Page 111 of Crave Thy Neighbor

She tosses her hair over her shoulder and scoots out of the booth, ending our conversation.

I stand too, and a wave of awkwardness washes over us.

We don’t know what to say, what to do. We stand there staring at one another like we’ve never met before. Like I don’t know what she feels like…tastes like.

It’s painful.

“Hey, Brooks! Food’s here,” Jake calls out, saving me.

I give him a nod, then turn back to Maya, who looks like she wants to stay and run all at the same time.

“Well, uh, it was good to see you,” I say, like she’s an old friend and not the girl who holds my heart in the palm of her hand.

She sighs, disappointed. “Yeah. You too.”

“Later, shithead.”

Sam rolls his eyes at me. “Are you coming to my talent show still? It’s Friday night and I won’t be playing a Bob Seger song.”

I smirk. Dean wasnothappy with me for that one. “Yep. Wouldn’t miss it.”

Maya sends me a look sayingDon’t you dare bail on him again.

“I promise,” I tell him, reassuring them both.

I hate the relief that floods his eyes.

I put that there, that doubt. I never wanted to get attached to the kid in the first place, and here I am feeling like absolute dog shit because I hurt him.

I’m sick to my stomach over it.

Jake whistles, signaling to me again.

“I better go before he comes over here and tries to spoon-feed me or something.”

Before I can think about it too much, I lean into Maya and press a kiss to her cheek, inhaling her scent, which is slowly disappearing from my sheets. I linger longer than I should, but I can’t seem to talk myself into walking away.

“I still need you,” I whisper.

There’s a hitch in her breath, and I pull back before I haul her into my arms and kiss her until we’re both dizzy.

She gives me a small smile and rushes Sam from the restaurant.

She looks back at me twice, and I cling to the hope that gives me.

19

Maya

When Friday night rolls around, I can still feel Nolan’s lips against my cheek.

I still need you.

It’s been on repeat in my head for days now in that gravelly voice of his. I hear it everywhere. In the shower. In the car.

Amidst the cold loneliness of the night.

It’s amazing how you can know someone for such a short amount of time and get so used to them that when they leave, your entire world is flipped around.

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