Page 111 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
She’s quiet. I’m shocked. It kills me to know she thinks I’d do that to her.
“I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but I’m willing to fight for us,” I say. “Can’t you fight for us too? Can’t you at least try?”
When she doesn’t say anything, I know I have my answer.
Emotion surges through me. “I’d never do that to you, Maya. Ever.”
She looks at me, pain in her eyes, like she’s unconvinced by my promise.
“Maya, we’re not your parents. We’re different. Our relationship is different. We don’t have to end up like them.”
It takes every ounce of strength in my body not to reach out and touch her, hug her, pull her to me. But she clearly doesn’t want that. So I just stand there and hope the pleading in my tone is enough to convince her.
But the longer she stands there, quietly refusing me, the clearer it becomes: we’re over.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers before walking off.
I take a step back and scrub a hand over my face, dazed by what’s gone down in the past few minutes. I just lost the woman I love.
Chapter38
Maya
“Ican’t believe you’re leaving us, cuz! It feels like you just came back to Denver.” Millie pulls me into a hug and kisses my cheek.
When she releases me I try to smile at her, but none of the muscles in my face seem to want to cooperate. I must look deranged based on the freaked-out look Millie gives me.
“I told you, I’ll just be gone for a few weeks,” I say. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
“You’ll be back designing some killer earrings for a famous supermodel.” She winks.
Again I try to smile, and it feels even worse this time.
“You okay?” she asks, frowning.
“Yeah, fine. Just tired. I was up late working.”
Her expression softens and she pulls me in for hug number two. She steps back all of a sudden, wincing as she clutches one of her boobs.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, just gotta pump. My tits are engorged. I feel like a dairy cow.” She makes an annoyed noise as she walks off, and I chuckle. This is the first time I’ve laughed in days…
The urge to cry hits my chest and throat all at once. Ever since I broke up with Theo a week ago, I’ve been a wreck. After I ended things, I spent the night at my mom’s house and cried myself to sleep. The following day, I headed back to the cabin while Theo was gone at a physical therapy session so I could grab all my stuff and move it out without running into him.
And then I called Ingrid and told her the news about Sadie Skinner and me finally taking my earring business seriously. She was thrilled for me, even though I explained this meant I’d have to go on hiatus as her personal assistant. She understood completely but asked me for a favor: to work for her for the next few weeks while she looked for a new assistant. I told her of course. So tomorrow I’m flying to meet her.
I didn’t mention a word about what happened with Theo though. She still doesn’t know that we were ever together. I feel awful keeping this secret from my best friend, but I don’t have the energy to rehash it all, not when I’m barely keeping it together.
When I blink, my eyes are sore from crying every day since leaving Theo. I had to go buy eye drops this morning so my eyes wouldn’t look so pink and swollen.
For the millionth time, I tell myself I did the right thing by ending it. We were never going to work out long-term anyway. It’s for the best.
My chest aches anyway. My heart feels like it’s been ripped to shreds.
I take a slow, steady breath before sipping from my water glass. I can’t break down. Not now, not here when I’m surrounded by my whole family. We’re having a huge gathering at my mom’s house so everyone can see me before I leave, even though I told them I’d be back in a few weeks. But that’s my family. Any excuse to throw a party.
Laugher and chatter and music bounce around me as I stand at the kitchen island and pretend to pick at a plate of food I know I’m not going to eat.
