Chapter Twenty-Eight
Maya
I am so warm and cosy, I could stay here for an eternity.
Wrapped up in Tommy’s arms whilst he sleeps is like being in heaven.
His chest rises and falls silently as I watch and with the very tips of my fingers, so that it must feel like the brush of a butterfly’s wing, I trace the lines of his abs slowly.
I follow the ridges round and round, mesmerised by the feel of his skin under my fingers, solid as a rock but soft as silk at the same time.
How could I have possibly forgotten this?
Forgotten him and gone on for so long without him.
Last night was a mind fuck of a revelation.
Everything is coming back to me so fast now, all the blanks that I have been missing are starting to fill. It’s been almost seven months since the accident, seven months that Tommy has waited for me. I think that fact makes me love him even more than I already did.
“Baby, if you keep thinking so hard you’re going to hurt yourself,” I glance up at him as he smirks down at me.
“I’m just thinking about, well, everything,” I admit. “I’m so sorry, I feel so guilty for what I have put you through.”
He lifts a hand and rubs the frown between my brows.
“Maya, of course I’d have waited for you. It has always been me and you, even when we were too dumb to do anything about it,” He says.
“Oh god, Fallon. She knows,” I grimace. “How did she take it?”
“She felt like shit for coming between us and had been keeping me updated on how you’ve been doing. I don’t think I could have stayed away from you for as long as I did if it wasn’t for her”
“I’m sorry I kept you away, I wasn’t ready to face anyone for a while,” I say, hoping my expression proves just how bad I feel about it all.
“Stop apologising. There is nothing we could have done differently,” He leans forward and kisses me sweetly, his way of shutting me up.
“Goooood morning!” The door bursts open as a beaming Max stands there, hand on his hips with the widest grin ever. “Well, you two weren’t discrete one-bit last night,” He winks.
“She remembers me Max,” Tommy says proudly, holding me tighter to him.
“Shut up!” He gasps, almost look like he is going to cry. “Oh bro, I’m so happy for you. And of course, you too Maya! This is amazing!”
Turning back to Tommy, he smiles down at me before kissing the top of my head.
“Have you told the girls yet? I need to see their reaction to this,” He runs over and jumps on the end of the bed.
“Max, get the fuck out of here! We’re naked and if you manage to see any inch of the skin on my girl I’ll remove your eyeballs,” Tommy growls, making me laugh.
“Okay, okay. Grumpy pants. You’d think his mood would be better since he got some last night.” Oh, now he is just trying to get a rise out of him, which makes me laugh even harder. He runs out of the room before Tommy can respond.
“The little shit. He’s been unbearable since all this happened. This is what you left me to deal with.” I can tell he’s only pretending to be in a mood with him though, no one could be angry with Max even if they tried.
“Leave him alone. He’s happy for us,” I say as I snuggle back down into his arms. “Now let me have ten more minutes peace before we face the world.”
“How about you have twenty whilst I’ll run downstairs to get your favourite coffee?”
“I have already said I love you, you don’t need to bribe me,” I wink at him as he slides out of bed.
I stare at his glorious arse and ripped back as he walks over to the bathroom. What is it about a man’s back that’s so sexy? God, I could get used to this.
I’m in the living room with Tommy and Max, waiting for our friends to come round.
Max told them to come round as he was beside himself at telling them my newfound memories.
Now that they seem to be coming back in a steady stream, I ponder over what else may come to light.
I’m also excited to tell the girls about last night.
Well, mostly excited. I am anxious at the thought of telling Fallon.
She’s been fine the past week since I’ve been around her brother, but now I know what she was like before, I remember just how much she despised the thought of us.
I’m at the point of no return with Tommy. I love him, I always have, and if she can’t handle that there’s not much I can do about it. As if there wasn’t enough time wasted before my life went to shit.
I’m lying across the couch, my legs resting on Tommy. Ever since last night, it’s like we physically can’t be apart from each other. I even ended up going on the coffee run with him earlier, acting like a love-struck teenager all over again.
“Knock knock, you’re favourite human is here,” Fallon calls as the elevator doors open. Blair and Gracie walking in behind her.
Gracie is the first one to notice the way Tommy and I are sitting and starts to jump up and down clapping her hands.
“Aw you two look so cute!”
“I’m guessing your date went well?” Blair comments smugly as the three of them come to join us.
I’m too scared to look at Fallon’s expression, worried over the type of reaction that would greet me.
“You know, don’t you?” She asks, heartbreak written all over her face. I knew she might take this bad, but I didn’t realise just how bad it would be. Tears trail down her cheeks as she looks between us both.
“I…” I trail off, I don’t know what I was going to say, what I could say right now. Tommy’s hands grip my legs tighter to him, protectively.
“I’m so happy,” Her breathe shudders as she continues. “I’m so sorry for what I said all those years ago. I was young and jealous, thinking he would take you away from me. Maymay, I need you to know I truly am happy for you. I want this for you, for both of you.”
“Really?” My own happy tears begin. God, for such a cold-hearted bitch that I normally am.
I don’t think I’ve ever cried as much as I have the past few days.
At one point I was nicknamed the swinging brick, as they thought my heart was made of stone.
Now they know that wasn’t the case, I just never loved anyone the way I love Tommy.
“Of course she is. We’ve been plotting to get you two back together for months,” Blair chimes in. “Even I know that you’re meant to be together but most importantly, do you remember me now? Because bitch, I’ll be fuming if I’m left until last.”
We all laugh at that.
God, the love I feel in this room right now is unbelievable. This is what I’ve been missing all along.
“Yes. Last night so many things came back to me. I don’t know about anything else yet, but I do remember all our pasts now. I think I do anyway.” I smile.
“Thank the lord above. It’s been so annoying when you haven’t understood our inside jokes. We can start taking the piss out of clients again.” She raises her hands up high, in a hail Mary kind of way.
“We need to celebrate! We’ve got our girl back,” Fallon says, dancing on the spot.
“Oh my god yes, I’ll ring Jenson and book a booth,” Max jumps up to retrieve his phone, side eyeing Blair on his way. “Unless you want to call old lover boy?”
If looks could kill, Max would be pronounced dead the second Blair’s eyes touch him. This is definitely something I need to know more about. Knowing all her past with Jenson now, I know this isn’t as casual as she makes out.
“Piss off,” She growls out at him, making him chuckle as he starts typing on his phone.
“Hey, do you know where I left my phone last night?” I turn to Tommy.
“Erm, possibly at the front door?” he smirks mischievously at me. I didn’t exactly make it far into the apartment before I started ridding myself of items of clothing.
Walking over to the door I see my bag, clearly lashing it against the wall as he carried me into the room. Heat blooms across my face and in my panties at the memory. Last night was amazing. Even just walking back to the couch I can feel the sweet ache he caused last night.
Scrolling through my notifications I see a few missed calls off Fallon. Giving her a guilty smile I raise my phone up to her.
“Sorry, I was a little preoccupied last night.”
“Mhmm, I bet you were,” She fake gags. The thought of me and her brother not one hundred percent sitting well with her then.
I carry on scrolling and come across six missed calls from that unknown number as well as a text. My hands shake vigorously as I read the message over and over again.
You dirty little whore. You just couldn’t keep your legs closed, could you? Are you trying to make me jealous? Is that what this is? I’ll come for you, gorgeous. Just you wait.
Oh.
Holy.
Shit.
Suddenly the pieces all come together in my head. All this time, he was right there, under my nose. I drop my phone onto my lap, losing the ability to function now that I know.
“Baby? What’s wrong?” Tommy asks, but I can’t answer.
Where has all the oxygen gone? Why can’t I breathe?
Gracie has rushed over, dropping down to her knees in front of me. Tommy doesn’t give her the space to get close enough though.
“Maya?” He takes my cheeks between his palms. “Talk to me. What just happened?”
“I… I went on a date with someone. The morning of my birthday,” I pant out, my panic attack in full swing.
“That’s okay, don’t worry over that. You didn’t know…”
“No Tommy, you don’t understand!” I shout. “I didn’t know who it was. He said his name was Jack,” I hand over my phone with trembling fingers.
He takes it and begins to read the message as Fallon rubs my back from behind.
“You need to breathe Maymay, slow deep breathes,” She says soothingly.
In the most lethal calmness Tommy turns to me and asks. “Maya, who is Jack?”
I know he knows already. The anger behind his eyes and how tightly he is clenching his jaw proves it.
“Jake. It was Jake.”