Chapter 145 Shattered Expectations
POV Dominic:
Maya never stays at the flower shop all day.
“Maya, if you want, I can drop you off there,” I offer. I know her car has been having problems.
“No need, but thank you.”
She walks away before I can say anything else. I know I was harsh with my choice of words, but it has to be this way. We need to set boundaries for whatever is happening in this house, because once my parents come back, we’ll still be here, while she’ll go back to her life.
I won’t let my brothers confuse what we have—especially since we don’t have anything. I have nothing to worry about. Ever since the day I saw her, I’ve known she isn’t the woman I want to build something with.
...
It’s already past midnight and Maya still hasn’t come home. We’re restless. She’s never done this before—never stayed away for so long. Since I don’t have her phone number, because she’s always here, I can’t call her.
I’m starting to get irritated. She’s being very irresponsible. How do you leave the house and forget to let us know?
Tired of waiting, I stand up and grab the truck keys. I’m going to her house to make sure she’s there and safe.
“Where are you going?” Luca asks. He doesn’t need an answer—he figures it out on his own. “I’m coming with you.”
“Me too,” Mikhail says, standing up.
“Let’s go already,” Sebastian says impatiently.
Adrian doesn’t need to say anything. He’s already opening the door for us to leave.
I think about picking Louis up and taking him with us, but I don’t want to have to kill his mother in front of him. I ruffle his head.
We won’t take long. We’re just going to pick up his scatterbrained, irresponsible mother.
(...)
POV Maya:
I take another shot of tequila, letting the drink burn down my throat. I shouldn’t be here, playing the role I hate so much. But how do you deal with the pain in your chest while sober? Dominic’s words won’t leave my head. I understood everything wrong all this time, but thanks to him, today I finally understand. I am not important to them the way I thought I was. I am nothing.
Why are the people I care about the most the ones who hurt me the most? Tay and her harem don’t hurt you, my conscience reminds me, and that’s the only comfort I have right now. I’ve been alone for so long that I should have learned how to be self-sufficient. Why don’t I just pack my things and go back home? Home? I laugh and take another shot.
“Fill it again,” I ask the bartender, who immediately fills my seven shot glasses.
A movie plays in my head, showing the ugly side of being needy. I hate feeling powerless in the face of this. I hate waiting for someone to give me everything I never had. I take another shot, finally letting the tears run down my face. Maybe I should listen to Tay’s advice and move on with my life, letting go of this foolish dream of building a family. More than anyone, I know how overrated family is. I learned early on that having a family doesn’t mean what my few years of age once thought it did.
What did twelve-year-old Maya know, after all?
“Are you okay?” I lift my head and see the bartender drying the glasses.
“No, but I will be,” I say, taking another shot, no longer caring about licking salt or sucking on a lime. I just want to numb my feelings. Maybe that’s my problem—feeling too much.
I wish I had a button I could just turn off. And thinking that, I tap my forehead with my index finger. I’ve just pressed my button. I wipe my face. I don’t want to be the lonely woman at the bar, drinking with a broken heart—because that’s exactly how I feel. My heart broke with what Dominic said. I straighten up, tossing my hair to the side, and force a smile. There’s no reason to cry. I’m healthy, I’m a beautiful woman, I’m only twenty-six years old. I’m young. Who knows what the future holds? I have many years ahead of me to find out.
A slow song starts playing, and in the same second I’m on my feet. With a shot glass in hand, I let the music carry me. Everything will be fine. Even if the cowboys don’t see me the way I see them, that’s okay. I can be their friend. I still want to help Mikhail. I want to help them whenever they need it. Just because they don’t see me as a fiancée doesn’t mean I’m going to lose my mind and make a scene like a crazy woman. Okay, maybe I’ll make a few—but nothing that traumatizes them enough to not want to be my friends. I know how to measure my madness.
“I knew I’d find you here.”
I turn around as a familiar voice breaks into my conflicting thoughts.
“David Dumbass Burt!” I shout excitedly and jump into his arms.
“Looks like someone is very drunk,” he says, holding my thighs as I wrap my legs around his waist like a needy koala.
“I am not,” I defend myself. “How did you know I’d be here? What are you doing here? Aren’t you with Tay and Sean? You’re so beautiful together.”
“I forgot how chatty you get when you’re drunk and depressed.”
“I’m not depressed.”
“Alright, I must be mistaken.” He laughs and sits down with me still on his lap. “Tay called me. She said you were crying and drinking. Since there aren’t many bars in El Soledad, I figured you’d be here. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”
I knew I shouldn’t have called my friend. I knew she’d scold me. Tay doesn’t like it when I drink. She definitely took advantage of the fact that David is still in town and asked her guy to come to my rescue. I sigh, knowing that once I start talking, the tears will come and won’t stop anytime soon. I nestle my body against his, seeking comfort, and soon his hand is stroking my back, making my heart feel lighter knowing he’s here. It could be worse if I had to go through all this alone.
“They don’t want me, David. I try to get closer, but they stop me from getting too close. Today Dominic said something that hurt me a lot.”