back to the present, he gripped her shoulder with his good hand. “We were talking about Craig. Don’t think you can distract me with a trip down memory lane.”
Looking hurt and confused, she said, “That’s not what I was trying to do. Is remembering the good times we had together so terrible? It wasn’t all bad, you know.”
No, it was all good, and that was the problem. If they’d had a history of bitter fights, it would have been easier to take, but their relationship was perfect, or so he thought. That’s why it came like a sucker punch to the gut when he found out it was anything but perfect.
“Back to Craig,” he said, quietly, trying to rein in his rising temper. He knew he wouldn’t get the answers he needed if he put her on the defensive. This was her house; she could ask him to leave and he would be no further ahead than he was a day ago. In fact, he would be further behind, because now he had to come to terms with the reason she’d come back into his life now, made love to him again, and…
“Whatever’s on your mind, just say it, Dave. If you have a question for me, just ask.”
“I thought I did ask a question, which you failed to answer. Would you have made love to Craig if you hadn’t been drinking that night?”
Scrubbing her hands over her face, she said, “No, no way.”
He pulled her hands away. He used to be able to read her mood just by looking into those beautiful baby blues. “You’re telling me you didn’t have any feelings for him?”
“Of course I did. We were friends. He was an important part of your life and that made him important to me.”
“Had he ever hit on you before?” he asked, still trying to make sense of how this had happened. Was it an isolated incident that happened as a result of excessive drinking or was it his friend’s intent to seduce his girlfriend?
“No, never. He and I talked about you and our plans for the future all the time. There was nothing inappropriate, I swear. He knew how much I loved you.”
He wanted to believe her, but there was still a niggling of doubt in his mind. He felt as though she was still holding out on him. “You’re sure?”
“Yes, I would have told you if he’d ever made advances toward me.”
“I want to believe you, but…” He couldn’t be certain. Maya was a peace-maker, not a trouble-maker. It would go against her nature to try and stir up trouble between two friends.
She sighed. “I’m telling you the truth. That night was the first and only night anything happened between me and Craig.”
Chapter Six
Maya hated herself for not telling him the whole truth, but she couldn’t bring herself to put their friendship in jeopardy over something that happened once, over ten years ago. She wasn’t letting Craig off the hook, but she reminded herself that if she hadn’t indulged in too many shots, she would never have mistaken Craig for her boyfriend that night.
She took his hand and led him into the bedroom, hoping the reminder of what they could have in the present would prevent him from dwelling on their past. “Can we just forget about this for a while?” she asked, turning into his arms. “Please?”
He sighed. “Don’t you think I want to forget? Don’t you think I’ve spent the past ten years trying to forget?”
That he suffered as much as she did over the years never occurred to her. The easygoing guy she used to know was replaced by a brooding, angry man too caught up in the past to recognize their potential for a future, and she knew she was partially to blame for that.
“Fine, if you need to have this out, let’s have it out.” She crossed the room, turning on a table lamp that cast a soft glow over the room. Pacing the floor, she asked, “What do you want to know?” She knew certain secrets weren’t hers to reveal. If Craig chose to come clean with him, that was his prerogative, but she refused to be the reason for another rift in their
Looking hurt and confused, she said, “That’s not what I was trying to do. Is remembering the good times we had together so terrible? It wasn’t all bad, you know.”
No, it was all good, and that was the problem. If they’d had a history of bitter fights, it would have been easier to take, but their relationship was perfect, or so he thought. That’s why it came like a sucker punch to the gut when he found out it was anything but perfect.
“Back to Craig,” he said, quietly, trying to rein in his rising temper. He knew he wouldn’t get the answers he needed if he put her on the defensive. This was her house; she could ask him to leave and he would be no further ahead than he was a day ago. In fact, he would be further behind, because now he had to come to terms with the reason she’d come back into his life now, made love to him again, and…
“Whatever’s on your mind, just say it, Dave. If you have a question for me, just ask.”
“I thought I did ask a question, which you failed to answer. Would you have made love to Craig if you hadn’t been drinking that night?”
Scrubbing her hands over her face, she said, “No, no way.”
He pulled her hands away. He used to be able to read her mood just by looking into those beautiful baby blues. “You’re telling me you didn’t have any feelings for him?”
“Of course I did. We were friends. He was an important part of your life and that made him important to me.”
“Had he ever hit on you before?” he asked, still trying to make sense of how this had happened. Was it an isolated incident that happened as a result of excessive drinking or was it his friend’s intent to seduce his girlfriend?
“No, never. He and I talked about you and our plans for the future all the time. There was nothing inappropriate, I swear. He knew how much I loved you.”
He wanted to believe her, but there was still a niggling of doubt in his mind. He felt as though she was still holding out on him. “You’re sure?”
“Yes, I would have told you if he’d ever made advances toward me.”
“I want to believe you, but…” He couldn’t be certain. Maya was a peace-maker, not a trouble-maker. It would go against her nature to try and stir up trouble between two friends.
She sighed. “I’m telling you the truth. That night was the first and only night anything happened between me and Craig.”
Chapter Six
Maya hated herself for not telling him the whole truth, but she couldn’t bring herself to put their friendship in jeopardy over something that happened once, over ten years ago. She wasn’t letting Craig off the hook, but she reminded herself that if she hadn’t indulged in too many shots, she would never have mistaken Craig for her boyfriend that night.
She took his hand and led him into the bedroom, hoping the reminder of what they could have in the present would prevent him from dwelling on their past. “Can we just forget about this for a while?” she asked, turning into his arms. “Please?”
He sighed. “Don’t you think I want to forget? Don’t you think I’ve spent the past ten years trying to forget?”
That he suffered as much as she did over the years never occurred to her. The easygoing guy she used to know was replaced by a brooding, angry man too caught up in the past to recognize their potential for a future, and she knew she was partially to blame for that.
“Fine, if you need to have this out, let’s have it out.” She crossed the room, turning on a table lamp that cast a soft glow over the room. Pacing the floor, she asked, “What do you want to know?” She knew certain secrets weren’t hers to reveal. If Craig chose to come clean with him, that was his prerogative, but she refused to be the reason for another rift in their
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