Surprise

Chapter 16: devastated

Stella’s POV:

I promptly kicked the guys out of the room when Maya went to get in the shower.  “Everyone out!  Now!  Besides, it’s past curfew!”  It was; it was way past ten.  We turn off the lights around the pack house somewhat early because so many kids lived here, too.  If you want to have lights on in your own room, that’s fine though.

I walked over to the bathroom door once the shower water finally stopped, after about an hour.  I was sure she must come out looking like a giant prune.  “Maya, you okay,” I called, tapping the door with my index finger knuckle.  She had looked terrible when she’d walked in, like she’d been crying since I’d left her in the gym.

I heard her snuffle and return a “Yeah.  Just… hit my arm.”  Her voice was soft and raspy.

I knew she was lying about that.  It wasn’t a very convincing story to say the least.  “You want to talk about it,” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“No.  It just… really hurts.”  I heard her begin to whimper again.

“What happened?”

I heard some movement and clothes being moved and so I assumed she was getting dressed.  “Maya, what happened,” I asked for the last time, deciding that if she didn’t tell me, I’d drop it.

“I hit my arm.  Now go to bed.”

I sighed.  “Alright.”  I went and sat on my bed and waited a minute until she came out.  Just by looking at her, there wasn’t much of a trace on her face that she’d been crying, but I knew she had.  “Let me see your arm,” I demanded, calling her bluff.

She frowned.  “I didn’t really hit my arm.”  And with that, she went and got in her bed, pulling the covers over her face.

“I know.”  I got up and ran over to hug her before she could move away from the door.  Maya stood still for a moment, but then hugged me back and began to sob into my shoulder for a good five minutes until she calmed down.

“Sometimes, I just don’t understand people,” she said, leaving me a little confused.

“Did someone say something?”

Maya shrugged.  “We should go to bed.”

I decided that was a smart idea.  Things were always easier to deal with after sleeping.  We got into our beds and I turned off the lamp, leaving us in darkness.

“Stella, I can’t sleep.  Can you distract me?”

I nodded, though she couldn’t see.  “Yeah, sure.  What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know.  What are you excited for?”

I smiled.  “Next Saturday is my birthday.  Friday is Tyler’s.  We’re not having a party to celebrate, though.”

“Why not?”

I shrugged.  “Who would we invite?”  I thought for a moment.  “We’ll be seventeen.  He’ll find his mate, and I might even find one for me.  Maybe not, since we don’t know if witch/werewolf hybrids even find mates.”

Maya shuddered audibly.  “Hope you don’t.  I doubt it would be good to end up stuck with someone.  Besides, they don’t have to care about you.  Why would the fates want to do that to people?  Tie two people together, and then let one hate the other, while the other is hurt over it.”

I hadn’t ever thought about that before.  The stories of rejected mates are rare.  It hardly ever happens.  I didn’t know why Maya seemed so sure that it would happen, but I decided against asking.