15

MAYA

"How much did this cost, Maya?"

My mother shifted her weight on the stiff hospital mattress. Her voice held a firm edge today. The harsh wrinkles of pain around her eyes looked less pronounced. Her skin carried a touch of warmth instead of that terrifying grey pallor. She looked alive.

"Do not stress over the medical bills, Mom."

"Do not treat me like a child." She pointed a thin, bruised finger at my face. "Chemotherapy costs a massive fortune. We do not have massive fortunes. We have a jar of loose change and a prayer. Tell me the truth."

My stomach tied into a tight knot. The fake dating contract with Davies covered every dime. He wired the cash without a single second thought. I could never tell her that truth. She would pop a blood vessel.

"I got a loan."

"A loan?" Her dark eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. "From a bank? You are a broke college student. Banks do not hand out stacks of cash to teenagers with zero assets."

"From a friend."

"Which friend?" She crossed her arms, ignoring the plastic IV tubes taped to her skin. "Elena spends her paychecks on concert tickets and eyeliner. Nathan is too selfish to buy a decent meal. He would never fund a hospital wing."

My teeth dug into my lower lip. "A new friend. Someone from my campus."

Her eyes narrowed. She studied my posture. The heart monitor beeped a steady, annoying tune in the background. She possessed a built-in lie detector.

"A new friend," she repeated. A dark, wicked grin broke across her pale face. "Is this the same friend who left you with smeared lipstick and messy hair the other night? The drama boy?"

Heat scorched my cheeks. "Mom, drop the subject."

"I want to meet him."

"That is out of the question."

"Why?"

"He has a packed schedule." My fingers twisted the hem of my jacket. "He plays hockey for the university. His days are full of practice."

"I do not care if he runs the country." She leaned forward. Her tone brooked zero arguments. "This boy saved my life. He gave up a pile of cash for a dying woman he never met. I want to look him in the eyes. Bring him here."

"Mom, no."

"Bring him here tomorrow, or I will rip these tubes out, march down to that ice rink, and find him myself."

She meant it. Stubbornness was her toxic trait. Fighting her was a losing battle.

"Fine." A harsh exhale left my chest. "I will ask him. No promises."

"Good." She settled back against her pillows. "Make sure he wears a nice shirt. If he is ugly, I might flatline out of sheer disappointment."

A genuine laugh escaped my throat. Her dark humor never failed to lift my spirits. For the first time in weeks, the crushing weight on my shoulders eased.

Cold evening air hit my face outside the hospital doors. The sun had dipped below the horizon, plunging the city into dark shadows. Streetlights flickered on, casting yellow circles onto the cracked pavement. My boots hit the concrete with a fast, determined rhythm.

"Hey gorgeous, want a ride?"

A deep, unfamiliar voice echoed from the road. My blood ran ice cold. Fear gripped my chest. A dark truck rolled along the curb, matching my walking pace. The tinted windows hid the driver. My hand slipped into my coat pocket, fingers wrapping tight around my keys.

My feet moved faster.

The passenger window rolled down with a mechanical hum.

"Walking alone in the dark? You look like a lost puppy out here."

Davies.

His cocky voice sent a rush of instant relief through my veins. The fear melted away, leaving pure annoyance in its wake.

"Leave me alone, Davies."

"Get in the truck, Maya."

"I like the fresh air." My chin tilted up. "Go away."

"Stop acting stubborn." He kept the heavy vehicle rolling beside me. "It is freezing. You look miserable."

"I said no."

Ignoring his arrogant face, my boots carried me further down the block. Davies let out a frustrated groan. He hit the gas pedal. His truck roared forward, leaving me in a cloud of exhaust fumes.

Good riddance.

Two blocks later, a beat-up silver sedan swerved close to the sidewalk. The driver laid on his horn. A loud, obnoxious blare shattered the quiet evening.

My steps halted. Panic flared in my throat.

Two guys sat inside the junk car. The driver leaned out of his window, flashing a dirty, leering smile.

"Hey baby!" The guy yelled over the loud engine. "Come hop in the back! Let us show you a good time tonight!"

My muscles froze. The street was desolate. No witnesses stood nearby to help. I pulled my keys out, wedging the sharp metal between my knuckles. The sedan edged closer to the curb.

Tires screeched. A massive black wall of steel cut the sedan off.

Davies slammed his truck into a sharp diagonal angle across the lane. He blocked the silver car from moving an inch. The smell of burnt rubber filled the cold air.

Davies hung his thick arm out of his driver-side window. His face held a calm expression, but his dark eyes radiated pure murder. He stared the two boys down.

"Hey, man," Davies called out. His tone sounded smooth, dripping with mockery. "If you want to impress my girl with a vehicle, you need a food truck. She prefers tacos over cheap sedans."

Heat rushed to my face. A deep blush painted my cheeks red.

The driver of the sedan turned pale. 

"My bad, bro!" The guy threw his hands up in a panic. "We did not know she was taken! Chill!"

The sedan shifted into reverse, whipped around the massive truck, and sped away down the opposite side of the road.

Davies turned his gaze back to me. A smug smirk played on his lips. He popped the passenger door open from the inside.

"You want to risk another encounter?" He patted the leather seat. "Or are you ready to hop in?"

Defeat tasted bitter on my tongue. My boots crossed the asphalt. Climbing into the high cabin, warm air from the heater thawed my frozen skin. The familiar scent of wintergreen and expensive cologne wrapped around my senses.

I slammed the heavy door shut.

"Why are you out here?" My arms crossed tight over my chest.

Davies shifted the gear into drive. The truck merged back into the empty lane. "I came to make sure you did not get kidnapped by a wild raccoon. You look like a prime snack for stray animals today."

"You are offensive."

"I call it observant." He threw a quick glance my way. "Your mood was in the gutter all day. You barely spoke after our classes ended. I wanted to make sure you were okay. Sue me for checking up on you."

"Checking up on me?" A scoff left my throat. "These little charms do not work on me, Captain. Do not even dream that I will fall for your act. You are just a fake boyfriend."

"Ouch." He placed a hand over his heart, feigning massive pain. "You wound me, Maya. I rescue you from street creeps, and you break my heart in return. That is toxic behavior."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

A genuine laugh bubbled up from my stomach. The dark cloud hovering over my mind vanished. Bantering with him felt effortless. He never made me feel small. Nathan always demanded total submission during arguments. Davies invited the challenge. He thrived on it. The playful taunts made me feel alive.

"How is she?" His tone shifted, dropping the sarcastic edge.

"My mom?"

He nodded, keeping his dark eyes fixed on the road.

"She is doing better." My shoulders relaxed against the soft leather seat. "The pain is manageable now. She looks like a human being again. The nurses seem optimistic."

"That is great news."

"There is a catch." My teeth bit down on my lower lip. "She asked how I afforded the new treatment plan."

"What did you tell her?"

"I lied. I told her I got a loan from a friend. Now she wants to meet this mysterious friend to say thank you."

Davies let out a low whistle. "She wants to meet me?"

"She threatened to hunt you down on campus if I refuse."

"I like her already." A grin stretched across his handsome face. "Set it up. I will charm her socks off."

"Do not get cocky."

"Cocky is my entire brand, sweetheart."

Silence fell over the truck cabin. It was not the awkward kind. It felt warm. Comfortable. The low hum of the engine and the soft glow of the dashboard lights created a private bubble against the harsh world outside.

"Vance gave us the official scouting report for Dogfang today," Davies broke the quiet. His voice buzzed with fresh excitement. "Their defensive line is garbage. Nathan focuses all their drills on offense to pad his own personal stats. He leaves his goalie exposed."

"Can you exploit that weakness?"

"We will rip them apart on the ice." He gripped the steering wheel tighter. His knuckles turned white. "I plan to isolate him. Force him to play defense. Make him look slow and stupid in front of the pro scouts. If I break his ankles in the first period, the Detroit scouts will cross his name right off their draft list."

"Make it hurt."

"It will be a bloodbath." His dark eyes met mine for a split second. The raw intensity in his gaze sent a sharp shiver down my spine. "Nobody threatens my girl and walks away with a hockey career."

The words 'my girl' echoed loud in my brain. He said it with such raw conviction. It blurred the strict lines of our fake arrangement.

The truck pulled up to the curb outside my brick dorm building. The campus paths looked cold and deserted. I did not want to leave the warm cabin. I did not want to leave him.

"Thanks for the ride," my hand reached for the metal door handle.

"Anytime, Maya."

He did not try to cross boundaries. He did not push for a kiss. He just watched me with those intense, piercing eyes.

Stepping out onto the concrete, the chill of the night returned with a vengeance. I pushed the heavy door shut.

The engine rumbled loud in the quiet street. Davies pulled away. His bright red taillights faded down the dark road until the truck disappeared around the corner.

Standing alone on the sidewalk, a crushing wave of emptiness slammed into my chest. The cold air rushed into my lungs, filling the massive space he left behind.

Panic gripped my throat.

Wrapping my arms around my waist, I stared into the dark night. The realization hit me with brutal, unforgiving force. I felt broken and lost all day long. The only time I felt whole, the only time I felt safe and complete, was sitting in that passenger seat next to him.