Maya's wine glass stops halfway to her mouth. She sets it down carefully, her jaw tight.
"I wouldn't know about that."
"No? I figured working there, you'd hear things."
"I don't work there anymore." Her voice has an edge now. "Budget cuts."
Tyler leans back in his chair, studying her. "That's unfortunate. You were always good at what you did."
"Leave it, Ty," Donny says quietly, catching the tension.
But Tyler doesn't leave it, keeps watching Maya like he's trying to solve a puzzle. The conversation moves on to safer topics: Donny's new apartment, Emma's pregnancy cravings, Ethan's newest words, but the damage is done. Maya orders another glass of wine and retreats further into herself.
Dessert comes and goes. Ethan falls asleep in Emma's arms, tired from all the excitement. The check arrives, and Chase grabs it before Tyler can argue.
"Next time," Chase says.
"You said that last time," Tyler protests.
"And I'll say it next time too."
We file outside, but before we can all leave, Emma insists on getting extra desserts to go and disappears back inside with Chase and Ethan, leaving me, Maya, Tyler, and Donny standing on the sidewalk.
Tyler's on Maya immediately. "So what really happened in Pinewood?"
"Nothing."
"Come on. You show up in Hartford out of nowhere, you're not working, you're drinking like it's going out of style." He steps closer. "Something happened."
"Tyler, back off," I say.
"I'm just trying to help."
"You're being an asshole," Donny says quietly. "Leave it alone."
But Tyler's never known when to quit. "Maya, if something happened to you?—"
"Nothing happened to me." Her voice is sharp now. "Can you just drop it?"
"I know you. You don't just leave a job you love for no reason."
“Tyler.” My voice has a warning in it now. “Stop.”
He ignores me, focused entirely on Maya. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. We’re friends, right?”
“We were friends.” Maya’s backing away from him now, toward the wall. “Now you’re just someone who can’t take a hint.”
“I’m trying to help?—”
And then he does the stupidest thing possible.
He reaches for her and puts his hand on her arm to stop her from backing away further.
Maya flinches so hard she hits the wall behind her.
“Don’t—” Her voice cracks. “Tyler, let go.”
But he doesn’t. He steps closer instead, into her space, his grip tightening on her arm. “Maya, just listen to me for one second?—”
