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

by Liz Davis

  She desperately wanted those records back, and not just because they had been given to her by Aunt Mildred, but also because she had something tucked into one of the record sleeves. Unbeknownst to Dylan, she had three hundred dollars taped to the inner piece of cardboard that held one of the records. After a night of waitressing, she’d return back home to Dylan’s apartment with generous tips, and after a few instances of finding that a couple of twenty dollar bills had gone missing, she’d decided to hide her stash of nightly gratuities in a place he would never think to look. This led her to concealing it in one of her record jackets, and for the past six months those bills had been stashed safely in their hiding place. Or at least she thought they still were. She couldn’t be for certain that Dylan hadn’t found the money, but she knew he had no interest in old records, nor did he even have the equipment to play them on. So chances were pretty good that her money was still there.

  Maya grabbed her cell phone from off the bedside table, and then dialed Dylan’s number. She knew it was late and that he would most likely not be awake, but she could still leave a message for him on his voicemail. As she’d expected he didn’t answer, but she did leave a voicemail letting him know that she still expected to get her records back, and that he needed to contact her as soon as possible. After hanging up, she placed her cell phone back on the table next to the bed.

  She was about to get under the bed sheets, when her gaze fell on a red-and-black flannel shirt that was lying on the floor next to her bed. Recognizing it as Evan’s she leaned over to pick it up. She’d noticed him wearing it over his uniform shirt when he’d first arrived at her apartment, and realized that he must have forgotten to put it on in his hurry to get dressed for work. Wishing to feel the shirt against her bare skin, she took off her nightgown, and then slipped her arms into the sleeves of his flannel. She then pulled it over her shoulders, and buttoned it up so that her chest was fully covered. It was large, and the hem of it reached all the way down to her knees, so she knew that it would keep her nice and cozy through the night.

  Slipping beneath the covers, she rested her cheek against the pillow and uttered a contented sigh. She could smell Evan on her sheets and in the fabric of the shirt she was wearing, and even though his body wasn’t there lying next to her, she was still comforted by the vestiges of his presence. Deeply inhaling his scent, she burrowed herself further beneath the bedsheets and closed her eyes, drifting into a deep sleep.

  * * * *

  The feel of a palm against her cheek woke Maya from her slumber. As her eyes fluttered open, the first thing they focused on was a bare chest, and then they roved upward to rest on Evan’s face.

  “Morning, sweetheart.” He brushed a lock of hair from out of her eyes.

  She stretched her limbs and offered a sleepy murmur. “Mmm, what time is it?”

  Evan took a glance at the clock. “Half past seven. Hope you don’t mind that I took a shower.” He rubbed a blue towel back and forth against his damp hair and then draped it over his shoulder.

  “Of course I don’t mind.” She sat up in bed and, rested her back against the headboard.

  Evan rose onto his feet and headed for the bathroom so that he could hang up the towel. While he was in the other room, Maya glanced at her bedside table and noticed there was a small box wrapped in shiny red paper. She reached over to grab it, and flipped open the note card that was taped to the front of it.

  “What’s this?” Her voice was laced with curiosity.

  He gave her a wide grin. “It’s your birthday, isn’t it? Open it.” He got onto the bed and sat down on the mattress beside her, resting his back against the slats of the headboard.

  “Wait, but how did you know? I never told you when my birthday was.”

  “The last time I was at the restaurant, I asked one of your coworkers. I know I could have just asked you myself, but then you probably would have been expecting it, and I wanted to make sure this was a surprise for you.”

  She was touched by his thoughtfulness, and the corners of her lips tugged into a smile. The last thing she expected was for him to go out and buy her a gift. And the fact that he went out of his way to find out the date touched her even more.

  “Evan, this has to be the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.” She leaned in toward him, and sealed her lips against his in a soft, sweet kiss. “Thank you, baby.”

  “It’s no big deal. Now open it.” His eyes glittered with excitement, eager to see how she would react to the gift. Maya tore the wrapping paper off and tossed the lid aside, then pulled the tissue paper back to reveal what was beneath it. Her fingers clasped around a silver pendant, and she lifted it up by its chain, letting it dangle in front of her eyes. The pendant consisted of two hearts, which were entwined, and as she closely studied them, she saw there were some numbers inscribed on the larger heart.

  “The numbers represent the date that we met,” said Evan, watching as she traced her finger along the inscription. “And the hearts, you see how the smaller one is inside the larger?”

  Maya nodded her head, admiring the gleam of the silver.

  “Well, I like to think that the larger heart represents me, and you, of course, would be the smaller one. It probably sounds corny, but that’s the way I see it.”

  “It isn’t corny at all. I think it’s incredibly sweet. What a beautiful present.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “I love it.”

  Evan gave her a pleased smile. “Good, so glad you do.” He took the necklace from her hands, and then looped the chain around her neck so he could fasten it into place.

  Placing a finger beneath his chin, she guided him toward her for a kiss. Their tongues tangled for a few moments, and then parted. Although their mouths were no longer touching, their faces remained in close proximity, each gazing deeply into the other’s eyes. They stared wordlessly, silently communicating feelings that couldn’t quite be put into words. It was one of those blissfully content moments where everything seemed so perfectly in place. And then suddenly, before she could stop herself, Maya spoke those three little words.

  “I love you.”

  As soon as the declaration passed her lips, she instantly regretted it. Her cheeks grew flushed and a sheepish expression crossed her face.

  Evan’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “What did you say?”

  Although she knew it was useless, she still made an attempt to backpedal. “Nothing. Just forget it.”

  Evan gave a slight laugh. “What do you mean, just forget it?”

  “I didn’t mean to say it aloud. I know it’s too soon.”

  “Is it?”

  Giving a shrug, Maya responded, “I don’t know. Look, sorry to put you in this position. I know it’s awkward having someone say those words when you aren’t ready to say them back.”

  “It’s not going to scare me away if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “It won’t?”

  “No, why would it?”

  “Well, it’s pretty much up to the guy for him to say it first, isn’t it?”

  “I never heard that before.” He gave her a funny little half smile.

  “Come on, it’s, like, an unspoken rule.”

  Evan shrugged his shoulders. “I guess, but who cares about those so-called rules? Just do what feels right to you. And you did, so that’s good.”

  Laying her head against his chest, Maya began fingering the heart pendant, sliding it back and forth across the chain. Moments passed as she anxiously waited to see if he’d say the words back to her, but when he didn’t, she began feeling very awkward. Now she was left regretting the fact that she’d spoken the words at all. She’d never declared her love to guy without him saying it to her first, but for some reason, something inside of her had just urged her to do it.

  As she fingered the pendant around her neck, she began thinking about the fact that hearts symbolized love, so by giving her this present, didn’t that basically mean that he loved he
r? Or maybe it was just too soon for him to actually say it. They’d barely known each for more than three weeks, so their relationship was still very new. Deciding to cut her thoughts off before they went into overdrive, Maya decided to chill out and just appreciate the wonderful gift that he’d given her. It was obvious he’d put time and effort into picking it out, so she was going to stop overthinking and just enjoy this beautiful moment they were sharing.

  As Evan’s lips pressed to her forehead in a tender kiss, she gave a contented murmur, enjoying the feel of his fingers as they gently laced through the strands of her hair. Then he cradled her face in the palm of his hand and tilted her chin upward, allowing him to look deep into her eyes.

  “I care about you a lot. You know that, right?”

  “Of course,” she softly responded.

  He nestled his face into the crook of her neck and placed his lips against her throat, then began peppering her with gentle kisses. She moaned in response, loving the feel of his warm breath against her sensitive flesh.

  Shivering beneath his touch, Maya emitted a little gasp as the tip of his tongue traced over her skin, causing goose bumps to rise in its wake. The sound of her labored breaths filled the air as Evan began to kiss and caress her neck with his tongue, and wet noises came from his mouth as he gently began to suck on her flesh. His lips worked gently against her skin so that he wouldn’t leave any bruises, and as his mouth pulled away from her neck, she was left in a haze of serenity. Evan looped an arm around her waist and drew her closer against him. As Maya rested her head against the width of his chest, she felt him place his nose against her hair, and then he took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. They held each other in silence, content with the feel of their bodies pressed close. Neither felt the need to speak any words, and they enjoyed the moment as it was, contently wrapped up in their cocoon of affection.

  * * * *

  The feel of someone gently shaking her roused Maya from a dream, causing her eyelids to flutter open.

  “Mmm, wha?” she sleepily murmured.

  As her eyes opened, she saw Evan peering down at her. She noticed he had a jacket on and was fully dressed to go out. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and then lifted herself so that she was sitting up in bed.

  “You don’t have to go to work again, do you?” Glancing at the clock, she saw it was half past noon.

  “Sorry this is happening on such short notice, but I need to leave town for a few days.”

  “Why, what’s wrong?”

  “I just got a call from my cousin. My mom’s had another one of her diabetes flare-ups. It doesn’t sound too good, so I need to get out there right away.”

  “Oh, babe, I’m sorry.” The worry was clear in his eyes, and she could tell from his body language that he was feeling uneasy.

  “I’ll be spending the whole weekend out there, so I won’t be back in town until next Monday. I know this is abrupt, but I really need to check up on her.”

  “No need to explain, sweetie, I understand.” She slipped her legs over the edge of the bed, and then rose onto her feet.

  After grabbing his car keys from off the dresser, they made their way out of the bedroom, and once they were at the front of the apartment, he pulled her up against him and cradled her face in his palms. He wrapped his hands around her waist, pressing her flat against his body. He placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, and then smoothed a palm over her sleep-tousled tocks. She noticed his eyes drift toward her cheek and heard him emit a light chuckle, causing her to lift an eyebrow inquisitively.

  “You have pillow wrinkles.” His thumb grazed over the spot, as if he could instantly make them disappear.

  Her lips curved in a brief smile, and then she offered him a look of concern. “I really hope that everything turns out fine with your mom.”

  “Yeah, so do I.” He gave a little sigh and then said, “All I can do is hope for the best.”

  She gave a nod. “Will you contact me once you arrive?”

  “Of course. I’m going to call you every night, too. That way we can hear each other’s voices before going to sleep.”

  “Good, because I don’t think I’d be able to last a day without at least hearing your voice.” She slid her hands beneath the hem of his shirt, hooking her fingers into the belt loops of his jeans.

  “Do you have any photos of yourself? I‘d like to have one to carry around with me in my wallet.”

  “I’ve got plenty of photos, but none that that really flatter me. I’m one of the most unphotogenic people you’ll ever meet.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, I’m sure you photograph just fine.”

  “I don’t, but if you really want one, then I’m sure I can locate at least one decent snapshot.”

  She walked into the living room and grabbed a photo album from off the bookshelf, and then brought it over to where he was standing so that he could pick out the image that he wanted. After setting the photo book on an end table that was located next to the door, she began to flip through the pages. She showed him the most recent snapshots she had taken, and pointed out the photographs that she thought were most flattering. Yet to her surprise, he decided on one that she considered least flattering out of the bunch.

  “Are you sure you want this one?”

  “Sure, why not?” He slid the photo out of its protective sleeve.

  “It’s really not the best image of me. I hardly have any makeup on, and it’s just a random snapshot.” She slipped another photo out of the book, and offered it to him in exchange of the one that he had. “This one is much better. It was professionally shot by a photographer.”

  “It doesn’t look better to me. The only difference is that you’re wearing more makeup, and your hair is curled.” He glanced admiringly at the photo he’d picked out. “This one is much better. You look naturally beautiful, without all that extra gunk on your face.”

  “Hey, I like that gunk.” She pretended to be offended, but her tone of voice was more playful than serious.

  “Yeah I know, but you don’t need it. You have a gorgeous face without it.” He slipped the wallet-sized photograph into his wallet.

  “And all this time I’ve been putting on makeup, thinking that you preferred me that way.”

  “Well, I’m not saying that I think you look bad with it or anything like that. You just don’t need a whole lot. You have the type of face that looks really good natural.”

  She beamed at the compliment. “Thanks, honey.”

  “You’re very welcome.”

  “So, when do I get a picture of you?”

  “I don’t have any on me, but I must have a few lying around my apartment somewhere. When I get back in town, I’ll be sure to give you one, all right?” The pad of his thumb lightly stroked the curve of her cheek.

  “Okay.”

  He took a glance at the clock on the wall in the kitchen. “I really should be getting out of here.”

  “All right, I’ll let you go, then,” she said in disappointment. “I’ll miss you.”

  “Miss you more.” He brushed his nose against hers in a tender way, and then tiled his face so that he could give her a kiss. He sucked gently on her bottom lip, teasing her with the prospect of more, and then he went full force with the kiss. Their lips pressed firmly together, and she moaned into his mouth as he placed his palms against the small of her back, pressing her against him so that the warmth of their bodies could mingle. Their lips were first to part, and then their bodies separated. Evan reached for the door handle to pull it open, and as he stepped across the threshold, he reached out to grab her hand, seeking a last bit of contact. She found that her heart was already aching for him.

  Leaves danced around his feet, carried along by the wind, and his long jet-black hair blew around his face. Their hands remained clasped as he backed away, and their eyes maintained steady contact. Neither wanted to let go of the other, and yet they both knew that the time had come. Finally they released hold of each other, a
nd Evan gave her a parting smile, then turned and headed for his Jeep.

  She leaned against the doorframe to watch him, and called out after him, “Drive safe, okay?”

  “I will,” he called back over his shoulder.”

  Maya watched as he got into his car and started up the engine. He gave a honk and then waved, pulling away from the curb as he headed toward his destination. Holding onto the door frame, she leaned over the threshold and watched his car as it drove down the street. Then once it was out of sight, she closed the door behind her. Not even a minute had gone by, and her heart was already aching for him. Yet all she could do was impatiently await his return.

  Chapter 10

  “So, long time no see, sis. Where have you been keeping yourself?” Stirring the straw in her soda, Amhara fixed her best friend with a serious look.

  “Same as always. Just working a lot.”

  “And spending time with Evan.”

  “Yeah, that, too.” She briefly averted her eyes to avoid the steady gaze that Amhara was giving her.

  “I haven’t heard from you since last weekend. Too busy to call and talk to your best friend, huh? I see how it is.” She leaned back against the cushion of the booth, crossing her arms in front of her chest in an exaggerated display of mock disappointment.

  “Come on, don’t give me that look.” Maya’s eyes drifted downward to focus on the tall glass of iced tea she was drinking.

  Awkward silence filled the air around them, prompting Maya to say something else.

  “I’m sorry, okay?”

  Amhara kept her eyes pinned on Maya’s for a few more moments, and then she finally broke into a smile.

  “Hey, I’m not seriously mad, just giving you a hard time, okay?” She reached for a bottle of ketchup at the side of the table, and then uncapped it. After spreading the thick red liquid onto a saucer, she set the condiment back down. “But seriously, though, you really need to call more. I’ve missed you.”