11. Maya
11
MAYA
I curl deeper into my couch, wrapped in a thick blanket despite the warmth of my apartment. My phone buzzes again. Another text from Adrian. I don’t need to look to know it’s him. He’s sent dozens over the past few days.
The thought of him using human blood in his chocolates makes my stomach turn. Those people he called “hollow ones.” How many has he killed? And I ate those chocolates. I participated in his sick ritual without knowing.
I press my face into a throw pillow to block the memories. But they flood back anyway—Adrian’s hands on my skin, his mouth on my pussy, the way he made me beg. My body heats at the memory, and I hate myself for it.
“You’re disgusting,” I whisper to myself. “He’s a murderer.”
But God, the sex. The way he touched me was like he could read every signal my body gave. The perfect pressure, the exact moment to push me over the edge. No one has ever made me feel like that before.
My phone buzzes again, and this time, I glance at it.
I miss tasting you, little critic.
A shiver runs through me and it has nothing to do with fear. I throw the phone across the room, but it’s too late. My skin tingles with phantom touches.
I grab my laptop, trying to distract myself with work. Three reviews are due this week, and I haven’t started them. But the words blur together on the screen as memories of the private tasting at Adrian’s chocolate boutique intrude—the rich scent of melted chocolate, the warmth of his breath on my neck, his fingers feeding me truffles...
“Stop it,” I command myself, slamming the laptop shut. But I can’t stop. Every time I close my eyes, I see Adrian. Feel him. Taste him.
The scariest part isn’t that he’s a murderer. It’s that some part of me still wants him anyway.
My phone’s ringtone pierces through my thoughts. Amelia’s name flashes on the screen where it lies across the room. Shit. Our weekly coffee date.
I scramble off the couch, nearly tripping over the blanket. “Hey, Amelia.”
“Where are you? I’ve been waiting twenty minutes.”
“Shit, I’m so sorry.” I rush to my bedroom, phone pressed between ear and shoulder as I dig through my closet. “I completely lost track of time. Give me fifteen minutes?”
“You never forget our coffee dates.” Concern creeps into her voice. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just...” I pull on my jeans, hopping awkwardly. “Work stuff. Reviews piling up.”
“Bullshit. You’ve been weird ever since that chocolate tasting with Adrian Vale.”
My hand freezes on a sweater. Just hearing his name sends electricity down my spine.
“Maya? You still there?”
“Yeah, sorry.” I yank the sweater over my head. “Look, I’ll be there soon and tell you everything.”
“You better. I’ve got questions about this guy and why you’ve been ghosting me.”
“Fifteen minutes,” I promise, grabbing my purse. “Order me the usual?”
“Already did. It’s getting cold.”
“You’re the best.” I pause at my front door, keys in hand. “And Amelia? Thanks for... you know. Being you.”
“Always. Now move your ass.”
I hang up and take a deep breath. Amelia deserves the truth. Well, maybe not the whole truth about Adrian’s special ingredients. But enough to understand why I’ve been distant.
My phone buzzes with another text as I lock my door. I delete it without reading it.
I pull up my phone as I walk down the street, fingers hovering over Adrian’s contact. The right thing to do is block him. Delete his number. Pretend none of this ever happened.
My thumb trembles. Just do it. Press block. But what about the murders? I should be calling the police, not just blocking his number.
The thought of Adrian in handcuffs makes my chest tight. They’d find his special ingredients. Ask me questions. Make me explain how I knew.
No. Block him first. Deal with the rest later.
I click his contact and my screen fills with his messages. Each one sends electricity through my body. I squeeze my eyes shut and hit block. Done.
The Daily Grind’s familiar coffee scent wraps around me as I push through the door. Amelia waves from our usual corner table, two mugs in front of her.
“You look like hell,” she says as I slide into my seat.
“Thanks.” I wrap my hands around my coffee, letting the fading warmth seep into my cold fingers.
“What’s going on with you and the gorgeous chocolate guy?”
“Nothing anymore.” I wet my lips with a sip. “I ended it.”
“Just like that?” She leans forward, elbows on the table. “After you being all mysterious and disappearing for ‘private tastings’?”
“It wasn’t...” I stare into my coffee. “He wasn’t who I thought he was.”
“Did he hurt you?” Steel enters her voice. “Because I know people who?—“
“No, nothing like that.” The lie tastes bitter. “Just... sometimes people aren’t what they seem.”
The barista calls out an order, and I jump, half-expecting to see Adrian walking through the door. This is ridiculous. I can’t keep living like this, jumping at shadows.
“Maya.” Amelia’s hand covers mine. “Talk to me. Please.”
I take a deep breath, squeezing Amelia’s hand. “He’s into some really fucked up stuff.”
“Like kinky stuff?” She raises an eyebrow.
“No. Well, yes, but...” I run my finger around the rim of my coffee mug. “It’s more than that. His... hobbies. The things he does for fun. They’re not okay.”
“What, like furry conventions?” She tries to lighten the mood.
“I wish it was that innocent.” My voice cracks. “I can’t tell you details. Just know that I had to get away when I found out.”
“Shit.” Amelia sits back, studying my face. “Is this something we need to report?”
I shake my head quickly. “No. No police. I just need to stay away from him.”
“But you liked him.” It’s not a question.
“Yeah.” My eyes burn. “That’s the worst part. The way he made me feel... God, Amelia, I’ve never experienced anything like it. But the darkness in him...”
“Sometimes the most dangerous men are the ones who make us feel the most alive.” She squeezes my hand again. “You did the right thing, getting out.”
I nod, throat tight. If only she knew how right she was. How close I’d come to falling into that void with him.
“Want me to stay at your place for a few days?” she offers.
“No, I’ll be fine.” I force a smile. “He won’t hurt me. That’s not... that’s not what this is about.”
“You sure? Because you look terrified.”
“I’m more scared of myself than him,” I whisper. “Of how much part of me still wants...”
I trail off, unable to finish. Unable to admit how much I miss him.
“You need a distraction,” Amelia declares, draining her coffee. “Let’s hit that new Thai place tonight. My treat.”
“I should really work on those reviews...”
“When’s the last time you ate something that wasn’t takeout or...” She catches herself before saying chocolate . “Come on, their pad thai is supposedly amazing.”
I manage a genuine smile. Trust Amelia to know exactly what I need. “Okay, but I’m buying. I owe you for being MIA lately.”
“Deal. And maybe after we can grab drinks at—” She stops at my expression. “Or not. Movie night at my place instead?”
“Perfect.” Something normal.
We spend the next hour catching up on everything I’ve missed while wrapped up in Adrian’s web. Amelia’s latest art show. Her sister’s pregnancy. The neighbor’s noisy new puppy. With each mundane detail, I feel more grounded, more like myself.
But even as I laugh at her stories, part of me whispers that I’m lying to myself. That I’ll never be the same Maya who walked into Adrian’s boutique that first time. He’s changed and marked me in ways beyond the physical.
“Anyone home?” Amelia gestures with her hand, trying to get my attention.” You disappeared on me again.”
“Sorry.” I press my lips together. “Just thinking about deadlines.”
She gives me a look that says she doesn’t believe me for a second but doesn’t push. That’s what I love about Amelia—she knows when to probe and when to let things lie.
“Seven tonight?” she asks instead. “I’ll pick you up.”
“Sounds good.” I stand, gathering my things. “Thanks for... everything.”
“That’s what friends are for.” She hugs me tight. “And Maya? Whatever this darkness is you’re afraid of? It’s not you. You’re one of the good ones.”
If only she knew. But I hug her back, clinging to her certainty like a lifeline.