Page 42

"At least I finally got your number, Maya," I said, amused.

We were cuddling in my bed, the sheets beneath us—the door closed. Maya was running her fingers through my hair. I rested my head on her shoulder and let her hold me.

"You've got more than just my number now..." she said, pressing soft kisses on my neck that leave me with a trail of tingles down my spine.

I smirked. "Oh, I've noticed—but now I have to decide what to call you in my phone."

Suddenly, I had her full attention.

"What about 'My beautiful smart taller charming girlfriend'?" Maya teased.

I rolled my eyes. "You're so extra," I muttered, shaking my head.

"But I only spoke the truth, sweetheart," she grinned.

I raised an eyebrow, letting out a snort. "Taller?" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm definitely taller than you," Maya shot back, daring me to argue.

"Maybe a little," I muttered, pretending to be offended.

Maya let out a low, sarcastic laugh and said "you're cute for trying" and somehow, that made me laugh too—even as I tried to stand my ground.

"Get up, now. I'll show you how much taller I am than you," she challenged, nudging me.

"Pass," I said fast, trying to sound as casual as I could.

Maya chuckled, amused. "Afraid of being wrong, Grace?"

I clearly didn't want to prove her right... because she was—so I dodged it.

"I know what to call you in my phone..." I said, quickly changing the subject. "'My Moon,'" I declared with a grin, my eyes lingering on the ring she gave me.

"Sounds perfect," Maya approved, her fingers tangling in my hair. "Then you're 'My Sun,'" she murmured in my ear.

I couldn't help but smile as Maya pulled me close, her arms encircling my waist. Slowly, her body moved carefully above mine, pressing gently. My arms wrapped around her neck, and her fingers traced circles on my cheek.

"I've never felt anything like this before," I confessed.

"Me neither, sweetheart. You make everything feel better," she said, her hand now caressing my wrist and trailing up my arm.

"Did I?" I whispered, my cheeks suddenly flushing.

Maya's lips curled into a smile. "You do, Grace," she said firmly. "You've changed everything without even trying."

"Thank you," I breathed out, my heart fluttering in my chest.

Her face softened, coming closer to my lips. "You don't have to thank—"

Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hall, getting closer to my room. Maya stayed calm above me, tilting her head only when she noticed I was on the verge of panic.

Without thinking, I jumped up, unintentionally making Maya lose her balance before she got off my bed too.

"Shit, sorry," I mumbled, sheepishly.

"Grace, can I come in?" My mom cut in, knocking on the door.

I gave Maya an apologetic glance, but she seemed calm and completely unbothered by the situation.

"Yes, Mom," I replied, doing my best to sound natural.

"Oh, Maya," my mom opened the door and smiled when she saw her. "You're here..." she said, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Yes, I am, Giselle," Maya replied composed, a gentle smile on her lips.

And, apparently, she was now calling my mom by her first name...

"What are you girls up to?" she asked, her tone curious.

I froze for a second, blinking like a deer in headlights, just hoping she'd drop it.

Seriously, what do you even say when you're almost caught mid-kiss with your girlfriend—who happens to be the daughter of your mom's boyfriend?

An idea suddenly popped into my head.

"Here's the book you asked for, Maya," I said, handing her the first thing I grabbed from my desk.

My book about Renaissance art...

Maya played along, walking up to me with a subtle, cheeky smile. "Thanks, Gracie—exactly what I was looking for."

Her fingers purposely slid over mine as I felt a tingling sensation from just that touch.

My mom looked pleasantly surprised. "Didn't know you were into art, Maya..."

Maya smirked, glancing briefly at me. "Oh, I'm actually all over it now, ma'am," she said, her voice smooth with that signature effortless cool.

It takes everything in me not to burst into a ridiculous smile at this point.

"I'll leave you two alone. See you later..." she said, flashing her best smile at both me and my mom before turning to walk away.

I could feel the heat rising in my neck as I watched her leave—like she hadn't just casually won my mom over in ten seconds flat.

"It's so nice to see you two finally bonding, Grace," my mom said, breaking into my daydream. "And she's also interested in art..." she added, settling onto my messy bed.

"Yeah—yes, Mom," I replied awkwardly, going along with her assumption.

She's such a smooth liar...

"Sit," she asked, patting the mattress. "So, you're not leaving, right?"

I shook my head firmly. "No, I'm not. I'm staying," I replied immediately. "And... I'm actually very happy here."

My mom gave me an approving nod. "That's good to hear, honey. "You're getting better every day."

My mind drifting to Ohio—my dark days, the pain I never fully showed. She sees it, even if I don't say it.

"Oh, and..." I murmured, a small flicker of hope in my voice. "That formal outfit I wore the other day was for a museum interview... Maya actually convinced me to go."

"That's wonderful, Grace!" my mom exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, they'll get back to me eventually," I said, still not totally sure how I did.

"I'm sure everything will go smoothly," she assured, pulling me into a hug. "I'll have to thank Maya for convincing you."

"Thank you, Mom," I said, hugging her back.

She said dinner was ready and left my room. I let out a deep sigh and dropped back onto the bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling as my thoughts swirled.

I guess Maya and I really need to have a serious talk about this whole act I set up—and how she apparently went along with it...

Dinner was served quickly—thankfully. Victor was in a rush: work stuff, though I wasn't sure what exactly was making him so restless.

I mean, they own a chain of luxury hotels, so it made sense he had a lot of serious responsibility.

I kept my head down on my plate, just hoping to get through it without being noticed.

But Maya? She wasn't making it easy.

I could feel her eyes on me the whole time—burning into my skin, like she was studying every move I made.

I could feel my face heating up, and the more I tried to ignore her—the more obvious it became.

At some point, I even gave her a little head shake, but she just shrugged it off, amused.

It was clear she wanted to prove a point to me.

Finally, dinner was over, and I escaped to my room—Maya went to hers. I waited for her to show up, but the more time passed, the more nervous I got, turning every second into torture.

What if she doesn't show up? Maybe she's mad at me. My thoughts crept into my mind, making my heart race even faster.

I couldn't wait anymore. I got up, determined to go to her room.

But before I could take a step, the door to my room swung open—Maya beat me to it.

"Hey..." Her expression was amused. "What are you up to, sweetheart?" she teased, raising a brow before swiftly closing the door behind her.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Don't play around, you know I was waiting for you..."

"Well..." Maya trailed off, slipping into my room with a mischievous grin. "I came to return your book."

I gave her a side-eye, but she just kept walking with that smug grin, clearly having way too much fun with it.

"You know what I was thinking while reading this Renaissance art book?" she said suddenly, nudging my shoulder to get me to sit down.

I couldn't help but laugh. "You read it?"

Maya raised a brow. "Ugh, of course I did."

"Okay... continue..." I murmured, trying to hide my surprise.

"That I want to go to Italy with you and see the Renaissance art."

And she was completely serious.

No more grinning.

No more teasing.

I pursed my lips into a soft smile as Maya stepped closer and kissed my neck—that spot must be her favorite, and I didn't mind at all.

"Italy with you sounds kind of perfect," I said softly.

"Then we'll go," she affirmed, smiling like it was already decided.

I squeezed her arm, guiding her to lie beside me. I rested my head on her chest as she wrapped her arms around me.

"There's something we need to talk about, Maya..." I whispered, lowering my gaze.

She didn't hesitate. "Of course," her voice calm but knowing—like she'd already sensed it.

"Many things have changed between us, and I'm really happy about it..." I started.

"Everything changed, sweetheart," she replied, lifting my chin so our eyes met. "I get to call you mine."

"And I love it," I said, looking right into her eyes.

Maya cupped my face, her thumb gently brushing my cheek. "You wanna talk about what happened with your mom, right?"

I nodded, feeling undeniably fragile and vulnerable about what I was about to say, but deep down, I knew I had to push through it.

"I think it's better if we don't say anything about us for now."

Maya exhaled deeply. She was expecting me to say that. But saying it out loud was a whole different thing.

"Why, Grace?" she asked sincerely. "Do you think avoiding it will make it easier?" Her tone was a mix of understanding and frustration.

"No, I know it won't, but..." I took a deep breath."My mom's been through so much since the divorce from my dad, and she's finally happy now. I don't want to be the one to mess that up. Not now..."

Maya nodded slowly, her expression serious but torn. "I get that, Grace." Her jaw tightened just a bit. "But that doesn't mean you have to hide how you feel. You deserve to be happy too."

The firm reassurance in her words settled inside me. Maya always wanted the best for me—even when I wasn't sure I deserved it.

"I'm really happy with you, Maya," I said sincerely. "That's exactly why I want things to stay this way."

She leaned in, her lips capturing mine in a kiss that was both reassuring and consuming.

It made something in me ache, like it could almost bring me to tears.

"Waiting only makes it worse if they find out," she murmured against my lips.

"I know..." I whispered back. "But if we tell them now, do you really think they'll understand what's between us?" My voice cracked slightly, the weight of everything pressing down on us. "I just want to protect us, Maya... more than anything."

"I'll protect you," she quickly replied.

"Yes, I know, darling," I said with a smile. "But what scares me is what might come once they know—the consequences."

Maya let out a low, amused hum under her breath. "Can't wait to face them," she replied fiercely.

I tilted my head. "Be serious."

Her tone didn't waver as she met my gaze. "I am being serious, Grace. We can handle this."

I looked into her piercing eyes, and it hit me how she stayed so sure of herself—even when everything around us felt so fragile.

"I wish I had your confidence right now," I confessed.

Maya pulled me closer, her warm breath on my ear. "But you have it, Grace," she assured me. "You just need to trust yourself a little more. I believe in you."

I just shook my head. "No, I don't have it. I'm afraid."

"Grace," Maya said firmly, her fingers brushing my cheek in that way that made everything else fade. "I meant it when I said I'll face your fears with you. Whatever you're not ready for, I'll protect it. That's why I'm willing to keep our secret between us, for now."

My chest felt lighter at her words, like my fear had finally found a place to rest—in her.

"Thank you for always understanding me, even when I'm hard to understand," I whispered, hugging her so tightly against me.

"I've got you, sweetheart," Maya reassured me, her eyes sparkling. "So... don't get caught..." she teased.

"Yes," I nodded firmly. "That means no intense glances like you gave me during dinner, no hands where they shouldn't be, and no teasing," I said, trying to sound serious. "And definitely no making it harder for me to focus."

Maya giggled. "Making it harder, huh?"

"Yep," I answered. "You're really good at distracting me..."

She leaned in close, then suddenly yanked the sheets off the bed and tugged us both underneath.

"You're distracting me right now," I swallowed hard.

Her grin widened. "Good to know. That was exactly my intention." She kissed me.

She pulled me into a tight, urgent embrace, her body so warm and inviting that I let out a low, intense hum against her lips.

Maya smirked, raising both eyebrows. "Looks like we're going to need way more self-control than that."

"Shut up, please," I murmured, trying—and failing—to sound serious. I was already breathless, just from how close she was.

Without thinking, we wrapped ourselves up in each other, cuddling close under the sheets as my room grew dark and moonlight slipped through the curtains.

"Keeping it low-key, huh?" Maya said, her voice questioning, like she was testing the idea.

My lips formed a soft pout. "I'm sorry," I said, hoping she could forgive my fears.

"You don't have to apologize, it's okay," she said, before pressing a slow kiss.

One I knew would linger in my memory. And on my lips.

"Alright..." she murmured, giving in. I could tell she was forcing herself to stop, even though she didn't want to. "I think it's safer if I stay under the radar and just go for now... we don't want your mom to walk in and catch us like this, huh?"

I gave a reluctant shake of my head.

I really didn't want to let go, but deep down, I knew it was the only way to protect us from the rest of the world.

"I'm counting the hours until I see you tomorrow," I said.

Maya pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "I promise, we'll find a way to stay together—no matter what."

With that promise, she got up from my bed and headed toward the door, blowing me a kiss. I watched her walk away with my heart sinking.

I guess from this moment on, I seriously needed more than just self-control—because she made me feel so damn good every single second.

But that's our secret to keep.

A/N

Okay but like... things are lowkey getting serious?? ??

and that's all I'm gonna say. For now.

????