Page 56 of My Bestie's Billionaire Dad

Maya

Every time my phone buzzes with a text, I feel a knot in my stomach, but I am determined not to let him in.

Maya.

Please. Will you talk to me?

_____

I understand if you need space, but I think we need to talk about this.

Please, let's have a conversation.

_____

I hope you're feeling better.

I'm worried about you.

_____

Okay, I get it. I'll leave you alone.

When you're ready to talk, I'll be here.

My heart lurches at his last message.

He'll leave me alone?

Is that what I want?

How did things end up like this?

The phone buzzes with another message, but it’s not from Hunter. It's a generic health check from the network provider. I feel a rush of disappointment.

What is wrong with me?

I close my eyes, trying to silence the whirlwind of thoughts. The truth is, I'm afraid. Afraid to admit my feelings, even to myself, let alone to him. Afraid to shatter the comfortable world we've built around us. Afraid of the consequences.

So, I do what I've been doing all week. I ignore his messages. I bury myself in work. I maintain my fortress of solitude. But each notification, each unread message, is a brick that adds to the weight of my guilt.

I know I can't keep evading him, can't keep running from my feelings. But right now, fear has the upper hand. And I... I just don't know how to fight it.

Punching the metaphorical clock, I shut down my home office for the day. I get up from the chair, my eyes aching in protest from long hours of being glued to the computer screen. I grab my coat, a pair of sunglasses, and step outside. The bracing cool air hits me like a bucket of ice-cold water. It feels good.

I make my way to the nearest food truck and I order my favorite — a loaded burrito, comfort food at its finest — then I find an empty bench and sit, letting the city noise wash over me.

A familiar face appears from around the corner; it’s Stacey from accounting, with her clingy sidekick, Gina. They wander past, deep in hushed conversation, casting gossipy glances my way. I lower my sunglasses, hoping to hide behind them, but I can still hear them.

"I heard she's been fucking the boss and he threw her to the curb," Stacey says with a laugh that boils my blood. Gina giggles in agreement, their laughter taunting me.

The burrito in my hand feels more like a lead weight than a source of comfort now. I'm tempted to throw it at them, but instead, I take a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm.

Maybe it would be easier to start fresh, to go somewhere where no one knows me, where I could escape the drama of my current life. A new city, a new job, a new identity.

I gaze at my reflection in the window of a nearby building. Staring back at me is a woman I hardly recognize.

Where did the confident, sassy Maya go?

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