Page 91 of Maid of Dishonor
“How did he take the news?” I say, leaning forward and ignoring the tears on my cheeks.
“Um,” Maya says, wincing. “Well. I haven’t actually…told him yet.”
“Can I do it?” Carter says, lookingwaytoo eager.
“Carter,” Maya says, frowning at him. “No. Of course you can’t. I was sort of hoping, though, that you would…stay? For moral support? Just while I talk to him?”
“Yeah,” Carter says, more serious now. “Definitely. Are you going to call him, or do you want to talk to him in person?”
I nod. “We’ll stay either way,” I say. “Where do you want us?”
“I’m going to have him come over,” Maya says, looking and sounding regretful as she answers Carter. “We were together for almost a year. I owe him that.”
And so she calls him, using the dreaded “We need to talk” line that instills fear in hearts everywhere—except in Chet’s, maybe, because he just agrees and promises to come right over.
For the next ten minutes, Carter sits with his arm around Maya’s shoulder, soothing her and telling her everything will work out. After about the fifth time saying this, Maya sighs.
“I know it will be okay,” she says. “I’m not worried about how this conversation is going to go down or anything. I’m just…sad.”
I’m about to reply when there’s a knock at the door, and Maya stands up, hurrying to go answer. Carter stands too, but he makes his way back to me instead of to Chet.
“Is this going to be awkward, do you think?” I say, leaning into him. “Us being here?”
“Maybe,” he says. “But I’m not going anywhere.”
Maya returns to the room a few seconds later, followed by Chet, who’s got on another polo shirt with another popped collar. The man is consistent. He greets me and Carter with a little head jerk but doesn’t otherwise note or question our presence. He just sits on the couch next to Maya, making himself comfortable.
“Why do you want to marry me, Chet?” Maya says, and I blink in surprise. I figured she’d sort of ease into the conversation, but I guess not. And if Chet thinks it’s awkward that she’s saying this while Carter and I are right here, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he just shrugs.
“I mean, it would be cool to not have to worry about money all the time,” he says slowly. “And it’s sort of my baby, I guess—”
“Not ‘sort of,’” Maya cuts him off, frowning. “It’s definitely your baby. And your first answer was about the money?Really?”
“Yeah, well.” He looks uncomfortable now, and I’m tempted to go dig around in the kitchen for some popcorn. I can tell Carter is fighting off his overprotective side, though, so I don’t move. I just rest one hand on his knee, giving a little squeeze. He wraps his arm around me in return, looking over at me. He presses a kiss to my forehead before turning his focus back to the scene unfolding before us.
“I do like being with you,” Chet is saying, shrugging once again.
Maya nods but raises one brow. “As long as you can be with other women too.”
“Yes, as long as I can be with other women too,” he says, his jaw tensing. “But since you’re bringing it up…” He sighs. “I don’t know if I’m really a dad kind of guy, Maya.”
The look she gives him is almost pitying. “Idoknow, and you’re not. Look, Chet,” she says with a sigh. “We had some fun, but…we shouldn’t get married. You basically just want to keep sleeping with me,andwith other people,andyou want the financial support.”
At this I expect an outburst from Chet—something defensive, maybe, or accusations of his own. But none of that happens. He just nods curtly at her, as though reaffirming that yes, these were his demands, and no, he will not apologize for them.
Maya, for her part, doesn’t seem surprised by his minimal response. She goes on, “You can’t be what I need, and I’m sure there’s someone out there who’s more okay with an open relationship than I ever will be. So, I’m sorry, but…” She takes a deep breath. “I’m calling the wedding off.”
And as one, Carter and I seem to slump in relief; only then do I realize how tense we both were. We now look to Chet, waiting for his response with a level of eagerness we have no right to.
Chet looks at Maya for a second, his eyes darting back and forth between hers. “Yeah,” he finally sighs. “Okay.”
My jaw drops unflatteringly, and I quickly jam it shut. But really, I expected more…something. Fanfare or arguing or heck, even just more emotion when he agreed.
“That’s it?” Maya says after a beat of silence—apparently she, like me, was expecting more. “Just like that?”
Chet shrugs. “Yes?” he says, but it sounds like a question.
“You’re not—are you even upset?” Maya says incredulously. “Do you even care at all?”
