Maya

I observed Jackson as he slept peacefully, his light snores signaling that he had finally succumbed to a deep slumber. Coaxing him into sleep had proven to be a challenge—a big one; he had been darting around the house all day like a cat, his energy seemingly boundless that stressed me out. It was his birthday, and I couldn't find it in me to ask him to slow down. Nate, his best friend, mirrored the same relentless energy—like a six-year-old kid. They were like two children, and adding Tyrone, Kael, and Liam to the mix only intensified the chaos. Handling just one kid was tough enough, let alone four more.

A small smile played on my lips at the thought of Nate, but I quickly shook it off, feeling a blush creep onto my cheeks.

I was out of my mind. 

I pressed a gentle kiss on Jackson’s cheek before pulling away, grabbing my empty water bottle, and descending downstairs. Closing the door cautiously behind me, I made sure not to make any noise that could disrupt my baby's slumber. He’d just fallen asleep and I didn’t want him to wake up.

As I descended the stairs, a sudden thought invaded my mind—what if my mother had been at least just as careful with me and my life as I was with my baby's sleep? Would I have had to endure all that pain?

The smile on my face faded as flashbacks flooded my mind. The darkness of the night didn't frighten me anymore; it was the darkness within those haunting memories. The questions lingered, relentless.

Why didn't my mother love me?

Why did she stoop so low as to take a life for the sake of power?

Why was I punished for someone else’s mistakes?

Why couldn’t my soulmates see the real me? Why didn’t they trust me?

There were no answers to my questions, and perhaps there never would be. Seven years had slipped by, yet it all felt as fresh as yesterday and I knew the wounds would never ever heal.

I shook my head, releasing a sigh—it was pointless dwelling on the past. I had left that life behind, so why waste time pondering over it?

Entering the kitchen, I turned on the tap to fill my bottle. As I finished and turned around, I gasped in surprise at the shadow by the doorway. There was no room for doubt; even from his shadow, I could recognize him.

“You scared me, Nate,” I exhaled, placing a hand on my chest, my heart racing.

He casually strolled inside, shirtless with a grin etched on his face, I struggled to keep my eyes off of his body. “I don’t get why you're always so easily startled. I've bumped into you during your late-night kitchen escapades more than a few times.”

Yes, he had. From the times I'd sneak into the kitchen for snacks during my pregnancy to the moments I'd pace through the house trying to lull Jackson to sleep, even down to when I'd come downstairs to store milk in the fridge for Jackson—Nathaniel had witnessed it all. That's how we'd grown so close. It didn’t happen overnight; it unfolded gradually, creeping up on us before either of us could realize it.

We were friends, really good friends, but I didn’t know what else we were, and maybe I didn’t even want to give it a name yet. We were good the way we were. It felt right.

“Your entrance is always scary, you can’t blame me.”

“Really? I scare you?” he chuckled as he walked closer, “I thought our Maya was fearless….”

I backed against the counter, nervous and unsure of what I was supposed to say.

“I am fearless…” I stuttered, “It’s just that I am scared of shadows.”

“Then you have a fear, so you are not fearless,” he clicked his tongue, moving even closer and trapping me between his hands on either side of the counter. His height made him tower over me as he looked down.

My breathing became heavy, my heartbeats quickened, and my throat felt dry. At this point, his scent had wafted into my nostrils, and all I could smell was him. Not that I minded it.

“Doesn’t matter! Everyone has their fears.”

He chuckled at my defense, “Of course they do, but not everyone claims to be fearless.”

There he was again, enjoying putting me in these situations. Right now, as in every other time, his face reflected nothing but amusement.

“Why do you always do this to me?!” I asked, containing my stutter, “This is unfair. You don’t do this to others.”

“Because they are not you, Maya,” a smile tugged at his lips as he whispered, and my cheeks flamed red. I opened my mouth to say something, but not even a word came out. I looked at him, speechless, clutching onto the bottle tightly, trying to stay unruffled.

“Anyways,” he began, helping me shake off my nervousness, “Tell me, what are you doing here this late?”

“What if… what if I ask you the same thing? What are you doing here?” I managed to ask, and I saw him trying to suppress a smile.

“Good question indeed,” he hummed, brushing away a strand of hair from my face, “I am actually….” He leaned closer to my ear, his warm breath hitting my skin, sending shivers down my spine, “Hungry.”

I pressed my lips together, emitting a low breath. Goosebumps covered my skin for some reason, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Well… the way he said that, it did not sound like the typical hunger at all.

“W-what?” I stammered, unable to hide my surprise from my face. My heart was ready to jump out of my chest at this point. It was beating too loudly, and I had no doubt that Nate could hear it too—his eyes said that he did.

He looked at me, this time a smirk spread on his lips, his eyes glimmering under the moonlight making its way into the kitchen through the window.

“I am sure you heard me, Maya,” he chuckled, leaning in to grab something from behind. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was grabbing something from the fruit basket behind me.

He grabbed an apple, showing me that he meant what he said, “See, I am hungry.”

“Oh…” I let out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, “I…I was here to get water. Nothing else.”

“I see…” He took a bite from the apple before lifting it in my direction as he noticed me watching him with a curious gaze, “You want a bite?”

Before I could answer, he threw another question at me, “Are you hungry, Maya?”

“No!” I blurted out as soon as he asked the question, “Not at all.”

A chuckle slipped past his lips at my answer, his eyes shining with amusement. “Okay then, I’ll get going,” he said before he turned around and walked away, not before adding, “Goodnight, Maya.”

As he left, I stood still for a moment, taking in the situation, and a blush rose on my cheeks on its own.

“Enough, Maya,” I hissed, “Don’t think so much!” I hurriedly shook my head and walked out of the kitchen, heading straight to my room.