4. Learning About Maya

Maya couldn't help but feel relieved as she stepped onto the college campus, finally feeling like she had left her troubled home life behind. As she walked towards the entrance, she spotted her bubbly friend Abby waving at her.

"Maya, girl! Over here!" Abby called out, grinning from ear to ear. Abby had long, curly hair that framed her round face, and bright green eyes that sparkled with mischief. She had a contagious energy that made it impossible not to smile when she was around. Maya envied her confidence and carefree spirit. "How was your morning?" She asked.

Maya grinned back, happy to see her friend. "It was good. I'm just glad to finally be here."

As they chatted, Maya noticed Liam walking through the gates wearing a long sleeve shirt rolled at the sleeves, and jeans that fit him just right. Liam was a good 6'2", with a rugged handsomeness that could make any girl's heart skip a beat. His brown hair was always styled messily, as if he didn't care about his appearance, but it only added to his charm. His piercing dark eyes were the kind that could see right through you, yet they held a hint of mystery and danger that was impossible to resist. Liam was the strong silent type, and Maya couldn't help but be drawn to his mysterious demeanor. She fell silent and thoughtful, watching as he made his way towards his classes. Abby noticed her friend's gaze lingering on Liam and cleared her throat to get her attention. Maya looked at Abby and saw her smirking.

"What?" Maya asked, feeling defensive.

"He’d make a great boyfriend; don’t you think?" Abby said, looking thoughtful.

"What?" Maya scoffed and looked away as her ears started to burn red hot. “How would I know?”

“I guess no one does, because that’s Liam Parker. But then, there’s always a first.”

Maya wondered if that’s even remotely possible, considering how much he kept to himself. She even mused if he was capable of any other emotion other than anger, coldness and rudeness.

"By the way, is everything okay these days?" Abby asked, her voice growing softer.

Maya was taken aback for a moment. She wondered if Abby knew what was going on with her and Manoj lately. Many times, she had considered talking about it, but she couldn't get herself to do it. "Y-yeah, why do you ask?"

"You don't look okay," she admitted with concern etched on her face. "You look like hell, to be honest, as if you haven't slept in days."

Maya's mind was racing. "It's probably got to do with all this shifting. It was pretty hectic these days."

"I hope that's it," Abby said, not buying her alibi.

"Yes," Maya lied.

"Hmm, okay, but if there is something, you're going to tell me about it," Abby demanded.

"S-sure," she agreed.

***

As they walked to their first class together, Maya narrated about how Liam had confronted her for "stalking" him. "I don't know what his deal is, Abby. He thinks I'm some sort of stalker or something," Maya said, shaking her head.

Abby snorted. "I always knew that there was a whole load of stuff wrong with him.” 

Maya raised an eyebrow at Abby's words. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Abby shrugged. "I mean, have you seen the way he acts around people? He's always so cold and rude, like he's too good for everyone else."

Maya nodded slowly, recalling Liam's demeanor. "Yeah, I've noticed that too," she said, feeling a bit uneasy.

Abby put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Maya. He's not worth your time or energy," she said firmly. "Just focus on yourself and your goals."

Maya smiled weakly at her friend,

*** 

 

As Maya sat down next to Abby, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Liam as he made his way to the back of the classroom. She noticed how tense his shoulders were, and he walked with a purpose. She wondered what was going through his mind. As he sat down, their gazes met briefly, and Maya felt a jolt run through her. Liam's eyes were piercing, and she quickly looked away, trying to focus on the lecture. 

As the professor lectured on marketing strategies, Maya felt Liam’s gaze on her. Sure enough, every time she glanced in his direction, she found his dark eyes fixed on her. She couldn't help but wonder why he was looking at her, and she found herself growing more and more curious about him.

As the professor droned on, Abby nudged Maya with her elbow, "What's up? You’ve been staring at him for a while,” she said in a hushed whisper.

Maya shook her head, "It’s not me, it’s him. He keeps looking at me."

Abby's eyes widened, "Oh, really?” Abby glanced over her shoulder at Liam to find him jotting down notes. “Maybe he's into you,” she remarked. 

Maya scoffed, "Oh shut up. He doesn’t look like the kind who’d get into a relationship. He always looks so...stony."

Abby smirked, "Maybe that's just his exterior. Who knows what he's like on the inside?"

“Yeah, right,” Maya said sarcastically, still unsure of what to make of Liam. But she couldn't deny that there was something intriguing about him.

***

Maya and Abby had just settled down at a table in the bustling canteen when Liam walked in. He made his way to the counter and ordered himself two burgers and a large portion of fries. Maya couldn't help but watch him as he collected his food and made his way to an empty table.

Abby, who had been engrossed in her phone, noticed Maya's gaze and followed it to Liam's table. "Well, well, well," she drawled, “look who’s here.”

Maya felt her cheeks heat up, and she focused on her salad, trying to avoid looking at Liam. But as she glanced up, she saw him staring directly at her.

"He's looking at you," Abby whispered.

Maya felt her heart race.

As Liam sat down at an empty table, he glanced over at Maya, their eyes meeting for a moment. Maya quickly looked away, feeling her heart racing in her chest. She couldn't explain why, but there was something about Liam that drew her in, even as she tried to resist it.

***

Maya was lost in thought as she scanned the bookshelf in front of her. She needed to find a reference book for her upcoming project, and the library seemed like the best place to start. As she reached out to grab a book, she heard someone else shuffling through the shelves: Liam Parker.  

Maya's heart began to race as Liam's presence loomed beside her in the library aisle. She tried to focus on the bookshelf in front of her, but her eyes kept darting over to him. Suddenly, he turned, and their eyes met. Maya froze, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Was she stalking him again?

Maya felt a knot form in her stomach as she quickly looked away, hoping he wouldn't confront her. She could feel his presence still lingering next to her, making her feel small and insignificant. She couldn't understand why she kept running into him everywhere, and it was starting to become unnerving.

Trying to compose herself, Maya took a deep breath and turned back to the bookshelf, pretending to search for a book she didn't really need. She could hear Liam's footsteps moving away, and she let out a sigh of relief. But as she glanced over her shoulder, she saw him looking back at her, his expression unreadable.

Maya couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. Did he really believe she was stalking him? The thought was ridiculous, but the way he looked at her made her feel like he was capable of anything. She quickly gathered her things and made her way out of the library, hoping to avoid Liam for the rest of the day.

*** 

That evening, Maya sat in her room upstairs, gazing out the window and wondering where Liam could be. She felt a strange pull towards him that she couldn't explain.

As she peered down at his window, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, her heart skipped a beat. The room was dark, and she couldn't see anything inside. Frustrated, she turned away from the window and jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She spun around to see Manoj standing behind her. She had thought she had locked the door, but he had somehow managed to sneak in. "Beautiful evening, huh?" he asked with a wicked smile.

Maya's heart raced as she tried to back away from him, but he stepped closer. She backed into the window, feeling the frame dig into her skin. 

As he reached out for her face, she looked away, hoping that he’d just spare her. Instead, she felt his rough, calloused hands brushing against her cheeks, and making her cringe. 

His dark eyes twinkled in lust, and his mouth twisted into a grotesque smile as he savored her reaction to his touch. He went on to squeeze her lips in between his fingers, making her gasp in pain. 

She felt her heart racing as she looked at him, the fear in her eyes evident. He had a twisted smile on his face that made her skin crawl.

"Did that hurt?" he asked again, his voice laced with sadistic amusement.

She stared at him, feeling a knot form in her stomach. The way he was looking at her with that twisted grin on his face sent shivers down her spine. She knew she had to answer him, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had hurt her.

"No, it didn't," she lied, forcing a smile onto her own face. But even as the words left her mouth, she knew that he could see through her façade. His eyes glinted with malice, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

"You're lying," he said, stepping closer to her. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, and it made her feel sick to her stomach. "I can see it in your eyes."

She tried to back away, but he grabbed her wrist, holding her in place. His grip was tight, and she could feel her pulse racing beneath his fingers.

"Tell me the truth," he hissed, his face contorting with rage. "Did that hurt?"

She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. "No," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

He laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "You're a terrible liar," he said, releasing her wrist. "But don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to work on that."

Maya's heart was pounding in her chest as Manoj moved closer to her, his hand reaching out to touch her. She had no idea what he was going to do, but she knew it was going to be bad. Just as she thought he was going to make a move, there was a loud knock at the door that made them jump.

Manoj hesitated for a moment, hoping that whoever it was would go away, but the knock came again, louder this time. Gritting his teeth in rage, he turned and left the room, leaving Maya trembling with fear. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, but her nerves were shot.

As she looked out the window once more, she saw Liam in his yard, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, staring up at her with concern and even a hint of anger. Maya realized that he had witnessed her close shave with Manoj. She wasn’t sure what to feel. Relief that someone had witnessed the crimes committed against her, or shame and embarrassment that Liam had seen her in that vulnerable state. Still shaking, she quickly closed the curtains and backed away from the window, feeling very exposed.

***