Chapter 158 A Secret That Changes Everything
POV Maya:
The moment I step into the kitchen, five pairs of eyes lock onto me. For some strange reason, my face heats up.
I smile and greet them, sitting in my usual spot at the table. They greet me back and continue preparing breakfast.
I steal a glance at Luca. He looks at me briefly, then goes back to frying the bacon.
I stay quiet, watching the brothers work, and I realize how much I’m going to miss this.
Miss our mornings.
Miss my attempts to cook and force them to eat the disgusting messes I make.
Miss us.
I take a deep breath, trying to control the wave of emotions crashing over me.
I look around for Louis. I need a distraction, because otherwise I’m going to cry.
I don’t cry. I avoid crying.
Unfortunately, Louis isn’t in the kitchen.
My boy has been acting different these past few days. Maybe that thing people say about animals sensing when something is about to happen is true.
My boy knows we’re leaving, and it’s killing me.
“Maya, are you okay?” I hear Mikhail ask.
I swallow hard.
Nothing is okay.
Why the hell does this hurt?
It didn’t hurt like this when Peter broke up with me.
“Yes, I’m just feeling a little unwell,” I lie.
He flashes a huge grin that I don’t understand.
“Luca wore you out, didn’t he?”
My eyes widen, and my face bursts into flames. I look at his brothers, shocked to find them laughing along with Mikhail.
“That’s not how it happened,” I say, straightening in my chair.
“In the end, he was the one who screamed, not me.”
“Maya, you bitch!” Luca shouts, and I roll my eyes.
“That’s exactly what you said before you came,” I tease.
His face twists into the angriest expression of all.
That’s how I know that the two of us together would be incredible.
We have an intimacy that, at the same time that it scares me, feels completely natural. Nothing between us is forced.
If they don’t like something I do, they don’t worry about my feelings or whether I’ll get upset—they just throw it in my face.
And the same goes for them. If something doesn’t please me, I tell them.
It doesn’t solve anything, but I’m glad I have the freedom to vent.
“Maya, are you going to the flower shop today?” Adrian asks, and I’m surprised. Normally, they don’t ask where I’m going.
“I think so. Why?” I won’t, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“It’s nothing. I just thought you might help Mikhail with lunch.”
Strange—that’s the first thing I think.
The brothers hate it when I cook. My food is unbearable, and when I “help” Mikhail, my only task is keeping him company.
I once tried chopping vegetables and cut myself.
I tried seasoning food and oversalted it.
Mikhail didn’t want to risk letting me do anything else.
“Do you want me to stay and help you, Mikhail?” I ask.
He shoots Adrian a dark look.
I narrow my eyes, trying to understand why they’re being so strange—stranger than their usual strange.
Something is happening, and I’m not seeing it.
“You don’t have to, but if you stay, you can help me use the ruler set,” he says, quickly looking away.
The ruler set?
Does he really think I believe that excuse?
When I showed him the set I used to help me read, he made a face and said he wouldn’t use that shit.
Mikhail is a nightmare of a student—stubborn as hell.
And now he’s telling me he wants to use it?
“Mikhail, are you okay?” I find myself forced to ask.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
I don’t know. Maybe because out of nowhere you want to use the ruler set you said you’d only use to smack my ass with?
Of all the things he’s ever said, that was the first indecent thing he told me.
And of course I liked it.
I look from him to his brothers, and all of them are staring at me.
Something is definitely going on.
“If you want me to help, who am I to deny such a miracle?”
He’s about to snap back, but my phone starts ringing, and I see the idiot’s name on the screen.
I think about not answering, but I’ve already iced the liar out long enough.
And despite everything that happened and how it happened, David is my friend.
And I can’t lose him.
Because if I don’t forgive him, what will happen to my friendship with Tay?
I’ve barely spoken to her since what happened at the bar last month.
I’m afraid that whatever happened will force her to choose between him and me.
“David,” I say.
It doesn’t take long for all five brothers to start cursing under their breath.
“Please, don’t hang up.”
“I won’t.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to deceive you. Meet me today and I’ll tell you everything.”
“What time?”
I hear his answer and notice the brothers’ dark expressions.
“At my place or yours?” I ask—a question that makes the brothers growl.
“Fine. I’ll be waiting for you there.”
I end the call, and the first one to speak is the brute.
“You’re going out, Maya? You’re really going to talk to the man who lied to you?”
“Dominic, he’s my friend, and I want to know what made him lie to me,” I declare.
Adrian grumbles, Luca growls, Mikhail curses, and Sebastian…
Sebastian’s face is tight and cold. I’ve never seen him so serious before.
“All right. Go,” Dominic says, leaving the kitchen.
What the hell is going on with these brothers?
...
As soon as I park in front of the flower shop, I see David waiting for me.
I still can’t process what made him deceive me. I spent days thinking about it, but I couldn’t find an answer.
My friend tried to convince me to hear him out, but I refused.
I love Tay, and I know that even though she says she’s on my side, she loves David.
And maybe my fear of losing her spoke louder, making me ignore some of her calls.
I step out of the car and barely look at him. I unlock the door and enter my flower shop, which has been terribly neglected these past few days.
I need to get my life sorted out soon.
David comes in behind me, and I stay quiet. I move behind the counter and pretend to be signing important papers, but all I’m really doing is drawing him being hanged by his lies.
“I fucked up,” he says.
I let out a laugh, not looking in his direction. My drawing is still more interesting.
“I shouldn’t have lied to you.”
I stay silent.
“I should’ve told you the truth right away… told you who it is that’s looking for a bride for the Morettis.”
“What?” I’m caught completely off guard.
In seconds, I’m right in front of him.
“Tell me everything. Right now!”
“I think we should sit down,” he says. “And I hope that by the end of this conversation you’ll forgive me and start answering Tay’s calls again. That woman is punishing me, with Sean and his brothers cheering her on.”
“Start talking,” I demand.
“And no, I’m not going to forgive you that easily.”