Davis, Liz - Slivers of Moonlight (Siren Publishing Classic) (19 page)

“Yep.” Reaching into his back pocket, he retrieved his wallet then opened it up to take out the photo.

Evan held it out for Reyna to see. “Pretty girl. You must like her a lot, to already be carrying around a picture of her.”

“I really do care a lot about her. She’s an amazing woman.”

“Is she the only girl you’re dating?”

“Yep.”

“Wow. Only three weeks, and you’re already a reformed ladies’ man, huh? This girl has you whipped.”

“I am not whipped.”

A light chuckle fled her lips. “Uh-huh, okay.”

Evan picked up his cell phone to see if the signal bars had gotten any higher, but disappointingly, he saw that they hadn’t.

“You must really be missing her.”

Evan turned his attention back on his cousin. “Why do you say that?”

“You’ve glanced at your cell phone at least four times since I first got here. She must be pretty heavy on your mind.”

“Well, today was her birthday, so I’m just hoping she’s enjoying herself.”

“What did you get her as a present?”

“An inscribed heart pendant.”

“That’s cute. So was that your way of telling her you wanted to go steady?”

One of his brows lifted. “You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

“Come on, I was only joking around. I think it’s very sweet. So what is the inscription of?”

“It’s the date of our first meeting.”

“How romantic. Nice gift!”

“Yeah, it seemed to make her pretty happy.” His lips curled into a smile as he thought about her reaction.

He allowed himself a few short moments to indulge in thoughts about her, remembering the way her face looked when she realized he’d brought her a present. He also thought about the sweet smell of her skin and the way her eyes sparkled whenever the light hit them in just the right way. Suddenly he became aware of the complete silence in the room, and dragging himself from his thoughts, he turned his head to look at Reyna. As their eyes met, he realized she had a funny expression on her face, and he could see that she was holding back a smirk.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s just so funny seeing you like this. Just right now, you were thinking about her. I could tell by the look on your face. And that present you got for her? You must be sprung.”

“I care for her very deeply.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” It seemed that she couldn’t stop grinning at him.

“Actually it’s been awhile since I felt this way. It kind of scares me.”

“Why? If things are good between you two, then you should be happy.”

“I am. It’s just been some time since I was last in a committed relationship, so I’m afraid of messing up or doing something wrong.”

“What, you mean like cheating?”

“Oh, hell no, I would never cheat on Maya.”

“So what is it then? What are you afraid of?”

“Well, earlier today, we were spending time together, and then all of a sudden, she told me she loved me.”

“Okay, so did you say it back to her?”

“No, I was too scared. And now I feel really bad about it.”

“So you’re afraid of falling in love with her?”

Evan gave a little sigh and stretched his legs out in front of him. “I guess you could say that I am, but it’s only because she’s not completely over her ex yet.”

“So you’re worried that she might go back to him?”

“I feel like it could be a possibility. Even though he’s a total jerk, it seems as if he still had a piece of her heart. And that worries me.”

Reyna was quiet for a moment, and then she offered a suggestion. “Speak to her about it. Tell her how you feel.

“I have, but she always tells me the same thing. That she doesn’t have feelings for him anymore, and that she only cares for me.”

“So what makes you doubt her?”

“One situation in particular. The other night, she found this odd note on her windshield.”

“And what did it say?”

“He’s hiding something from you.”

Reyna’s brows furrowed. “Okay, that’s really weird. So did the note actually have your name on it, or was it just implied?”

“It was implied, but she took it to mean that it was about me.”

“Sounds like she has some trust issues.”

“She does, and it’s because of that bastard she used to go out with.” He crossed his arms against his chest, and averted his gaze, from Reyna’s. His mind was suddenly flooded with the memory of the fender bender that he and Maya had been involved in, and how it had resulted in their unpleasant meeting with Dylan. His body tensed as he recalled how that fateful day how had thrown him and Maya into an emotional tailspin.

“Well, I guess all you can do is just let her work out those issues. It may take some time for her to completely heal, but it’ll eventually happen.”

A sigh escaped his lips. “I sure hope so.”

“She did tell you that she loves you, and I’m sure that took some courage, so it seems that she really cares a lot for you.”

“Yeah, I know she does.” He looked thoughtfully into the distance for a few moments, and then once again spoke. “I wanted to tell her that I loved her back, but I just couldn’t say the words. I guess I was too scared to do it.”

A light chuckle came from Reyna’s lips.

“That sounds really stupid, doesn’t it?”

“No, not all. You’re a guy, so you’re naturally going to be less emotional than she is.”

“Yeah, and if I’d said it anyways, then I would have felt like I was being dishonest to her, and she deserves better than that. When I speak those words, it means that I’m fully committing myself. Not just physically, but also mentally. I need us to reach a more stable place in our relationship before I can comfortably say it.”

She nodded. “I can see where you’re coming from, but you shouldn’t let fear hold you back. Despite what’s going on behind Maya and her ex, if you truly feel like you love her, then I think you should just come out and say it.”

Evan remained quiet, losing himself in thoughts of his lover. He needed to hear her voice, and to tell how much she’d been on his mind.

Reyna’s voice brought the silence. “So what are you going to do then? Let fear rule you, or take control and live your life? Because it’s entirely up to you, Evan.”

And he knew that it was. Those three little words weren’t the most important thing to him, but he knew that she did want to hear him say it. What mattered to him the most was making sure that their relationship was stable, and that nothing could ever come between them. A part of him was uncertain about taking the plunge and putting his heart on the line, but he also didn’t want to wait too long to officially declare his love. He knew Maya was ruled by her emotions, so if he delayed saying it for too long, then she might mistake his fear for nonchalance. Maya wasn’t the type of woman to wait forever, and he knew that. So the decision should have been simple. But fear wasn’t something that was easy to slip away from.

* * * *

After hitting the call end button, Maya slipped her phone into her purse, deeply contented from hearing the sound of her lover’s voice. They’d spent less than ten minutes chatting, and would have stayed on for longer, but unfortunately, the call kept dropping off, so they reluctantly decided to end their conversation. Yesterday evening had been nerve-racking for her, as she’d spent the entire time worrying about Evan’s whereabouts, but when he’d finally called around midnight, she’d been filled with a huge sense of relief.

They’d only been separated for two days now, but she was still eagerly counting the hours until he arrived back home. She wasn’t just craving the feel of his lips and the touch of his skin, but his mere presence. Just having him around her was deeply comforting, and he provided her with a feeling that nobody else could.

As she pulled up in front of her apartment, she took a glance at the clock on the dashboard. The digital display read half past five, which meant she had plenty of time to spare before she headed over to Amhara’s for dinner. After grabbing her purse off the passenger’s seat she got out the car, and then slammed it shut. The car made a beeping noise as she hit the button on her keyless remote, and as she headed for the front door of her apartment, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her from behind. As she turned her head to look behind her, she was dismayed to see that it was Dylan.

Chapter 12

Hoping to increase the distance between them, she began to walk faster, but Dylan caught up to her before she could even slip her key into the lock.

“Hey, Maya.” He leaned against the door to her apartment, blocking her way so that she couldn’t evade him.

“What do you want?” She offered him her most fierce glare.

He held up the shopping bag that he was holding. “Just came by to return your things. And I was hoping I could pick up some of the stuff I left over here.”

She pushed him aside so she could slip her key into the lock, and then cracked the door open. “I packed your stuff in a box. Wait out here while I go in and get it for you.”

“Can’t I come in?”

“Why?”

“I have to use the bathroom.”

“Uh-uh, no way. There’s a Denny’s on Fifth and Main. You can use their facilities. And besides, you’re a guy. You can use the bathroom anywhere.”

“Come on, Maya. It’s me you’re talking to here, not some random stranger.”

“Yeah, exactly. It’s
you.
I’d rather let a stranger in first before I let you in, considering your track record.”

“You think I want to make a move on you or something? I have a girlfriend, remember?”

“Well, that never seemed to stop you before.” Tightening her hand on the doorknob, she firmly stated, “I don’t trust you, okay? So you’re not coming in.”

Dylan’s mouth set into a thin, hard line. “Fine, then I’m not giving you your stuff back. All these clothes, shoes, and jewelry are going straight into the trash. And you can forget about getting these back.” He pulled three vintage records out of the bag, holding them up for her to see. She tried to snatch them out of his grasp, but he pulled them away before she had the chance.

“Those are my records, Dylan. They were a present from my aunt, and they hold a lot of sentimental value, so stop playing around and give them to me.” Her body tensed with anger.

“Let me in, and you’ll get them back. Otherwise, I’ll just dump them. The choice is yours.”

For a few moments, all they did was stare each other down, and the silence between them was so thick with tension, it was nearly suffocating. He was up to something, this much she knew. And for some reason, he wanted to get into her apartment. She wasn’t stupid. She knew he was only doing this to control her, to see how far he could push her before she gave up and caved in. He knew how much she treasured the records, so he was using it to his full advantage.

Ever since she’d first met him, Dylan had tried to control nearly every aspect of her life, and whenever he wanted something from her—be it sex, a freshly cooked hot meal, or attention—he always saw that he got it. Looking back on their relationship, she was ashamed to say that she’d allowed him to walk all over her. And now, even though they were no longer a couple, here he was, still trying to wield control over her, still finding a way to mess with her head even though she’d vowed to never let him back in.

She didn’t feel comfortable at all with allowing him into her apartment, but she really wanted those records back. Not to mention, she was hoping that the three hundred dollars she’d hidden in the record sleeve was still there. She worked hard for her money, and didn’t want it to just be thrown in the trash. So against her deepest suspicions, she reluctantly gave in to Dylan’s stubbornness

“You’d better enjoy this last cheap thrill of having control over me because this is the last time you’re going to experience it. I’m giving you one minute, and then you have to leave. And if you try anything funny, I’ll call the cops.”

Releasing a little laugh, he walked across the threshold. “Relax, Maya. All I want to do is just use the bathroom, and then I’ll be on my way.”

Dylan set the shopping bag and the records on the counter then headed for the bathroom. Once he’d shut the door behind him, she reached into the shopping bag and pulled out one of the records. After sliding it out of its jacket, she stuck her hand inside the cardboard covering and felt around. As her fingers brushed against the unmistakable feel of dollar bills, she detached them from the sleeve and pulled them out. She counted to make sure the full amount was there, and then stuffed the currency into her pocket. Curious about what was taking Dylan so long, she walked toward the hallway and came to a stop next to the bathroom door. The last thing she wanted was to hear him relieve himself, but she needed to make sure that he wasn’t doing anything funny. Nearly fifteen seconds had passed before she suspiciously called out to him.

“I don’t hear you peeing, so what’s going on in there?” A crease formed between her eyebrows.

Dylan cleared his throat, and then called out to her from beyond the bathroom door. “Chill, babe, it’s coming.”