Davis, Liz - Slivers of Moonlight (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Liz Davis

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Giving an exhausted sigh, she replied, “Nothing. Look, Dylan, if you want, I can call you a cab. But I am not taking you home in my car.”

  “But I don’t have money for a cab.”

  “Well, that’s your only option.”

  “All right, well, can you at least spot me the money to get home? Please? I promise I’ll pay you back.”

  “Yeah, right. I don’t think so, Dylan.”

  “Maya, baby, please. Come on. If you drive me home, I promise I’ll pay you for the gas. I have the money at home, so I can go in and get it for you as soon as you drop me off.”

  “Nope, not happening. I’m really tired and hungry, so this conversation ends here.”

  “Come on, Maya, you can’t just leave me here. How am I supposed to get home?”

  “I don’t know, and you know what? That really isn’t my problem. This is what happens when you screw people over, Dylan. Consider this a lesson hard learned.” Rolling up her window, she put the car in drive and drove off, leaving him standing there with a flabbergasted expression on his face.

  As she drove across the parking lot, a drizzle began to fall, peppering the windshield with drops of rain. She did her best to push Dylan from her mind, but against her best intentions, she found that her eyes were drawn to the rearview mirror. She saw Dylan approach a parked yellow VW bus and begin talking to a man with a heavyset build. She figured the man must have said no because he turned his back on Dylan and headed for the driver’s door. She saw her ex-boyfriend reach out to touch the guy’s arm, in what seemed to be a last ditch effort to beg for a ride home, but apparently the driver of the VW bus didn’t appreciate the physical contact very much. With a swift turned on his heel, he smacked Dylan in the face with his fist. The next thing she saw was Dylan falling to the ground, and then the driver got behind the wheel of his vintage car and puttered away.

  She hadn’t yet exited the parking lot, and was no more than twenty yards away from him, so she still had him in her sights. Maya could tell from the way that Dylan was just lying there on the ground, that he was completely humiliated, and she couldn’t help feeling a pang of sympathy for him. He pitifully stumbled back onto his feet, and she could tell from the way he was cradling his face that he was in pain. There wasn’t a car left in the lot now, which meant that he was truly abandoned.

  And, so what? How many times has he left you in unpleasant situations? Think about it.

  And she did. She thought about the countless times he’d stood her up, and all of the lies that he’d told her. She also remembered the way it felt when he’d shamelessly flirted with other women right in front of her eyes. He was an insensitive jerk, and he deserved this.

  So, no, she wasn’t going back. No matter how pathetic the situation may be, he needed to learn his lesson. She’d been a fool for him so many times, and now he was finally getting the chance to see what it felt like.

  The rain pelted harder, prompting her to turn the windshield wipers on. As the blades worked into a squeaking rhythm, she pressed her foot on the gas, needing to increase the distance between them. And then she felt something that caused her to ease up on the accelerator—guilt. She didn’t know why she felt this way, because she hadn’t done anything to cause the situation that he was in.

  Dylan was a bastard, and he didn’t deserve even an ounce of sympathy from her, but something within her didn’t feel right with the situation. It wasn’t that she thought he deserved another chance, because nothing could be further from the truth. What was truly bothering her was the fact that she felt like someone else, an imposter of who she really was. Leaving him behind like this wasn’t her. And if their places were to be reversed, she wouldn’t doubt at all that he probably wouldn’t have given a second thought to leaving her stranded.

  But just because he’d do something like this to her, did that mean she had to do it to him as well? No, she was better than this, and she was going to take the higher road. She’d wasted too much time on feelings of hate and regret, and it was time to let that mess go. If she could forgive him and move past those feelings she’d been carrying around for so long, then maybe she could finally extinguish him completely from her life. She didn’t want to forgive him, but she needed to, because it was the only thing that could finally free her soul.

  She turned the steering wheel to the right, and turned the car back around, heading in the direction from which she’d just come. For a few glorious minutes, she’d experienced the sweetest taste of revenge she’d ever known. But that was all she really needed, just a taste. Within a few short moments, she was pulling back into the arena parking lot, and as she scanned the area, her eyes fell on Dylan. Huddled beneath the roof of a shuttle bus stop, he had his arms wrapped around his torso, shivering from the wind and rain.

  As she drove up next to the bus shelter, she pressed her foot on the brake, and her car came to a halting stop, tires screeching on the blacktop. With a slow lift of his head, Dylan glanced through the car window, his eyes meeting hers in widened surprise. Maya found herself wishing that she had a camera, because the look on his face was, as they say, priceless. Pressing the control for the window to roll down, she called out to him.

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and get in before I change my mind.”

  Unwilling to waste another second, Dylan sprang into action and sprinted for the car. As soon as he shut the door behind him, Maya sped off, and they headed into the night.

  * * * *

  The ride to Dylan’s house was spent mostly in silence, with only the sound of the windshield wipers to ease the tension between them. Every now and again, he would make an attempt to start up a conversation, offering weak apologies and trying to get back on her good side, but she wasn’t having any of it. So instead of engaging in conversation with him, she chose instead to concentrate on the road. Luckily, the rain had let up since they’d left the arena, so they were making pretty good time along their journey.

  And although she chose to ignore him, Maya couldn’t help noticing something from out of the corner of her eye. Every few minutes, Dylan would pull a small bottle out of the pocket of his jacket and take a quick swing before recapping the container and putting it back away. Maya tried to keep her attention strictly on her driving, but as he took a few more drinks, she found herself unable to ignore it any longer.

  “What are you doing?” She cocked an eyebrow and offered him a brief glance.

  “Just having a drink. My jaw hurts from where that asshole hit me.” He stroked the line of his jaw and winced, then released a sound of pain. “Why, does it bother you?”

  “You’re not still taking that migraine medication, are you?”

  There was silence between them for one short moment, and then he answered, “Yeah, I am. Why?”

  “You’re not supposed to mix alcohol with pills. Don’t you know that, Dylan? What are you trying to do, kill yourself?”

  “Look, I’ve had a tough night, okay? And it’s only a small bottle.” He held it up for her to see, displaying a miniature-sized container of whiskey.

  She shook her head in disbelief, “That’s a really dumb idea. You’re not supposed to drink when you’re on medication. That’s just asking for trouble.”

  “What, you think finishing off this little bottle of scotch is going to make me drunk?” He made a sound with his mouth to indicate how ridiculous he found that possibility. “The least it’ll do is get me buzzed, if that.”

  “I don’t want you drinking around me, so make sure you keep that bottle capped. Whatever you do once you get home is your business, but while you’re in my car, you’ll do as I say.”

  “Why, are you worried about me?” He fixed her with an intent gaze.

  Keeping her eyes fixed on the stretch of road ahead, she gave a snappy reply. “Of course not, I just don’t want you getting some bad reaction to the mix of alcohol and pills, especially not while I’m driving you home.”

>   “Why would that bother you? Do you still care about me, Maya? Because I still care about you.”

  A harsh laugh dislodged itself from her throat. “Spare me your lies, Dylan, because I’m not believing them. And you can just stop trying to gain sympathy because it’s definitely not going to work.”

  He lowered his gaze, resting his eyes on his lap. “I know I’m an asshole, Maya, and I’m sorry I was such a lousy boyfriend to you. But if you’ll just give me another chance—” He paused, inhaling a large breath. “If you’ll just forgive me…”

  The next thing Maya expected to hear was the commencement of phony crying or some other half-assed attempt to gain her compassion, but as strange burping noises came from his throat, her eyes widened with worry.

  Chapter 15

  No, oh no. Please don’t let him do this. Not now, not here in my car.

  Then suddenly Dylan lurched forward, giving a loud heaving sound as he erupted the contents of his stomach. Some of it splashed against the dashboard in front of him, and the remainder of it landed in his lap. Horrified by the display in front of her, Maya glanced back and forth between the road to Dylan, unable to decide if she wanted to stop or just keep on going.

  A groan of misery escaped his lips. “Maya, I feel terrible.” Leaning his head against the back of the seat, he swallowed a few times, as if he was struggling to keep from throwing up again.

  “I’m pulling over so you can get some fresh air.” She turned the wheel to pull the car onto the highway shoulder, but Dylan protested.

  “No, don’t do that. I’ll be fine. Just finish taking me…Just take me—” A loud belch ejected from his throat, signaling the onslaught of a second round of sickness.

  The bright lights of an oncoming car suddenly blinded Maya, and as she gave a sharp turn of the wheel, the car swerved to the left, causing the upper half of Dylan to fall against her lap. The abrupt change in motion seemed to encourage his vomiting because her lap was soon wet with his upchuck.

  As squeal of disgust escaped her throat. “Gross!” She gave the steering wheel a sharp turn so that her car veered off at the next exit.

  As soon as they were off the freeway, Maya gunned it, driving as quickly as she could without going through any red lights. Luckily for her, many of the stoplights remained green, and there was virtually no traffic on the streets this early in the morning.

  Rolling his head side to side, Dylan expelled a sick moan. “Where are we going?”

  “To my apartment. I’m not about to drive for the next two hours with my pants soaked in vomit.”

  Dylan continued releasing torturous sounds, and as Maya finally pulled up in front of her apartment, she quickly exited the vehicle. The feel of her soiled pants against her skin was making her nauseous. And the smell that was emanating from the sickness on her clothes thoroughly disgusted her. She quickly unlocked her apartment door, not bothering to lock it behind her since she was in such a rush. Then she bolted for the bedroom, and quickly stripped out her pants. After dumping them in a hamper, she opened the dresser drawer, and rooted around until she found for the article of clothing she was seeking. She had just put on a faded pair of jeans, and was slipping into a sweater when she heard the front door slam shut.

  Rushing out of the bedroom and out toward the living room, she saw Dylan stumbling for the bathroom. His hands were pressed against his stomach, and his face was pale with nausea. She watched as he slammed the bathroom door behind him, and then she heard the sound of water flowing from the tap.

  Uttering a sigh of frustration, Maya headed into the kitchen and put the tea kettle on. The last thing she wanted was to have Dylan sticking around her apartment, but she figured it would be best if they both had a hot beverage before getting back on the road. She didn’t want him throwing up in her car again, so hopefully the herbal liquid would settle his stomach.

  Maya was just pouring hot water into two large mugs when she heard the sound of the shower running. Halting midpour, she slowly turned her head toward the direction of the bathroom. No, he wasn’t actually taking a shower, was he? He hadn’t even asked her first. She blew out a heavy breath and dunked a tea bag into each cup then brought them into the living room. After taking a seat on the couch she sipped on the tea, enjoying the strong minty flavor.

  When the bathroom door finally squeaked open, Maya looked toward the hallway and waited for Dylan to emerge. Wearing a sheepish grin, he walked forth, holding a towel that was wrapped around his waist. He sauntered into the living room and took a seat on the couch next to her, picking up his mug of tea to have a sip. With an expression of utmost amazement, Maya stared at him, her lips parted in disbelief as she watched him casually enjoy his drink.

  “Just make yourself right at home. Don’t mind me, Dylan.” Her voice was thick with sarcasm.

  “Sorry, I know I should have asked first. I just felt so lousy I figured that a shower might help.”

  “Well, has it?”

  Setting the mug down, he responded, “Yeah, actually it did. And thanks for the tea. I appreciate it.” Settling back against the futon, he spread his arms along the top of the couch, letting his head rest against an oversized pillow.

  “Don’t get too comfortable because we need to get back on the road soon. As soon we finish our tea, we’re leaving.”

  Dylan let loose a sigh of disappointment. “Listen, I know this is far-fetched, but do you think I could stay the night? I’m really tired, and my stomach feels awful. Plus my jaw hurts.” He placed his hand against the area where he’d been punched and gave a hiss of pain.

  Astounded by his brazen suggestion, Maya cocked her brow in response. “You have got to be kidding me. Are you seriously suggesting this? I have a boyfriend, remember?”

  “Yeah, but he’s obviously not around because why else would you feel comfortable having me here?”

  Deciding to remain quiet, all Maya could do was just stare at him. She’d been hoping that Dylan wouldn’t figure out Evan was out of town, but obviously he’d pretty much already knew, so she realized there really wasn’t much to say.

  “If you don’t want me here, then fine. I guess I won’t be.”

  “Yeah, definitely not happening.” Setting her mug down, Maya took a glance at the clock. “It’s nearly eleven p.m., and I’m exhausted, so let’s get this show on the road, okay?”

  Grabbing hold of both the mugs, Maya took them into the kitchen. After setting them in the sink, she slipped into a pair of tennis shoes and grabbed her keys from off the counter.

  She jangled them impatiently in her hand. “Dylan, get your butt off the couch and move. It takes nearly an hour to drive out to your place, not to mention the ride back, which means I won’t be getting back to my apartment until nearly one a.m.”

  Releasing a sound of exasperation, Dylan rose off the couch and headed for the bathroom. He came back with clothes in hand, and threw them onto the couch. Then he pulled the towel off from around his waist and tossed it onto the floor.

  Releasing a sound of displeasure, Maya quickly turned her back to him. “You could have at least warned me!”

  “Come on, babe, nothing you haven’t seen before.” He gave a little laugh. “It’s okay to look, you know. I won’t mind.”

  “Oh right, because I’m just dying to see it, right? Not that it’s anything special to look at!”

  “Ouch! Just for that remark, now I’m really not getting dressed. At least not until you apologize.”

  “Just stop fooling around and put your clothes on, okay? I’m really not in the mood for this.”

  “Come on, just one peek, and then I’ll leave you alone.”

  “You disgust me, Dylan. I don’t want to peek at it, and besides, I have a boyfriend. And he really wouldn’t appreciate you trying to come on to me like this.”

  “I’m not coming on to you. I just want you to look at it. Just once, and then I’ll get my clothes on and we’ll leave.”

  “Okay, you know what? This little game ends
here.” She reached out to grab the phone off the wall, then began dialing numbers on the keypad. “I’m calling the cops, and telling them you forced your way in. You can spend the night in jail, for all I care. I’m not playing with you, Dylan.”

  “Fine, calm down, Maya. I was just kidding around, you know? You can’t even take a joke.”

  Dylan turned around to grab his underwear from the floor, and just as he was pulling them on, there suddenly came the sound of a key sliding into the lock. It seemed as if the moment happened in fast-forward because before Maya knew it, the door had opened, and Evan walked in, holding a bouquet of roses in his hand. He didn’t even have time to shut the door behind him because as soon as his eyes landed on Dylan’s half-naked form, he froze. Evan’s face, which had previously been filled with happiness and excitement, instantly changed into a mask of anger. The two men engaged in a fiery stare down, each willing the other to blink first.

  Maya saw Dylan’s lips pull into a smug smirk, but she noticed that the expression on his face swiftly transformed into worry, and this prompted her to turn her attention back on Evan. He threw the flowers to the floor, and then quickly stepped toward Dylan, quickly closing the distance between them. Yet before he could reach her ex-boyfriend, Maya stepped in front of him, placing her palm against his chest so that he would halt his steps.

  “Evan, wait. This isn’t what you think it is.”

  His fists were balled so tightly that the tendons in his arms were protruding.

  Evan gave her a rageful glare. “Then what the hell is it?”

  She was taken aback by the tone of his voice, and noticed that it sounded much deeper than it normally did.

  “I gave him a ride home and—” Her voice suddenly halted as her train of thought was thrown off by the look he was giving her.

  Evan’s breath came out heavily through his nose, and his chest rose and fell rapidly with every breath he took.

  “Nothing happened, okay? I was taking him home, and he got sick, so we came in for some tea and—”