Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Alonzo
T esting the door knob of Maya’s rental room, I felt it loosen from where it was mounted. One good yank, and it would fall off entirely.
“I don’t think you should stay here,” I told her.
She dumped her bag on the single plastic chair and looked around at the windowless walls, painted a sickly shade of green. “It’s just for sleeping and showering. I’ll be fine.”
“Maya. The deadbolt is missing the bar, and the doorknob might as well be nonexistent.”
“I’ll put the chair against the door.”
“That only works if you have a knob to keep it in place.”
“Then I’ll use the bed.” I raised an eyebrow at her, and she sighed. “The first night’s nonrefundable. I’ll transfer to another place tomorrow.”
“I’m staying with you tonight.”
Crossing her arms, she said, “No.”
“I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“And risk being eaten by cockroaches?”
She had a point, but I couldn’t leave her alone. “What if someone breaks in while you’re sleeping?”
“It’s one night. You’re overreacting.”
“I’m making up for your lack of concern.”
She remained stubbornly quiet.
I mirrored her stance with my own arms over my chest. “Maya. I’m serious. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I left you here and something bad happened. I’ll risk the cockroaches if it means I can look out for you.”
The furrow between her brows deepened as she seemed to battle between insisting on her independence and giving in to her practical side. Finally, her forehead smoothed out. “Don’t blame me if you get any strange bites or diseases,” she grumbled, her arms falling to her sides.
I shrugged. “My mom’s a nurse. I’ll ask her if anything like that happens.”
“Must be nice.” Almost immediately, she winced. “Shit, I’m sorry. Parents are a touchy subject for me.”
“Are yours that bad?”
“I don’t know. I never knew them.”
I stared at her, wondering if I heard her right. She met my eyes dead-on, her guarded expression telling me the awful truth. Had they passed away before she was old enough to have any memories of them? Did they put her up for adoption? I wanted to ask, but I had no right to.
I’d always prided myself on knowing the right words to say, even when they were a load of crap. This time, I didn’t have the faintest clue.
“You can stay, but you’re not sleeping in my bed,” Maya said, taking the heat off me. Maybe she was taking it off the both of us.
Whatever the case, her glare warned me not to pry. “I’ll take the chair.”
She gave me a jerky nod.
Just when I thought I had her all figured out, she’d dropped a bomb that proved me wrong. Each new thing I learned about her opened up a new round of questions, making me want to know more.
She rolled her shoulders, letting out a throaty groan.
The realization that we were alone together in a bedroom where we would both be staying for the night sank in.
With that came the acceptance that it wasn’t just her mysteries I was fascinated with.
It was her as a woman—a strong, fierce, undeniably attractive one.
My skin felt overheated. “You hungry?” I blurted out.
Even before I got the last syllable out, she said, “Yeah. I want tapsilog.”
I smiled. “I know the perfect place.”
Luckily, there was a branch of the restaurant I had in mind less than ten minutes away.
Before we headed out, Maya changed into a tank top and denim cutoff shorts, and we spoke with the landlord about checking out the next day.
It took me pointing out that the photos he posted looked nothing like the actual room for him to begrudgingly agree to waive the cancellation fee for the next three nights.
“Do you need extra money for a hotel?” I asked Maya as we walked to the restaurant.
“No. The company gave us an allowance. I just went for a cheaper place so I’d have money for other stuff, but it’s okay. I’ll give up dinners if it means sleeping with an actual lock on the door. We have plenty of food at the boot camp anyway.”
I’d already planned to pay for the meal, but if I hadn’t, I would have decided to then and there. “You sure?”
“Yep. I’ll look for a place while we eat,” she said.
“I’ll help you out.”
Suddenly, I heard an unfamiliar female voice saying, “OMG, check out that girl.”
“You know, she would be hot if she weren’t fat,” another girl said. “Do you think they’re together?”
“No way. Why would a guy that looks like that be with her?”
I turned to glare at the group of girls, but Maya beat me to it. She didn’t just glance back—she full-on swiveled and faced them.
“Were you talking to me?” she asked in a deceptively casual tone.
They gawked at her.
The tallest girl recovered first, giving her the fakest smile I’d ever seen. “Oh. We were just saying that we like your style. We could never pull it off.”
Maya nodded. “Interesting. I thought I heard you talking about how fat I was and how this guy wouldn’t want to be with me.”
Her face flushed.
Maya looked at me. “Do you think I’m too fat, hun?”
I reined in my amusement and said with as much seriousness as I could muster, “You’re fucking hot, and you know it, babe.”
The girl’s friends were elbowing her, as though telling her they should leave, but she stood her ground, saying, “To each their own, I guess.”
“Lucky for me, he’s an ass man.” Maya smiled. “Have a good night, you girls.”
She wound her arm around my waist, and the sudden feel of her body settling next to me made my heart drum faster. Memories of the last time our bodies pressed together slammed into me, stealing my breath.
“ Hun , we need to go.” Maya sounded like she was speaking between gritted teeth.
“Of course.” To help sell the act, I put my arm around her shoulders, and we fell into step together as if we’d been walking like this forever. No one would know it was my first time holding a girl other than my ex, and that my world was shifting because Maya felt so right nestled beside me.
I tried not to pay attention to the side of her chest pressing against my ribcage, but that kiss and how she’d molded her body to mine played back in my mind in full graphic detail.
“You could have been a bit more convincing, you know,” she grumbled.
Between the awareness that zipped through my veins and the grip she had on my waist, I barely processed her words. I recovered just enough to come up with a reply. “Did you want me to feel you up?”
She gave me a withering look. “Your response time was subpar.”
“It’s not like you ever gave me a sign that you wanted to cuddle up next to me.”
Shuddering, she said, “Don’t get excited. It’s all for show.”
I studied her face. She kept her expression blank, yet I thought I spotted tension in the corners of her mouth. “You okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” She met my gaze with defiance in her eyes. “It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”
I wanted to round up everyone who had ever talked shit about her and sue them for slander. Did bad-mouthing technically qualify as defamation? Maybe not, but I’d find a way to make a case for it.
“I meant what I said. You are hot.”
“I believe your words were fucking hot .” Smirking, she leaned closer to my side. “Where’s my tapsilog?”
I almost stumbled at her abrupt topic switch. This woman didn’t do subtle in any shade of the word, and I’d come to see it as part of her charm. Tapping her shoulder, I nodded at the restaurant up ahead. “There, on the corner.”
Tagpuan 24/7 was a local food chain that served breakfast dishes all day, every day. They only had a handful of tables indoors, with most of the seating outside, but the food was tasty and the prices affordable. That combo made it an instant crowd favorite.
As soon as we entered the restaurant, Maya broke away from me. “I need to use the bathroom. Here.” She slipped cash into my hand and, without waiting for my response, took off in the direction of the bathroom sign.
I placed our orders and grabbed a table that a group of diners had just vacated.
After clearing it, I busied myself with my readings, only looking up when a waitress dropped off our iced teas.
I thanked her, then craned my head in search of Maya.
She had been in the bathroom for almost fifteen minutes.
Even if there was a line, it shouldn’t have taken that long.
I shot her a text:
Alonzo
Everything ok?
As I waited for her reply, I sent a message to my mom, letting her know I was staying over at a friend’s and that I’d be home for breakfast.
Mama
Alright. Take care, Lonzo. See you tomorrow.
I looked up, and there Maya was, striding toward me, her mouth set in a tight line. As she came closer, I noticed the dullness in her eyes and that her nose seemed red.
“Where’s the food?” Yanking the chair opposite mine, she sat, carefully avoiding my stare.
“It should be out in a bit.” I leaned across the table and asked, “Are you?—”
“Don’t.”
I swallowed. “You want chocolate?”
“Did that work on your ex?”
“My sisters.” Luna, to be exact.
“Right.” Her gaze settled on our table number and seemed to see right through it. “I thought I was done caring what people think about me. For the most part, I am. But being back here and hearing those girls…”
I nodded. “People can be mean, especially when they’re in groups.”
“It’s not just that. It triggered memories I wish I could erase.” Looking up, she gave me a humorless smile. “You won’t guess it, but I used to have a bunch of girlfriends.”
“Yeah?”
“Shocker, right? They taught me I was better off flying solo.”
“You’re not exactly solo, are you?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You have Nikki and Eric. Jo. They’d ride or die for you.”
A smile curved her lips the slightest bit. “They would.”
“Now you also have this city guy in your corner.”
She snorted and shook her head. She neither denied it nor thanked me, and yet I knew I’d gotten to her. When her shoulders loosened and her chin tipped up, I felt like I’d scored a point.
A waitress came over and unloaded her tray on our table.
Maya’s brows winged up. “You hungry or what?” she asked as she moved the plates around so the tapsilog was in front of her.
“These are for the two of us. You have to try their mais con yelo—it’s the best.”
“I gave you money for one thing.”
I fished out the cash from my pocket and passed it to her. “My treat.”
She didn’t move to take it. “I’m not your charity case.”
“Never said you were. But I convinced you to switch rentals, so you should use the money for the new one. Think of it as a welcome gift, like how Nikki gave me those pastries at the fair.”
“Thanks, but I’m good.”
I shook my head and kept the money. “So stubborn.” I’d find another way to return it to her.
Snorting, she picked up her utensils and dug into her rice bowl. “I’m not letting you trick me into doing your tatt.”
That hadn’t crossed my mind, but now that she’d mentioned it, it stuck. I’d always known I wanted to get ink someday, but I’d never given much thought to who I’d get it from.
Now, there was only one person whose art I wanted on my skin.