Davis, Liz - Slivers of Moonlight (Siren Publishing Classic) (12 page)

“Yeah, sorry about that. You probably just caught me at a bad time. Sometimes I’m in the middle of working or I’m driving home, but I hope you know I wasn’t trying to avoid you.”

“I know you would never do that, but it’s kind of unusual for a week to pass without you giving me a call. So what’s up with you? You must have a new woman in your life.”

His lips curved into a little smile. “Yeah, I’m dating someone.”

“So give me some details. Let me know what she’s like.”

“I’ll tell you all about her the next time I come out for a visit. How about that?”

“Oh, so you’re gonna make me wait, huh? Okay, I see how it is.”

He offered a light chuckle. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just that I’m running a bit late for work, so I can’t stay on and chat for too long.”

The tone of her voice expressed disbelief. “Hmm, right. You’re always so secretive about the girls that you date. You never tell me anything.”

“Well, it’s not that I’m trying to hide anything. It’s just that I’ve been casually dating for a while, and there hasn’t been anyone special in my life. Well, at least not until now.”

“Oh, so you’re really into this girl then, huh? Now I’m even more curious to hear about her.”

“I know you are, and I promise to let you know all about her on my next trip home. You have my word, okay?”

“All right, cool. So how are things otherwise? What’s life like in the city?”

“Things are okay. Just taking it day by day, you know? Sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle, but I’m hanging in there.”

“Good to hear. Well, I hope you come out for a visit soon.”

“I know, it’s been awhile since I drove out to the rez, and I feel bad about that. I just don’t like showing up to see mom, and not having a lot of money to give her. I’ve managed to save up quite a bit during this last month though, so it should be more than enough to take care of everything that she needs.”

“I know your mom appreciates the money, Evan. But just so you know, she’s always happy to see you. We all miss you and people ask about you all the time.” The sound of a baby crying came from the background, urging Reyna to end the conversation.

“Sounds like Eddie’s up, so I guess that’s my cue to get off. Give me a call tomorrow, okay? I want to chat with you some more.”

“Sure thing. Tell the kids I said hello, and give Eddie a kiss for me, okay?”

“I will. Later, Matoskah.”

“Bye.”

After ending the call, he slipped the phone into his pocket and was grabbing his car keys from off the bedside table, when his eyes drifted to a framed picture. It was one of the last photos he’d taken right before he’d left the reservation, and whenever he looked at it, he always relived the variety of emotions he’d experienced on that day. He remembered feeling uncertain about the new life he was embarking on, but also hopeful about all of the things he could achieve. He’d also felt sad about leaving his family and being so far away from them, but he knew that his connection with them could never be severed. They would always be close to his heart, in both mind and spirit. When his uncle had offered him the job as a mechanic at the car repair shop, Evan had seen it as an opportunity to make some good money and send it to his mother back home, and for the past five years, he’d been doing just that. He was thankful to have Uncle Gary’s help, and since he was Evan’s only relative that lived in the city, it saved him from feeling complete alienated from his family back home.

Caught between two worlds, Evan had one foot in the ways and traditions of life on the reservation and another in the day to day activities of urban city living. Such a dual existence wasn’t easy, but he made use of the opportunities he had and worked hard to provide a decent life for himself. The chime of an incoming text message broke him out of his thoughts, and as he took a glance at the display screen, he saw that it was from Maya.

Miss you already. Can’t wait to see you tonight. X

He felt a lift in his spirits from her text, and responded back with a message of his own. Then he stuffed the phone back into his pocket and headed out door to begin his day.

Chapter 8

As the hand on the clock finally reached ten, Maya grabbed her purse and slipped on her jacket, then exited the restaurant. As soon as she was outside, she inhaled deeply, grateful for the fresh air that surrounded her. It was quite a chilly evening, but the cool air was refreshing, and it was certainly a whole lot better than being cooped up in a noisy, crowded restaurant.

She headed through the parking lot toward her Honda, and as she came closer to reaching it, she noticed there was a note stuck beneath one of the windshield wipers. Maya pulled it free and opened the paper, then read the message that was scribbled on it.

He’s hiding something from you. What is it?

Her brow furrowed and she felt her pulse speed up. Just what was this note all about, and who was the
he
in question? At the present moment, there was only one significant male in her life, so the first person her mind turned to was Evan. But what secret could he possibly be keeping from her?

She turned the note over to see if there was anything else on it, but found that the opposite side was blank. Maya reread the cryptic words several times, and each time she did, something deep down in the pit of her stomach reacted. Who would write such a thing, and what was the point behind it?

Multiple questions raced through her mind, but she found herself wanting to trust Evan and not believe what the note said. But yet, was there not another part of her that wondered if it was true? She wanted to trust him, but her overactive imagination was creating all sorts of unpleasant images in her mind.

Maybe he had another woman on the side, and if he did, she guessed that it would most likely be Tanya, the cashier who worked at Ted’s Diner. It was also possible that he was keeping some other secret from her, but she couldn’t even begin to guess what that might be.

Calm down
. A voice inside of her spoke.
You don’t even know if any of this is true yet.

But a feeling inside of her told her that it was. And if there was something he
was
hiding from her, then she had to find out. She couldn’t live a relationship that was a lie.

She lifted her gaze and took a glance around the parking lot to see if anyone was around, but as far as she could tell, she was the only one out there. Once she was inside her car, she turned the key in the ignition and drove off. As she made her way home, she found herself thinking about Dylan, and the rocky relationship they’d had. He’d played her for a fool for so many years, and it seemed that no matter how many times he screwed her over, she always forgave him and allowed him back into her life. This vicious cycle had continually renewed itself during the four years they’d been dating, and unfortunately it had done quite a number on her self-esteem.

Now that she was finally out of the craziness of that relationship, she was able to see just how much of a loser he was. She was also able to see that he was quite manipulative. This led her to the realization that it could be Dylan who left the note. It seemed pretty fitting that he would try to play head games with her, but she wasn’t going to allow him to destroy the relationship that she and Evan were building. She could feel the stress building inside of her, so she inhaled a deep breath, and then let it out, hoping to expel the nervous energy. Although she didn’t like the idea of Dylan still hanging around her, she began to hope that he was the one who left the note. Because if he didn’t, then it surely had to mean that it was from one of Evan’s admirer’s. He was a very attractive man, and had undoubtedly dated his fair share of women before her, so it was difficult to determine who had written it.

Stop overthinking and just trust him.

That voice in her head was right, and she knew it. So why couldn’t she just chill and have faith in Evan? She felt it in her heart that he was a good man, but for some reason, she felt a pull to focus on the negative thoughts that lingered. As she turned onto the street where her apartment was located, she found that she was experiencing quite a bit of apprehension. Yet instead of allowing it to consume her, she chose instead to remain optimistic. It wouldn’t do any good to let a relationship this wonderful be ruined by something as petty as jealousy.

After parking her car in front of her apartment, she headed for the door and unlocked it. As soon as she was inside, she went through her routine of slipping out of her shoes and grabbing a beverage form the refrigerator. With a bottle of iced tea in hand, she headed for the couch and gratefully plopped onto the cushions. There was a pile of mail on the coffee table that needed to be looked at, so she got busy at opening the various envelopes. Discovering that most of it was junk mail, she grabbed the TV remote and began to channel surf. She eventually decided on a cheesy eighties horror film, and was only a few minutes into watching it when she heard a knock on the door. As she looked through the peephole, she saw that it was Evan, and swung the door back to greet him.

Still dressed in his mechanic’s uniform, the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, displaying his toned biceps. He bent down to give her a peck on the lips, and then followed her into the living room.

“Sorry I didn’t stop at home to have a shower first. I was just so excited to come by and see you. And I thought you might be hungry, so I picked up some Chinese food.” He held two small containers up by their silver handles.

“Thanks, baby, just set it down on the coffee table, and I’ll bring you over a drink.” She walked over to the fridge and took out a carton of juice. “Is cranberry okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” he answered.

After pouring him a glass, she brought it into the living room and set it on the coffee table. As they opened the paper containers, the mouthwatering scent of kung pao chicken and fried rice filled their nostrils. They munched in silence for a few minutes before Maya began to speak.

“Somebody stuck this strange note on my car today.”

Oh yeah, who was it from?”

Sliding the slip of paper across the table, Maya responded, “I don’t know, it was left anonymously. Have a look.”

Evan popped a mushroom into his mouth and then set his container of food down.

Picking up the slip of paper, he read it aloud. “He’s hiding something from you. What is it?” His brow lifted questioningly. “Okay, this is weird. And you said it was stuck to your windshield?”

“Yeah, somebody tucked it beneath the wipers.”

“Well, that’s definitely odd. It’s probably just some nutcase trying to get under your skin.” He tossed the paper aside and then said, “I hope you didn’t let this note worry you.”

She took another glance at the note, and closely studied the handwriting. “Seems like it may have been written by a female.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Well, the script is very feminine, don’t you think?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess.”

“Does it look familiar to you at all? Not trying to accuse you of anything, I’m just wondering.”

Glancing at the note, he replied, “Nope, I don’t know anyone who writes like that. If you really want my opinion, I’d bet my money your ex-boyfriend is behind this.”

“I had the same suspicions myself, but this handwriting isn’t anything like his.”

“Okay, so he could have practiced a few times to alter his penmanship. It’s not that hard to do. Or maybe he had someone write it for him.”

“I guess so. Or maybe it’s someone you know. Maybe one of your ex-girlfriends?”

“The last girl I went out with lives in Montana now. And besides, she isn’t the type to do something like this. I really think it’s Dylan. I mean, who else could it be?”

“I don’t know…I guess it could be him.”

“It is. I’m sure of it. He’s trying to play head games with you, probably hoping that we’ll break up. But you see right through this, don’t you?”

An uncomfortable silence fell between them, prompting him to once again speak. “You don’t actually believe what this note says, do you?”

“Well, when I first read it, I really wasn’t sure what to think.”

She waited for him to say something else, but when he didn’t she figured that she’d upset him. “Are you mad at me?”

“No, I’m not. I’m just trying to figure out why you have such little faith in me.”

Maya shifted her body to face him, looking him straight in the eyes. “Evan, come on, that’s not true. It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that I felt unsure.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re unsure about
me
.”

“No, that’s not it at all.”

“Then what is it?”

“I don’t know. I guess I was just thinking back to my past relationship and remembering all of the things that Dylan did to me.”

“But I’m not him.”

“I know you aren’t. You’re completely different from him in every way.”

“So why are you feeling uncertain about this? Somewhere in the back of your mind, you feel as if I may be lying to you about something, right?”

“No, that’s not true. I don’t think you’re a liar at all.”