Page 119
Maya managed a laugh as they neared the tea shop, and spotted Rosie coming toward them.
“Hey, fam,” Rosie said, giving Maya a kiss on the cheek and Hana one on the lips. “How come you two are all smiley all of a sudden? That’s an improvement to the downer vibe when I left you.”
Maya rubbed her eyes, remembering her anguish. “Don’t talk about it.”
“Oops,” Rosie said, wincing. “Sorry.” She opened the tea shop door. “I’ll buy the cake, on account of reminding you.”
They entered and found a table.
Hana gave Rosie a nudge. “The reason we were smiling was because Maya butted heads with her arch nemesis and it was epic.”
Maya smiled. “It was more of a double team, actually.”
Rosie grinned at Maya. “Nice one. Was it that nasty Catriona cow that Hana told me about? Hope you sent her packing.”
Maya blew out a breath. “Packed, house sold, and off to a small uninhabited island, hopefully.” She looked at Hana. “By the way, was that true? About the libel stuff?”
Hana screwed up her face. “Not exactly. That stuff doesn’t really stick. Not unless you can prove what was written on social media cost someone a job or such like.” She morphed her grimace into a grin. “But Little Miss Cow Bag doesn’t know that, does she?”
Maya laughed.
“Speaking of jobs,” Rosie said. “What are you going to do about that Perry and Pearson position? Don’t you need to tell them by tomorrow?”
Maya stared out the window, where a bit of a blizzard seemed to be starting, remembering how good it felt to stand up to Cat. Fair enough, it hadn’t felt good so far with her dad, but still. Sam was worth all of it, and what’s more, her happiness was too.
“I’m turning it down.” Saying it out loud was such a relief that it cemented it was the right thing to do. “I’m turning it down, and telling Ben that I’m staying on at the ski resort permanently. And I’m going to wait for Sam to be ready for a relationship. I’ll prove that I’m there for him, every day, until then.”
Rosie blinked furiously, reaching for a napkin to dab her eyes. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
Maya glanced over at Hana, and was surprised to see her eyes were shining too. “You okay, Hans?” Hana never normally went in for anything mushy.
She blinked, rubbing her eyes. “No. Bloody pregnancy hormones.”
Rosie laughed, circling Hana’s shoulders and kissing her cheek. “Aw, sweetheart.”
Maya leaned back in her seat. “We’d better order extra cake. I’m going to need the sugar rush to fuel my next confrontation. With Dad.”
Rosie’s eyes widened and she waved at the server. “Excuse me, miss. You’re going to need a few sheets on that notepad.”
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Listless didn’t cover it. Only a week had passed since his conversation with Maya, and it seemed like an eternity.
Thinking of what had occurred as a “conversation” prevented him from facing the truth of what happened—he’d dumped her. Whenever that definition crossed his mind, he’d have to squeeze his eyes tight in discomfort. Never in a million years had he thought if life gave him a second chance with Maya Bashir, then he’d be the one ending it. But he’d had to, for her own good.
A lifetime without her stretched before him. Her off to Edinburgh, starting that new job and becoming a highflier, no doubt meeting some guy with status that Omar would frigging adore.
He rubbed his eyes, staring out the patio window at where the snow was spinning in the wind, mimicking his inner turmoil. Just when he’d been so close, so near to believing that she could finally be his, everything went to shit.
The doorbell rang, and he considered not answering it. But then it rang again, and clearly, whoever it was would have seen his car on the driveway and known he was in.
Dragging himself up, he went to the front door and opened it. Liv was standing there, snow blowing around her as she raised her eyebrows. “Let me in, doofus. It’s bloody freezing out here.”
“Sorry,” Sam muttered, shifting to the side to allow her to pass and closing the door against the whiteout.
Liv shook off her clothing, then removed her jacket and snow boots. She glanced up as she walked past him toward the kitchen. “Is the kettle boiled? You clearly need a cup of my tea, stat.”
