Maia frowned. “You know I don’t read that crap. Is … is there a story in it about you?”
“I went to a house party at the weekend. I got a little fucked up and someone took photos.”
She yanked her phone out of her purse, and I almost regretted telling her as she googled me. I knew the photos she’d find. Me, clearly shit-faced, on some stranger’s couch with two half-naked girls sprawled across me.
Maia’s shoulders tensed as she stared at the photo. “Did you take anything?”
Something like shame heated my cheeks. I’d never had anything harder than weed.
Until this weekend. “I …tried some coke.”
She sucked in a breath.
It wasn’t something I was intending to do again. I just wanted to let loose a bit. Unfortunately, this was the fifth story about my partying that had made it into the papers in the last six months.
“Whose party was it?”
“Dunno. Just some people I met when I was out.”
Her head snapped up, her eyes flashing angrily. “Random strangers who could have done anything to you … and they did. You took coke. And they sold photos of you, Baird. You’re lucky there were no photos of you taking the coke.”
Irritation and guilt were not a good combo for me. “I don’t need this judgmental shit from you, My. I’m about to get fucking reamed enough as it is when I go into training.”
“As well you should. I have never felt our age gap more than I do right now.”
“You’re four years older than me, My. That’s it. I was probablyfuckingbefore you were.” It wasn’t like me to becrass toward her in that way. I winced, regretting the words.
Before I could apologize, Maia pushed her chair back and stood. She pressed her hands to the table to lean toward me so she could hiss quietly, “My mum used to end up at random people’s houses to getfucked up.”
Surprise cut through me. “My?—”
“My mum was an addict,” she confessed. “Heroin.”
“Maia—”
“Partied hard. It started out like this. A little experimentation here and there.” She waved a hand at me and straightened, sorrow flicking across her beautiful face. “It quickly snowballs. And I don’t need that shit in my life again.”
Before I could say a word, she stormed out.
Panicked, I pushed away from the table and was out of my seat so hard the chair toppled. I didn’t take time to right it. Instead, I raced after My.
I caught up with her as she stepped outside the building.
“Maia.” I rounded in front of her on the pavement.
She glared up at me, but there were tears in her eyes. The sight of them killed me.
“Never again.” I took her gently by the shoulders, hoping she could read my sincerity. “I will never touch the stuff ever again. I can’t. I’d lose my spot on the team. It was a mistake. I promise you I will never do it again.”
“Don’t do it for me. Do it for yourself, Baird. Do it for your sister and your mum who love you and count on you.”
I released her like she burned to the touch. BecauseMaiadidn’t love me and count on me yet. But … there were tears in her eyes, and that meant something.
“I’ll do it for me. But I am doing it for you too. You … your friendship means more to me than a few minutes of partying. I didn’t … I didn’t know about your mum.”
Maia grimaced and looked away. “I don’t tell a lot of people.”
“You can tell me anything.”
