“Be specific, Gallagher, or I’ll kick your ass.”
He snorted before reaching out and tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. They both froze at the movement, and she had to swallow hard since her mouth had gone dry.
“Holly and I broke up.”
He said it so quickly that she almost fell back on her ass at the blow the words caused. She stood up on shaky legs and stared at him, her heart breaking. All this angst, all this pain because Holly and he weren’t together anymore? She’d known he was falling for the other woman, but it still hurt to hear the tone of his voice. She pushed away the thoughts that he was single now.
This was her best friend. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“I’m sorry,” Maya said honestly. “I know you really liked her.”
“She’s the one that dumped me.” He shook his head. “And I didn’t fucking see it coming. And now Border’s here, and it’s all screwed up.”
Maya had to blink a couple of times to digest everything. Holly had dumped him. So he had to still be hung up on her. And Border? His old friend from before he’d met her? And she knew Border wasn’t just an old friend, not quite an ex, but more than just someone he’d lost touch with. No wonder it looked like he’d gone on a bender without the alcohol. That was a lot to deal with all at once.
Of course, the fact that Border was back just brought home the fact that she and Jake were only friends. Jake was single, and his ex was back in town after being gone for what seemed like forever.
Well, fuck, then.
She’d take care of her best friend and do her best to not make it weird. Because it wasn’t weird. It couldn’t be when the man in front of her had been by her side through so much over the past decade, and nothing would change what they had. They were friends.
“That’s a lot,” she said finally. “When did Border get back in town?”
Jake shrugged. “A couple of days ago. Right before Holly dumped me. And, hell. She just threw me, you know? I thought I was going to break up with her, and instead, she shows up and says that I should follow my heart or some shit. I thought she meant Border, you know, because he showed up even though she doesn’t know our past. But then she mentioned you, and I just stood there like a fucking idiot.”
She tilted her head, her heart racing. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, hell, why would she think you’d come between us? You’re my best friend. You’re Maya. You’re not competition.”
Maya stood there like an idiot, trying to process his words. They shouldn’t have hurt as they did, but apparently, she couldn’t quite think clearly where he was concerned.
And that was enough of that. There was no way she could keep this up. She was so done with it. Done with being angsty and not herself. Her friend needed her, and apparently, she wasn’t ever going to be competition. Thinking that she could be, thinking that she had any right to another role in his life only made things harder for her.
She didn’t like this Maya. Didn’t like who she became when she stood off to the side.
But she wasn’t going to be with him. Not the way she wanted or thought she wanted. So she’d buck up and remember who she used to be because this pale imitation of herself wasn’t someone she ever wanted to be. She’d put on the mask she’d worn for so long, the one that told everyone to fuck off and that she’d be fine no matter what happened. She was happier that way.
It didn’t matter that Jake was single now. Didn’t matter that Holly had mentioned her name when she’d dumped him. Because Jake didn’t feel that way. Hadn’t for a long time; if he ever had. One night of drunk almost-fucking didn’t count for much in the grand scheme of their relationship. Jake could have his ex, and Maya would just get over it.
It was nothing really.
Nothing.
“Why would she think that?” Maya asked, her voice low, devoid of emotion. “We’re friends, Jake. We’ve always been friends. I know that not everyone understands that, but I thought Holly did.”
Jake met her gaze. “We weren’t always just friends, Maya.”
Her jaw clenched. They’d purposely never mentioned that night, never mentioned the fact that she’d had her mouth on his dick, and he’d finger fucked her to orgasm. Even Graham and Owen hadn’t mentioned seeing her at the bar. It was the unwritten rule, and here Jake was, messing it all up.
“That was one night a long time ago,” she said, her voice steady. She wouldn’t break despite the fact that she wanted to be anywhere else but here. She’d put on her shell, and nothing could penetrate that, not even her best friend’s trek down memory lane.
“And we never talked about it.”
Maya shook her head. “What’s there to talk about? It was fun, and we both know we’re good in bed. But things changed after that, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
“And Holly thinks there are unresolved issues with that.”
There were.