by Liz Davis
He smiled and reached out to grab her, encircling his hands around her waist. Then his lips were against hers, engaging her in a tender kiss. His mouth was hot and tasted of peppermint, and she didn’t want the kiss to end, but she knew that now wasn’t the time or the place to engage in a passionate lip-lock. What if Dylan was still out there somewhere, waiting and watching from off in the distance? Alarmed by this thought, Maya reluctantly pulled her lips away from his. Eyebrows furrowing in response, his lips curled into a funny little half smile.
“Is something wrong? Does my breath smell bad or something?”
Giving him a nervous smile, she responded, “No, of course not. Everything’s fine.”
Grabbing her hand, he replied, “Okay. You ready to go?”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
They walked toward his Jeep, and once they were safely inside and pulling out of the parking lot, Maya felt herself immediately begin to breathe a little easier. No longer held captive by anxiety, she felt a sense of pure freedom. She was embarking upon a new chapter in her life and was thrilled that Evan was going to be a part of it. It had been a long time since she’d experienced happiness in a relationship and was determined not to let anything ruin it.
As they pulled out onto the road, Evan said, “Sorry I was late. I stopped by my house first to have a quick shower and change my clothes. I figured it couldn’t be too pleasant kissing someone who smells like they’ve been working on cars all day.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Maya replied, “I’ve smelled worse. And besides, I like the way you smell after a long day at work. It kinda turns me on.” She smiled, flashing him her dimples.
“Oh, there you go showing me your dimples again. Those things are like kryptonite to me.”
Her grin widened. “Well, I have to have something to match the power of those lips. Otherwise I’d be helpless.”
As they came to a stoplight, he leaned over to claim her mouth once again. “I think I’ll have to test these lips out to see if they still have the same effect on you.”
As he leaned in to kiss her, she placed her hand on his neck, sliding it up into the strands of his hair. She felt his breath ghost against her mouth, and his lips were just beginning to brush against her own, when they were abruptly jolted from the flow of the moment.
The sound of screeching tires suddenly filled the air, followed by the impact of metal on metal. Both of their bodies were jolted forward as a car hit them from behind, launching them sharply against their seat belts. Maya grunted as the safety belt dug into her ribs, feeling as if the breath had been knocked out of her. A curse fled from Evan’s lips, and then he reached over to check on her, making sure that she was all right.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded slowly, a little stunned from the sudden impact. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Glancing into the rearview mirror, she tried to see who it was that had rear-ended them, and saw the culprit to be a gray SUV. Evan pulled off to the side of the residential road where there wasn’t any traffic, and then he put the car into park.
After taking off his seat belt he said, “I’ll just get this straightened out, and then we’ll be on our way. Be right back, okay?”
Maya nodded, keeping her eyes peeled on the rearview mirror. As the SUV door opened she saw a tall, slim woman wearing a gypsy skirt get out. Even from this distance, Maya could tell that the woman was very nervous, and as Evan came toward her she began apologizing profusely. She handed him some papers, which Maya guessed was probably her registration, then showed him her license. Then she saw Evan say a few words to her and walk back to the car.
As he made it back to the car, he opened the door and spoke to her. “Maya, honey, can you open the glove compartment for me and hand me the registration papers from out of there?”
She opened the glove compartment and dug around a little until she found what she was looking for, then handed them over to him.
“Thanks. Be right back.”
As Evan exchanged license and registration information with the woman, Maya glanced into the rearview mirror every now and again, just to see how things were going.
She couldn’t help her nosiness, and besides, they had just gotten into an accident, so she wanted to make sure that everything was all right. After five minutes passed she began to feel a little impatient. She took another glance into the mirror just in time to see the gypsy skirt lady hand Evan a business card. This didn’t bother her at all, but what did pique her attention was the fact that the lady had placed her palm against his arm. The woman’s hand lingered against his bicep for far longer than was necessary, and Maya could tell that this woman wasn’t just giving him a touch of concern, but was outright flirting. She didn’t have to hear what they were saying to understand what was going on. Then she saw Evan nod his head and point to the car, as if indicating that someone else was inside. Using that as an excuse, Maya exited the vehicle. She was just beginning to walk around to the back of the car when she heard a voice call out to her.
“Maya?”
As the familiar voice called out her, she turned to face them with a feeling of dread.
“Dylan? What are you doing here?”
“I was just driving along, and got rear-ended. I never expected that you would be the driver.”
“My friend was the one who was driving, but it wasn’t their fault. An SUV hit us from behind, so I guess it caused a chain reaction, and since you were in front of us, we ended up hitting you.”
Looking at Evan’s vehicle with a gaze full of curiosity, Dylan asked, “Whose Jeep is this?”
“It’s my friend’s car. He was driving me home.”
“So it’s a guy?” His brows drew into a slight frown.
“Yes, it’s a guy.”
“Well, who is he? Are you going out with him?” His lips were set in a straight line, and his body became tense.
As the sound of footsteps came from behind her, Maya knew that Evan was approaching.
“Is this him?” He glared at Evan, sizing him up. “Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing another guy?”
“Who is this?” Evan asked.
Before Maya could say anything, Dylan responded, “Her boyfriend.”
“Ex-boyfriend,” Maya said in a firm tone of voice.
“Oh, so now you’re dumping me for him?”
“We were already broken up, Dylan.”
“I thought we were getting back together.”
“Well, you thought wrong.”
“Really? So what you said to me on the phone last night, that was all just a lie?”
Maya could feel Evan’s gaze upon her, and she could see from her peripheral vision that the look he was giving her wasn’t a good one.
“You talked to him last night?” Evan asked with a questioning gaze.
“Yes, but it didn’t mean anything. He was the one who called me. I don’t want anything to do with him.”
The way Evan was watching her made her feel terrible, so she shifted her eyes away, training them upon Dylan with an angry stare.
“You told me you would think about us moving in together. Why would you say that if you didn’t want us to be together?” Dylan’s voice was tense with anger.
“Because you kept bugging me about it. I just told you what you wanted to hear so you would leave me alone. Look, I’m sorry, okay? But I think both you and I know that this relationship is over. Now will you please just leave me alone already?” Her voice was rife with emotion.
Taken aback by what she’d just said to him, Dylan responded, “So that’s how you really feel, huh? Wow, okay.” He stood there just looking at her, as if he expected her to say something more.
Maya found herself unable to look at Evan straight on, as she felt too embarrassed to even meet his gaze. She knew what he must be thinking of her, that she was untrustworthy and only interested in playing games with him, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. She’d made a grave mistake last night by talking to Dylan.
I’ll think about it. Those three little words had really done her in, and now she would have to pay for speaking them.
“Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t love me anymore. Tell me you have absolutely no feelings at all remaining for me, and I’ll just walk away. You have my word.” Engaging her in a steely gaze, Dylan waited for her reply.
Evan’s eyes were trained intensely upon her. She could feel the heat of his stare, and she knew he was anxiously awaiting her response.
Staring Dylan straight in the eye, she said, “I fell out of love with you a long time ago. It’s over between us, okay?” Turning away from him, she headed back to the car.
“So you have absolutely no feelings for me anymore. None?”
Whipping around to face him she, hastily replied, “Why are you doing this? You had your chance with me, Dylan, and you blew it. So please, just let me go.” She turned and headed for the car, and then climbed up into the passenger seat.
She watched from the Jeep as Dylan stood by the side of the road. He seemed to be in some sort of shock because he wasn’t moving, only standing there as if he were in some sort of a frozen daze. He stared at her for a moment, and then his eyes were upon Evan, fixing him with a gaze that was nothing short of pure animosity. She watched Dylan’s mouth form some words, and then she saw Evan turn his back on him and walk away.
Once Evan made it back to the car, he got in and shut the door. But he didn’t turn the key in the ignition. He only sat there, his eyes focused intensely upon Dylan’s car in front of them. Maya heard the sound of a car starting up, and then Dylan drove away, advancing through a stop sign as he sped off down the street. They sat in tense silence for a few moments before Evan finally spoke.
“So do you still love him?”
“No.”
“But you still have feelings for him, right?”
Maya sighed, glancing out the window at the houses that lined the street.
“I really don’t know why you’re asking me this.”
“It’s a simple question.”
“Even if I did, it wouldn’t matter because I don’t want to be with him anymore. I want to be with you.”
“But a part of you is still lingering with him.”
“What? Why do you say that?”
“You asked him to let you go, as if he still has some power over you. As if there’s a part of you that’s still hanging on to him, a part that’s afraid to move on.”
For a moment, Maya couldn’t remember saying any such thing, and then it came back to her. It was true. She had said it.
“But I didn’t mean it like that. I am ready to move on, and I want to move on with you.”
Shaking his head, Evan averted his eyes, glancing out the window.
“Evan, please just listen to me.” Placing her hand on his arm, she tried to get him to make eye contact with her. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
Turning his attention back on her, he responded, “I’m not mad. I’m hurt.”
“I don’t want him, Evan. I want you. Can’t you see that?”
“You may want me, but a part of you is still with him, and I don’t like that.”
“I want nothing to do with him, so why can’t you just believe me?”
Disregarding what she had just told him, Evan said, “You spoke to him last night. Was this before or after I called you?”
“After, and the conversation meant nothing to me. He was the one who called.”
“So what did you talk about?”
“Not much, really. He asked me to move in with him, but I told him I didn’t want to.”
“He just said you told him that you’d think about it.”
“I only said that so he’d leave me alone. He wouldn’t stop bothering me.”
Evan remained silent, his eyes fixed on some random point beyond the windshield.
“I really like you, Evan, and I don’t want this to ruin things for us, so please don’t be upset with me.”
She wanted him to turn his head and look at her, hoped he would decide to let this go and move on so they could begin a relationship, but something deep inside of her knew it wasn’t going to happen.
“I like you, too, Maya. A lot. I like you so much that I’m unwilling to share you with anyone. And I’m not just talking about a physical thing here, but emotional connections. I saw the way you looked at him, and I could see that a part of you still cares for him.” A glimmer of jealousy passed through his eyes. “I’m not so sure we should continue seeing each other.”
“So you don’t still care for any of your exes? Are you trying to tell me there isn’t a girl out there that you’ll always care for, someone who will always have a place in your heart?”
“Of course there is, but that person is no longer a part of my life, and you know what? I don’t miss her. Sure, a part of me will always care for her, but she’s a part of my past, not my present. She’s not holding me back from who I want to be with, and I surely don’t still speak to her.”
Giving a heavy sigh, Maya buried her head in her hands. She didn’t know what to say anymore, and she knew she was dangerously close to crying. How had things managed to get so monumentally screwed up?
With sadness in his voice, he said, “I want us to be together, Maya. I really do.”
“But?” she asked.
Finally turning his head to look at her, Evan said, “When I’m with a woman, I’m there for her, fully and completely. It’s either all or nothing for me. I don’t play around with people’s feelings. I love very deeply and right now, what scares me is allowing myself to fall in love with you. Because if I did and you broke my heart, I wouldn’t be able to take it.”
“I would never hurt you,” she responded.
“There’s a chance you’ll get back together. I saw it in your eyes. You still care for him.”
“No, that isn’t true.” She shook her head, wanting to say more, but the words wouldn’t come out. There was a lump growing in her throat, and she could feel tears threatening to fall. “Please don’t give up on me, Evan.” Her chin was tilted downward and her fingers picked absentmindedly at a thread on her pants.”
“I’m sorry, Maya. I just can’t be that rebound guy.”
She couldn’t speak anymore, and she knew that even if she did, it wouldn’t fix anything. His mind was set, and he wasn’t going to change it. She heard the sound of him turning the key in the ignition, and then the engine started up. Neither of them said a word on the drive home, as each was lost in their own thoughts and dealing with their individual emotions. But every now and again, she did manage to look over at him. She thought of how little time they’d spent together, and how these past few days she’d known him had been the happiest she’d felt in a while. They’d just barely been getting to know each other, and now, thanks to Dylan, it was already over.
As they came closer to reaching her house, Maya felt her eyes grow wet, and her vision became clouded with tears. It wasn’t fair that it was ending this way between them, and she hated the fact that their budding relationship had been terminated so soon.
As they arrived at her house, he pulled up to the curb and put the car in park, leaving the engine idling. She glanced over to take one last look at him and saw that his head was hung down. With his head tilted downward, his hair concealed his face, so the expression on his face was obscured from her view.
“Thanks for the ride. Bye.” Her voice was thick with emotion, and she made sure to keep her head turned so he couldn’t see her teary eyes.
Lifting his gaze up to look at her, Evan reached over and grabbed her gently by the chin, turning her head so he could look into her eyes. A single tear slid down her cheek, and he brushed it away then kissed the damp spot where it had been.
“Take care of yourself, okay?” There was sadness in his voice, and his warm brown eyes lacked their usual twinkle.
Nodding, she opened the door and got out, then closed it shut behind her. She walked slowly up
the pathway to her apartment and opened the door. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she heard him pull away from the curb and drive off down the street. And just like that, he was gone, leaving her with little more than bittersweet memories.
Chapter 5
Sunlight streamed in through the bedroom windows, awakening Maya to a day she’d rather not experience. She had a terrible headache, and her eyes felt heavy and dry. For one short moment, she found herself unable to remember why she woke up feeling like this, and then it all came rushing back to her. Groaning, she rolled over and buried her head beneath a pillow. She wished she’d just stayed asleep. That way she wouldn’t have to deal with the intensity of emotions she was experiencing. Tossing the pillow aside, she glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly half past nine, which meant she had only an hour before she had to be at work.
She didn’t know how she would manage to make it through the day, not in the condition she was in. Sitting up in bed, she swung her legs over the side of the mattress and rose onto her feet. With the sun shining and few clouds in the sky, the weather was a direct contrast to the current mood she was experiencing. It was so bright and cheery outside that she almost felt like closing the shades and climbing back into bed, but she knew that wasn’t the best idea, so she groggily headed for the bathroom. There was a bottle of aspirin in the cabinet, so she opened it up and shook a few out into her hand, then swallowed it down with a glass of water.
After she washed her face and brushed her teeth, she took a glance at herself in the mirror and was surprised by the face staring back at her. Maya’s eyes were red and puffy, and her hair was messily tousled around her face. She couldn’t believe how miserable she looked, and couldn’t help feeling silly that her dismal mood was the result of yet another guy. Taking a long, hard look at her reflection, she inwardly coaxed herself to snap out it.