Page 63 of Paths
I put it in park. “What?”
Her words come out quick and almost desperate. “My mother’s ostentatious and selfish. My father is mostly absent, but doesn’t see it that way. He sees it as providing for us. Joe is usually fun, but he’s been home all semester because of his epilepsy. I don’t know what kind of mood he’s going to be in because he swore he’d never live at home again.”
“Baby, you’ve basically told me all this.”
“No, Grady,” she stresses. “There are housekeepers who come daily. Cooks who manage my mother’s kitchen, and a staff to serve meals three nights a week because the rest of the time my parents are out.”
I try to keep from smiling, because I told her I know everything. “Does this mean the food will be good?”
“You don’t understand.” Her voice turns harsh and she fully turns to me. “They’re uppity, pretentious, and my mom’s basically a bitch. Who knows if my father will even be there because of work, and my mom will be downright mean to you because she wants me with Weston.”
I unhook my seatbelt, leaning into her and lower my voice. “Are they going to capture me, hang me by one arm, and dislocate my shoulder?”
A horrified look comes across her face and she whispers, “What?”
“Are they going to beat me with a pipe, break my ribs and put a gash in my head?”
Her trembling hands come to the sides of my face. “That … that’s what happened to you?”
“That and more.”
“Who did that to you?” her disturbed voice goes high.
“Doesn’t matter. What matters is I doubt that’s gonna happen to me today or tomorrow, so I’m trying to tell you that I don’t care if your father is there, I can deal with your mom being a bitch, and I’m looking forward to meeting your brother.”
She runs her index finger lightly over the scar on my hairline. It’s still red, but over time it should fade. She murmurs, “I can’t believe that happened to you.”
“Maya,” I call for her and she gives me her troubled, light blue eyes. “I want you.”
She exhales as her fingers tense on me. Her face goes slack.
“Even with all I’ve been through, because I want you, I’ll endure anything for you.”
Her eyes well instantly and she moves up in her seat to put her mouth on mine. I cup the back of her head to keep her close.
When she pulls away, her eyes are still wet, but she doesn’t look as troubled, so I ask, “How does your mom feel about dessert?”
She gives me a small smile. “You can’t have a proper five course meal without dessert.”
“Something to look forward to,” I murmur before pulling her to me again. When I finally let her go, I say, “Let’s get you to your brother.”
She nods, sitting back in her seat and buckles. I pull out onto the road and she directs me the rest of the way.
A few minutes later, I pull into a drive with security cameras everywhere, and an attendant waiting in the security booth. Before I roll my window down, Maya reaches over and squeezes my forearm. “Let me handle this.”
When I look over at her, all of a sudden, she’s sitting up straighter and has a weird air of confidence I’m not used to seeing. “Whatever you say.”
When I roll down the window, the security guard walks up, holding an iPad and walkie-talkie. He’s about to say something when Maya interrupts him. “Hello, Charlie.”
Charlie does a double take, his eyes widening, looking across me to the passenger seat. Surprised, but in a pleasant way, he greets her happily. “Miss Augustine. You’re back.”
She smiles. “I am. How are you? Your family?”
“Very well, Miss Augustine, thank you. The baby’s finally sleeping through the night.”
“That’s great. Can you let us through please? We’ll be staying overnight, but leaving around lunchtime tomorrow.”
He types something into his iPad, but looks up and with a little grimace. “I just need to search your vehicle. Mrs. Augustine’s orders.”
