"Maya."
His voice.
She stiffened. Her fingers tightened around the glass.
Chase stood at the doorway. His hair was damp, his shirt half-buttoned, as though he had only recently thrown it on. His expression was that of a man who had practiced looking remorseful.
"Maya," he said again, stepping closer.
She didn't look up. She poured herself another glass of water.
Chase's jaw tensed. He closed the distance and grabbed her arm. "Hey, I'm talking to you."
She turned her head slightly, her voice flat. "Let go."
He didn't. Instead, he caught her chin, forcing her to face him. His grip was hard, the same way he always held things — like ownership.
"What the hell? I've been trying to talk to you!"
Maya's frown deepened. She slapped his hand away. "Piss off."
His nostrils flared. "Just listen, okay? I promise it's not what you think. Claire and I didn't do anything."
She laughed — a small, bitter sound that didn't sound like laughter at all. "Of course you didn't."
Chase frowned. "You're not even going to believe me, are you?"
"What do you think?" she asked quietly.
His composure cracked. "Fine!" He shoved her face, not hard enough to throw her off balance, but hard enough to make his point.
Maya steadied herself. Her hair fell into her face; she brushed it back slowly. Her voice trembled but didn't break. "You never change."
"It's not like you ever believe me anyway," he shot back.
What?" She looked at him. Her eyes burning. "I never believed you? Chase you have done nothing but lie to me."
She slowly walked up to him. "From high school to college till this moment. You have only toyed with me you manipulative, narcissistic, pervert" she was right in his face.
Chase looked like he was trying to control his anger. His fist tightened.
"What?"
"Tell me it's a lie!" Maya yelled. "You keep doing this to me and expect me to take it. You will go out there and come back to apologize and still do it again. What am I? A dummy?"
Maya said her tears falling. "I've only ever sacrificed my life and dreams for you yet you keep messing around. You are all sorts of things but the lowest Chase the lowest was the fact that you could seen the birth of YOUR daughter but chose to party while I was in there giving birth to YOUR baby!"
Maya stared at him fuming and crying.
"Call me crazy all you want, Call me needy and desperate but couldn't you have spared one fucking day Chase?! One!" She raised one finger.
Chase froze as he stared at her. Maya of course has never dared to speak to him this way.
"I saw it! I saw your posts. You weren't playing no damn game. I saw it. What exactly were you trying to prove? Do you think this is a joke? Do you think this is a game? Are you a freaking man child?"
Crash.
The glass she'd been using shattered against the tiles — thrown by him.
Maya flinched, her heart leaping. Shards glittered on the floor like tiny stars.
Chase ran a hand through his hair, pacing, his voice low but venomous. "You done? You done with your drama? You think you're the only one who's had it rough? You have no idea the pressure I'm under."
He turned on her, jabbing a finger toward her chest. "You think I don't care? You think I don't try? I've been fighting for this — for you — with my family. You know what they think of you—"
"Right," Maya interrupted bitterly. "How could I forget? I'm the villain. The manipulative girl who trapped you with a baby. The reason your perfect life went off script."
"Maya—"
"You know what?" She lifted her chin. "Don't fight for me anymore."
He froze. "What?"
"I said don't. Don't fight for me. I'm done, Chase. I'm tired."
The microwave beeped behind her, a small, absurd sound in the middle of chaos.
She turned to get her meal, but Chase's hand shot out, grabbing her arm again. The pressure made her wince.
"What do you mean you're done?" His voice dropped, dangerously quiet.
"Didn't you hear me?" Her voice was steady now, chillingly calm. "I'll take my daughter and leave. You can go live your perfect life, Chase. Do whatever you want. Just stay the hell out of mine."
For a second — just a second — she thought she saw it: relief flickering in his eyes.
"Don't be dramatic," he muttered. "There's no need to prove anything."
Maya yanked her arm free. "Like hell I would. Go ahead. Fuck around. I'm done being your charity case.
She went to the microwave to retrieve her meal.
Chase looked at her stunned. Then he huffed. "Do you even know what you're doing? You think you can really leave?" He raised his brows.
Maya plated her dish. "You're not an island Chase. Sometimes people can leave without you"
"Yeah but you're one to talk" Chase fired back.
Maya fingers faltered as her heart twisted in humiliation. She didn't even realize she still had a bit of pride left.
But she didn't reply.
She wouldn't.
Chase watched Maya serve her dish nonchalantly. "So what? You'll leave with a baby to care for?"
"Yes. I'll take care of it all by myself." Maya said. "You don't want her it's fine. I'll take care of her. She's mine and only mine. Just don't go coming back"
She took her plate and walked up to him. "Cause there'll be no going back now"
Chase looked at her his lips twisted slightly in amusement.
Maya brushed past him and went upstairs