I heard the door to Maya's room open, but I didn't turn around.

"You should take those legs off. If Maya sees you, she'll kick you out so fast you won't even know what hit you."

"I'd like to see her try." I laughed and looked at Julie. "Have you cried and made up yet? Because let me tell you, she was insufferable." Like a little kid. Even Lucy is more mature.

"Made up? Yes. Cried?" She snorted. "If Maya ever sheds a tear, something is going to be really bad." She emphasized the word properly.

"You women cry when you see cute cat videos."

"That's just mean." She frowned.

"So you say it's not true?" I took my feet off the table and turned to get a good look at her.

"Well..." She stopped. "Maybe for me, but not for her." She raised her chin proudly.

"Well she looked like she was going to cry yesterday. She was talking about how you left her and some guy..."

"Ray." She cut me off. "Oh please, she would never cry over him. Yes, he was hot and nice at times, but no. No way."

"Really?" The corner of my mouth lifted. "Tell me more."

"Shit." She froze in place. "You haven't heard a word from me." She pointed her finger at me. "I didn't say anything."

"Oh come on doll." I smiled.

"No." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I have to go, but make sure she's breathing every now and then." She looked at Maya's door. "And thank you."

"For what?" I looked at her confused.

"That you called me and told me what was going on."

"Like I said, she was unbearable. It's nothing more." I shrugged it off.

"Sure things." She tried to hide her smile, but she couldn't do it very well. "See you later Sebastian." She walked towards the door and disappeared behind it.

Weird woman. Nice, but weird.

*****

"They're so bad it hurts my eyes. Can you turn the damn thing off?" I was pointing at the football game.

I hate watching sports. Mainly football. What kind of sport is this anyway? Who enjoys watching that? I need something more physical. Let them beat themselves in the face, but not this. They don't even touch and someone falls to the ground in pain.

"Shut up and watch. We agreed that you..." He stopped and we both flinched when we heard a crash from Maya's room. We exchanged glances.

What is she doing again?

"Maya are you okay?" Theo yelled at her.

"I'm not in the mood to threaten anyone today, Theo. Let her handle it herself this time." I said assuming it was another guy who gave Julie a crooked look. "Plus she's not grateful at all. Not one bit."

"It's not funny, Sebastian." He gave me an unpleasant look before standing up and heading towards her room. "Maya?" He raised his hand to knock, but Maya opened the door and shot out.

She slipped past Theo without looking at him and headed straight away from her apartment. She slammed the door behind her and after staring at the door for a while we looked at each other.

"Oh, she's bound to kill someone." I couldn't help but smile, but Theo didn't find it funny.

I like violent Maya, she's more fun than depressed Maya.

"I should go after her." He strode to the door.

"Help yourself." I reached for the beer on the table and leaned back.

I'm glad he went after her. I have the TV to myself and can turn off this annoying sport. I'd rather watch a telenovela. Or a black screen.

But I didn't expect them to be gone for so long. Not that I miss them, but Theo promised to cook dinner tonight. Looks like I'll have to order something.

I got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen, to the refrigerator that has the number for the pizzeria on it.

I stopped between the kitchen and the living room when out of the corner of my eye I saw a black object on the floor in Maya's room.

I shouldn't and she would probably kill me if she saw me.

But Maya is not here.

I headed to her room and the closer I got the more I recognized the object. It's her phone.

I bent down to pick it up and examine it. So this was the bang. She threw her phone against the wall or the ground.

The glass was completely shattered, I'm surprised it didn't all fall out when I picked it up.

I turned it on and unlocked it.

"What the fuck?" I frowned at the ruined screen that had an open conversation with an unknown number.

Do you think he only has eyes for you? Look how fast he got over you.

Attached to the message was a photo of two people, half undressed, taken from a distance and through a window.

Have you learned your lesson yet?

Another message under the photo.

I scrolled up in the conversation and noticed that Maya hadn't responded to any of the messages or photos.

Photos with her in them.

What the fuck is this?

I glanced over at the front door, which opened to see Maya standing there, but no Theo.

I don't know why I'm mad at her for not saying anything about having a stalker. Does Theo know about this?

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" I heard her and headed towards her with a dangerously fast step.

"What the hell are you doing Maya?" I stopped close to her.

"What am I doing?" She frowned in confusion.

"Does Theo know about this?"

"Know about what?"

"Nothing much." I shrugged. "Just this." I picked up her phone and Maya immediately turned pale.

"So you're not only going to my room, but you're also going through my cell phone. Do you know what privacy is?" She snatched the phone from my hand.

"You have a stalker." I ignored anything she said. "I swear if you haven't been to the police about it..." I know they're incompetent when it comes to something bigger like selling drugs or guns, but they could probably handle this.

"So what?" She jumped at me. "What are you going to do? Lock me in my room again? I'm going to climb out the window this time."

"Who is it?" I nodded my head at the phone.

"How should I know?" She stepped back a few steps to pass me. "It's not like I go out for a coffee with him and we talk about my sex life."

"Maya this is serious." I turned to see her behind the kitchen counter with a glass in her hand. "Some people are really messed up in their heads." I know that all too well.

"You've been looking in the mirror too long, haven't you?"

"Maya." I said between my teeth.

"It was a joke." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know what your problem is, I can handle it myself. Just like I've been doing until now. And like I said to Julie, he doesn't throw bricks through my windows, he sends pictures. He's probably the first one who hasn't sent me his dick. So I would say I'm fine."

"And when he throws that brick, what are you going to do next, huh?" I waited impatiently for an answer.

"I don't see how that's your problem." She stepped forward but I stopped her.

"I know you think you have it under control, but you don't. And if you think..."

Before I could finish my thought, the door opened again and Theo stood in it. "I'm glad you both let me know you're home." He nodded his head at Maya. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Are you okay?"

A worried look appeared on Maya's face. "I'm fine." She looked at me and waited for me to say something. Shall I tell her a secret? I should. Theo has a right to know.

"Sebastian, everything okay?"

I didn't take my eyes off Maya. "Sure." I said finally. "Everything's fine."

Maya owes me a pretty good reason for lying to my friend right now, because if he finds out I knew about it and didn't tell him, I'm going to end up six feet under with a bullet in my head.

I know, because I would do the same for Val.



Acker covered for me. I don't know how it happened. Did he see how desperate I was? Most likely.

I wasn't upset that Mr. Stalker texted me. I was upset because Ray had found someone else within twenty-four hours. How naive could I be?

I don't really care that he has someone, but what I do care about is that he didn't tell me about her. He must have known her for some time, which means that by the time I slept with him, it's quite possible that the two of them had already hit it off.

And I don't sleep with someone when they already have someone. It always creates some drama. I don't like drama.

I wanted to visit his shop and turn it upside down. I have the right to that. Maybe scratch his car with a key. Asshole would look good on his door.

But I didn't do that. I didn't even get to him. Instead, I went somewhere where I could calm down. And to tell what happened without anyone judging me.

I haven't been there for a long time and I'm sorry about that. Despite the fact that I feel safer there than anywhere else.

"Maya, are you listening to me?" I looked up from my plate to Theo.

"What?" I looked at him confused.

"I asked when you go to work."

"Oh," I thought, "tomorrow, I think. But Wednesday the bar is closed for maintenance, so I'm home. Why do you ask?" I grabbed the sushi between my chopsticks and dipped it in soy sauce before eating it.

"Just interested." He shrugged. "Maybe we could go somewhere."

"Sure why not." I tried to smile.

"Will you join us?" He turned to Acker.

"I already have something." He said with a look on me and I found it hard to swallow.

I guess it's because he's lying to his friend because of me. I get it, but he got himself into this mess. He's not supposed to come into my room, let alone go through my texts.

"Well then..." Theo started but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. He put the chopsticks on the table and took his cell phone out of his pocket. "Yeah?" He picked up. "Wait what?" He frowned. "Luna, slow down." He looked at Acker and something in his expression changed. "What do you mean? Wait." He moved away from the table and headed into the room without saying a word.

"That didn't sound..."

"When are you going to tell him?" I was interrupted by Acker. "I don't like having to lie to him."

"You're not lying to him. You're just not telling him everything. Don't make a big deal out of it." I reached for the sushi, but Acker caught my hand.

"Maya this is not a game. Tell him before I tell him."

"It's none of your business, Acker." I yanked my wrist out of his grip. "It's my problem, so just don't mess with it." I moved away from the table. "It's not that complicated." I got up and went to my room.

*****

I woke up to the alarm clock and jumped into the shower first.

I noticed that neither Theo nor Acker were anywhere this morning. They didn't leave a message on my cell phone or call me, but they are big boys now, they can take care of themselves.

I stopped at the door as I was coming out of the bathroom in a towel and heard the doorbell.

I guess Theo forgot his keys.

I went to the door and looked through the peephole in the door into the corridor. It was empty. Weird.

I opened the door and looked around the corridor, but there was no one there. My gaze fell on the ground, where there was a bouquet of red roses.

I picked them up and returned back to the apartment. I Closed the door behind me while I looked at the flowers.

I'm not the type that likes flowers. I am allergic to half of them. Not exactly to roses, but still. Not a fan.

I took a piece of paper from the flowers and looked at it.

I'm better than any of those guys. Maybe one day you will understand.

My breath stopped for a moment.

He knows where I live.

I came to my senses as fast as I could and tore the paper into pieces before walking over to the bin with the bouquet and throwing it into it.

Is he trying to intimidate me? So I'd be afraid of him?

Oh please. He'll have to try much harder.