Chapter fifty two

The dining hall was completely dark except from the light coming from my phone screen. A message popped up saying that the battery was critically low. I swiped it away and pulled up my message history. There were more than a dozen messages I had sent to Maya.The first said "Good morning." I sent it the morning after she called me to tell me that she would be staying at her apartment. I was hoping that we'd have a chance to talk for a little bit before she went to work. So I stayed in bed while I waited for her to respond. I must have waited for more than fifteen minutes staring at my phone. I imagined what my face must be looking like . I stared wide eyed and innocent, with a drunken grin on my face . As the minutes passed ,my grin fell lower and lower until it'd gone from neutral to depressed.
By the time I was finished making my bed , I was convinced that Mr. Beetle had gotten to her . I called Jo to do a quick drive by before she went into work . He messaged me saying he saw her get into her car and drive to work in the morning.
She was ignoring me. The rest of the day I stayed on my phone glancing at it every few minutes trying to convince myself that she was not pulling away from me, but I knew what she was doing the moment she told me she was going to stay at her house . I just didn't want to accept it . Halfway through the day I couldn't stop myself , I had to say something so I called her . she ignored my call , after the fourth ring . I wanted to throw my phone out of the window. Instead , I took a deep breath and decided what I was going to do . She probably needed some space. Things were really intense. Besides Moses was right, we were moving too fast , it wasn't that it was intentional , all I wanted was her to be safe .I was not the kind of guy who clung on to people . I waited for a whole hour to text her again. I told her to call me and that I was worried. I knew how it sounded . I was acting desperate that I couldn't live without her, but this was so sudden . There was no warning, no buildup , we were in heaven and now I was in hell.I locked myself in my room that night. I couldn't face the trouble, I held to my pillow so tightly like it was her.I was so used to having her sleep next to me. I told myself the next morning that it didn't matter . I took a chance and it didn't work out . halfway through again.
She probably was caught up with things at the bakery . Her life was busy , she was probably swamped at work and too exhausted to call me. I texted her to say that I missed her and I put my phone closely so that I could reply to her immediately.while I was handling my paperwork.
I signed one page, flipped it over and started reading another. I had to focus . I couldn't allow her to interfere with my work life. I wasn't a starry-eyed teenager any longer. I was a grown man , the architect of a billion dollar company, how could I possibly run a company if I couldn't handle being away from Maya for a couple of days. I was lacking discipline. I had to have discipline , I was getting soft.
I glanced back at my phone, it was blank but the purple light was flashing at the top. I had amesaage . I quickly snatched it up , faster than I knew what I was doing , turned on the screen and checked the message. It was spam . I shoved my phone in my drawer to get it out of my sight.
I had Mona stay over that night and the night after that. I must have sent Maya over thirty messages in two days. She didn't respond to any of them, at some point , I had to stop, but that was harder than I expected I tried to keep it down to two a day but it didn't work.
It'd been almost a week and I couldn't ignore the truth.we were supposed to spend the weekend together , it was supposed to be our time. Why would she do this . I put my phone away and walked out of the dining room to go to bed . I thrashed around trying to calm myself down and stave off the wave of depression Thad had taken over.It was pathetic , but I couldn't help it. I started to calm down and found myself drifting off.
Mona walked in the room and she saw me drowning in my sadness.
"I still haven't heard from Maya"
"Oh" she clicked, I'm sorry to hear about that .she was so nice, I actually liked her."
"Maybe I came off to strong !"
"Maybe you did, maybe you didn't, but it is up to her to make her own choice."
"I know" , I looked down the railing and stared down at the foyer , "I have to accept it."
"But you don't want to ."/She walked inside.
" No I don't, " I said as she came out ."I hate it."
Remember when all this started and I said she might not be the one?"
"Where you getting at?"
"She pulled you to the dating pool and that's a good thing."
"I don't want anyone else ,I want .
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Maya.
I woke up with the sun and started smoothening out the covers and tucked the ends under the mattress. I had a nickel already sitting on my nightstand. It bounced just like I knew it would. I didn't take very long to get ready .I was anxious to get into work . I was starting the apricot streusel as a regular item , it was so popular that I couldn't keep up with the orders. Archer's mechanics had tired of the orange and ginger snaps and were switching to the cherry chocolate I always made sure I made a batch when I was coming in .
" is there something wrong?"
"No"
"Why are you so early?"
"Things have been hectic around here what with all the orders I thought I could comeninnearly and start prepping."
"I like this new attitude of yours."
I pulled out a can of cherries and started opening it for her
"How have you been holding up," she asked.
"Fine" I took the can of cherries and popped one in my mouth and handed it over to Laura so she could do the same.
She took one and looked at me up and down.
"Are you lying. Because you don't want me to know that it suvks being away from Archer ."
"I'm not lying, I haven't had any trouble at all."
Laura poured the cherries into the mixture and grabbed a bag of cocoa powder from underneath the sink.
"I don't buy it. You were so into him before.What changed?"
"I took what you said to heart , I don't want to be caught up in anything that intense. I have to focus on work . Once I'm more successful I can take up more risks,but now is not the time. I whole heartedly agree ." Laura said as she poured a hot pot of coffee and made a fresh batch of orange juice. Laura had the idea of mixing corn syrup into it to take away some of the acidic freshly squeezed taste . The customers really liked it . We had six orders that morning , so much that the coffee was being neglected .
After the morning rush I took out a vat of blueberry syrupan the a batch of blueberry scone dough . I was starting to add in the filling when the doorbell rang .
Laura was busy mixing another batch of cherry chocolate chip cookies .
"I'll get it ." I said as I went towards the door.
Mona was tandong right infront of me with her hands around her waist.
"Hi, how are you ."
"I'm well, "she walked in and went over the cookie case to get a look .
" How are you."
"Tired-a little richer."
"I hope you don't mind the intrusion, I was having some cookie withdrawals and I was craving some sun.
" I don't mind,Good to see you actually. "
"Good to see you too." She said as she looked at me straight in the face
"Its been quite a while since I saw you."
"It hasn't been that long" I said as I quickly took the rag from the counter and redirected my attention to a coffee stain that was on the counter.
"Its been a while , is everything okay."
"Yeah everything is good."
"Archer has been asking about you." Mona said flatly.
I stopped what I was doing, suddenly aware of the blood that was rushing through my veins. I wasn't going to think about it, I was going to focus on work.
"Can I get you anything?"
"What is it Maya?"
I sighed and dropped the rag. "I don't want to do this . "
"You didn't want to leave a week or so ago, what changed?"
"Is it that important?"
"You haven't seen him, haven't talked to him , haven't returned his messages. That hurt.
" I've got things to do."
"And a man's heart in your hands, why'd you do it Maya , I don't mean to push but he is a good man, and he is hurt. How many text messages did he send you ?"
"Like sixty?"
"Why didn't you answer him back?"
"Because things were too intense , okay?
We were moving too fast and