Maya glanced at the wall clock opposite her which was among the few items she had managed to put up and that was because it wasn't in a box. She had bought it on her way home from work.
Home, she stared at the very empty space with cream walls. There were no furnitures in the sitting room except three cane chairs she had gotten from a nearby shop while wondering where her guests would seat. She was hoping to hire Ashley to design the house and maybe that might give the space, a little homely feeling. She sighed, knowing that this was the most bizarre decision she have ever taken and that was something because she had taken a lot of crazy decisions and done even more bizarre things recently but the thought of if she had what it takes to live alone scared the hell out of her.
She stared at the clock again, it was 6:59, Melissa, Jessica, and Jasmine were supposed to be here 59 minutes ago and though the girl's tardiness was not a surprise, she was beginning to get worried because Melissa's was.
She was so punctual just like her brother's regardless of it being just a friendly hangout and besides, she had called earlier to inform her she would be heading to pick Jessica and Jasmine up.
She tried their numbers again and somehow three of their numbers were unreachable.
She ignored the alarm going off in her head as she shrugged, rolling her eyes for being paranoid especially when Jessica and Jasmine might just be keeping Melissa late.
She sighed and went to the kitchen, removing the chicken from the microwave while once again checking out the makeshift dining room she have created.
At 8:00 pm the bell rang and she stood up, realizing she must have dozed off while waiting for them even as she stood up and headed to the door. The food must be cold now, but she could microwave it. She was just glad she wasn't going to spend her first night here alone glaring at the empty walls.
She had picked the first house she had been shown not because she liked it but she had been more desperate to put distance between herself and Xavier as quick as possible so she could breathe, think and importantly be sure of what she wanted without being surrounded by his consuming presence else she just might give in to his offer.
She didn't trust her body around Xavier because though her mind and heart knew what she wanted, it felt like her body had a mind of its own that did foolish things when next to Xavier's.
It did hurt a lot but she knew it'd hurt more if she had given in to his demand and stayed behind aware of how easily she could fall in love with a man like Xavier. Conscious of the fact that she just might be halfway there. Falling for a man that could never feel the same way about her? Now that was a pain that she was hell-bent on avoiding at all cost.
Something was wrong, she could smell it. Jessica's stiff shoulders, Jasmine brought out a bubbly sparkle alcohol and waved it in the air, her face blank while Melissa just walked in behind them like she was being pushed.
"You girls are late," Maya licked her lips feeling a need to say something, take the edge away as she wondered what had happened in-between the time she had called to make a plan with them and they had sounded so excited, chatting non-stop till now. Though Jasmine had been feeling a bit guilty since she was the one who had come up with letting Ashley stay while Jessica had been trying to find out why she was suddenly leaving Xavier's place not buying her story for need of space.
"Where is your ring?" Jessica narrowed her gaze at her even as she wondered if she should escape into the kitchen, using heating up the food as an excuse because she couldn't handle the chilly glare in the air.
She cringed at her nervous laughter, "I__" she had left it behind but she couldn't exactly tell the girls that. She had certainly not thought this part of things through when she had slipped the ring out of her finger on top of a note where she had told Xavier to please do find somebody in his nearest future who'll truly deserve it.
"I think I forgot it or misplaced it," she murmured, "But I'll find it. It should be somewhere in here."
"And how does one just misplace a ring with that much karat of gold or forget that they are not wearing such a big rock?" Jasmine's eyes held a hint of accusation that pinned Maya's making her want to scream that she didn't do anything even without being aware of what she was accused of.
She laughed nervously, "What is this about?"
"I was hoping you could tell us that, Maya." Melissa gave her a smile that she didn't even put any work into, to make it look at least believable. It was a hollow expression that lacked in sincerity. "Why exactly did you leave my brother's house?"
"I told you, girls, already. I decided we needed space besides we have forever to live together right?"
"I can't believe how good of a liar you have become," Jasmine harshly whisper while Maya narrowed her eyes at her wondering what was going on even as her heart drummed against her chest.
"We thought we had a bond, a connection. We had something at least," Jessica murmured. Her voice was gravelly low and she sounded hurt.
"Melissa told us everything. How could you have kept something so huge from us."
Maya grinned, "Okay you girls got me. Nice prank. Let's give it a break now because you girls are scaring me."
"We know."
She eyed Jasmine, "Know what?"
"You and Xavier. Your relationship was all a hoax." Melissa whispered and her eyes widened even as she held on to the tiny straw similar to that of a drowning man's that told her just maybe they were assuming and were not too sure even though the minute they had walked into that door she could tell it was all over.
She licked her lips and chuckled, "What are you girls talking about?"
Jessica scoffed and Jasmine looked away.
"It's over Maya. Xavier told me the truth."
"Oh," she gulped audibly.