Maya had always been the one person I thought I could trust without question.
She knew every embarrassing secret of my childhood, every heartbreak I'd endured, every dream I dared to whisper when the world felt too heavy.
She was more than a friend; she was my sister in everything but blood.
Which is why it should have felt natural to talk to her about Adrian. And at first, I thought it will be a necessary step to take. So i did.
We were in my room one evening, sprawled across the bed in the lazy comfort of friendship.
A half-finished bag of chips sat between us, music hummed softly from my speaker, and Maya was scrolling through her phone with that half-distracted look she always wore when she was fishing for gossip.
So, she began without looking up.
Are you going to tell me about last night, or do I have to guess?
I blinked at her.
What do you mean?
Her grin widened as she finally turned towards me.
Don't play innocent. You and Adrian. I saw him walking you home.
What happened after that?
My cheeks warmed. Nothing really. We just… you know, talked.
Talked? She rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin on her palms.
Elena, please save me the BS. I've seen the way he looks at you. That boy is not thinking about conversations.
I laughed, trying to hide how right she was.
"You're ridiculous, you know that right"
She arched a brow.
Am I? Come on.
Was there another kiss or something after ?
The memory of Adrian's mouth on mine under the glow of the lamppost rushed back to me.
My lips tingled just thinking about it. I tried to play it cool, but Maya knew me too well.
There was, she gasped, sitting up.
Oh my God, there was! She grabbed a pillow and smacked me lightly with it.
And you weren't going to tell me? You're not a good friend at all.
I was! I protested through laughter.
I just… wanted to keep it to myself for a little while and keep replaying.
Her smile softened, but there was something else in her eyes, something quick and fleeting that I couldn't quite place.
Envy, maybe?
Longing?
It was gone before I could think too hard about it.
You're lucky, you know, she said, her tone light but edged with something sharper.
"Every girl I know would kill to be in your shoes". Adrian Cole doesn't just… choose people. He could have anyone. Instead he chose you.
Her words should have filled me with pride. Instead, they made my stomach knot.
I forced a smile anyway. "I guess he did."
Maya flopped back against the pillows with a dramatic sigh.
"If I were you, I'd never let him go. Stick to him like a glue and bond harder"
Well that night, her words followed me into sleep.
"Every girl would kill to be in your shoes". So I keep contemplating …
Why did it sound less like encouragement and more like a warning? I should be missing something between.
Adrian called me the next evening. His voice was low and smooth over the phone, like velvet poured into my ear.
Come outside, he said.
I frowned, glancing at the clock. It was nearly midnight.
Outside? Adrian, it's late, can't you see the time.
Please, Please, he said, and the word carried a hunger that melted my resistance.
I just want to see you. Ten minutes. That's all I won't waste it.
Of course, I was moved by the love burning in my heart for him so I walked outside to meet him.
He was waiting by the curb, leaning against his car with that infuriatingly confident smile.
When I reached him, he pulled me close without a word, pressing his lips to mine.
The kiss was urgent, devouring. My body trembled as his hands framed my face, as if he needed me to believe in something I couldn't yet name.
When he pulled away, his eyes searched mine.
You trust me, right?
The question startled me, just as it had the other night. Why did he keep asking that?
Yes, I whispered, though doubt curled like smoke in my chest.
His mouth pressed to mine again, and I tried to drown in the sweetness, to ignore the bitterness that clung faintly at the edges.
The next morning, Maya was waiting for me at the cafe across campus.
She had two steaming cups of coffee on the table, her hair pulled into a messy bun that somehow still looked effortless.
You're glowing, she said the moment I sat down.
"Oh Maya not again. I am not."
Yes you are. She smirked knowingly. Maybe you need a mirror reflection right in front to see yourself.
So, where were you last night?
I stirred my coffee, avoiding her eyes. She knows how to get answers with eyes glued to each other
No where. I replied immediately.
Her laugh was sharp. Don't lie to me, Elena.
You're so terrible at it. Was it Adrian again?
I hesitated, then nodded.
Her smile stretched wider, but her gaze flicked away for just a second, the way it always did when she was hiding something.
"He must really like you a lot".
Yes, he does, I said firmly, as though saying it aloud could make it true.
But as we sat in that cafe, I caught the way her eyes softened when I said his name.
The way her lips curved as if she were savoring a secret. It unsettled me.
Later, when Adrian kissed me again outside the cafe, his mouth hungry and fierce, I felt it stronger than ever, the sweetness, the heat, the passion… and beneath it, that aftertaste.
That kiss lingered in my memory long after he drove away, leaving me alone on the sidewalk with my heart racing.
It lingered, and for the first time, I wondered if what I was tasting wasn't just love.
Fears of overcoming love. Maybe it was a warning.
Immediately my phone buzzed in my pocket, startling me.
A message lit up the screen.
Unknown Number: "Enjoy him while you can."
The coffee I'd just swallowed turned bitter in my mouth.