Chapter Ten #2
“I wish I were,” Maisie grumbles, taking a drink of her water that had remained untouched up to that point. “We ended up taking Joey to the hospital and then we filed a police report.”
“You reported her to the cops?” Charlotte’s jaw is practically on the floor now.
“As I said, it’s a long story.”
“So are they going to do something about it?”
“Not sure yet. She’s going to deny it, of course. And who knows if they’ll be able to find proof. Joey can’t remember her being there, so there are no witnesses.”
“That we know of,” I quickly interject.
Maisie nods once. “That we know of.”
“So she’s still in your room?”
“For now.”
“And you’re planning on staying with her after you ratted her out?”
“She doesn’t know it was us.”
“You bet your ass she sure as shit does,” Charlotte disagrees.
“Well, she can’t prove it, and I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Yes, you do.”
“I’m not staying with you guys or with Lyric and Kai. Lana may be batshit, but I don’t think she’d make a move against me while she’s being investigated.”
“Then you don’t have much experience with a crazy person,” Charlotte says, and I’m quick to agree with her.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her.”
“For once, I agree with him,” Charlotte tells Maisie. “At least come stay with us until it blows over.”
“If I hide, she’ll know it was me. For now, she only suspects.”
“Still—” Charlotte begins to say something else, but Maisie is quick to cut her off.
“We can talk about this later, yeah?”
Charlotte looks between the two of us, seeming to read something on Maisie’s face that I apparently miss. She nods, backing away.
“You’ll call me later?”
“I will,” Mais confirms, offering her friend a reassuring smile before her attention goes to the man at her side. “Nice to see you again, River.”
“You as well, Maisie.” He gives her a lopsided smile that I immediately want to wipe clean off his face, though the thought catches me a bit off guard.
“You two enjoy your... whatever this is,” Charlotte says with a soft laugh.
“Bye, Char.” Maisie groans, watching the two of them exit the restaurant a few moments later. “Sorry about her.”
“Don’t be.” I grin. “So Lyric’s brother and Charlotte?” I cock my head in question.
“Been together for about a year now.” She nods softly.
“He’s older than her?” I phrase it as a question even though I already know the answer.
“Five years.”
“And how does Lyric feel about that?”
“Lyric is the sweetest person in existence. She doesn’t care as long as they’re happy. Besides, Kai is four years older than Lyric, so...”
“Your friends have a thing for older guys, I see.”
“I don’t know if I’d say they have a thing for older guys, per se. They just happened to fall in love with men older than them, is all.”
“And what about you?”
“What about me?”
“Do you like older guys?”
“Depends on the guy, I guess.” She shrugs. “Though a year hardly makes you an older guy,” she points out.
“Who says I was talking about me?” I grin.
“Shut up.” She rolls her eyes.
“You could always shut me up,” I suggest.
“And how would I do that? Considering nothing seems to shut you up.”
“I can think of a few things.” I lift my brow suggestively.
“Pass.”
“Oh, come now. If I remember right, we were pretty incredible together.”
“You mean I was incredible,” she retorts.
“You wound me.” I flatten my palm against my chest.
“Good.” She huffs, the words she was about to say next dying on her lips when our waitress appears with our food.
She seems to relax a little more with a buffer, digging into her French toast the instant the waitress walks away.
“So how’s football going?” she asks around a mouthful of sweet bread. “Are you planning on entering the draft after you graduate?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I have no plans of playing professionally. You?”
“I’ve thought about it, but as of right now, I don’t see me playing past college. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s hell on my body.”
“I know the feeling.” I cut off a corner of my sausage link before popping it into my mouth.
“So what do you want to do after graduation?” she asks, continuing to steer the conversation into safer territory.
“Well, considering I still have another four years of school after this...”
“What?” She seems confused by my answer.
“Medical school,” I explain, a little confused why she seems surprised by this. Surely I told her this at some point.
“You? Medical school?” She blanches.
“I’m not as stupid as you seem to think I am.”
“No, it’s just... I didn’t know you wanted to go to medical school. What are you wanting to do? I mean, is there a certain specialty you’re pursuing?”
“Oncology.”
“Really?” Her surprise seems to grow. “Any specific reason?”
“I watched my grandfather wither away with cancer when I was young. From that moment on, I wanted to do something that would help people like him,” I admit, shaking away the image of the strong man I once knew, withered to a shell of his former self.
It’s an image that’s haunted me since I was a boy. “What about you? What are your plans?”
“Well, I still have another year after this. But my hope is to one day be a grief counselor for children who are struggling with loss.” Sadness passes over her features, but it’s gone in an instant.
“Because of your sister?”
“Yeah,” she admits with a soft nod.
“Look at us. Both trying to make a difference for the people we loved.” I have to resist the urge to reach across the table and take her hand. I don’t know why, but the sudden desire to touch her is almost too strong to resist.
“I guess it’s true what they say. Your childhood really does shape your entire life,” she ponders out loud.
“It would seem.” I’m quick to agree.
“Where are you planning on going to medical school?” she asks after a brief silence passes between us, both lost to our own thoughts.
“I applied to UVA’s medical program. That’s my top choice.
I’d like to stay here if I can. But I’ve also applied to UC’s medical program in Ohio as well as Eastern Virginia Medical School.
My advisor is certainly going to make me apply to more just to make sure I have options, but those are my top three.
Do you plan to stay in the area after graduation? ”
“My family is from here, so probably. I can’t imagine leaving my parents, or my brother, even if I’d like to smack him upside the head now and then.” When she smiles this time, it lights up her entire face.
“He seemed like a pretty good dude to me,” I offer.
“Yeah, he is. But he has his moments.”
“Don’t we all.”
She thinks over my words.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” I answer without hesitation, forking a bite of eggs into my mouth.
“What happened between us. The way... The way you treated me. Was it really because of Lana?”
I set my fork on the side of my plate, giving her my full attention.
“Yes and no,” I answer honestly. “Most of it was Lana. The scene I created. The way I treated you... That was because of her. But I can’t lie and say I wouldn’t have found another way to push you away if she hadn’t been there.”
“Because you didn’t like me?” She guesses... wrong, might I add.
“Because I liked you too much.”
“And that was a problem?”
“For me, at that time, yeah, it was. You terrified me, Maisie. Hell, you still do.”
She tries to keep her expression neutral, but something intense still passes through her eyes.
“Why?”
“Because I knew if I let myself, I could get lost in you.”
She sucks in a shaky breath.
“And you didn’t want to?” she finally asks.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I was afraid.”
“And now?” She holds her breath, waiting for my answer, her reaction causing a spike of excitement to flare in my gut.
“Now the only thing I feel when I look at you is regret.”
Her face falls slightly, though she tries to hide it.
“I see.”
“Do you? Because I haven’t said what I regretted.”
“You regret sleeping with me.”
“No one would ever regret that, Mais.” I shake my head, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.
“I don’t regret sleeping with you. In fact, it’s a memory I’ve thought about more times than I care to admit.
What I regret is not fighting for you. For doing what I did.
For fucking up any chance I’d ever have with you. ”
“You overestimate your power to fuck something up then,” she surprises me by saying.
“Oh yeah?” I lean back, my smile widening. “Says the woman who’s made it clear she hates my guts.”
“Doesn’t mean my mind can’t be changed.”
“Is that a challenge, Mais?” I cock a brow.
“You tell me...” She holds my gaze, something flaring in her eyes that has my arousal burning its way back to the surface.
“Don’t play games with me, Maisie. I’m not the man I was two years ago.”
“I’m counting on it.” It’s her turn to smile and fuck me if the sight doesn’t rob my lungs of breath.