Page 83 of The Fallacy of True Love
“Woke up sometime between the side twists and the neck rotations.“ Yawning, she arched her back in a stretch that emphasized the generous curves of her chest.
I pulled my eyes away. My mind flashed back to the night before when she walked out of the bathroom with just a towel covering her body. She’d stared at me with wide eyes, her lips parted ever so slightly, and it was all I could do to concentrate on answering her questions.
Maya let out a throaty groan, stirring a different kind of ache in me. I thought my body was too sore to feel any other sensation, but hell if she didn’t prove me wrong.
“Did you sleep okay?” I asked, feigning nonchalance.
“I slept.” She smirked sleepily. “You finished studying?"
“I need to review my notes again later. You mind if I use the bathroom before I go?”
“Make sure you put the seat down.”
I gave her a look. “Again. Sisters.”
The bathroom was little more than a cube, with the showerhead practically on top of the toilet. I did my thing and double-checked that I left it clean. When I went out, Maya was sitting in bed and staring at one of the mint green walls.
“Contemplating the color choice?” I asked.
“They probably wanted something eye-catching.”
“They got eye-catching right.” I grabbed my keys, phone, and wallet from the table. “You’ll be okay?”
“Of course. Drive safe.”
No effusive thank yous from this girl. I hadn’t expected any, but it would have been nice to know she had enjoyed my company.
I definitely enjoyed hers—so much so that I wished I didn’t have to leave.
Knowing her, though, she would have thrown me out if I overstayed my welcome. “Good luck today,” I said. “Call me if you need help.”
“I won’t.”
“Will you at least text to let me know if your new place is okay?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll consider it.”
“Right. Take care, Ma—” Remembering her request, I corrected myself. “Cam.”
A notch appeared between her brows. Then she said, “Bye, Manila.”
Unfortunately, one of the lanes on the highway was closed due to roadwork, causing traffic to build up earlier than usual. I got home thirty minutes past my original ETA and found Papa already eating his daily oatmeal and banana. He looked up from his phone and frowned at me.
“Morning, Papa,” I said, as if greeting him first would delay the interrogation I saw coming.
“Where were you?”
“I studied with a friend. I texted Mama.”
“And why do you need to study with someone else? It’s better to do that at home so you can focus.”
“It helps to take turns discussing cases and answering questions because that’s what we do in class. I can’t do that by myself.” None of what I said had been a lie. I’d just avoided telling the entire truth.
He grunted. “Next time, text me too.”
That would be redundant, but I resisted the urge to tell him so. It might invite questions about who I’d been with, and I wasn’t ready to tell him about Maya. I wasn’t even sure he knew Dani and I had broken up.
So I nodded and said, “Alright. I’ll get ready for class.”
