Maya

I slip into the passenger seat of Marcus' shiny sports car, my stomach in knots. He's right beside me, tall and handsome and he smells so good. His car is fancy and has leather seats and I just don't feel like I belong there, at all.

   "Hi," he says calmly, smiling at me.

   "Hi," I repeat.

   He waves towards the house and I see that Nella is watching out the front window.

   "She's enjoying this, I suppose?" Marcus laughs.

   "I think she is," I agree.

   He smiles again and then pulls onto the road and starts driving towards town. The bank is quick - in and out - and I soon have a money order for almost two thousand dollars in my hand. It hits me that this is happening fast, but I have to be okay with it. I agreed to this, and I'm staying in Boothbay. Ryland doesn't know where I am, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that he will just move on and leave me alone.

   When Marcus pulls into the parking lot at a coffee shop called Truck Stop, I remember that it used to be a small bakery when I was a kid. He looks at me and smiles again and then I follow him out of the car and towards the building.

   "So, you moved away for a few years but decided to come back here?" Marcus asks, after we have coffee in hand and are sitting at a small table.

   He places a stack of papers and the iPad on the table between us.

   "Yeah, I was gone four years," I tell him.

   "That's a long time. I moved here from up north, when I was in high school. My dad is fisherman. My brothers have both left to get jobs in bigger places but me... I feel really attached to this place."

   "I was born and raised here," I say, even though I'm sure he knows that. "I needed a change, though."

   "What brought you back?"

   I look at him carefully because I don't know if he already knows. If he does and I lie, then I look stupid. I am just hoping that Nella and George haven't told him much.

   "Just wanted to be around when Nella's kids are growing up," I explain, and he nods, believing me. Thank god.

   "Willow's so awesome, huh?" he asks, and I smile big.

   "She is."

   "Alright... so..." Suddenly he is spreading out some of the papers on the table. "I'll go through it all, but it's mostly standard stuff. There just a few things to sign, and then I'll send you this all by email as well, to confirm, once they have the money order in hand."

   He's all business now, and I appreciate that. Marcus is not just attractive, he's gorgeous and it's a bit distracting. I have to wipe my mouth because I realize I'm drooling a bit, as he's going on and on about all the legal stuff in the paperwork. His dress shirt is tight and I can see that he's in good shape.

   "...so if you're good with all of that, you can sign here, and then here..."

   I realize I haven't been listening, but I have signed other rental agreements. I'm sure this is the same. I nod and reach for the pen, then lean down to sign my name on the lines he's pointing at.

   That's it. It's done. I have my own place, in Boothbay. And I'm terrified.

   "The last thing is the company just wants a record of employment, so as soon as you have a job and get a pay cheque, I'll just get a copy of that," Marcus tells me.

   "Yeah, of course," I say, but it's sort of embarrassing that he knows that I don't even have a job. "I have some prospects already."

   "That's great. You have some time, anyway." He looks down again and then stacks all the papers into a neat pile. "So, March 25th. That's next Friday."

   My stomach drops because it's nerve wracking and also terrifying, besides the fact that I don't have any thing to fill an apartment. Also, I don't know where I'm staying until then. Reality is harsh and it's hitting me hard.

   I don't get a chance to say anything because an older woman is walking towards us, a big smile on her face. She's short and has white hair and glasses, her light blue top says Truck Stop across the front.

   "Marcus, Danielle just told me you were here!" she shouts, now standing at the edge of our table. "It's been weeks, how have you been?"

   Marcus half smiles at her and nods. "I've been well. Just here with a client to get some papers signed. How are you, Ma'am?"

   "Ma'am? Oh no, Marcus, honey. You know it's Sherry. Catherine hasn't been coming around either, though I guess I understand why you'd both be avoiding this place-"

   It's just small town gossip. I know it is. But Marcus looks so uncomfortable now. I smile at him and then look down at my hands.

   "Yeah, well, it was nice seeing you," he tells the woman, who smiles again.

   She's not getting the hint that she should leave us alone. "Dear, would you like a fresh muffin? Blueberry, just came out of the oven."

   I look at her because I realize she's talking to me. My stomach has been growling since we'd been there, so I nod. "Sure, that would be great."

   She claps her hands together and says she'll be right back, and Marcus's face finally changes back to it's normal color. When he looks up at me again, he's already apologizing.

   "Boothbay, where everyone knows your business," he tells me, as if I don't know this better than anyone.

   I clear my throat and squeeze my hands together under the table. "I get it. I don't know how much you know about me, but... I get it."

   "Not much, actually. I've known George since sophomore year of high school, I was his best man at their wedding... but, um, Nella didn't really talk about you  until... you came back."

   I'm half annoyed that my sister pretended I didn't exist after I ran away and half glad that Marcus doesn't know all my business. Maybe he doesn't even know the drama that surrounded my dad. Nella didn't know George, then.

   "There was drama with my family before I left town, and it was so hard because everyone knows my family here," I tell him, leaving it at that.

   He nods. The woman - Shelly? Sherry - comes back and smiles at me as she places a big muffin on a little plate in front of me. I thank her and she lingers for a minute before walking away again. It smells really good.

   "So, Sherry? She owns this place. Her daughter, Danielle, is best friends with my ex," Marcus admits, then clicks his pen a few times. "I have been avoiding this coffee shop for weeks."

   "Why'd you come here tonight, then?" I ask, without thinking.

   "Well, it was just across from the bank," he shrugs. "Also, I'm sick of avoiding places because of my ex."

   This hits hard for me because what I did was run away, twice. First, I ran away from Boothbay at nineteen, after my family drama and after the love of my life rejected me. Then I ran away from Albany, albeit for a better reason. I am good at avoiding places. I am good at running from things I can't deal with.

   I just nod at Marcus, who's smiling at me from across the table. Then I rip off a piece of the muffin and shove it into my mouth. I make a noise that makes him laugh, and I am embarrassed but also I don't really care. That's a good muffin. Then I push the plate to the center of the table, offering him some. Marcus grins and rips off a piece for himself.

   I feel good there, sharing a muffin with my sister's husband's best friend. I know we are both fresh out of relationships and neither of us are in any place to have anything happen, but I still feel good there.

*

"If you need any help on moving day, let me know?" Marcus says, as we sit next to each other in his car, parked at the hotel again.

  "I don't have anything to move," I say quickly and he nods, realizing that. "I kind of came with nothing."

   "Right. Well, I'll get the keys from the rental company and drop them off that morning, if that works?" he goes on, as if this is no big deal.

   "Thank you," I say, giving him another smile.

   "Of course. I'm really glad it all worked out," he tells me.

   I know I have to get out of there before I do something stupid, so I nod again and reach for the door handle to get out.

   "Can I walk you in?" he asks, smoothly. He wants something stupid to happen, too, but I know better. I'm not in any place for this.

   "Um, I'm fine. Thank you, though." I'm trying not to sound rude but I really don't trust myself. If I let him walk me into the hotel, will I invite him into my room? What else will I do, because I'm sad and lonely? I don't need Nella mad at me for anything right now.

   Marcus just smiles and nods, letting me go. Maybe he thinks I'm not interested, or maybe he knows I am and that I'm just doing the right thing. I hope it's the latter.

   The quiet, warm hotel room is waiting for me. It's early evening and I flop onto the bed, sighing. I signed a rental agreement. I shared a muffin with Marcus. I hadn't thought about Ryland all day. I was moving down the road from where I grew up. I can't avoid my father forever. I can't avoid the things I'd ran from. But tonight I can, so I flick on the TV and watch whatever movie I see first.

   How was it?? A text from Nella comes in a bit later, so I type back right away.

   It went good. I signed the lease. I can move in next Friday.

     Nella: That's so amazing, Maya. Oh, I talked to Kayleigh. She said you can go for an interview Saturday.

   Me: Really? I have an interview at the pet store, too.

   Nella: You wanna work at the pet store?

   Me: I need a job.

   Nella: True. Okay well two interviews is good! And an apartment.

   Me: Yes.

   Nella: I'm so happy you're staying.

   Me: Me too.

   I am glad I am staying. I am glad things have already started falling into place. But I'm not sure if I am strong enough to fight the urge to run again, if things get hard. Sure, it's been four years. But I still feel like that nineteen year old who felt like the whole world was against her. She's still in there, even though I'm trying to be the twenty-three year who has been through worse and who can handle this. I hope I can be her.