Mia Like Crazy Read Online Free

asked.
    “He didn’t say, exactly.”
    “No, I mean, do you have to be somewhere else right now?”
    “Well, actually, I’d set aside the whole day for your brother. I thought he needed a great deal of legal assistance, but—”
    “Oh, he needs a lot more than that, I assure you.” In spite of the nature of the comment, Drew’s sister never lost the well-meaning look on her features. Her speech and mannerisms were so cultured I could almost smell the money on her.
    I tried to detect a resemblance between the two half-siblings but hadn’t gotten a close enough look at Larson to make a detailed comparison.
    “Can I take you out for coffee?” Meridith asked hopefully.
    “Sure, um, I don’t know the area very well...” but I’ll go wherever you want because you’ve got the other ninety million.
    “Why don’t you ride with me,” she said. “I need to come back here anyway.”
    I don’t, but —“That sounds great,” I replied.

Chapter Three
     
    I thought the diner was a surprisingly quaint—a.k.a. tacky—place for a multi-millionaire to have coffee or anything else. Not to mention the fact that Meridith raved about the peach cobbler like it was a delicacy. Why was money always wasted on the wrong people?
    Tired of pie talk, I complimented her on the décor in Drew’s apartment.
    Meridith took in a deep breath and sighed. “Anything would have been an improvement over what he had in there. Don’t get me wrong. It was good furniture, but everything was black and white and so square and symmetrical—like walking into some weird painting.”
    She shook her head as if trying to dislodge the image. “It’s hard to describe, but if you get a peek at Drew’s bedroom, you’ll know what I mean. He wouldn’t let me touch it.”
    I tried to imagine the circumstances under which I would get a “peek” at Drew’s bedroom, and they didn’t seem likely.
    Meridith pushed her plate away and, finally, got to the point. “Mia,” she said. “I want you to give Drew another chance. I’m sure his past was very shocking to you, and he probably got angry at your reaction…”
    I shook my head at her. “Meridith, I have no idea what your brother is so notorious for. He seemed to think I knew before I came, and he got upset when he realized I didn’t have a clue. He wouldn’t tell me anything, and he practically threw me out.”
    “That’s strange—not that he threw you out, he used to do that to me all the time—but he’s usually too forthcoming with that information. I’ve told him to stop advertising it and give people a chance to forget.”
    She appeared lost in thought for a moment. “He must have taken a liking to you and couldn’t stand to tell you himself. I was there the day he talked to Josh Samuels on the phone. Mr. Samuels told Drew he wouldn’t take his case, but he thought he knew a woman attorney who might. Drew said if Samuels was going to refer a woman, he’d better tell her the whole story before Drew had any contact with her, but I guess Mr. Samuels didn’t follow his instructions.”
    “And I guess Drew hates it when his instructions aren’t followed.” I took another bite of my cobbler and had to admit to myself she was right about this place, even if it did have the ambience of a hospital cafeteria.
    “Oh, it’s much more than that.” Meridith paused, as if trying to find the right words. “Mia, Drew and I didn’t grow up together, but what I know about his childhood is horrifying, somewhat like my own. He was abused, mentally and physically, by a man who had no love for him. That kind of upbringing fills a person with rage. From a young age, I learned to cover up my own abuse and act as though everything was normal — when I wasn’t trying to overdose on prescription pills.”
    There it was. The same feeling I’d had that day when Lauren asked for my advice. This felt like too much information considering I’d only met this woman an hour ago.
    Yet, I found I wanted