The Edge of You

by Theresa Dalayne

“That’s awfully nice of her. Let her know I’m doing just fine, would you?”

  “Will do.”

  “So, should I be expecting some news?”

  News? She must have been talking about the twins. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her about the whole pregnant thing. I’m kind of new to it.”

  “Oh, sweet baby Jesus.” His mother pleaded. “Did you get that girlfriend of yours pregnant? Didn’t I teach you a damned thing about how to treat a lady?”

  Jake sat up straight. “What? No!” He clenched the steering wheel with his other hand. “No, Mom. I didn’t get her—” He shook his head. “I’m talking about Aunt Sarah.”

  He heard his mother gasp. “What?”

  He forgot Aunt Sarah wasn’t going to tell Mom anything about the babies until she was better. Even so, Jake would rather his mom know about Sarah’s pregnancy than think anything else. “Don’t get mad they didn’t tell you yet, okay? But she and Uncle Mike are having twins.”

  There was a long pause, followed by a high-pitched scream. Jake flinched and pulled the phone away from his ear until it stopped. “I can’t believe it!” she shouted. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

  “She just didn’t want you to worry.”

  “How far along is she?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

  “I’m going to call her right now.”

  “Um, okay. But before you hang up, how are you feeling?”

  “Other than some of these side effects, I’m doin’ okay.”

  “Side effects from the medication?”

  “Mhm. Headaches—real bad ones. And I can’t seem to drink enough water.”

  “Did you ask the doctor about it?” He ran his fingers through his hair. This wasn’t right. She shouldn’t be alone.

  “He said it’s all part of takin’ the meds. Said I had to put up with ‘em for now.”

  Jake glanced in his rearview mirror to the house directly across the street. Maya’s house. “Mom…you shouldn’t be living alone.”

  “Well, until things change, we have to work with what we have.”

  “What if…” Jake shifted in his seat. “What if I came home? Would you like that?”

  “Jake, baby. You need to stay where you’re at. You have school there. That’s where your future is.”

  He slouched down in his seat and pressed his knees against the steering wheel. “Uncle Mike told me what you said about wanting me to come home.”

  There was a stretch of silence, followed by a long sigh. “So it’s a little lonely here. And what kinda’ mama would I be if I didn’t want you here with me?”

  “Mom...” He buried his fingers in his hair and rested his forehead against the palm of his hand; his elbow perched on the door. “Marco told me about a construction job that’s available. If I can’t find work here in the next two weeks, I’ll be coming home.”

  “What about school?”

  “I’ll just transfer my credits. Maybe go back to taking online classes so I can work during the day.”

  It would work as long as the job held out. But it would also mean leaving Maya behind.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Maya

  Maya set down her paintbrush and pushed strands of hair out of her face with the back of her hand, careful not to smear the yellow paint on her forehead, already covering her fingers and smock.

  She’d been painting for hours, and although her motivation was still high, hunger pains forced her to take a break. Besides, her mother was off work that day, which meant Maya could spend it with her. It may not have been her favorite pastime, but it was her responsibility—even if that meant putting her project aside.

  After scrubbing the paint from her hands, Maya made her way to the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator for a snack. Her mother walked in from the living room, wearing a pair of cotton pajama pants with tiny orange cats on them—a Christmas gift from Maya a few years back. It made Maya smile every time her mother wore them. Maybe it was the fact the cats looked like Ginger, or maybe it was the way her mother giggled when she first opened them that December morning.

  “Hey, sweetie. Why aren’t you at school?”

  Maya froze and then slowly straightened, still holding a half-gallon of milk. Her mother hardly ever called her ‘sweetie.’ “We have a week off.”

  “Already?”

  Maya nodded as she poured a glass of milk and gulped half of it down, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Looks like you’re lounging today, too.”

  Her mother leaned against the counter and rubbed her face. “Yeah. Work has been tough. Getting used to this new computer system is really a pain, and it doesn’t help that my boss isn’t my favorite person in the world.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Maya put the milk back in the fridge. “I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  Maya shut the fridge and leaned against it. “I’ve actually been wanting to talk to you about a few things.”

  Her mother tensed, holding her gaze. “Okay.”

  Maya could read her mother’s body language from a mile away. “Good news,” she added quickly.

  “Oh.” Her mother’s shoulders relaxed. “Okay.”

  “So, my art professor asked me to submit a piece into an art show that’s coming up in less than a week. It’s a pretty big deal.”

  “That’s great.” Her mother smiled. Really smiled. “What’s the second thing?”

  “Oh!” Maya bounced up and down excitedly. “Beth’s coming from California for the art show. Can you believe it?”

  Her mother casually pushed away from the counter. “That’s fantastic news. You know Beth is welcome to stay here as long as she’s in town.”

  Maya didn’t want to be a pessimist, but her mother was acting so…normal. She couldn’t choose between feeling suspicious or relieved. But as long as her mother was in a good mood, Maya wouldn’t squash it. Not for anything.

  “And what about this boy your dad told me about?”

  Maya’s optimism fell flat. “Who, Jake?”

  “So that’s his name.”

  “He’s just a guy from school.”

  “Just a guy you had over for breakfast?” She suppressed a smile. “When am I going to meet him?”

  Every muscle in Maya’s body went rigid. “You want to meet Jake?”

  “Of course. If you’re hanging around some boy, I’d like to at least see him. Maybe even talk to him. Is that too much to ask?”

  “Um…” Maya shifted her weight. The whole run-in with her father happened by accident, and at the worst possible time ever. But her mother was taking interest in her life, which was rare, and Maya couldn’t shoot down her effort. “I guess I can ask when he’s free…” She did her best not to be too transparent.

  “Great.” She flashed a quick smile. “And be sure to let me know when Beth is planning to come up so I can get the guest room ready for her.”

  Maya stepped forward as her mother crossed the kitchen. “But she can stay—” When her mother vanished, Maya huffed. “In my room,” she said to herself.

  Something told Maya this whole ‘meeting Jake’ thing was going to be a really bad idea.

  She walked onto her back porch and called Jake, the stress weighing heavier on her shoulders with each ring. She stood beside the railing as a view of the sea stretched in the distance.

  Jake picked up the phone. “Hey. I was just thinking about you.” His tone sounded tense, but just hearing his voice put her at ease. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

  She wanted to smile, but couldn’t. “Listen. I have to ask you to do something for me. It’s kind of huge.”

  “Okay…what’s up?”

  She drew in a deep breath and let it out. “My mom wants to meet you.”

  He chuckled. “That’s the big favor? Meet your mom?”

  “Um…” She ran her fingers along the wood grain of the
porch railing. “Yeah.”

  “It couldn’t have been as bad as meeting your dad, so I’d say we’re good to go.”

  Maya laughed nervously. “Yeah…right.” She swallowed.

  “You sound upset.”

  She shook her head, trying to ignore the butterflies pushing against her ribcage. “It’s nothing.”

  He paused. “Uh huh.” Maya gripped the railing tighter. “You know, I’m across the street at my aunt and uncle’s,” he said. “Want me to drop by now to meet her?”

  Her eyes widened. “No. Absolutely not.”

  “Why?”

  “Because—” She turned and leaned against the railing, chewing her bottom lip as she searched for an excuse. “Because it’s my mom’s day off, and she wants to relax.” Legitimate enough.

  “Okay. Well, I have an idea. Why don’t I ask my aunt and uncle if we can all have dinner at their house? I’d love for you to meet them, anyway.”

  Maya’s heart sped up. Her mother around other adults? It could be an epic catastrophe. Or maybe it would keep things under control, if for no other reason than she would be afraid of embarrassing herself. “You don’t think they’d mind?”

  “My aunt loves having people over. I bet she’d go nuts over the idea.”

  It was the best hope she had to keep her mother’s sarcasm and eyes of steel at bay. At least for the first time she met Jake. After that...well, she’d figure that out later.

  Much, much later.

  Chapter Thirty

  Jake

  It had been a few days since Jake last saw Maya. She had been so nervous about dinner, but he was nervous for a completely different reason.

  He waited in the Beast at the bottom of Maya’s driveway. Both of her parents’ cars were parked out front, which was probably why she asked him not to pull up. It gave him a little more time to figure out how he was going to tell Maya about Washington. It wasn’t a conversation he was looking forward to.

  As Maya walked down the driveway, he leaned over the seat and opened the passenger door. She kept her face lowered against the wind, her hair in a messy bun with loose strands blowing in every direction. Multi-colored bracelets circled her wrist—something he noticed when the sun reflected off of them as she opened the door, sat, and shut it behind her.

  “Hey.” He kissed her.

  As he pulled away, she smoothed her palms over her white jeans and smiled nervously. “Hi.”

  He pulled onto residential road and drove toward the main street. “Still worried about dinner, huh?” She nodded. He stopped at the intersection and took her hand. “It’s not going to be that bad.”

  Maya slowly met her gaze. “My dad’s coming, too.”

  Jake raised his eyebrows. “Oh.” Maybe he was wrong.

  “Yeah.” She slouched in her seat. “What am I going to do?”

  “Um…” He drew his hand back and turned onto the main road. “Hope for the best?” She dropped her head. “Oh, come on. I’m just kidding.”

  “No, you’re right. My dad’s so…military. And my mom is just so…” She didn’t finish her sentence.

  “We still have a while before dinner. What do you want to do?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe just drive around.”

  He made another left turn. “We could go to Abercrombie Park.”

  “I don’t think my white jeans would make it without some war wounds.”

  He inspected her shirt. “I like the four-leaf clover.” He gestured toward the graphic. “Nice touch.”

  She finally cracked a smile. “I was hoping it would bring us some luck tonight.”

  He didn’t want to say it aloud, but they’d need it. Jake pulled into a lookout area with a view of the sea. “Then maybe we can just sit here for a few minutes and talk.”

  She examined him. “About what?” Her tone told him she suspected something was up.

  He pivoted to face her and rested his back against his door. “I talked to my mom today, and…” He’d have to spit it out and hope for the best. “I have to leave Kodiak in the next few weeks.”

  Maya sat up straight. “What?”

  His palms began to sweat. “I can’t find work. There’s nothing here for me to do without Wes’ fishing boat. Even my uncle is helping me look, but the town is small and there are only so many jobs.”

  The look of panic in her face tore at him. “I…” Tears filled her eyes.

  Fuck. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. “Please don’t be upset.” He knew getting involved was a bad idea. Now, more for her sake than for his.

  She shook her head, pursing her lips. “If you leave, I’ll be alone again.”

  He rested his hand on her leg, gently brushing his fingers over her knee. “You won’t be alone. Your family is here—”

  She scoffed. “Yeah. Okay.” Her gaze dropped.

  “Things will get better at home,” he reassured her.

  She pulled back a little, as if his statement offended her. “Things haven’t gotten any better since Gracie died, and I have a feeling this time it’s forever.” A tear fell onto her cheek. “Some days I wonder if I’ll ever be happy again.” Her voice had become shaky.

  “Maya…” He reached up to wipe away her tears.

  She pulled away from him. “And now you’re leaving, which is just great.”

  He peered at her. “You think I want to leave?”

  “I don’t know. Do you?”

  He worked to push down the anger rising in his chest. “Of course I don’t. My school is here. My aunt and uncle are here.” He paused, watching more tears well in her eyes. “You’re here.” She raised her head, her features softening. “But what am I supposed to do? My mom is sick, and I’m the only one she has.”

  When she didn’t respond, he rested both of his hands on the steering wheel and gripped it until his knuckles turned white. Silence lingered between them.

  “You’re right.” She sniffled “If you’re all she has, you should go. She’s more important than I am, anyway.”

  The heat surging in Jake’s body cooled as he watched her in silence—the quiver in her bottom lip, the way her eyes slanted as the pain seemed to settle deeper in her chest.

  When he first met Maya, she was fucking gorgeous. Then he realized she was talented and smart, and after that, he saw she had a big heart. Everything he wanted sat beside him, and of course life had thrown him yet another ball of shit, leaving him, yet again, completely screwed.

  Life was so fucking unfair.

  Maya cleared her throat and wiped another tear from her cheek. “Well…we already have this dinner thing planned. At least now I can stop being so damn stressed about it.”

  She words stabbed him in the chest. “What the hell does that mean?”

  Her features were blank as she admired the view of the sea. “I mean, if you’re going to leave, we really shouldn’t keep doing what we’re doing, like it’s going anywhere. It doesn’t make any sense for either of us.” She ran her fingers over the angel charm on her bracelet, thoughtlessly maybe, but Jake noticed. His heart flared. “We’ll get through dinner tonight, and after that,” she paused, still not looking at him, “that’ll be it.”

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Maya

  They hadn’t said a word to each other the entire ride back to Maya’s house. Even if she did think of something to say, the fear of either shouting or bursting into tears overrode her need to break the awkward silence.

  She glanced at Jake, focused straight ahead with the same look on his face as when he found out his mom had a seizure. She curled against the passenger door and stared out the window until Jake parked in her driveway. Silence continued to batter them both. She stole another glance at him. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight, she could see the tendons in his knuckles. He flexed his jaw.

  Neither of them really wanted this to happen, but they couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Maya’s shoulders dropped. “We can’t be like this during dinner.” He continued t
o stare straight forward. “Jake…”

  His grip on the steering wheel relaxed, and his back slowly rested against the chair. He looked at her with those deep-blue eyes. “I can’t do anything to make this right.”

  Of course he didn’t want to leave. She’d choose her family, too. She already had once, when she left Beth and her entire life in California just to stay with her parents. It wouldn’t be fair to ask him to do any different.

  She rested her hand on his forearm. He flexed under her touch. “The important thing is that your mom gets better. I understand that.”

  He nodded in silence.

  She leaned forward and peered up her driveway where both of her parents’ cars were still parked. “Well…” A quick check of the clock in his dashboard read ten till seven. “I should go get my parents if we want to be on time.”

  When he didn’t reply, she opened the door and stepped out of the car, shutting it behind her. Hopefully when she got back he would be a little more relaxed. Maya scaled up her steep driveway to her front door and pushed it open. “Mom? Dad?” Harsh whispers came from upstairs.

  It was the first time they had been together in weeks, and they were arguing. Of course.

  She climbed the stairs, her hand gliding over the smooth surface of the railing with each step. When she reached the top, she paused.

  “I can’t believe you would do this to Maya,” her father scolded in a harsh whisper.

  “Oh, please.” Her mother scoffed. “I didn’t do anything to her.”

  Maya pushed open the bedroom door to her dad, gripping her mother’s wrist, both of them locked in a stalemate of wills.

  He dropped his hand and stepped back. “Maya.” He cleared his throat and slicked back his hair. “Time to go already?” He glanced at his watch—once, twice…

  Something was seriously wrong.

  “What’s going on?” A few steps into their room, Maya smelled the sweet scent of wine. She turned to her mother. “You’ve been drinking? Tonight?”

  Her mother threw her hands in the air. “So I had one glass of wine. One. I’m not a goddam child, and both of you need to stop treating me like one!”