Genius (CENTURIES series: Book #2)

28

"Are you sure it's cool for us to stay here? I mean, there's a shelter right down the street—"

"Forget it, Caleb," Mia said, handing him a set of fresh sheets. "Elana is used to staying here, why make her stay at a shelter when it's perfectly fine for you guys to stay here? Plus, if you need to keep working on finding a way, you're going to need a good Wi-Fi."

Caleb offered her a genuine smile and took the bedsheets. "Thank you. I really see why Eli fell for you."

Mia's smile instantly dropped. Her heart clenched just by hearing his name, and of course the context hurt even more.

He never fell for her. Perhaps he tried, but she had betrayed him and treated him so poorly... how could he possibly fall for that?

"Sorry, I... ah..." Caleb awkwardly cleared his throat and looked down at the floor. "I shouldn't have said... I didn't think, ah... I'm just gonna go set up."

Mia nodded and tried for a smile, but it didn't make its way to her lips. Instead it stayed in her mind, and so Caleb walked into the bedroom probably feeling like he popped a bad apple bag. But he didn't. Mia popped that herself.

Trying to rid herself of the horrible guilt in her heart, she pulled her laptop to her countertop and started googling. There was something she had to do, but she just had to find the right place...

"Hey, uh, what's this big black plastic bag for?" Caleb came out, holding a bag that matched the description.

"Oh, that's some stuff I've decided to give away," Mia said, looking over her shoulder to view the bag. Earlier that day, she had rummaged through her entire closet and put every piece of designer labeled brand she had in the bag. She never wore them; All those fancy garbs, those high heels, those purses and hats... they were statement pieces, there to state that she was of wealthy origins.

Mia was through being that kind of girl, the one everyone (or more like one specific) called a rich chick. She wanted to be someone else, she wanted to be... herself. Whoever that was. All she knew was that the material life wasn't her.

"Oh," Caleb said and raised a brow. "Who are you givin' it up to?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I was thinking of going down to the shelter to see if anybody there wanted it. Would you like to help me?"

If possible, Caleb's eyebrows flew even higher. "Are you serious? There are like worth thousands of dollars in here! Are you sure you wanna give them up to people like me who live on the streets?"

"Yes, that is exactly why," Mia said, shutting her laptop and turning to him. "I'm giving back. I have a lot of years of selfishness and prejudice to make up for, so I'm getting started today. Wanna help me?"

A wide grin split Caleb's lips now. "Sure thing. I'm always up for spreading some love. I know some ladies who're going to love these here Pradas."

"Awesome. I can ask my neighbor to babysit Elana again while we're out, or do you want bring her?" Mia questioned. Her sweet, widowed neighbor, Ms Palisbury had been babysitting Elana whenever her and Eli was at the school or out somewhere. She had worked with inner city kids in her days, so she knew ASL. Very convenient, and she adored Elana.

"Nah, let's not take her. I don't like bringing her to the street," Caleb shrugged. "I mean, I didn't mind growing up there, I just don't want her to go through the same thing. She deserves better, you know?"