Can not tell

Chapter 59 - Can not tell

Mike stepped into Mia’s path and raised a hand, making her stop before she could walk past him. She almost collided with his chest and immediately took half a step back, her eyes lifting toward his face before dropping again. Mike could see the tension in the tight line of her mouth and the way she kept avoiding his gaze, and after weeks of watching her pull away from him, he finally decided he wasn't going to let another opportunity pass without asking what was wrong.

“Hey, Mia, what is happening?” he asked, keeping his voice calm even though frustration had been building inside him for days. “Did I do something to upset you? Is there some problem that I don't know about? You've barely spoken to me, and every time I try to ask you what's wrong, you find a way to leave. Just tell me what is going on.”

Mia stared at the floor for several seconds before finally looking up at him. Her voice was soft and strained when she answered, as though every word required more effort than she wanted him to notice. “Mike, it isn't you, and I'm fine. I promise that none of this is because of something you did. I can't explain it right now, but I'll tell you everything once it ends.”

Mike frowned, confused by her answer. “Once what ends?”

Mia didn't respond. Instead, she lowered her eyes again and tried to move around him, clearly hoping that ending the conversation would be easier than explaining what she was hiding. Mike turned slightly to watch her go, but before he could say anything else, a faint vibrating sound reached his ears.

He looked toward the ring ropes and then across the benches near the wall, assuming someone had left a phone or some other device running. The gym was busy enough that the sound could have come from anywhere, but when he listened again, he realized that it seemed to move whenever Mia moved. There was no phone on the nearby bench, no equipment making the noise, and nothing on the floor that could explain the faint buzzing that continued beneath the louder sounds of the gym.

Mike's attention returned to Mia, and he suddenly understood why the sound seemed to be following her.

His expression changed as he looked at her, and Mia noticed immediately that something had clicked in his mind. She stopped walking and turned slightly toward him, her face becoming noticeably flushed as though she already knew what he had figured out. For several seconds, neither of them said anything, but the continuing vibration made the silence increasingly uncomfortable.

He turned fully and looked at the curve of her ass under the thin training trousers. The buzz was clearer now. His eyes widened.

“No way.”

“Mia,” Mike said slowly, his voice now carrying more concern than suspicion. “What is that?”

She looked away without answering, and that reaction told him more than any explanation could have. Mike could see that she was embarrassed, but there was something else beneath it as well, something much closer to fear. Suddenly, the strange behavior of the past few weeks began to look different to him. The distance at the gym, the way she had panicked at the park, and her refusal to explain what was happening all seemed connected to something she was desperately trying to keep hidden.

Mike lowered his voice as he asked, “Is this why you've been avoiding me?”

Mia slowly raised her eyes to his, and the expression on her face told him that he had finally touched the truth she had been trying so hard to hide.

Mike opened his mouth to speak. Before the first word left him, Mia let out a short, helpless moan. Two boxers near the heavy bags stopped mid-punch and looked over. Vanessa paused with a water bottle halfway to her lips.

Mia clamped both hands over her mouth. The second her weight shifted, the vibrator against her clit surged harder. Her thighs shook.

Mike did not wait and slid one arm under her knees and the other around her back, and lifted her clean off the floor. Mia’s head dropped against his shoulder. He turned and strode toward the office door at the far end of the gym. Every pair of eyes in the room followed them.

Mike got the office door open and quickly guided Mia inside before pulling it shut behind them. The small room immediately felt too quiet, with only the faint hum of the gym filtering through the walls. Mia stood with her back near the desk, visibly shaken, her face flushed as she avoided looking directly at him.

Mike studied her for a moment before speaking. “You’ve been hiding something from me for weeks, and I think it’s time you finally tell me what it is.”

Mia shook her head, then hesitated as though she was fighting with herself over how much she could safely reveal. “Mike, I can’t explain everything yet. I thought I could handle it myself, and I was wrong.”

“That doesn’t explain anything.”

“I know.” She finally looked at him, and the fear in her eyes made his frustration fade slightly. “It started this morning. I thought I had everything under control, but something went wrong, and then you found me before I could fix it.”

Mike frowned. “What exactly are you involved in?”

Mia looked toward the locked door before lowering her voice. “Something I should never have gotten involved with in the first place.”

Before Mike could press her further, footsteps sounded outside the office. Both of them went silent as someone stopped near the door.

“Mike?” Vanessa's voice came through the wood, cautious and concerned. “Is everything okay?”

Mike glanced at Mia before answering. “We're fine. Give us a minute.”

The footsteps remained outside for another moment before finally moving away.

Mia released the breath she had been holding and lowered herself onto the edge of the desk. “You can't tell anyone about this yet.”

Mike remained standing in front of her. “Then start by telling me who gave you that box.”

Mia’s expression tightened. For a moment, it looked as though she might answer, but she quickly looked away.

“Mike, please. Don’t ask me that.”

“Why? Who is he?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“You can’t, or you won’t?”

Mia stayed silent, her fingers tightening around the edge of the desk. Whatever she was hiding, she clearly wasn’t ready to put it into words.

Mike watched her carefully. “Mia, if someone is threatening you, you need to tell me.”

“I know.” Her voice dropped. “But if I tell you now, it could make everything worse.”

Mike frowned. “Everything? What exactly is going on?”

She shook her head. “I’ll explain. Just not yet.”

The answer only left Mike with more questions. He could tell she was hiding something from him, and whatever it was, she was terrified of what might happen if he found out.

Mike stayed where he was, listening as her breathing gradually evened out. When Mia stepped back into view, she had changed into the spare shorts from her bag—the ones he must have left there to change after vibrating session. She quickly folded the ruined trousers and buried them at the bottom of the bag.

“Better?” he asked.

“A little.” She sat on the edge of the desk again, closer this time. “I’m sorry.”

Mike shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize. Just don’t shut me out when something’s wrong.”

A faint smile touched her lips. “Fair.”

He gently brushed a damp strand of hair away from her face. Mia closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, some of the tension had finally faded.

“Next time,” Mike said quietly, “you tell me first. Whatever this is, we deal with it together.”

“Next time?” Her voice carried the smallest hint of a smile.

Mike held her gaze. “You really think I’m walking out of here and pretending none of this happened?”

The warmth returned to her expression, but so did something harder to read. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around him. Mike placed a hand against her back, letting the silence settle.

Outside, the gym carried on as usual. Gloves struck leather, Vanessa called out a count, and footsteps moved across the floor. Inside the office, everything felt strangely separate from the world beyond the locked door.

After a long moment, Mia lifted her head. “Can we stay here a little longer?”

Mike nodded. “As long as you need.”

She settled against him again, but neither of them noticed the faint sound of footsteps approaching somewhere beyond the office.

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