Maya squinted her eyes, trying to see the person who had just entered her room and consequently had woken her up.
"Maya," he whispered breathlessly.
Her eyes flew open, "Tyler."
Since that night at Xavier's house, Maya could tell that there was a strain in the almost budding friendship she was beginning to sense was about to blossom between her and the latter.
She had understood his reasons for staying away. He had even expressed his like for her to start with because she had expressly notified him of how much she disliked him.
So more than just proving that she and Xavier was a thing, she was aware she had managed to somehow betray Tyler. Make him realize they weren't allies.
Something had happened between him and Xavier that had made the air between them edgy, their rancor existent, the bitterness, the suppressed anger, the hate. It was all evident in their glares and could be heard even in their quiet stormy, intense stares but that was Xavier, not her.
Tyler had been nothing but respectful, courteous, and nice since she met him and she felt bad for abandoning him and just completely forgetting him because Xavier was in her life.
She knew he thought that she and Xavier were an item, and he might have stayed away to avoid putting a strain on their relationship but she was not that kind of woman. The kind that leaves her friends because she was in a relationship.
But somehow, even though how absurd it sounded since she shared a purely platonic relationship with Xavier apart from the few bad footings where they have strayed, there was something about Xavier that just dug deep into her skin, got to her, and made her forget everything else. Something about him that made becoming someone's bane of existence easy.
He was addictive, his touch unforgettable, his genuine smile melting even the strongest of heart and his naughty grin will make even a married woman sin.
"Yes Maya, it is Tyler the man you easily and completely forgot."
She tried to sit up but wince in pain, prompting Tyler to come to her side, holding her up and adjusting the pillow so that her back was reclined on it.
"You are here." She muttered, genuinely and utterly shocked.
"I flew in from Berlin today," he shrugged, "Melissa told me about all you had undergone because of that scum of a man."
His eyes blazed with unadulterated anger and accusation making Maya realize the one thing both men shared despite their noticeable differences.
Hate for their father, which burned through them making them unstable and powerful enough to burn them in the process if they weren't careful.
"He always manages to ruin things, always." He muttered even as his eyes hardened noting the healing injuries on her body.
"I'm fine now."
He smiled, "Yes you are." Then he scowled, "But we all can't be that lucky."
Realizing his little slip-up, he smiled trying to remove the confusion in Maya's eyes as she pondered over his word.
"I just wanted to see how you are doing. Melissa did tell me you are now okay, but you don't know how terribly shaken I was when I heard you were kidnapped by Dominic," he smiled at her, she suspected was for her benefit, "I hope this is enough to make him rot in jail."
"We are charging him with attempted murder and the kidnapping stuff," she gave him a little smile, "That will do."
He nodded, looking away.
"I've missed you."
"You have a shitty way of conveying that message and it seems like you are serving me a whole lot of BS I'll like to hear because let's face it you don't know me."
She swallowed hard, "The doctor had said I can only be seen by relatives and close friends, yet here you are."
"I think I just missed what would have been." He released a short brief Chuckle, "We would have been great friends, Maya. I like your retorts, your confidence, your smartass cocky sass."
She made to grab his hands, he withdrew his.
"We can still be all that."
"You don't get it, do you?"
"Get what?" She muttered tiredly, tempted to close her eyes and block out his voice rather than hear him confirm something she already suspects.
"Xavier resents me and I can't forgive him."
"I ain't Xavier, I'm Maya. His assistant that you thought was damn pretty and that was the only reason she didn't get fired for swearing on her first day of work, remember?"
"Yes, I do remember. But, if you want whatever you have with my stepbrother to last then you have to cut all ties with me completely. You have seen how he reacts to us even breathing the same air, I'm here now because I know he won't be here too. Mel informed me."
She didn't know if it was Melissa's relationship with Tyler that was seemingly strong that shocked her or how she was aware that they both hated each other yet had conveniently helped him see her.
She was happy to see Tyler and all, but it sounded suspicious.
"I know that look. Your Tinkerbell infamous expression." He stood up, giving her a lazy grin, "Being a Salvador comes with more shit and secret than you can even imagine. Thinking about it and trying to figure it out will mean straining your pretty head."
"Will you one day tell me why you and Xavier can't see eye to eye because I want to believe it wasn't always like this."
"Why do you think that? Xavier is so judgemental and just might have hated my guts because of how my name sound."
"Because I know the man," she sent Tyler a You-can't-fool-me glare and, "He might be quick to judge but he isn't petty and you said it, that night remember? How you both had discussed love as children. I know something had happened, you both were friends."
He snorted, "I and Xavier were nothing close to friends. There were too many odds against such a possibility. Besides I was Salvador's dirty secret, the seed of the whore and he was Mr. Perfect and groomed heir."
She pursed her lips at the insight, Tyler's outburst have provided.
"At least I want to believe that once upon a time you both could stay in a room without trying to rip each other's head off their body."
"I don't have violent tendencies, your fiance does," she gave him a warning glare knowing he was messing with her.
"We know the truth," he scoffed, "You have even seen him go at me. The guy is something."
"Will you tell me?" She whispered, her lips hinting at a smile at the frustration in his eyes as he realized that his argument and deviation had not worked in making her forget.
"It is Xavier's story to tell, Maya. I'm surprised you don't know what happened already since you guys seem so in love." He released a throaty Chuckle, "Guess even the infamous Xavier is scared of losing something huh?"
He flashed her a smile that seemed so strange, pure devious, from a place of pain and she shivered, the look unsettling and foreign on Tyler's goofy face.
"Stay in touch," she hollered immediately after he left the room.
He heard her. He didn't reply.