Chapter 22: The Painful Truth

Mia nervously paced back and forth in the lobby of the Megaplex. Her grandma had believed her when she said that Carly would be meeting her. She felt a bit guilty for lying about it and she could hardly believe she was sneaking around and meeting a boy on the sly. It really wasn't like her.

Riley was relieved when he arrived at the Megaplex and Mia was there staring at some movie posters. "Whatcha looking at?" He asked as he approached.

She whirled around, "Hi!" She smiled with enthusiasm when she saw him.

Riley beamed. It was good to see her again and he felt a little nervous as he approached her, which wasn't really like him. "So you managed to talk your grandparents into letting you meet me?"

"Well," Mia admitted as she looked away, "I told them I was meeting a friend, just like you suggested."

Riley laughed, "Good idea."

Riley wanted to treat her to some popcorn and whatever else she wanted and he insisted she be the one to pick the movie. Mia struggled to make a decision about which movie to see because she was a lot like her mother and grandmother, not very opinionated about things, but Riley pushed her to make a decision and he had to admit that he found her indecisiveness cute.

Finally after Mia selected a movie, Riley purchased their tickets and waited for the movie to begin while they sat in their seats eating popcorn and sipping their sodas. During the movie, Riley put his arm around Mia and she leaned against him. It felt great.

Martin had been puzzling all week about how to inform Mia that Coach Bills was her father. He knew the information would bring about a lot of change in everyone's life, and he was uncomfortable. He tooled around the hardware store Saturday morning mulling over what to do and how to tell Mia. He knew he needed to tell Mia very soon.

Carly's father, Brian, came to the hardware store in the early afternoon and when he spotted Martin he eagerly approached him, "Hi Martin," he said with a smile. Brian Flemming had the reputation of being one of the friendliest guys in town.

"Brian," Martin smiled and shook hands and slapped him on the back, "What can I help you with?"

"I came to get some new drill bits," Brian said, "But you know me, I always enjoy looking around at all the other tools in here. Have you gotten anything new recently?"

Martin grinned, "Right this way, you're gonna love this new saw. It just arrived last week." And the two of them headed over to where the saws were kept.

"How's Mia doing?" Brian asked, "I heard her mother is back in town."

Martin nodded, "Things are going well for her Brian, thanks for asking."

Both men spent time looking at the new saw and several other tools. Brian enjoyed woodworking and puttering around his house and was one of those guys who spent his weekends doing repairs and beginning different projects in order to stay busy. He was often at the hardware store.

"How is Carly?" Martin asked.

"She's great," Brian said, "She misses Mia today though, you know how those two are when they can't be together during every second of every day."

Martin was perplexed, "I thought they were going to see a movie together today."

Brian continued to eye the saw with admiration, "No, Carly's at home today, so I don't think they are at the movie."

"Are you sure? I thought they planned to go see a movie."

Brian shook his head, "Nope, I believe Carly is at home helping her mom paint the upstairs bathroom, oh and that reminds me I need to get some paint while I'm here, I almost forgot."

Martin's mind raced as he mixed up the paint for Brian and helped him locate a decent set of drill bits and several other items. Martin appeared quite somber. "I hope I didn't say anything wrong," Brian said.

"No," Martin assured him, "I was just confused about the movie. I'm sure Mia must be with another one of her friends if she's not with Carly."

Brian casually nodded, "Mia's a good girl, I sure do enjoy her when she's around."

Martin smiled absently, "Yes, she is." He completed his sales transaction and handed Brian his receipt and his change, "It's great to see you Brian."

"You too Martin," Brian looked over at the new saw, "Who knows, maybe I'll be back to get that saw when my ship come in."

Martin smirked, "Sounds good."

But as Martin watched Brian leave the store a feeling of uneasiness began to build. He was certain Mia had said she would be seeing a movie today with Carly. He rushed to his office to call to Claudia, perhaps he had been mistaken.

After the movie was over, Riley and Mia strolled out of the theater and went inside a nearby ice cream shop. "Let me treat you to your favorite ice cream," Riley suggested. He was very excited to finally be able to see her again. He had been unable to think of anyone else but her ever since they met.

"Sounds great," Mia smiled. She was still quite nervous because this was the first time she had been on a "date" of any sort, and she had been dishonest with her grandparents. But as the day progressed, she began to relax more and more. She just hoped Riley would kiss her sometime soon because she longed to feel his soft lips pressed against hers. Every time he put his arm around her or touched her jolts of electric excitement shot through her.

They sat at a small table eating their ice cream and talking and laughing about the movie. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about. Mia was interested in almost everything Riley had to say and vice versa.

Mia had just finished taking a big bite of her ice cream sundae when the door to the ice cream shop opened and she looked up to see her grandpa. Riley saw the terrified look in her eyes.

Martin spotted her immediately and Riley knew who he was because he had seen Martin several times before. Martin approached them with a very stern look on his face.

"Popoff," Mia said nervously.

Martin kept telling himself to calm down, but he was struggling to remain calm because it was just as he had feared, Mia was with Riley Bills.

Mia's hands shook terribly.

"Mia," Martin said sternly, "It's time to go home."

Mia froze, unable to move.

"You must be Mr. Pirelli," Riley said standing up and extending his hand, "I'm Riley Bills. You have a very charming granddaughter."

Martin frowned at Riley and refused to shake his hand, instead he shook his head. "You and Mia won't be seeing each other again."

Riley was stunned, "What?"

"She's not allowed to see you ever again," Martin said angrily, "Do you understand me?"

Riley hadn't seen a man as strong and forceful as Martin in a very long time and he couldn't figure out what Martin had against him. "Yeah, I understand," Riley said.

Martin reached down and grabbed Mia by her arm and pulled her up from the chair she was sitting on, "No Popoff," Mia cried out as he led her briskly out the door. She looked back over her shoulder at Riley apologetically. He could see how sorry she was and he knew Mia was in big trouble. He wanted to do something to save her, but he didn't dare do or say anything, so he just stood there helplessly.

Martin thrust Mia inside the cab of his truck and gritted his teeth as he started the engine before pulling out of the parking lot and heading home.

Mia was quiet. Her stomach was doing flip-flops and there were silent tears streaming down her face. She could tell she was in big trouble and she was shaking from head to toe. Once they got home, Martin ordered her inside the house. Mia stiffened, afraid to leave the truck, "W-wh-what are you going to do to me?" She gasped.

Martin shook his head, "I think you know."

"No Popoff," she pleaded with him as the tears continued to run from her eyes.

As he looked at her terrified form he softened a little, "C'mon," he said and pulled her out of the truck by her arm and led her inside the house. Claudia was there waiting and when she saw Mia she grabbed her and hugged her.

"She was with Riley Bills," Martin announced as he hung his coat on the coat rack. His eyes drifted to the empty spot on the wall where the belt had hung for so many years and he cursed the fact that it was no longer there. He had known removing the belt from the wall was not a good idea.

"Gram," Mia said in a pleading voice clinging to her grandma, "Don't let him whip me."

"Oh Mia," Claudia said helplessly as she smoothed Mia's hair back, "You shouldn't have lied to us."

"I knew we should have left that belt down here," Martin griped as he rushed up the stairs to his bedroom closet and yanked the belt from where it was hanging. He intended to hang it back up near the backdoor again just as soon as he finished using it to punish Mia.

Mia was hysterical when she saw the belt, "No!" she screamed.

"Get into the den," Martin commanded.

Mia hid behind Claudia, "No Popoff! No!" She couldn't remember ever being this scared.

"You lied to me!" Martin raged.

"Martin!" Claudia said.

Martin looked at his wife sharply for daring to speak. "What Claudia?"

"You need to think this through and calm down," she said quietly.

"Mia!" Martin raged, "Get into that den right now or I'll give you double what I was planning to give you."

Mia wanted to curl up and die. What had she done that had been so wrong? All she did was go see a movie with a boy in a public place and have a little ice cream. Now she was at the mercy of a madman. "No Popoff," she sobbed in anguish, "Please Popoff."

Angel had always felt her timing was terrible. She had been running a few errands and on a whim she decided to stop by her parent's house and say hello to her mother. She opened the back door and entered the kitchen and when she did she thought she was going to die. Martin was standing there waving the belt around as Mia crouched behind Claudia in fear.

"Mom!" Mia cried out when she saw Angel enter the kitchen and she ran to her mother almost knocking her over.

Angel quickly recovered her balance. "W-what's going on?" She asked as Mia clung to her. Angel wanted to turn back around and run out of the house. It wasn't the first time she had felt that way and the way things were going it wouldn't be the last.

"Your daughter," Martin hissed, "Lied and told us she was meeting her friend Carly at the movies today. Instead she met that Riley Bills kid and did God only knows what with him!" Martin's mind had begun to make huge assumptions ever since he first discovered Mia with Riley.

Mia clung to Angel, "Oh my God," she sobbed in anguish, "He's going to kill me, don't let him kill me," Mia begged.

Angel was shaking almost as much as Mia. "Oh Mia," Angel said softly and she stroked her daughter's back as she held her.

"Martin just because they met for a movie doesn't mean anything bad happened," Claudia said with urgency, trying her best to become the voice of reason, but her voice shook terribly because she was not good at standing up to her husband, particularly when he was this angry.