Chapter 24: Three Gentlemen and a Warning
Mia stood in the kitchen, stirring her tea with a distracted hand, her thoughts far away. Lina had just told her what Jonas, Leo, and Marc had done.
"They waited for him outside the gym?" she asked, blinking.
Lina nodded, a guilty smile playing on her lips. "Yeah. Jonas said they just wanted to give him... a dose of his own medicine."
Mia sat down hard, still holding the spoon. "What does that mean, exactly?"
"They confronted him. Talked about how it feels when someone touches you without consent. You know—gave him a little taste of fear."
Mia's breath caught. For a moment, she didn't speak. Then she burst out: "Oh my God."
Her voice was a mix of horror, amusement, and—she hated to admit it—satisfaction.
"Wait—did they hit him?"
"No!" Lina laughed. "Jonas promised. No touching. No violence. Just... intimidation. Words. Tone. Looks."
"Jesus," Mia murmured. "That's so—so messed up."
But she was smiling.
And then she started laughing. "That's the dumbest, most reckless, most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me."
She clapped a hand over her mouth, caught between a snort and a sob. "I can't believe they actually did that. Oh my God. They're idiots. Sweet, dangerous idiots."
Lina poured them both more tea. "Jonas said he couldn't sleep after seeing how you looked at that guy. He just wanted to do something."
Mia blinked rapidly. Her throat was tight. "Nobody's ever done something like that for me before. Not my dad. Not my ex. No one."
Lina reached out and covered her hand with hers. "You have people now. You have us."
"Leo probably thought it was hilarious," Mia muttered, wiping her eyes.
"Leo said if he ever sees that guy again, he's throwing a protein bar at his head."
They both broke into laughter.
"And Marc?" Mia asked.
"He said he was just there for moral support... and to make sure Leo didn't actually throw the protein bar."
Another peal of laughter followed, and with it, something deeper: relief, release, belonging.
Later that night, Mia found herself texting Leo.
"Tell Jonas thanks. And you too. But you're still all idiots."
Leo replied instantly.
"Idiots, yes. But your idiots."
Mia stared at the message, heart swelling. For the first time in a long time, the shadows felt further away.