Page 9 of Rescuing Micah (Prey Security: Cyber Team #3)

She was ready to put this mess behind her and move on.

While there was no way to pretend that her home hadn't been trashed beyond repair, Teresa was ready to accept that this wasn't something she could just fix.

The future was uncertain.

Change was coming whether she liked it or not.

Ava was going to wind up moving across the country to be with Nathaniel, and Chelsea didn't want to come back to the apartment after all that had happened.

So she was going to have to get on board with the idea of cleaning the place up, finishing up their lease, and then finding a new place to live. Maybe with Chelsea, maybe without.

She’d love to keep living with her friend, but watching Ava meet Nathaniel and fall in love, and then Tobias meet Isabella and fall in love, she had to also accept the possibility that Chelsea could be the next to fall.

Perhaps it was time for her to move to a place of her own.

As a child, in the darkest of times, when she felt completely overwhelmed by everything she had to handle and take care of, she’d wish that she didn't have a single responsibility in the whole world save for taking care of herself. She’d live alone, only have to cook and clean for herself, no one else’s bills to pay, and no one counting on her or relying on her.

Despite her desire for freedom, she also knew that she didn't do well on her own.

She’d tried it when she first went to college, and the sound of the empty house, or rather the lack of sounds, had bothered her way more than she thought it would. She thought she would have loved being on her own, but she didn't. She craved company and companionship.

But she wasn't that eighteen-year-old traumatized girl anymore. She was almost thirty, and maybe it was time she faced that fear head-on. Sooner or later, Chelsea would meet someone and fall in love, or she’d finally convince the grumpy loner of their team, Josiah, to finally see her and give her a chance.

When that happened, it would just be her.

“Time to get used to that idea,” she muttered as she gave herself a final scrutinizing once-over in the bathroom mirror and then stepped out into the hall.

Since she’d skipped dinner last night, Micah’s innocent words about cooking the final nail in her coffin as she remembered all her specially chosen kitchen appliances were all destroyed had sent her spiraling, her stomach grumbled a little.

Needing to be alone, she’d taken a steaming hot shower where she’d cried out all her emotions, then completely wrung out, collapsed onto the air mattress.

Exhausted as she was, she hadn't even cared that it wasn't very comfortable, she’d slept right through until her alarm woke her up.

Now it was time to start her day, and she was ready to shut down any last lingering feelings for Micah and stop allowing his presence in her life to throw her off her game.

“Only temporary,” she reminded herself as she walked into the living room.

“Did you say something?” Micah called out, sticking his head out of the kitchen doorway.

With his hair all messed up from sleep, and wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips, he looked better than she remembered. Back then, he’d been little more than a boy, but now he was a man. A man who spent a lot of time working out and had the body to show for it.

Too bad the inside of the package didn’t look as good as the outside.

If it did, they never would have broken up.

“No, I didn't say anything. I'm ready to go,” she announced. She certainly was not going to inform this man that she’d been giving herself a pep talk on how to survive his intrusion in her life. Knowing Micah, he’d probably find some way to use it against her.

“It’s only six thirty, Raven said not to be in before nine.”

“I have a stop to make on the way.”

“A stop? I don’t think that’s a good idea, Teresa.

The trafficking ring has put a bounty on your head, you should be staying out of sight as much as possible, giving them as few opportunities to get to you.

I’d bet anything that they’re tailing you, or at the very least watching your apartment.

If we go anywhere other than right to Prey, we give them the opening they’re waiting for. ”

That was all true, yet she was still going.

“This stop is non-negotiable, and it won't take long.”

“It’s more important than your safety?”

“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. Already, she didn't make as much time for this as she should, but once a week, she went to her mom’s house to check in with her and Arthur.

Sometimes they’d have breakfast together, sometimes they’d go for a walk, sometimes they’d just say hi and have a quick catch-up.

Today would be a quick catch-up, but she wasn't missing out on it.

Not for anything, and certainly not to cower to some trafficking ring that thought they could threaten her into letting them continue committing crimes.

With a sigh, Micah leaned against the door jamb. “Where is this life-risking place you have to go at this hour of the morning?”

“My mom’s,” she answered simply.

Another sigh fell from his lips, but he didn't offer another protest, just disappeared into the kitchen and a minute later reappeared with something wrapped in parchment paper.

“Breakfast,” he said as handed it to her.

“French toast sandwich. I found some fruit in the fridge, they didn't touch that, so I put in some strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I know French toast used to be your favorite. Give me ten minutes to shower and get dressed then we’ll head to your mom’s. ”

Teresa watched as he grabbed his bag and headed for the bathroom. She was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open in shock.

He’d remembered that?

French toast was her favorite. Arthur’s too.

Not Simon’s, though. Her brother would always complain when she made it, which would make her feel guilty about doing something she enjoyed, just for herself, even if it was kind of for Arthur, too.

So she’d make sure to cook pancakes as often as she did French toast, even if she didn't really care for pancakes.

When Micah found out she loved French toast, he would make it for her all the time. Often, he’d bring a French toast sandwich for her to school, usually with fruit, although occasionally he’d put bacon or eggs. But he knew fruit was her favorite.

And he’d remembered that.

Remembered it and made it for her.

What did that mean?

Why was he being so nice to her?

It wasn't like she’d been welcoming in any way to him yesterday. His presence was like nails on a chalkboard, and she already had too much to deal with. She was trying not to be outright rude to him, but she was also not going out of her way to be polite, much less friendly.

Yet he’d worked side by side with her yesterday, trying to clean up the mess the intruders had left behind. And then this morning he made her breakfast.

Was this his way of trying to apologize?

Honestly, she’d rather he just came right out and told her he was sorry for bailing, but it had been too much for his nineteen-year-old self to handle.

That might make a difference.

Would it?

If he apologized, would it make things better?

Going back to the way they’d been before was impossible. How was she supposed to ever trust him to be there for her in the future when he’d left her in the past while she was at her most vulnerable?

The simple answer was that she couldn’t.

But that didn't mean she had to hold onto the anger and resentment.

Maybe if he apologized for leaving, she would be able to lay to rest some of the past. That might even help her move forward.

Possibly even allow her to try dating again, put herself out there, and try to believe that not everybody was like Micah.

Most people supported those they claimed to love when those people were hurting and needed help.

As much as she didn't want to initiate that talk, it was embarrassing to have to bring up what he’d done, and it made her feel weak and pathetic to have to explain how much it had hurt, maybe it was something she needed to do.

For so long she’d run from the past, done everything she could to avoid thinking about it or dealing with it. But that hadn't helped. Not really. She was still deeply affected by her rape and Micah’s abandonment, and it was getting in the way of her living.

Ava was moving forward, sooner or later Chelsea would too.

Did she want to be left behind?

Did she want to spend the rest of her life being tied to the worst thing to ever happen to her while everybody else found happiness?

Of course, the answer to that was simple.

She didn't.

Maybe Micah’s unexpected arrival in her life was exactly what she needed to finally cut the ties of the past and be free to move on.

April 30 th

7:18 A.M.

“Maybe you should wait in the car,” Teresa suggested when he pulled up outside her mom’s place thirty minutes later.

That caught him by surprise.

Micah had had a good relationship with both her mom and her brother Arthur.

In fact, Arthur had looked up to him almost like he was a big brother, and he’d enjoyed that role.

Back then, Arthur had been ten, but his mental age had been closer to three.

He wasn't sure if that had changed over the years, but he knew the now twenty-five-year-old man would still be as sweet as he’d been all those years ago.

Was that why Teresa didn't want him to see her family?

Had she lied to them about why they’d broken up? Was she worried that if he was there and saw them, spoke with them, that her lies would unravel?

While he hadn't offered to be her bodyguard to cause her trouble, he wasn't going to make this particular accommodation. He’d been looking forward to catching up with Arthur and Mrs. Dash, and he intended to do that.