Page 43

I'm not a morning person.

Too bad my phone ringing woke me up. I was still half asleep, with one eye closed, when I picked it up from the nightstand.

Unknown number.

I decided to answer anyway because the call seemed persistent, and my ringtone was getting on my nerves.

"Hello?"

"Miss Hart, Grace Hart?"

"Yes, it's me," I replied lazily.

"Miss Hart, this is the supervisor of the museum. I'm calling about the position we discussed during your interview a couple of days ago."

Oh, shit.

I immediately sat up, holding my phone tightly despite still being half asleep.

"Yes. Please, continue," I said, masking my trembling voice.

"I'm here to inform you that we've officially offering you the job."

Oh, shit, indeed.

I was speechless.

"We're excited to have you on board, we'll be sending you an official offer letter via email with all the information," she added politely.

Is this fucking real? Or am I dreaming? My heart was pounding like crazy—I need to pull myself together.

"Um, thank you so much for the opportunity, ma'am. I'm really excited to join you," I barely managed to say.

Then we exchanged a formal goodbye before ending the call.

I let myself fall back on the bed, my body going numb, eyes wide as I stared at the ceiling, smiling like an idiot.

I stayed in that state of disbelief for—I don't know how long. Eventually, I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, then ran a brush through my hair... still feeling like it hadn't really sunk in.

I walked out the door in my white and pink pajamas, and the sound of Maya's soft voice coming from the living room finally brought me back to reality.

"Good morning, dear," Nelly smiled at me.

"Good morning, Nelly," I smiled back.

I glanced at Maya, and her gorgeous smile lit up the room. Her long hair flowed down her back, and her fitted black silk pajamas highlighted her stunning curves.

"Good morning, Grace... up early this morning?" Maya teased me.

"Um, apparently..." I couldn't help but smile childishly, which made her raise an eyebrow and smile back.

"Let her be, Maya..." Nelly scolded her.

Maya burst into a sly laugh, then became more serious. "What do you want for breakfast, Grace?"

I sat on the stool right next to hers. "I'll take whatever..."

"Name anything you want, Grace. You choose," Maya insisted.

"Um... avocado toast then, is that pos—"

"Yeah, make it double, Nelly. I want one too, thanks," Maya cut in with a smile.

Nelly seemed pretty interested in our interaction and walked into the kitchen with a slight smile on her lips.

"Hey," Maya's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Her fingers traced lightly over my thigh. "I thought you were still asleep, so I didn't wake you..."

"It's okay..." I smiled softly.

Her brow furrowed. "You look weird, Grace... like you're trying to act normal but failing," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" she asked quickly.

Was that the right moment to tell her? She looked worried about me, so... yeah, I guess it was. I didn't want her to think that I looked weird because of her.

"I have some news..." I fidgeted nervously with my fingers.

Maya took my hand, stopping me in my tracks. Her eyes were soft but worried, silently urging me to go on.

"This morning, the museum—the one where I had the interview," I clarified, "called me..."

"Yes, sweetheart, I remember," Maya laughed. "What did they say?"

"Um, they... they hired me," I mumbled.

Maya's eyes lit up immediately as she flashed a wide, beautiful smile. "Grace, that's amazing," she said, her hand instantly squeezing mine. "I knew it! I knew you were going to get it!"

My nervousness slowly melted away as I leaned closer, feeling Maya's warm body press gently against mine. She seemed so genuinely happy for me. It made my heart calm down.

"I still can't believe it's really happening..." I confessed.

Maya's hand slid to my waist, her touch reassuring and firm. "I never doubted it, sweetheart. I'm proud of you."

My heart raced as I locked eyes with her. "Thank you. I wouldn't have made it without you."

Her lips curling into a grin. "You've always had it in you, Grace. I'm just here to remind you."

And just like that, my heart melted. I couldn't help but lean in, brushing my lips against hers, the soft touch slowly turning into a kiss we both deepened. Our tongues eagerly intertwined, our breaths growing hotter.

I had everything I had ever wanted.

Maya, the job I'd always dreamed of, and a future that suddenly felt within reach.

Everything felt so damn good.

Our kiss got more intense and wet, her hand on my waist, mine on her jaw—making everything even better than it already was.

Until—I suddenly heard the click of something hitting the table just in front of us.

My heart faltered. I broke the kiss and swallowed hard. I looked up—Nelly was standing right in front of us, frozen in place.

Shit.

This is not really happening.

Not now that we've decided to keep it a secret.

Not when everything was perfect.

My eyes frantically moved back and forth between Nelly and Maya, as we were all trying to figure out what to say.

"Nelly," Maya spoke first, her voice the calmest thing in the room. Her hand rested on my thigh.

The woman raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "I think we need to be honest with each other about this."

Maya gave her a nod, getting what she meant since she clearly saw us making out.

I bit my lip, heart racing, panic in my chest.

"We didn't mean for this to happen, Nelly," Maya said, her voice steady and unwavering. "What's between us... it just happened." Her hand grounded me.

Nelly's expression was serious—then out of nowhere she let out a small laugh that completely caught me off guard.

"Well, I suppose here we are," she said, her voice gentler with quiet acceptance.

"Wh—what?" I cut in.

The old woman's arms dropped to her sides. "I knew something was going on. I was just waiting for it to happen."

I almost choked on that.

Maya burst into a laugh. "Things moved faster than we thought," she smiled mischievously. "But somehow, time felt endless for me, Nelly."

I was confused by the sudden change in the direction of this conversation.

Nelly nodded slowly, her face knowing. "I had a feeling..."

"You're not even surprised?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

Nelly chuckled wryly. "I've known Maya since she was four years old, Grace..." She studied her for a moment, then added, "I figured it was either because she was struggling with something, or... because she was starting to care deeply about someone."

I was caught off guard by her words, and without thinking, I grabbed Maya's hand and squeezed it tight.

"From the look on your faces, I suppose I'm the only one who knows about this?" Nelly asked, her expression turning serious again.

I gave her a silent nod. She studied us for a moment, then hummed quietly. "Come on, you two, eat now."

"Nelly—" I called out, not even bothering to look at the food. "Please, don't tell Victor. And don't tell my mom either..."

"I won't," she assured us. "But you need to tell them as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will be worse," her voice firm but caring.

I nodded as my eyes landed on Maya's face as she gave me an I-told-you-so smirk.

We thanked Nelly before she headed into the kitchen, leaving us alone. I tried to calm down as I rested my head on Maya's shoulder, burying my face in the curve of her neck.

"Hey, don't worry, Grace. We've got this," she said softly, stroking my hair. "We can trust Nelly, and when the time is right, we'll tell them."

"Yes..." I murmured, my voice muffled.

Maya kissed my head. "Now eat. We have to celebrate your job, remember?"

I just shook my head reluctantly, but Maya wasn't having any of it. She gently took my hand, guiding it toward the plate in front of me. "Eat."

I smiled despite myself, knowing she wouldn't let me get away with it.

"I'm starting to worry about how you always seem to be right..." I said, glancing over to see if she was eating too.

"I don't seem. I'm always right," Maya replied nonchalantly as she started eating her toast.

I shook my head dismissively. "Yeah-yeah, we're talking about it later..."

"Yeah—let's discuss it later, Grace..." she said, hinting at something as she raised a brow.

~

We didn't discuss it later.

Unfortunately for us.

Maya was called for a shift at the Community Center.

I was leaning, arms crossed, on her room's doorframe as she was... changing clothes.

It was a view that honestly really turned me on.

And she was purposely taking her sweet time slipping into those high-waisted jeans while I just stared at her black panties and sculpted butt.

God.

What really hit me was how confident she was about her body—something that made her even hotter.

It was something I still struggled to feel about myself.

"We're gonna discuss it later," Maya repeated, turning in my direction with a knowing smile.

"Discuss what?" I teased purposefully.

"Everything."

Maya took off her pajama shirt, revealing her black lace bra. Her boobs were perfect—rounded and tempting, as if made to drive me insane.

She suddenly walked over to me, and before I could react, with a soft yet firm touch, she placed her hands on my shoulder, pushing me back against the door.

Her lips crashed into mine, intense and overwhelming as her fingers tangled in my hair. I gasped, feeling the heat of her body pressed against mine.

I placed my hand on her neck, then slowly slid it down her shoulder and on her bare hips as the kiss deepened.

"You don't know how badly I want to feel you right now," her low voice gave me tingles. "But I really have to go now, sweetheart," she said, pouting against my lips.

"Yes, I know..." I pulled away. "But you're beautiful..." I added, and she didn't hesitate to pull me back in, giving me another kiss.

"You're driving me wild," she murmured against my ear, her voice alluring.

A warm shiver ran through my spine.

Maya slid on her t-shirt, then squeezed my hand. "I'll see you later, Gracie. We're staying together all day, promise."

I nodded, and she left the house, giving me one last kiss before closing the door.

Jesus, that's frustrating.

Two hours later, I was on the couch, bored and watching TV, when my mom walked through the door. I immediately ran to hug her.

She had just started a job teaching at a high school, so it felt like the perfect moment to share my news—and she was on cloud nine for me.

"How about we have lunch together and invite Maya too?" she asked after our conversation.

I froze, then I made a nervous smile.

I mean... Maya and I had to be careful—very careful—between her teasing and my awkwardness, but honestly... I had nothing against it.

I don't know how Maya's going to feel about it, though.

So, I decided to text her about it:

Sorry to bother you while you're working but my mom said maybe we could have lunch, just the three of us. What do you think?

Ten seconds later she texted me back.

Grace be more direct next time. You scared the shit out of me. What time and where?

Her totally accepting it made me really... excited. Like, heart-doing-backflips excited.

My mom and I chose a restaurant by the sea and made a reservation. One hour later, we were already outside, waiting for Maya to arrive.

That's when I started feeling a little weird about what was about to happen.

My mom, me, and Maya having lunch together, and of course—she doesn't know about us.

That's very stressful for my overthinking.

My heart only started to calm down when I saw Maya coming toward us.

And... she was wearing a completely different outfit than this morning. A tight, royal blue dress with thin straps that hugged her body perfectly and fell just above her ankles—showing off her silhouette and curves.

"Hi, Maya!" my mom went to hug her.

I was still stunned by how beautiful she looked.

"Thanks for inviting me, it's a pleasure. Hey, Grace," she smirked, then leaned in to kiss my cheek.

I almost blushed—almost.

My mom walked into the restaurant first, with Maya right behind her. She looked calm and totally relaxed—I envied how effortlessly cool she was in moments like this.

"Hey," I squeezed her arm. "When did you have time to change?"

"Before coming here, I stopped by Dior and bought it. And also the heels. Do you like it?"

Sometimes I forget how freaking rich she is. It's like she's so casual about it.

My lips parted slightly. "You look stunning, darling," I said, unable to find other words.

"You look gorgeous too, sweetheart," she smiled, her eyes lighting up at my lilac flowy dress. "And your hair," she added, noticing how it fell in soft waves, most of it clipped up with a flower pin.

Suddenly, I felt so warm and appreciated by the way she saw me.

We sat at a round table on the terrace, the sea all around us, calm and endless. The sound of waves made everything feel peaceful.

"You chose the perfect place," Maya said, looking around with a smile.

"Glad you liked it," my mom smiled back. "So... Maya, if you don't mind me asking, where were you?"

"Yes, you can, um..."

"Call me Giselle," my mom said.

"Giselle," Maya cleared her throat, glancing at me. "I was actually..." I gave her a small smile, encouraging her to open up. "Volunteering at a community center, helping with medical tasks."

I gave Maya my most reassuring look, and she understood. I was so proud of her for finally talking about it with someone else.

"Oh, Victor told me about medical school, but he didn't mention this work..." my mom said, surprised.

Maya shifted uncomfortably but quickly regained her composure. "That's because he doesn't know."

"Oh..." my mom nodded. "Well, you should tell him. He'd be proud of you for this."

"Yes, you should," I agreed immediately, remembering I'd told Maya the same thing once.

She was still unsure—clearly torn—but seeing how supportive we were, she gave a small nod. She wasn't giving in yet, but it was a start.

"And speaking of work," my mom continued. "I wanted to thank you for supporting Grace in doing that interview."

"It was nothing, really," Maya replied softly. "I'm just glad I could be there for her. I knew she'd do great."

Oh, my, God.

I feel like my heart is going to burst.

And that's all because of her.

The lunch went smoothly. Maya occasionally shot me teasing glances, which I returned with a casual smile. We laughed about random things and moments from our lives, and—everything felt perfect.

I even wondered if this was the right moment to tell my mom the truth about us, knowing Maya would be okay with it. But then again...

I didn't want to ruin it.

"I'm glad you two are finally getting along," my mom said as we finished our dessert.

Maya smirked. "Well, sometimes you just gotta get hands-on to—" I quickly nudged her knee under the table. Her face twitched slightly. "...to get along—right, Grace?" Her knowing gaze tilted in my direction.

"Yes, Maya," I replied.

Suddenly, I felt her hand slide onto my inner thigh—slow, teasing, deliberate, like she was testing how much control I had left.

Meanwhile, my pulse was anything but in control.

My mom smiled, completely clueless, then said, "Victor said he wants us all to have dinner together tonight. He said he has something to tell us, but didn't say what."

Maya's amused expression faded into something darker for a second too long. The shift was instant, without warning.

Under the table, I slid my hand into hers, feeling her tension before she tried to shake it off.

But something in her didn't fully relax.

I couldn't see why this dinner would ruin the mood. I mean, everything was way too perfect for that.

And I refused to let anything change that.

At least, that's what I'm clinging to.

A/N

If you felt the tension rising... you're not wrong. ?? Anyone worried??

See you soon ????