MAYA BROOKE
The moment I see Jade and Alice, a squeal escapes my lips. I jump up from my seat in the reading room and rush towards them as they wrap their arms around me. We stay like this for a while. I haven’t seen them in weeks as they’ve spent the majority of the Christmas break with their families.
“So good to see you, Maya,” Alice says before squeezing me even tighter.
“I missed you girls,” I murmur into Jade’s shoulder.
They release me and draw up two chairs as we tuck ourselves into the corner.
“How was your break?” Jade asks.
“Good,” I say with a smile. “Spent it with Finn’s family, and we’re back together.”
Both of their eyes widen, and I brace myself for the ‘have you thought about this’ or ‘are you sure this is what you want’ type of responses. But neither comes. Instead, their expressions relax, and Alice gives me another hug.
“Back together, back together?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“We’re so happy for you, Maya.”
“You are?” I blow out a breath of relief.
Alice pulls back and holds me at arm’s length. “I mean, I think we both knew it would only be a matter of time before you rekindled. And we’ve all seen how hard Finn has been working at his sobriety and being a family. If it’s what you want, then we’re happy for you.”
My teeth bury themselves into my lip. “I’m never going to want anyone else. It’s always been him, and I couldn’t kid myself anymore. He makes me happy. He’s done his fair share of grovelling and proving I can trust him.”
Jade rubs my arm soothingly. “Then we’re really excited for you.”
“Thanks, guys,” I say on an exhale as I glance between them. “I’m really glad I can be honest with you, and you can be honest with me.”
“All we want is to see you happy,” Jade says wholeheartedly. “And if Finn makes you happy, then that’s what matters, but if he fucks up again, we have permission to destroy him.”
I snort softly. “He’s not going to fuck up again. I know it.”
“Good.”
“How was your break?” I ask as I flick my gaze between the pair of them.
“Disaster but funny,” Alice states, and I look at her with intrigue. “My nan got a little too drunk and ended up in a bush. She’s okay, and she laughed it off, but a little terrifying considering she’s eighty years old.”
My mouth falls open. “Jesus.”
“Yeah, she needed Jesus after all those Baileys she had.”
We burst into laughter, and my heart is filled to the brim with love.
When I head to my final class of the day, my eyes immediately snag on Alfie’s as I walk through the classroom door. I almost forgot about our project together. I’ve been having too much of a good time away from this place for it to even cross my mind.
“Hey,” Alfie says as I take a seat beside him.
“Hey,” I say politely.
I drop my bag to the floor and shuffle through my notebooks as I sense Alfie’s eyes on the side of my head.
“You didn’t reply to my text,” he says bluntly.
I blink as I turn back to look at him. “Huh?”
He leans forward, and I pull away slowly. “I texted you a few days after Christmas. I said that I missed you.”
When my throat tightens, I almost choke. The text that ended up with me and Finn having sex on his parents’ kitchen floor.
“Why didn’t you reply?” Alfie says with a pout that makes my skin crawl.
“It was a little inappropriate, no?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Why would it have been inappropriate?”
“Because we don’t know each other that well.”
Alfie rests his arm against mine, and I chew on the inside of my lip at the disgust that filters through me. “Yeah, well, we can get to know each other. I like you, Maya. I think that’s obvious, and I don’t understand why you keep pushing me away.”
My nose wrinkles at his words, and I tell myself to calm down before I make a scene in the middle of class. Instead, I straighten my spine and move my arm away from him. “I’m with Finn, Alfie. That’s why it would be inappropriate.”
I have no idea what sort of thoughts are floating through his head, but his expression doesn’t look friendly or inviting. I owe him nothing. We barely know each other, and I shouldn’t feel scared to tell him the truth.
Alfie’s eye ticks and he sucks his tongue to his teeth. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“No.” I glare. “Why would I joke about that?”
“After everything he’s done?”
My nostrils flare. “You know nothing about him, about us. So leave it alone.”
I press my back into my chair and stare at the front of the class. Where the hell is the professor? I don’t want to talk to this man for another second. I’m going to switch partners even if it kills me.
“Wow.” He barks out a cold laugh. “I had no idea you’d be that stupid.”
I grit my teeth and tell myself not to bite. Instead, I clutch my pen and try not to break it in half. I refuse to give him any sort of reaction he’s craving. I’ve never given him the impression that I’m into him; I’ve only been kind since I met him.
“And you didn’t even have the decency to tell me?”
I can’t stop myself. I turn to face him with blazing eyes. “You asked me on a date, and I declined. Don’t you think that’s enough to know that I wasn’t interested?”
Alfie scoffs and swipes a hand over his jaw. “I thought that was because of Skye. You have so much going for you, and you wanna settle down with that loser?”
The back of my neck starts to sweat. “Keep my baby’s name out of your mouth, and don’t talk about Finn like that.”
“Or what?”
God, I’m so close to tackling him to the ground, and I’m not a violent person.
“Or I’ll show you how fucking psycho I can be when it comes to my family.”
The look on Alfie’s face twists into amusement, and I despise myself for giving in to his stupid words.
“You two are perfect for each other, then.”
I stare him down. “Yeah, I guess we are.”
I ignore him for the rest of the class. I’m relieved when we’re not forced to work on our projects together. Instead, it’s a rundown of the next term and what to expect.
When the class filters out, I head over to the professor and ask if I can change groups.
He informs me that I can’t change groups, and I resist the urge to let out a scream.
He mutters something about getting ready for the real world and working with people we don’t like. It’s that or fail the project.
Goddamnit. As much as I’d love to never turn up to this class again, I need to get this grade. I bite my tongue and leave without kicking up too much of a fuss.
The second I step outside and allow the cool January air to hit my sternum, I know I need a few minutes to myself before I drive home. I don’t want Finn and Skye to see me all riled up.
“Maya.” I hear Alfie’s voice.
My shoulders immediately tense. “Come near me, and I’ll scream.”
Without hesitation, I walk as fast as I possibly can, and when I glance over my shoulder, Alfie is nowhere to be seen. There are only a few months left, and I’ll be leaving this place for good with the two most important people in my life.