Page 83 of Rival Hearts

“Yeah, you’re right,” I finally admitted.

Maya beamed. “I’m usually right.”

“Andsomodest.”

She laughed. “Hey, someone has to say it as it is.” She offered me an arrogant smile, but then she got serious again. “I don’t think you should overthink this so much. I think it’s a good thing, and it sounds like he’s serious about you. That’s a big deal. Alex Blackwood doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would make promises and then go back on them just like that.”

“He didn’t exactly make me any promises.”

“What he said is as good as a promise. And all this other shit with the campaign… I know why it pitted you against each other, but there’s not actually any kind of law against being with him, you know. It’s not like you’re working together at the same company and breaking some kind of policy or rule or whatever. You’re totally allowed to jump each other’s bones as much as you like, and they can’t say shit about it.”

“Nice visual.” I laughed. “We’re going to keep it quiet for now, though. Just because it might be easier that way, you know, until the whole thing with the campaign and the public callout runs its course.” I felt like an idiot now for calling him out the wayI had, but I’d been so furious with him before, thinking he was someone completely different.

“It sounds like a good idea, but I don’t think it’s really necessary,” Maya said.

I nodded.

“I think what scares me the most is how serious I am about him and about what’s happening between us. If he decides he doesn’t want to be with me for whatever reason, or it was something that just happened on the island, but now that we’re back here, it might not be real… that’s what terrifies me. With the others, I was safe because I didn’t really care that much, so I didn’t get hurt when it all ended.”

“You’re worried he’s going to abandon you,” Maya pointed out.

I hesitated.

“I know that’s what’s getting to you,” Maya said, not waiting for a reply. “With your mom leaving, you’re worried it will happen again and all the other guys you were with, you dumped first.”

Shit, she reallyknewme.

“I don’t want to walk away from him,” I said. “And if he walks away from me—”

Someone knocked on the door, cutting off my sentence.

“Who could that be?”

Maya shrugged.

I got up and walked to the door, opening it up to a delivery guy.

“Package for Miss Reynolds.”

“I wasn’t expecting anything.”

He shrugged and held out an electronic signature pad. “Sign here.”

I did as he asked, and he handed a box to me before wishing me a good day. I shut the door.

“What is it?” Maya asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “A package.”

When I opened it, it was a brand-new phone.

“Oh.”

“That was quick,” Maya said.

“It’s from Alex. He said he’d replace mine.”

Maya’s smile grew. “Really?”