The Cages You Build

Chapter fifteen~Awareness

Moving day was a windy Saturday. David parked his car in front of Mia's new apartment building without checking to see if his car was properly aligned with the others. Glancing briefly at the moving truck parked in front of the door, he slammed his door shut, dashed into the building and sprinted up the steps. He was out of breath by the time he got to her apartment.

Most of the furniture had been moved in. He looked around, trying to find Mia in the midst of people from the moving company. He saw her coming from one of the bedrooms and when she spotted him, she ran and jumped into his arms for a hug.

"Whoa," he said, catching her. Her feet dangled above the ground as she pulled back and smiled. He'd never seen her so excited. "Well, someone's excited."

She slid down till her feet touched the ground. "We're almost done."

He tugged on the bill of her baseball cap. She wore a red t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here when you started."

Her hand fluttered in a dismissive wave. "That's fine." She took his hand and pulled him forward. "Come see."

She led him into the living room and gestured to the set of chairs and end tables. "I ordered these online and they were delivered yesterday. Aren't they cute?"

He didn't think he'd ever heard her use the word "cute". He gave a cursory glance to the furniture and raised his brows in an affirmative reply. "Yeah."

She showed him her bedroom, which was fully furnished with a queen-sized bed, two side drawers holding night lamps, and a vanity. The floor was covered in a cream-colored carpet.

"I decorated myself. Do you like it?" He liked the way everything matched, cream being the central color.

"You've always had good taste."

Her eyes sparkled when she laughed and he wondered. Was she that eager to be out of his house? They went back to the living room and she continued supervising the workers, telling them what went where. Finally, when the last piece of furniture was set down, she squeezed his hand. She waited until the last person had left before pulling him into another hug. His hands remained at his sides.

When she pulled back, her face held a slight frown. "Why aren't you happy?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared up at the ceiling. He didn't want her to think he wasn't happy for her.

"I'm happy for you, Mia." He looked at her face. "Just not for myself," he mumbled.

"What?"

He shrugged. "My house is gonna feel empty without you now."

"Oh, David." She gave his shoulder a gentle push, a little laugh slipping out of her mouth. "If I stood on the roof of this building, I could throw a stone and it would land in your house."

"Gah, I know." He didn't want to look too closely at his feelings. "I've gotten used to waking up to your face in the morning."

Mia wasn't one to blush but the way her eyes fell to the ground told him he'd embarrassed her. He hadn't meant waking up to her that way. Gosh, he made it a point of duty not to even step into her room.

"You're sleeping here tonight?"

She bit her lip. "Yeah," she said and looked around the living room. "It feels good, David. Freedom."

"Were you ever caged?"

She looked at him. "It feels like it."

A muscle ticked in his jaw. "Then, I'm glad you're free now."