Page 49 of Not For Keeps
As the aftershocks ripple through me, I collapse back onto my pillows, skin flushed and damp with sweat. I switch off the vibrator and set it aside, my mind clear, my body satisfied.
This whole thing with Letty…it doesn’t feel like him. Not the Mateo I know.
The next morning, the sun is too bright, and my tolerance for everything is low. I got maybe three hours of sleep, and I’m exhausted. But Maya has been begging for a new book all week, and I promised we could stop by Ink & Paper if we had time after her dentist appointment. And I can never let her down. So here we are.
Ink & Paper has the perfect smell—warm paper, wood polish, and the faintest hint of vanilla from the scones Hilda sometimes keeps behind the register.
The bell over the door jingles as we walk in, and Maya immediately inhales deep like she’s taking it all in. “Mmm, it smells like all the books you’re going to buy me, mama,” she says dreamily.
“Hi, mis amores,” Hilda calls from behind the counter, hersilver hair tucked into a scarf, glasses perched low on her nose. She waves us in with a warm smile, setting down a stack of cozy mystery paperbacks. “Dentist go okay?”
“No cavities,” Maya says proudly, flashing a toothy grin.
Hilda walks around to give Maya a hug. “That means you earned something fun. Go see if anything on the new arrivals shelf calls your name.”
Maya skips off without hesitation, already scanning the shelves, sure to find her treasure. I walk over to the register, offering Hilda a tired smile.
“You okay?” she asks, her voice low, kind.
I nod. “Just tired.”
She gives me a look that says she doesn’t buy it, but she doesn’t push. That’s one of the many things I love about Hilda, she knows when to ask and when to just be.
While Maya’s deep in the middle grade section, I browse aimlessly. My eyes pass over titles I’ve already read, some I’ve been meaning to pick up. I touch a spine here, flip through a back cover there. But I can’t concentrate. Now when last night is still circling in my chest like a storm cloud.
I check my phone. Still no message from Mateo. I lock it and slip it back into my pocket before the ache in my chest can settle in too deep.
Maya returns a few minutes later with a stack of books as tall as her torso. “I couldn’t decide,” she says sweetly.
I sigh, but I’m already reaching for my wallet. “You’re lucky I’m tired.”
We pay, and Hilda sneaks a small sticker pack into Maya’s tote bag. “Because I love you,” she whispers conspiratorially. Maya beams.
We step outside into the cold sunlight. Maya’s still talking about one of the stories she just picked up—another fun mystery to solve—and I’m nodding along, distracted but trying to stay present.
The sidewalk is quiet. Calm. A morning that I’d normally be soaking in. It’s the kind of morning that reminds me why I love this little town. But my chest is tight, my thoughts spinning in too many directions. I glance down at Maya—cheeks flushed, curls bouncing.
“Wanna get ice cream?” I ask.
Maya gasps dramatically. “For breakfast?!”
I shrug. “It’s after a dentist appointment and before lunch. That’s basically legal.”
She squeals, already grabbing my hand. “You’re the best, Mami!”
There’s a tiny walk-up window two blocks from Ink & Paper. We order two scoops—one dulce de leche for her, one mint chocolate chip for me—and take our cones to a bench nearby. It’s cold out and we’re eating ice cream, but hey, loving sweets is a lifestyle.
Maya swings her legs beneath the bench, curls bouncing under the hood of her jacket as she hums to herself between the licks. “This is sooooooo good. I think this is what dragons would eat if they had tastebuds.”
I snort. “Pretty sure dragons breathe fire, not ice cream.”
She holds up her cone dramatically. “Exactamente! Opposites attract.”
I lean back, trying to soak in the moment. The bite of mint chocolate hits the back of my throat, crisp and familiar. Maya’s humming to herself, enjoying her ice cream, and I pull out my phone and fire off a quick text to The Council of Chaos.
Analyse
SOS.
