Page 21

Everything felt calm.

Grace and I apologized to each other and made up for yesterday's fight.

That was good.

Mostly because I hardly ever apologize for my actions—but she was different. And she deserved it.

Everything was going in the right direction.

But I knew myself better than this.

I turned off the engine, and the hum stopped as we got out. We walked side by side, and I couldn't help but lean in, my arm brushing against hers—just for the feeling of her skin.

I didn't pull away once—I mean, why would I?

Once we were inside the house, Grace turned to me, a little embarrassed. "I'm going to my room now..."

"You're going to draw?" I asked, smirking.

I just know her habits now. Nothing to overthink, nothing to question.

She raised her eyebrows, a surprised look on her face. "Maybe..." she murmured.

I nodded, and before I could say anything, my eyes trailed over her face until—

I noticed something on her lips—a faint trace of chocolate from the soufflé, barely noticeable unless you were looking closely.

I couldn't stop myself.

My hand reached out—slowly, almost hesitantly, and my thumb brushed against her lower lip. I wiped away the chocolate, but my touch lingered just a second too long.

I couldn't breathe properly.

Everything happened too fast for me to process.

Grace froze, her body stiffening, her face turning pink. It was adorable.

"You had a bit of chocolate," I said, my voice quiet and calm even though I felt the heat rise in my own neck. I wasn't sure what to do with this sudden rush of emotions.

"Oh..." she swallowed. "Thank you..." she murmured.

We still stood there, lost in the moment, unable to look away, until—

I took a step closer.

My body was just a few inches away, almost touching. I lowered my gaze to meet her height as her soft blue eyes flickered up at me, sending a shiver down my spine.

How easy it would be now to just lean in a little closer and—

Grace looked away, clearing her throat. "I'm—I'm going to my room now..." her hands started fiddling nervously with the sleeves of her jacket.

"Yeah, right..." I said, snapping back to reality.

Her expression changed, becoming more conflicted and self-conscious. I watched her, my eyes following every step as she slowly climbed the stairs and disappeared into her room.

The house felt empty once she was gone.

My body felt restless—like I was waiting for something to happen.

I looked down at my finger, where the chocolate from her lip still lingered. Without thinking, I brought it to my mouth, my tongue licking it slowly—savoring it.

My body shuddered at the feeble taste. A tingling sensation ran through my legs.

Her lips.

Her taste.

I knew it. I knew it was only a matter of time before it turned into something I couldn't control—a reckless pull I couldn't explain. Something that made everything else fade away. Even the logic.

The ignition.

Fuck me.

But I still wonder what's behind that face when she suddenly becomes so self-conscious. I can tell there's something fragile hiding.

I just wish she didn't feel this way about herself.

I gotta snap back to reality now.

Because if everything was fine, I'd mess it up, right?

No time to waste. I had a job to do.

Don't let Grace anywhere near Nick.

Keep Nick away from her.

It's not a problem for me to put him in his place.

I've already done it once, and I'll do it again if I have to.

Let's get this over with.

I don't like when things don't go the way I want—I expect things to be under control.

My house, my rules.

I quickly walked into the kitchen, knowing I'd find Nelly there. As soon as I saw her, I went up to her with an already pleading expression.

"You need to ask me something, Maya?" she said, already understanding my actions.

"A very important something," I started.

And with that—I carefully explained my plan to her.

Oh, Grace is going to be so pissed for this.

This is going to backfire on me.

Jeez, why does chaos always follow me?

But I have to do this shit. It's for her own good.

Nelly listened intently, her expression serious as she processed my few, important words.

"Maya... don't you think this is a little too much?" she asked after I gave her the instructions to follow.

"Nelly," I said, my voice low but firm. "Do you remember what he did?"

She nodded, her expression tightening, like she wanted to argue but couldn't.

"Nevertheless, you should let Grace make mistakes on her own. Don't try to stop her..." her voice patient with me.

"This isn't about Grace, it's about him," I said quickly.

That's not the exact truth—It's about them.

Them together, for the fucking record.

The look Nelly gave me said she wasn't fooled. "Yes, sure.... but she's involved..." she replied.

"I can't just stand by and watch her mess up before it's too late," I burst out, my voice tight with frustration.

And I mean it.

I fucking mean it.

Nelly looked up at me like she had figured something out. "Fine," she surrendered. "I'll follow your instructions, Maya."

I nodded a few times, feeling relieved. "Good. Thank you, Nelly, I really appreciate it."

And once again, I wasn't thinking about the consequences of my actions—it's one of my bad habits.

I hugged Nelly, said goodbye, then went to my room to change into something more comfortable. I had a shift at the community center and needed to hurry.

I left my house, and as I was driving, I passed the same Taco Bell where Grace and I had gone that night. The memory hit me hard in the chest.

I let out a heavy sigh, gripping the steering wheel tighter—she was all over my mind.

Once I arrived at work, I got out of the car, still feeling the rush of emotions in my body as I pulled my phone out of my jeans.

I ordered the entire Taco Bell menu—literally everything—to be delivered to my place.

I won't get back home for at least three hours... but a certain someone may like it.

I'm fucked up. Again.

A/N

See you very soon for the next big rollercoaster... ????