I walked into the apartment with the papers Jordan had given me, clenched tightly in my hands. I looked around the room and everything seemed to hit me all at once - almost like being hit by brick wall in motion. I walked around the room remembering when we moved in – lunging the couch awkwardly up the stairs and collapsing on it when we had finally got it to our platform, the pictures of us happy and smiling hanging from the walls, the bedroom that so every often looked like a war-zone where we laid our heads at night, where we talked about our days and where, we once, made love. This was our house, where we made a home and now, now it's nothing but a cold dark space without any life. The walls were dull, the colour seemed to have left them in the last few hours, and cold - god was it cold. It was hard to see my home like this, the place I had fallen in love with when I first saw it was now nothing but a sad reminder, one I couldn't stand to be in for much longer.

Slowly, I walked over to the bench and placed the note I had wrote days ago and the papers Jordan had told me held the agreement to split the mortgage along with his two weeks notice explaining Broody had been let go, down on the cold marble. I turned around and headed for the bedroom. I pulled out my bags from under the bed and started packing up my life; it was amazing how your entire life could fit into just one suitcase and a backpack. Once everything  I wanted to keep - which was barley even all my clothes - was packed up I opened the door to the moving men who had been hired to take everything out of the house and sell it.

I watched them pack everything up while I just leaned against the wall. Time seemed fly by as they moved quickly and purposefully through the small one bed room house, taking what was once apart of me and removing it from view. This broke my heart just as much as Broody had. Once everything was packed up and everyone left the apartment I pulled the bucket of water out of the empty fridge and added in some ice blocks for the ultimate effect, before lugging it over to the door way. This was it, the last thing on my list. The door opened before I had a chance to do anymore then pull out the string from my bag.

Jordan walked into the room, his eyes looking around at the empty space with his hands in his pockets. "Need a little help with that?"

I smiled and walked up to him, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Jordan's arms came around my waist as he hugged me back just as tightly, his head buried in my neck. "Thank you, for everything." I whispered near his ear.

"It's been a pleasure, Ms Sears."

I pulled back and turned my attention to the bucket of water. "Give me a hand, will you?"

Jordan nodded as came over to stand beside the bucket of water and basically shoved me out of the way before pulling the bucket of water up and sitting it on the door frame and the slightly opened apartment door.

"Now tie this to from the handle of the bucket and the door handle." I told him in a soft tone and hit him with the small ball of string.

"Why? When he opens the door it's going to fall anyway." He rationalised with me.

"Oh right." I thought about it for a moment. I suppose it would, then why the hell would people tie a string to it?

We backed away from the door and I picked up the bags. "How do we get out, now?"  Jordan said narrowing his eyes at the door. I smiled and walked over to him, standing on my toes and grabbing his shoulders, turning him around to face the window. "I am not jumping out of a window."

I rolled my eyes and dragged him along with my bags over to the window and out to the fire escape.

"So we're not jumping, that's good. If I tear my suit climbing down this thing you owe me a new one." He muttered as he held my hand, steading me as I started to climb down to the next level. Jordan passed me my bags before descending himself.

When we finally got down to the ground we made our way over the car that was waiting for us, Joseph in the front seat. I ushered the boys into the car and threw my bags in the boot before sliding in next to Jordan who sat there with twitchy hands.

"So where too?" Joe asked from the front seat.

Jordan went to give an order but I bet him to it. "The airport."

"What? Why are you going to the airport?" Jordan's attention was on me, his brow frowned and his lips set in a hard line while Joe pulled the car out into traffic, fulfilling my request.

"I've decided I am going to stay with my step dad for a while. That way I have a chance to clear my head and I've been meaning to visit for a little while now." I told him, not really looking at him but at the scenery passing me by, the tall city sky scrapers that I was oddly going to miss.

"But..." He started, but quickly stopped himself before he said anymore.

We sat mostly in silence for the rest of the drive, neither of us really speaking. By the time the car came to a stop in front of the airport Joe jumped out of the car and started unpacking my bags, I moved to open the door but Jordan's hand on my thigh stopped me. I looked over at him and saw his eyes a little more blue than usual, his gaze falling just above my ear which only made me smile thinking of the first time I saw him.

"Have fun."

I smiled and couldn't stifle a giggle at his choice of words. "Fun?"

"It was the best line I could come up with, okay?" He sounded almost disappointed with his lack of charisma.

"I will." I giggled and pulled myself out of the car and walked around to the other side where my luggage was now sitting on the pathway. Jordan rolled his window down and watched me as I slid my bag over my shoulder and grabbed a hold of the handle of my suit case. I leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Jordan's cheek. "Have fun." I said smiling again before stepping away and headed for the plane.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

He walked up the stairs to the apartment he shared with his fiancé and went to open the door but stopped realising that it was already open, but only just. He looked around the hallway looking for someone, an intruder maybe, but found nothing but silence and closed doors. He took a deep breath. Maybe Mia was already home he thought as he reached out and pushed the door open, stepping through it.

His vision was suddenly darkened by something falling on his head, he then felt the cold rush of the icy water seeping into his clothes and freezing his bones where they stood. "Fuck!" He screamed and quickly reached up, dropping everything in his hands - the bokay of flowers he bought home for Mia, partly out of guilt for his acts earlier today, and his briefcase - to pull off what ever had blinded his vision – a bucket. He looked down at the bucket, now empty of any contents for a moment or two in confusion before looking up and around the dark room, dimly lit by the streets outside. Why a bucket? He was clearly confused.

"Where is everything?" He spoke to himself as his vision kept darting around to every corner of the room and back again. There was nothing there.

We've been robed, he thought as he ran over to the bed room to find that, that too was bare of any furniture or clothes. Panic began to rise in his chest as he walked back to the main room, headed for the door when he stopped, a collection of objects catching his eye in the dim lighting. Frowning even more he pressed his lips into a thin line and wondered over to the bench where he saw a manila folder thick with papers inside and two smaller notes. He picked up the first and saw it was addressed to him;

Dear Broody,

As you would have probably noticed, I and every piece of furniture in this place are gone. Why? Because you are lying, cheating bastard who couldn't even make me have an orgasm because you were too busy fucking everyone but me – your fiancé in case you have forgotten.

They say Revenge is a dish best served cold, well as you have probably worked out, I decided to test that theory.

There were questions that I wanted to ask you like; why? What went wrong with us? And did you even really love me at all? But now, I really just don't care. I rather enjoyed our last month together; my favourite time, I might say was when I super glued your hand to your penis.

So I guess now there is only one thing left to say;

Goodbye.

Murderously planning your death,

Your Ex, Mia Sears.

He held his breath feeling his heart constrict as he. She's gone, was all he could think of as he re-read the small note over and over again. His mind was straying from any thoughts of his betraying acts, or even the fact that she knew at all, all he could comprehend was She's gone. His heart felt like it had been ripped from his  chest as his eyes hovered over the words; goodbye. She has to come back! He thought as his body began to shake with rage? Anger? Sadness? He wasn't sure. I have to explain! Swallowing hard his shaking fingers put the paper back on the bench and went to reach for his phone in his pocket so he could talk to her, to hear her sweet voice once more and convince her to come back. His hands froze as he saw another piece of paper and his curiosity got the better of him - just as it always had. His hands wondered over to the paper, it was a list entitled 'The Rat Exterminator' with each number from one to thirteen crossed out and he knew that every misgiving that had befallen him was all Mia.

He looked up at the manila folder and his hands hovered over it's edge before opening it up. The first thing he saw was a small note hand written;

How you could ever let her go is beyond me, I hope that by now you have realised just what you have lost and what someone else is about to gain.

Thank you.

Thank you? He frowned. Who wrote this? The writing was somewhat familiar and the thought irked him. He knew the script but the written words were right. How did I let her go? Mia was everything he had ever wanted, perfect in every way, even her faults were beautiful in their own way. So why I did I have to ruin it? He moved the note aside feeling numb all over. He then saw the papers exclaiming he was no longer employed and the agreement to spilt the mortgage. His body was shaking now and his head spinning, a sick feeling in his stomach rising up. His hands gripped the bench top, turning white with the pressure. What have I done?

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

I walked out of the arrival gate and started looking around for what was once a familiar face. It had been a long plane ride and I was just looking for a bed and a good night's sleep but it was only two – three hours behind – in the afternoon and I knew if I wanted to adjust to the timings I would have to stay awake for a little bit longer at least.

My eyes scanned the crowd and I soon found a familiar pair of grey eyes. I smiled brightly and practically started running towards John. Closing the distance John pulled me into a hug, squeezing me tightly and picking me off the ground slightly. He may not be my biological father but his hugs were as good as any dads, warm comforting and safe.

He pulled back and grabbed my face with both hands, his eyes scanning my face as if trying to read my mind. "You look so grown up now, what happened?" He chuckled and I just buried my head in his chest taking the opportunity to get in another hug. I hadn't realised how much I missed him until he was right in front of me.

"Come on kiddo, you look beat." He picked up my bag and started dragging it behind us as he draped an arm over my shoulders and pulled me into his side as we walked.

Outside it was bright, the sun at it's peek and the warm whether hit me like a blanket as I walked out. I really should have worn my dress or something, these jeans and jumper weren't going to last me long. We walked over to the car park making casual conversation, John going to great lengths to avoid the Broody issue which I was thankful for.

It was a rather long drive to the house but it wasn't far from the beach which I planned to take full advantage of while I was here. I changed the radio stations a couple of times trying to find one that had no talking since I really wasn't in the mood to listen to people complain about their lives or make really bad jokes and focused on the palm trees and waves as they rolled in while John started talking about the garage and how well it was doing.

I was glad everything was working out for him. We made plans to go and visit Dad's grave tomorrow - after I had settled in - and I was grateful that John still wanted to do that with me. My mother had never taken me to the cemetery to see my father and for a young John it was the only act he could do that didn't end in screaming match between him and me, now tho, it was a welcomed routine. I didn't mind and I knew my biological father would approve of the parenting job John has done - especially with what I gave him to work with.

When we arrived I saw the house I had once called home and the memories came rushing back to me, the windows I broke trying to 'accidentally' hit John in the head when I first met him. I smiled and started laughing at the memories and thinking how the two of us became unlikely family.

"Come on." He pulled me in side where I was cornered by a gorgeous blond hugging me. I looked back at my dad with a panicked eyes but he just chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Mia, this is Lara, Lara this is my daughter Mia." He introduced and Lara pulled back a little, holding me at arm's length so her steady eyes could better look at me.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you John won't stop talking about his little girl." She told me making me look over to a now very red John. I smiled and looked back at Lara; she was gorgeous, long blond hair and blue eyes that put my own to shame. She looked somewhere in her late thirties, maybe even younger but from what John had told me in the car I knew she was in her forties.

"It's nice to meet you too." I quickly said before being whisked away into the kitchen where the smell of food hit me. "This is my son Chase."

"Hey, how are you doing?" He greeted me with a nod. He was in his mid-late teens, it was hard to really pinpoint but his uncanny resemblance to his mother assured that he was going to be something exquisite when he was older.

"Not too bad. What's cooking?"

"Well I was going for crumbed chicken but I think now I'm just burning it." He looked down at the oven in confusion.

I smiled and decided to help him while John and Lara talked about what we should do while I stayed with them.

This was just what I needed.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

The relationship is officially over and Mia is a free woman. Two more chapters to go, now do you want Jordan and Mia together or not? I'm still deciding.

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~Dream_big96