“Yes.” Because I did, and that’s another thing I don’t regret either. “The last thing I wanted was for you to worry about money along with everything else.”
“We are definitely going to talk about this,” She scowls.
“Don’t be a bitch Maymay,” Blair interjects.
“Babes, he did it to make sure you were okay and had less worries. Take it easy on him,” Gracie adds.
The gruesome twosome are my heroes right now. Maya’s face softens slightly, but I know how fiercely independent she is. I knew it wouldn’t be plain sailing once she found out.
Still, no regrets.
Thirty minutes later, the alert goes that someone is on their way up. I go over to let Bernie in, he’s on his own today.
“How are you, Maya?” he asks as he goes to greet her.
“I’ve been better,” She admits. She looks unwell after the morning we’ve had.
“So, fill me in on everything. I hear you have recovered some of your memoires?”
Maya starts to fill him in on the things that have been happening, most of what we alreadyknow, until she gets to ‘Jack’.
“I met him in Bewdley the first time. He came into the sweet shop near the river, introduced himself as Jack and asked me on a date. I said no and left, but after a few minutes he jogged up the road and ask if I’d like to go for a coffee and for my number.
The second time I met with him was after work one morning in a café, we had a nice time, and I left again. It was the last time I saw him that he started to get intimidating. I was leaving the hospital from my appointment with Dr Smyth. He was angry, so angry. He lashed out and grabbed me because I told him I didn’t want to see him romantically. He was convinced there was someone else,” Her eyes slide to me, worry filling them.
“The bruises. They were from him.” Its not a question, it’s a fact. That little fucker. “I’m gonna kill him.”
“No, you won’t. You have to let me deal with this,” Bernie says, staring me down. “Maya, is there anything he has told you that might suggest where he could be staying?”
“He did say he travels with work, which we know is a lie, and that he’s staying in hotels.”
“Okay, leave it with me and I’ll see what we can find. Please, be careful,” He shakes Maya’s hand, leaving in a hurry to go over the newinformation.
After packing a bag and a quick trip to Maya’s, we’re on the road heading towards my house. I’m nervous of how she is going to react when we get there.
“So, should we talk about earlier?” she asks.
Do we have to.
“Yeah, I guess we should.”
“Well, for one, I’m going to pay you back for the cabin. I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way,” she says firmly. “But thank you. I don’t know how I would have coped.”
This isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
“You’re welcome, but baby you don’t need to pay me back.”
“Maybe I don’t need to, but I want to.”
I nod, giving in. for now.
“Two… tell me more about the security.”
“Basically, they monitor your house and work. Stay in the areas where you frequented and always close enough to see you, but not close enough to intrude on your privacy,” I explain.
“Why did no one tell me?” She asks, sounding kind of sad.
“Because we didn’t want to upset you. I was anxious that I couldn’t be there for you, and this way I knew you were looked after.”
