CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE The Night He Didnt Come Home
Jalen came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and found Maya putting clothes into her overnight bag.
talked. One thing -""Do not give me 'one thing led to another.
' You'rethirty-six years old.""I know.""You knew exactly what you were doing.
""I made a mistake."Maya's laugh broke into a sob.
"A mistake? You spentseventeen years telling me you regretted cheating on me,and the first chance you get to prove you've changed, youdo it again.
""I said I'm sorry.""You haven't even said that yet.
"Jalen froze.Maya wiped her face."Wow.""Maya, I'm sorry.
""Too late."He stepped toward her.She held up a hand.
"Don't touch me.""Please.""Did you use protection?
"His face twisted with shame."Yes."Maya nodded, grateful for one small mercy.
"Was this the first time since we've been together?
" "Yes.""Can I believe you?"Jalen did not answer fast enough.Maya closed her eyes.
"God.""It was the first time we slept together," he said quickly.
"But we kissed once before.""When?""The week of your charity event.
"Maya felt as if the floor disappeared."So while I was defending you to Tasha, while you werecalling me insecure, while you were telling me I needed totrust you -""I know how it looks.
""It looks exactly like what it is."She slung the bag over her shoulder.Jalen blocked the doorway.
"Move.""Can we talk?""We are done talking.
""Maya, don't make a permanent decision when you'reangry.
"The sentence was so familiar she almost smiled.
"You know what I used to do when you cheated on me?
" Jalen said nothing."I would cry until I couldn't breathe.
Then I'd ask what Idid wrong. Then I'd listen to you explain how lonely youfelt, how much attention somebody gave you, how we hadbeen arguing.
And somehow by the end I would beapologizing for why you betrayed me.
"Her voice steadied."I'm not eighteen anymore.
Move."Jalen stepped aside.Maya walked out.She made it to the elevator before the first sob tore outof her.By the time she reached the parking garage, she couldbarely see.She sat in her car and cried with both hands over herface.The pain was old and new at once.But beneath it, another grief rose even stronger.
Andre.Maya had left a loyal man for the hope that an oldbetrayal could become a new beginning.Now she had the same wound twice.Her phone rang.Jalen.She declined it.He called again.She blocked the number.Then Maya rested her forehead against the steeringwheel and whispered the question she had been afraid toask for months. "What did I do?"