Page 29 of Key Of Dreams

Patience Is a Virtue

Bull

Maya’s home when I get there with the pizza. The coffee table in front of the television is set up with the same care as it was when she made dinner the other night. Dishes, cutlery, even candles.

“Babe, put the forks and knives away. This is pizza. You eat pizza with your hands,” I tease. Immediately, I see her face drop. Shit! I set the pizza on the counter and move to where she’s standing with her back to me and her head stuck in the refrigerator as she reaches in to grab a drink. She’s avoiding my gaze.

“What do you want to drink? I bought beer on my way home. I wasn’t sure what kind you liked, so I got a few different kinds. There’s Flat Tire, Corona, and the guy in the store told me the Guinness is a good one,” she rambles.

“Maya, look at me,” I command. She slowly turns to face me, her hands holding one of each and the other bottle still sitting in the fridge door as she glances back at it. “I’m an ass. I’m not used to the nice things you do, and even though I was teasing, I hurt your feelings and I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine,” she whispers. I know enough to know that the word “fine” is not fine.

“Don’t do that. You want to tell me off, then do it. You want to call me a jerk, go ahead, but don’t say fine when I know you don’t mean it.”

She straightens her spine, her lower lip quivering. “You’re a jerk! All I wanted to do was make things nice for us. Yeah, it’s pizza, but even pizza can be extra delicious if you make your plate look good. I grated fresh parmesan as an extra topping and chilis so you could try it. I also made the effort as a kind of thank-you. Calvin’s been a pest and today you hit a nerve. I’ve never seen him interested like he was today. You made that happen and, well, forget it.”

I shouldn’t be smiling, but I can’t help myself. She’s like a tiny kitten trying to tell off a Rottweiler.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me!” she says, shoving the beers into my hands. I react quickly and set them down on the counter, then grasp her hand before she’s able to escape to the bedroom.

I yank, and she tumbles into my arms. “That’s it. Let me have it. You’re one-hundred-percent right.”

“Then why are you laughing?” she counters, pushing against my chest.

“Because you’re adorable. Beautiful and smart and funny. And so damn sweet. Just now, I saw a side of you that I think is even hotter.”

She tilts her head to one side, her eyes flashing angrily. “I’m mad at you.”

If this is mad, then I may have to rile her up often. “Not for long.”

“You can’t tell me how long I can be mad,” she sputters. I clasp my hand to her nape and, without another thought, kiss her full pink lips. Maya tries to push me away, but only for a split second before her mouth melds with mine. Her fingers creep up and link around my neck, and she returns my kiss with the same fervor.

Eventually, I draw back and watch as those once-angry eyes become soft and sweet for me. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. I don’t say those words often, but knowing I caused her grief doesn’t make me happy. “I’m not used to being treated this good.”

“I’m still…”She searches for the right word. “Perturbed.” I want to laugh all over again, but know better. “I want five minutes with the person who made you so cynical. I might punch them right in the nose.” She makes a tight fist.

“You’d have to start with my own mother and father and work your way through the family, then the neighborhood,” I say. “My family doesn’t have the same dynamics as yours. It wasn’t good. In fact, it was shit. My mother’s a bitch, my father’s an asshole, my sister’s a gold-digging slut, one of my brothers has spent more time in a cell than out, and the other was smart enough to leave home at eighteen. We call on the odd occasion, but he’s made a life for himself, and I’ve made mine.”

I can feel the sadness seeping into her bones. “How could that be? You’re amazing,” she says quietly.

“Don’t feel bad for me, babe. I survived, and the best thing I did for myself was join the army. That’s where I met my real family. Falcon, Rebel, Wire, Phoenix, and Archer. Cory too. He was like a brother to all of us. Damn near killed us to lose him, but we think of him all the time, and he’ll always be in here.” I place my hand over my heart.

“Losing someone really hurts,” she says. Having lost her dad, she knows what I’m feeling. She straightens her shoulders and pokes at my chest with a severe look on her face, or, well, as severe as a kitten can get. “That doesn’t mean you can be rude. I’m not your mom or your sister. I’m me. Maya.” Now I get what she means when she talks about using her “teacher voice.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I grin. “I won’t make that mistake again.” Her frown turns into a smile. “Let’s eat our pizza before it gets cold.”

“Wanna watch the Fast & Furious movies? I think we can get through two before I fall asleep,” she says with a giggle. She didn’t get much rest last night, but she let me sleep in and took care of me.

“Whatever you want, babe.”

“This is a win-win. Action, things that blow up, and hot guys.” She makes a run for it. I chase her around the counter and catch her as she tries to go around me. I gently toss her onto the couch and begin to tickle her. Her bell-like laughter fills the room. She is laughing so hard and pleading for me to stop.

“Stop! I—I can’t?—”

“Hot guys, huh?”

“Not as hot as you.” She presses her lips to mine. I gather her in my arms, deepening our kiss. She tastes so good, warm and sweet.

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