"My baby," Jasmine met her at the threshold of the door, engulfing her in a warm hug even as Alex left them there, moving inside the house to sit down while commenting on how nice it was to see less of pink now and if Maya didn't feel like her heart was being dragged out of her body and pushed back in, again and again, she would have told him how surprised she had been to notice the very welcomed change by the way.
"Can you both come inside already?" Jessica was wearing an apron as she made her way out of the kitchen shaking her head at the public display of affection, "How cute right?"
Alex smiled in reply.
"Remember all that I told you, Maya, I need to go back to work. I'd been so worried when Jessica has called that's why I had stopped by your office," he gave Jessica a mock horrified look, "Not all of us can be liars now, can we?"
Maya could tell that Alex had run to her office the minute Jessica had called him and asked him to do that. The thought that Alex was still in love with Jessica, warmed her heart even though her intentions for not wanting things to change desperately was selfish.
She couldn't handle change, she could tell and regardless of how hard she tried to tell herself the change she had forced and the wedge she had brought herself in-between her and Xavier was for the best, she knew better than deceive herself at this point.
But still, it felt stupid acting bereaved when she had been the one to call it quits and leave, Xavier was only living his life the only way he knew how, and yet here she was in the house of her best friends aware that she was in the loop of a rescue Maya mission.
"Remember all that I told you, Maya," she nodded her head reminding herself that Alex wasn't aware of all the shenanigans that has happened in her life for the past months and not feeling like she had any strength in her to stomach any disappointed stare at her today when she disclosed to Alex that the engagement was just a sham and she had no right to discuss anything with Xavier, she just nodded.
He smiled at her, kissed her forehead, and then waved both girls goodbye while Jessica watched his retreating figure till he was gone completely then curiously turned towards her, "What had you both discussed?"
Maya leaned against the couch, not realizing until now how much she missed this moment, these people in front of her. "Communication. He wants me to discuss with Xavier before taking any rash decision."
Jasmine sighed softly, coming close to her and Jessica shook her head aware of how hard it must have been hearing all that from an oblivious Alex who had inadvertently reminded her of all that would have been.
Jessica stood up and brought out three bottles of beer from the refrigerator, handing one to Maya first.
"The first time you were drunk because of a heartbreak we weren't with you, but as unlikely as the situation is and unfortunate we want to drink ourselves to stupor with you," Jasmine stood up to take her bottle while Maya chuckled at how crazy the toast Jessica was spewing from her mouth was even as Jasmine effortlessly helped her open her bottle, "Cheers to having the shorthand of this complicated art called love till we practice it well enough to be able to fall in love with the right one."
They clinked their bottles and with a silent stare at each other, they sipped the content of their bottle.
Maya's phone rang and she picked it up, not checking the caller ID, motioning her finger up so the girls reduced the voice of their chatter. She was still in her first bottle but could feel the warning bells of drowsiness while Jasmine was in her sixth and Jessica fourth but they seemed pretty alright.
"Maya,"
She felt her lungs temporarily stop working at the familiar velvety voice she knew so well, deep, manly, and sounded like a dream.
"Xavier," her voice sounded as surprised as she felt at the moment and she hated herself for giving that out.
The girls were already listening, on their conversation the minute she had called Xavier.
"How are you?"
She sighed, closing her eyes.
"As well as a supposed fiance is supposed to feel when everyone thinks your to-be husband is back to fucking tramps."
There was silence on the other side of the line, "I'm sorry it was hard for you, I was just getting a headline."
"For?"
"For our breakup. Our backup story when we tell the world openly we were done."
Tears stung her eyes even as hope fluttered in her chest, "You want to be the bad guy just to make me look like a victim? What's wrong with you?"
"I'm the bad guy, Maya." He muttered like that was something she was supposed to know and he was shocked to the bones, she didn't. "I did bang them in the hotel. It has been so long keeping up this pretense and I just want this to be over as soon as possible just like you."
She swallowed hard, "Glad we are finally on the same page,"
"Yeah. So you'll be featured in many interviews after now. Let the story be the same, you got tired of my cheating ass and couldn't keep up."
"Okay, sure," the call was disconnected and she dropped her phone slowly, tears pooling in her eyes.
"He called to tell me the story I should drop when asked why we broke up." She smiled at Jessica, gulping a mouthful of the beverage in her hand, "Such a perfectionist, as usual, making sure our stories align and we can break up without a hitch."
The two girls dropped their drinks and took a seat beside her, "Who would tell my heart that there isn't supposed to be any loopholes or hitch? Who?" Tears slide down her cheeks even as they both engulfed her in a bear hug reminding her yet again with their overbearing presence that they were present and they got her in every sense of the world.