CHAPTER 1: THE GRAVE

"She Would Have Hated This". "Don't cry," Damien said, rubbing her back in slow circles. "She would hate seeing you cry."

Maya looked at him and thought, he's right, She would.

Maya let herself weep the way she only ever wept , where no one expected her to stop.

It has been seven years since her mother died and this was the fifth time she was visiting her mothers grave. She was there with her step mom, step sister and fiancee.

After a few minutes she turned to face them,

"Can you give me a minute? Just one minute."

"Of course, baby." Victoria squeezed her shoulder.

"Take your time."

Ciara held on a second longer before letting go.

"I brought him today, Mama." Her voice came out low. Private. "Damien. He didn't have to come but he wanted to."

She wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"I think he might be the one. He's been good to me. And if he's who I think he is , if this works, I'll finally have enough ground to go after Dad properly." She exhaled hard through her nose. "He did this to you. I know he did. I just need to be in a position to prove it."

She touched the stone once and got up.

She meant every word she'd just said. That was Maya got in the back seat beside Ciara and put her head on Ciara's shoulder without saying anything.

In the rearview mirror, his eyes moved to Ciara,They stayed there one second too long

Then he looked back at the road.

Maya had her eyes closed, The city went by letting herself be still.

Damien dropped them off and drove away without coming in.

* * * * *

Maya entered into the living room and saw her father sitting on the chair, she is about to go upstairs when her father says "You love her so much? Good, I hope it hurts every single day knowing that the last thing she ever saw was the man you have to come home to." She looked straight into his eyes like someone who has all the evidence and power it takes to pull him down.

She went straight upstairs, sat on the edge of her bed, and stared at the shelf.

The locked box was where it always was, Helen's handwriting on the lid strip in blue marker, For Maya. “Only Maya” Maya had not opened it yet, She didn't know why, She told herself she was waiting for the right moment, but every moment kept not being the right one.

She was still looking at it when Ciara knocked and came in without waiting.

Ciara stood in the doorway and the first thing she saw is the box, Something shifted in her expression before Maya could read it and then she came and sat beside her.

Maya, guess what" Ciara said with a wide grin.

Maya didn't look up from her phone.

"Hmm..what?"

I'm going on a date tonight."

Maya raised her head up from her phone and blinked. "Wait who? Since when?"

"Um...Someone I've been talking to…” I just didn't tell you because I was not sure about us yet but now I'm, We're finally meeting tonight." Ciara stood up. "Help me pick a dress".

"See who's going on a date". Maya flattered her as they walked to Ciara's room. "Why didn't you tell me? Come on, show me what you have."

They went through Ciara's wardrobe, Maya pulled the green one out immediately.

"This, This is the one."

Ciara held it against herself, skeptical.

"Put it on," Maya said.

Ciara put it on and turned in front of the mirror, Maya laughed.

"That's the one, Whoever he is, he's going to lose his mind…." Maya giggled.

Ciara looked at her own reflection. "Let's hope so."

Something moved across her face. Not happiness. Something underneath it, older and flatter and harder to name. She covered it fast.

Maya didn't ask, She was already looking at earrings.

Ciara placed the cloth on the bed and sat down.

"About Damien."

"What about him?" Maya said.

Ciara traced the sharp edge of the brass padlock on the wooden box.. "Just... don't give him the keys to everything."

"I don't understand."

"It means people change their minds," Ciara said, her voice dropping a bit. She finally looked up, her gaze heavy "And paths diverge, If he walks, make sure he doesn't take parts of you with him."

Maya let out a sharp, humorless laugh, shaking her head as she stood up. She crossed her arms, pulling them tight against her chest like a shield.

"He's different…." Maya said.

Ciara looked back down at the box, her fingers wrapping around the cold lock. She snapped it shut with a definitive click.

"I'd see you later, Maya ". Ciara said and left.

*******

She texted Damien from the car, 'Coming over, Don't wait up, just let me in.'

He texted back “ Late meeting” Key's under the mat.

She went anyway because She was tired and restless.

She waited two hours, called him twice, Both times it rang out,The third time it didn't ring at all straight to voicemail, which meant he'd turned it off, or it had died.

At eleven her phone buzzed, Ciara calling.

She was reaching for it when she heard the key in the door.

She picked up fast. "Ciara, he just got in, Tell me everything tomorrow, okay?"

"You're not coming home?"

"No. Talk tomorrow."

She hung up. Damien let the door close behind him and dropped onto the sofa without taking his jacket off, He looked tired.

"Your phone was off for two hours. I kept calling."

"Battery died." He reached for her, pulled her in against him, "You should have slept."

"I couldn't."

She helped him with his jacket because it was late and they both needed to go to bed so reached into the pocket to hang it.

Her fingers closed around something small.

She pulled it out,

A bracelet, Gold, Thin, A small engraved C on the clasp.

"What is this?"

Damien raised his eyebrows in surprise and Maya noticed that immediately.

"Um...er, It's ...for... for you." He stuttered."I just hadn't found the right moment to give it to you."

"Oh wow, then put it on for me". Maya chuckled.

"Alright," he smirked and slowly put it on her wrist.

She looked down at the small engraved C.

' My name starts with M so what does this stand for. I'll figure it out tomorrow'. Maya thought.

"I love it.", “Maya said “.

**********

The message came in at seven forty-three and Damien was off the bed before Maya finished reading the second line.

She hadn't meant to read it. Her hand was just there, still half-asleep, fingers loose on the nightstand and the screen had lit up under her palm.

“Last night was perfect, Two more dates before your wedding, I can't wait.”

She set the phone back exactly where it was and closed her eyes, She heard him pulling the wardrobe open.

"I'm so late. They're already messaging."

"Who?" Her voice came out flat. Eyes still closed.

"Office, Early start today." The wardrobe clicked shut. His footsteps crossed to her side. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Go back to sleep."

The bathroom door opened.

'Office doesn't say I can't wait, Office doesn't count dates.' Maya thought.

She lay there for another full minute with that thought sitting on her chest. Then she got up and got dressed

She stopped at the bathroom door, "Thank you for the bracelet, by the way.” I really love it."

"Glad you like it. Got it for your birthday, just gave it a little early."

She looked down at the small engraved C on the clasp.

Birthday? Okay, Birthday.

Damien's phone buzzed again.

Maya looked at it, The screen lit up “ she did not want to read it but she did”

The screen read, “Did she find out?”