His eyes are full with something deeper, something so intense that makes my heart skip a beat.

I try to brush it off. "It's just a dress. Nothing special." I say lightly, glancing down at myself.

His jaw clenches. "It's not the dress, Mia."

I blink up at him, unsure of what to say.

Finally, Alex steps forward, opening the car door for me. But even as I get in the passenger seat, I can feel his gaze burning into me.

When we arrive at the ball it's like stepping into another world. Soft music played in the background, waiters move through the crowd, people dressed in expensive clothes.

Alex guides me through the room, his hand resting on the small of my back.
But quickly, he's called off to handle some business, leaving me for a moment.

There's something about these events, as fancy and intimidating as they are, that makes me feel like I'm stepping into Alex's world. And I can't help but be drawn to it.

Suddenly a woman is walking toward me. She approaches with a friendly smile. She's wearing a sleek black gown. Her long hair falls down her back.

"Hi." She says, her voice smooth and friendly. But something feels off. "Are you having fun?" She asks.

I blink, a little taken of guard by her sudden approach. "Yeah. It's a beautiful event." I answer.

She nods, looking around the room. "It is. Who did you come here with?"

Her question feels harmless. "I'm here with Alex. A friend of mine." I say, wondering if I should offer more information.

Her eyes flashes for just a second. Then she smiles again, but it doesn't feel real this time.
"Alex, huh? He's a lucky guy."

I nod, unsure of how to respond.

She extends her hand.
"I'm Cassandra. Nice to finally meet you." She says.

Finally meet me?
I don't even know who she is...

I shake her hand. "Nice to meet you too." I say but when I'm about to pull my hand away she holds it tightly, not letting go of it. What is happening?

Her nails did into my skin. "You know who I am, right?" She asks.

I swallow hard, shaking my head.
"I'm just here as a plus one. I don't know anyone here, sorry." I say.

I'm scared. Scared for what these people can do. I've heard about the crazy stories from Amelia. And that's enough to know to not mess with these kind of people.

I pull on my hand once more and this time she lets me. I rub the sensitive skin where her nails dug in.

Her eyes narrow, taking a step forward. "Let me give you a pice of advice girl." She starts, her voice harsher now.
"Stay away from Alexander. You don't belong in this world."

"I can make my own decisions." I say suddenly feeling bolder, even though my heart is pounding. Two guards come up to her from behind. Great now we're three against one.

"You don't know what you've gotten yourself into. This world will chew you up and spit you out, sweetheart. And if you don't back off bad things will happen. To you. To your mom." She says. My mom? How does she know about her... Is this woman threatening me? What fucking reason does she have?

"Is there a problem here?" Alex voice cuts through. He takes a step in front of me. Almost as if he's protecting me.
His eyes lock on Cassandra.

"No I was just..." Cassandra starts but gets cut off.

"Get the fuck out of here. And don't ever get close to her again." He says, his tone like a warning. Even scaring me.

Alex takes my hand, his grip firm as he pulls me away from her. I glance back just in time to see Cassandra's smile fade. Her eyes narrowing as she watches us go.

***

As soon as Amelia and Ezra steps into the ballroom, I feel a wave of relief wash over me.

Now, Alex and I are sitting at the edge of the room, watching the crowd move and dance. I can feel Alex beside me, so close yet still keeping his distance. Every once in a while his leg brushes mine, sending little shocks of awareness through my body.

It's like he does it on purpose, because he knows I'll feel something.

"So...who was she?" I ask after a while. I turn to look at him. Alex doesn't answer right away, and for a moment I think he won't. He shifts slightly in his seat.

"She's...my ex." He says. Oh...that Cassandra. The one Amelia told me about. Of course, how could I forget.

I glance down on my hands, feeling a strange tightening in my chest. "Do you still like her?" I ask quietly. Not wanting to meet his gaze.

Alex lets out a low chuckle.
"No. I've got other things to worry about now." He says and I can feel him looking at me from the side.
Right...he's a mafia boss now. He's got other responsibilities. Work is more important.

"Why is she back then?" I can't stop myself from asking. I'm mad at myself for even caring so much about this.

"She's not back. She's just...showing up at places she doesn't belong." He says.

I bite my lip, unsure of why this is bothering me so much.
"She threatened me." I say this time turning to him. "I don't know anything about what people from this world do...but can she hurt me? Can she do that?" I ask scared for my, and my moms life.

He shakes his head. "I'll deal with her. She won't dare touch you." He says placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

I nod slowly.

I'm doing my best to stay focused.
And just as I think I've managed to calm myself down Amelia waves us over.
"Come dance with us." She says rocking back and forth with Ezra.

I open my mouth to refuse but before I can say anything, Alex stands up. Offering me his hand.

"What are you doing?" I ask my voice barley a whisper.

He gives me that teasing smile. The one that makes my heart flip. "Doing what my sister told me to. Asking a friend to dance." He says. The word friend draped with sarcasm.

Like he knows we're far past just being friends.

I stare at his hand, my heart pounding. I place my hand in his and he pulls me up. His touch sending a spark through me. We walk toward the dance floor, when we reach the middle Alex pulls me close. One hand sliding around my waist, the other holding mine.

I don't even know if I'm breathing. This is the first time we've been so close in public. I glance around the room, searching for Amelia. She's too busy with looking at her husband.

Alex grip tightens slightly and he leans down, his breath warm against my ear. "Eyes on me, Lake." He whispers.

I turn to look up at him. And the second I do, it's like the world fades away. The way he's looking at me like I'm the only person in the room. It's overwhelming.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" He says.

I smile as I roll my eyes. "Stop saying things like that." I warn. Because every time he compliments me, my feelings grow stronger.
And that can't happen.

"But it's true. I've never laid my eyes on anything more beautiful."

I think I'm melting. He can't say things like this to me. It's making it all so much harder.

Alex leans in closer, his lips brushing against my ear again. "I'm going to let you in on a secret." He starts.

I bite my lip, trying to keep my emotions in check. "What?" I mumble, barley able to breathe.

"I think I like you, Lake. A lot." He admits, making my heart beat race. He does what?

I stop dancing. And he pulls away just enough to look at me. We stand still, now just looking at each other.

I don't know what to do with this information so I just...walk off.
Because this will never work. We can never work.
I've been so stupid, I've made the Alexander Gonzales fall for me.

And the worst part is...I've fallen too. So hard.

And the only thing I can do is to walk away. Because how in hell is this ever going to work?

We've lied, and lied to everyone we know.
I'm just a woman...a woman that works long hours at a job that barley pays. I take care of my mother, who's needed me for as long as I can remember. I've spent my life staying away from danger.  From the things that could pull me under.

And he's a man, a powerful one. Tangled in a world filled with shadows and secrets. A world I've been warned about my whole life. He's not just in trouble, he is trouble. The kind of trouble I've sworn to avoid. And the worst part? He's my best friends brother, making him untouchable. A man I have to stay away from.

I've crossed a line.

So I walk.

Even if it breaks me. Even if, deep down, I know I've fallen for him harder than I ever thought possible.

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