Love? What's that?

Tate's POV

I noticed Mia's smile fade as she was looking at her phone. I rode up and stopped right in front of her.
"Hey princess, you okay?"

She looked up. I could see she was about to cry.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"No you're not. Please tell me what's wrong."

She handed me her phone and I read the messages that were up. Sofia, who was one of the girls that flirted with me, was saying that Mia and I wouldn't last and I would go to her.

"Hey princess," I climbed off my bike, pulled off my helmet and goggles off and climbed up next to Mia. "Sofia is lying. I'm not leaving you ever. You're my dream girl. I love you, not some stupid popular girl."
I put my arm around her and she put her head on my shoulder.

"You mean that?" She asked.

"Of course I do. I really do mean that."

She looked at the ground, then looked back at me.

"Can we go home?"

"Of course. If you really want to."

"I want to. I'm done with people."

I loaded up my bike, Mia got in the truck and I went to talk to Luke.

"Leaving already?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, Mia's not doing well."

"What's wrong with her?"

I made sure no one was around and listening before saying, "Luke, Mia's like Ethany."
His eyes widened. "Eth? Mia's got depression, anxiety, and PTSD?"

I nodded . "I just wanna help her. I'm planning on asking mom if I can move in with her. I wanna be there for you. I wanna make Ethany proud of me."

"I'm sure she is, Tate. You two were really close. You wanting to help Mia is probably making Ethany proud."

"Hopefully. I just don't want Ella to go through what I went through when Eth died."

"Go be with Mia. Let me know if she needs anything."

"I will. See ya."

I climbed into the truck. Mia was staring out the window, crying. I put my hand on her shoulder, and she shrugged it off. I sighed, placing my hand on her thigh, put the truck in gear and headed back to Swellview. We were about halfway there when I suddenly pulled over and stopped the truck. I climbed out and walked over to Mia's door. I opened it and moved her so she was facing me and I was between her legs.

"Okay princess, what's wrong? You've been in tears the entire time we've been driving. What's going on?"

"Nothing's wrong," she said, avoiding eye contact.

"Mia, what's wrong?"

"I just wanna go home. People are annoying me. I get so many texts and notes that say I should just end up like my mom, " Her tears started falling again. "Maybe they're right. I should just-mph."

I cut her off by kissing her. She melted into my kiss, tangling her hands in my hair. When I broke the kiss, I said. "Hey, please don't talk like that. I'd miss you. Ella would miss you. There's people out there that would miss you. Heck, my mom and Luke would miss you. People just don't know who they're talking to. They're talking to the most amazing girl ever. Please Mia. Don't talk like that. I love you, Mia."

She looked at me and smiled.

"I love you too, Tate.

"I don't wanna go through what I did when my sister died. That really hurt me. SInce I found you, you've filled the hole in my heart."