Maya

"Guys night, huh?" I ask Nella, later on that evening.

   Willow's in bed and we are just watching Netflix and hanging out, eating chips. Kayleigh came over for a couple hours but she left early, because she was tired. She's been feeling off a lot lately, actually.

   Nella shoves some more chips into her mouth and nods. "They do it like once a month, or so. They take turns on who's the D.D. George has to work all day tomorrow and wasn't going to go, but he agreed to drive tonight as it was his turn."

   "Marcus told me."

   "Ohh, what else did Marcus tell you?" She laughs, and throws a chip at me.

   "He told me that he wants to come over later," I say quickly.

   Nella shakes her head at me. "Wow. It's still casual? It's been like three weeks."

   "Randomly casual?" I answer. "We haven't hung out since last weekend."

   "Hang out is sex right?" She bursts out laughing.

   "Generally," I smirk at her.

   "I should have driven you home before Willow went to bed," Nella says a minute later, but I shake my head.

   "I can walk. It's not really cold out."

   "It will take you 40 minutes." Nella looks at me like I've lost my mind.

   "I don't really have another option," I shrug.

   "You can stay over?" she suggests. "Unless you're actually planning on hooking up with Marcus tonight."

   Was I planning that? If I hadn't seen Holden today, I'd be all over that. I wouldn't even think twice. But seeing Holden - this guy from my past who I had no intention of seeing - sort of put a damper on my night. It really messed with my head.

   "Yeah, I'll stay. I have to be at work at 10A.M," I finally decide.

   "I'll drive you. I have to go to the market anyway," Nella says, looking back at the TV again.

   Two hours later, my phone is ringing. Nella had already gotten me a pillow from her closet and then went to bed, as I am going to crash on the couch. It's almost midnight, but I'm still watching an episode of Ghost Stories.

   "Hey," I answer, knowing who it is.

   "Heeey," Marcus mumbles into my ear. He's drunk. I smile because he sounds cute. "What are you doing ?"

   "I'm actually at Nella's," I say, without thinking.

   "Still?"

   "Yeah. We were hanging out and Willow went to bed so Nell couldn't drive me home."

   "You want Georgie to come by and grab you? We re just droppin' off Phil." He's slurring words and I hear George in the background saying something.

   "Uh, I'm exhausted and I have to work in the morning, so Nella's going to drive me. I'm going to sleep here," I tell him, knowing he's going to be disappointed.

   Marcus grumbles and then lowers his voice. "I was looking forward to seeing you tonight."

   I flush, knowing George can hear his end of the conversation. "Yeah, I know. But tomorrow night... dinner's at your place. I can stay..."

   This perks him up. "Yesss ok. Yeah."

   "Night, Marcus," I finish, pulling the blanket up around my body.

   "Night Maya."

   I'm nervous to go into the store the next day. I'm working with Megan, who looks well rested and is in a great mood. I, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep on that couch because I was thinking about Holden, and then Nella and Willow were up at 6A.M. I slept maybe four hours at most, and I am yawning as I walk in.

   Megan's working the morning shift, which is 9A.M.-3P.M. and I'm working the full shift which is 10A.M.-5P.M. I like the Sunday full shift the best. It's quiet for a bit and I get to do inventory and stock the shelves, but by noon it's often busy and I get to talk to people and discus art supplies and art itself. Today is the same and by the time Megan is leaving, I know my last three hours will fly by.

   "See you next weekend?" she asks before she leaves.

   "I'll be here," I say with a smile. "Have a good week."

   "You too!"

   During the last hour, I keep thinking about Marcus. I feel bad for ditching him the night before but my head was all over the place. Now I'm a bit more clear. I like Marcus. We are friends and also sometimes get together and have sex. There's nothing wrong with that. Even after all these weeks, I still get hot when he enters the room. He still looks me up and down, as if he wants to see all of me. We are not dating. We are having fun and it's so fun. And I will make it up to him tonight. After dinner.

   I'm walking across the parking lot and I'm about to cross the road to go to the bus stop, when a car pulls in near me. I look at it a bit longer than I should before turning away. I have this feeling that I've seen the car before.

   But I hear the door open and then a voice, calling me.

   "Maya!"

   I don't want to, but I turn back. It know it's Annie Prescott, just by the voice. That's why the vehicle looked familiar.

   I smile, even though we are like twenty feet away and she probably can't see it. She's short and thin with light hair that's cut into a bob. She looks pretty much the same as when I left. The last time I saw her was the night before I ran away. She was at the end of her driveway, calling to me. Just like she is now.

   "Oh, wow, hi Mrs. Prescott."

   I stay where I am even though i know I should walk closer to her. She closes the car door and keeps her eyes on me.

   "It's Annie," she says, then goes on. "Maya, I didn't know you were back."

   I can't tell if she's telling the truth or not but it doesn't matter. This woman was like a second mom to me, for a long time. There were times after I left town that I wished I could stay in touch with her. I wanted to call her and see how she was doing. And I wanted to say I was sorry for messing everything up.

   I step closer. I'm going to miss the bus but there will be another. "Yeah. It's been about a month," I tell her.

   "Oh, you're here for good?" Now she looks actually surprised.

   "Yeah." I nod. "With Nella having her daughter and another on the way, I wanted to be able to be apart of their lives."

   "Oh, yes! I just saw Nella at the market recently. Her little one is just adorable. And another coming. So wonderful."

   I nod again. "How have you been?"

   Nella must have made an effort to keep anything she knew about the Prescott's from me. I appreciated that more than she knew.

   "I've been well. I'm actually engaged to be married!" She holds out her hand with a big, sparkling ring.

   I'm not really close enough to see it but I nod and smile anyway. "Oh wow. That's amazing. Congratulations."

   "Thank you, Maya. Landon's in college... he's doing social work, and Hol-"

   She freezes and bites back her words, and I'm glad. I don't want to hear about Holden. She obviously doesn't know that he saw me the day before. She also doesn't know the real reasons why I ran away.

   "I should go. I have to catch the bus," I say, looking out across the street.

   Annie looks at me carefully and then shakes her head. "Oh, no. Let me drive you. I just have to run in to grab some coffees and croissants." She points to the coffee shop, then looks back at me again.

   She doesn't even know where I'm going but she's offered to drive. That's exactly how Annie is. She hasn't seen me in four years but she'd drop everything to help.

   I can't be seen in the coffee shop with Holden's mom, that I know for sure. People talk in this town.

   "Thanks but.. it's okay. The bus should be here any minute," I answer, but the bus already went by, so I'll be waiting awhile for the next one.

   "Oh Maya, don't be silly. If you're still waiting when I come out, you'll let me drive you then?"

   I swallow hard. The bus won't be here for at least fifteen minutes now. I will have to get into her old car and let her drive me home. Then she'll know where I live. I'm not ready for that.

   She doesn't let me answer. "Be right back!"

   I'm still standing there when she comes out, in less than ten minutes, so I walk closer and get into the passenger seat of her car. She turns on the heat and puts down the tray off coffees. There's four, but she takes one out and hands it to me.

   "It's just so good to see you," she smiles. "Where to?"

   "I'm on Lou Lane," I said quickly.

   "Oh, we'll isn't that just around the corner from the old neighbourhood." It's not a question, but she's smiling genuinely when she says it.

   And where we grew up is not a neighbourhood. It's a road with a few houses, spaced out. They are all on the water.

   "Do you still live down there?" I ask as she starts driving.

   She turns to look at me as if she's not sure she should answer. "I did, until recently."

   I know there's more to that but I don't ask. When she pulls up to my apartment building, I thank her more than once and she squeezes my arm gently.

   "We should meet up for lunch sometimes soon. To catch up?" she suggests and I somehow don't hate that idea. I can't just turn my back on her again. I already hurt her so much.

   "Yeah. Sure," I smile and she quickly gives me her cell phone number.

   When I get out of her car, I'm so grateful that she didn't say a word about Holden. But I'm even more glad that she doesn't hate me.