The Secret Between Us
Chapter 17

1 week later

I’m completely desperate, it’s been a week since Mia hasn’t answered any of my calls, I went to our house expecting her to be there waiting for me like every Tuesday and Thursday, but she wasn’t there either. Knocking on the door of her father’s house is not an option for me and I don’t know what to do anymore. I’ve stood guard for long hours near her father’s house trying to find out if she has come or not, but she just doesn’t show up “what if she didn’t come here?” I ask myself and start the car going to the last place I can think of that she might be and that I didn’t dare to go in case Santiago was there with her.

I drive in a hurry to the building where her flat is and when I get there, I quickly go to her door and knock again and again until I hear a faint noise -Mia! – I ask her and a few minutes later the doorknob turns opening the door and when I see her I’m paralyzed. She is full of bruises that seem to be days old on her skin, a cut on her l*p and her eyebrow and a few others, on her body, at least the ones I can see -Who the f**k did this to you! – I ask approaching her and holding her face as if it was made of glass.

-I don’t want you to do anything, do you hear me? – she says to me as some tears spill from her eyes.

-What do you mean you don’t want me to do anything? Who was it? – I insist and she just shrugs her shoulders -Santiago? – I ask and she nods, “I’m going to kill him! – I shout full of anger and try to turn around to go after him without caring about anything, but she holds my hand.

-Don’t do it…” she insists.

So much rage is consuming me right now that I’m having a hard time trying to calm down – did a doctor see you? – I ask trying to breathe calmly and she denies – I’ll tell a friend of mine and we’ll go and get you checked out and I won’t take no for an answer. – I sentence.

-If it’ll put your mind at ease… I’ll go and change. – he says in a whisper and I’m trying to find a good reason not to go and kill Santiago with my own hands.

-I’m ready. – She says so softly that I can barely hear her and when I turn to look at her I feel my b***d boiling with rage again.

Calm down Izan…” I repeat to myself over and over again, “Come on,” I tell her and carefully take her by the hand.

-You’d better wait for me in the car, lest Santiago comes and sees you,” she suggests. – she proposes.

-I don’t give a shit if that a*****e comes, let’s go now. – I tell her and take her by the hand again so that together we go to the car. I haven’t known what to say to her the whole way and the only thing I can think of is the thousands of ways I would hit that a*****e for even daring to touch her, but the doubts kill me and I have to look at her for a moment -my love… I have to ask you, I’m really sorry, but… did he do anything else to you besides the hits? – I ask finally.

-He meant to, but he didn’t… I threatened to tell my father and he stopped. – he explains, and although I’m still full of rage, I’m a little relieved.

-Good, because otherwise I’d already be going after him,” I say and quickly park the car in front of Jorge’s clinic.

I quickly get out of the car and then help her out of the car so we can go into the clinic where my friend is already waiting for us after I spoke to him on the phone. – he asks and I nod.

-I explained everything to him quickly on the phone, he’ll do some tests to rule out internal injuries and all that. – I explain while I go to the receptionist to ask for him.

-I don’t want him to report me or anything like that, okay? – he asks me while we wait.

-Don’t worry about it. – I insist, even though I don’t agree.

-Izan! – exclaims Jorge and approaches us.

-Thank you for this, my friend, and as I said, a lot of discretion please. – I repeat as I greet him and he nods.

-Of course, but come on, I’m going to check you over and heal those wounds. – He says to her and guides us to his office.

I’ve been sitting in this chair for more than half an hour watching as Jorge heals the cuts on Mia’s face and checks her bruises one by one -Mia, I’d like to do an ultrasound to rule out internal injuries, okay? – he explains.

-Yes, as you wish. – I hear her answer.

-I just need you to lift up your shirt, okay? – he asks, and when she does and I see the marks of the blows he has left on her body, my fist immediately clenches, “Does it hurt? – Jorge asks as he moves the device across her abdomen.

-Only when you go over the bruises,” she explains.

I look at the image on the monitor and like my friend, she enlarges the image again and again making me worry – is something wrong? – I ask worried.

-Mia, do you know you’re pregnant? – he asks making my world stop here.

-What? – she exclaims and I think she’s just as surprised as I am.

-I can’t really know how far along you are, in fact, I dare say it’s only a few days, but look here,” she says and points to the screen, “you can clearly see the gestational sac. – He explains and at this moment a mixture of fear and happiness invades me, making me laugh and feel worried at the same time.

-And nothing happened to the…? – I try to ask, but the words don’t come out of my mouth.

-Fortunately not, I’d say it’s a miracle because in most cases this would be a miscarriage. – He explains and Mia seems to be unable to react.

-Jorge, could you give me a moment alone with her please? – I ask her and she simply nods and then gets up and leaves the consulting room -precious…- I tell her approaching her and with great care she sits down on the edge of the stretcher.

-It can’t be… I was taking care of myself…” is all she says looking at nothing.

-Hey, my love… look at me…” I ask her and her grey eyes meet mine.

-It’s yours…” he says as if trying to defend himself.

-I know, my love… I know…” I say and for the first time she smiles through tears of emotion, “we’re going to be dads…” I say and that word gives me emotion as well as fear.

-Santiago is going to kill me when he finds out, he knows it’s not his… my dad will want to kill me too… it’s just that we can’t… we can’t…” she says completely nervous and I can only hug her carefully against my chest.

-Shhh… no one is going to do anything to you… it’s time to do what we’ve been avoiding all this time. – I tell her and she makes us separate a little bit to look at me.

-What are you talking about? – she asks me, frightened.

I carefully wipe the tears from her cheeks, “You, this baby and I are going to go far away, I’ll arrange everything so we can leave as soon as possible. –

-What? Have you forgotten that my uncle works for the CIA? They’ll find us in two minutes,” he says.

-He is and don’t worry, I’ll make sure we go out with other names, but I won’t leave you in the hands of that a*****e… I think he could kill you and our son and I want to go after him… or I become an assassin or we leave the country. – I explain staring at her.

-All right… let’s go…” she says making me smile and I can only k**s her gently feeling more love than ever for her and the beautiful news that we are going to be parents.