Within You by Amber Night

Author:Amber Night [Night, Amber]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-08-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The next day came too quickly, howling winds shaking her awake in the early hours of the morning. Maya forced herself to do all those things she hadn’t done yesterday: throw the sheets in the washing pile and swap them for fresh ones; bathe in the large tub she had recently bought for winter; eat a few slices of bread, although they stuck in her throat like nuggets of lead.

All she wanted to do was crawl back into bed, pull the blankets over her head and make the world go away. But she couldn’t, she wouldn’t let herself do that.

For one, whatever Juan’s reasons, she wasn’t going to make this easy on him. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of hiding away to lick her wounds so he could avoid the consequences of his actions. No, if he wanted to push her away like this, then he would have to face her, every damn day. And if she looked like crap because she’d been crying all night, if people asked awkward questions, well, he’d have to face that, too. If he had any shred of decency left in him, then any guilt he’d feel as a result was only right. He deserved to feel it.

He deserved to feel it, just like Maya was feeling the gaping void which he’d cracked open inside of her.

Still, the closer six o’clock drew, the more appealing her bed looked. When it was time to leave, she caught herself hovering at the door. First, she’d forgotten her gloves, but then… did she really need them? Was this the right scarf, or was it warmer than yesterday and the light one would do? When was the last time she’d been to the loo? And why was she stalling for time when she only had herself to answer to?

Some unnamable force propelled her into leaving, in the end. It wasn’t warmer outside. The trees on the way to the pub were no less bare, groaning with the wind in the vestiges of twilight. The pub was still covered in the ivy and fir branches which Maya and Rina had pinned to it weeks ago. They would need to take them down soon, if the wind didn’t get to them first. Remove the last traces of the night.

Maya pressed her palms against the rough grain of the door. She could do this. She could. She wasn’t soft. Not anymore.

The pub was the opposite of the raucous celebration on Christmas Eve, only a couple of regulars dotted around the edges of the room, nursing their hair of the dog. There was no sign of Juan anywhere. Rina stood by the bar, polishing a long line of glasses.

“Hey stranger,” she greeted Maya. “You’re a bit later than usual.” She waited until Maya had come close, then dropped her voice. “Was half expecting you round mine yesterday, but you never showed. Anything you want to tell me?” She raised her eyebrows, the corners of her lips lifting. “You didn’t get…

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