12. Maya
twelve
Maya
I head downstairs. The cold wood floor bites my feet, and I regret not grabbing my slippers. The shop is quiet and dark, with only the light from the front windows lighting up the small space.
I lit some candles and immediately threw wood in the oven to begin heating the shop. Though winter was my favorite season, I wasn't a fan of being cold.
"Since I have the day off, I can get ahead for once." I clap happily to myself and make my way to the kitchen.
A small meow sounds like a bell, and I look down to see my little friend. He rubs my leg, and I bend, petting behind his ears.
"You'll have to thank Asher for bringing you in last night," I tell him. I smile as Asher comes to mind.
He looks at me with orange eyes and sits down to clean himself. I stand up, grab his bowl, and wash them in the sink.
"You know you have been with me all this time, and I haven't even given you a proper name yet." I set the fresh food and water down, and he immediately rushed over. "How about Nicholas? I think it's very fitting for Christmas." The large cat meows at me, and I smile before making my way out of the kitchen.
"I suppose I could catch up on laundry today and clean the shop well." I tap my foot and chew on the tip of my thumb, fully lost in thought. As I began to look around, I realized just how disheveled and unorganized the shop had become from all the busyness of the holiday season.
"It seems like it's been decided for me," I sigh. I wasn't a fan of cleaning, but the shop needed it.
I spent my time in the kitchen re-organizing my tools and ingredients. I had been in there no longer than 30 minutes when I heard the front door of the shop open.
"I'm closed for the day; I'm sorry," I called out. I came around the corner, wiping my hands on a towel to dry them, only to see no one inside. Suddenly, from upstairs, the sound of footsteps walking around reached me, and my heart quickened with excitement.
I accepted a long time ago that I wasn't one for romance and would never find anyone in this small town who would make me feel like I was loved the way I truly wanted to be.
I threw the towel down on the counter and went upstairs. Nicholas meows and stares at me a little anxiously as if waiting. He's hiding behind the counter and barely peeking at me.
"What's wrong? It's just Asher; you love Asher." Nicolas stalks back into the kitchen, and out of sight, I continue making my way up the narrow stairs. The footsteps are heavy and familiar, and I can feel myself getting giddy at the thought of seeing Asher again.
"Welcome back," I say as I open the door. "I hope it wasn't too cold out. I know you said to take the day off, but I decided to"
I glance up and see a man with red hair. He's built like a powerhouse, towering over me. My entire body locks up, and the apartment door slams shut behind me.
"I'm sorry to intrude, my dear. I'm simply here on business." The man says, stalking me. He grabs a strand of my hair and brings it to his lips. "Vanilla suits you." His deep green eyes pierce me.
I stand there silent and begin looking around the apartment.
"He's still in town, my dear. Don't even worry. I'm not here to harm you." The man sits down at the end of my bed. "I can smell him on you."
"Asher?" I stutter out.
The man chuckles deeply, shaking his head and laughing to himself. "Unless you have another man hidden in here." He looks around as if amused. "You seem like the monogamous type. But with a body like that, you may surprise me."
I feel my hands tremble as if an overpowering energy were slowly filling the apartment and stealing all the air.
"If there's nothing I can help you with, you can return later." I do my best to sound unfazed, but it comes out like I'm a small child.
The man stands up and walks back over to me, tilting my chin with one finger. He leans inches from my face, "that simply won't do. I'm here now. In fact, I want nothing to do with him."
"Why are you here?"
"I came to see you, my dear. I came to see what all the fuss was about." He rubs his thumb gently over my cheek; his fingertips are painfully cold against my skin.
"And you are?"
"My apologies. My name is Damien."
I bring my hands up to his chest and try to push him away, only for him to grab both my wrists firmly.
"I've heard a lot about you. You're causing quite the stir, and if he's here, I can only imagine that the rumors are true."
I bring my knee up to try to knee him, and he slams me against the wall, knocking the breath out of me. He grabs both my wrists with one hand, pinning them up on the wall. He's holding me high, and my feet aren't touching the floor. He brings a hand under my thigh and lifts my right leg, making me partially straddle him. I can feel him pressing against me, and I feel my stomach turn painfully.
"Imagine my fucking disappointment when I show up, and it's just a regular fucking woman." His face is plastered with annoyance. "Truly a waste of my time." His words are practically spitting, and he brings his face into the crook of my neck and takes another deep breath. "At least you're pretty."
"Stop," I squeak.
"However, I'm not one to ignore simple competition. I can smell him all over your fucking skin." He ignores me. "He's touched you, hasn't he? Ah," he clicks his tongue as if realizing something. "You've definitely touched him."
I can feel my eyes well up with tears, and with all the courage that I had left, I spit on him.
The man stands there momentarily, shocked when a devilish grin cracks across his face. He brings his hand up and smacks me hard, and I can feel my lips split with the impact.
I freeze with shock, and a tear slips down my cheek.
"Does he like that?" The man says; his body is now fully pressed against me. "Does he like it when you degrade him?"
I struggle and headbutt him. I hit his nose with a crack, and he stutters a bit. He regains his composure and huffs at me. Not even a second later, he throws me to the floor. I slide across the tile and hit the cabinets with a crack.
"Funny, I never took him for a bottom." The man begins walking toward me, and suddenly, he freezes. He stares at me with wide eyes.
"Close your eyes."
Though he's not in the room, Asher's voice fills the small space, and I curl into a ball and hide my face in my arms. A warm wave of air covers me, and I can smell him all around me.