Chapter 10
Maya
“You burnt off her hair?” Sai grinned, his eyes glinting with something I didn’t recognize.
“Only half of it, and I have no idea how I did it,” I yawned slightly as Atlas turned with a worried look.
“Did you not sleep well?” He frowned.
“I did,” I nodded. “It's just been a lot of new experiences these past three days.”
“Well, you’re about to have another,” Marco noted, “we are stopping at the mall before going home.”
Home. I wish it was my home.
Wasn’t that the hardest part about all this? I could defend and protect my boys all I wanted, but at the end of the day, Becky was right. They weren’t mine, and eventually they’d leave this area and I would be left with just driving past their massive empty mansion every so often. Oh wait! I didn’t even flippin’ know how to drive. I felt my lips dip slightly before I tried to hide it.
“What's wrong?” Sai asked immediately.
“Nothing,” I shook my head, not wanting to really bother him with it.
I squeaked as the car came to a stop and both Marco and Atlas looked back at me as well. Cars honked around us and I raised my brows because while I didn’t know much about driving, I knew this wasn’t right.
“What’s wrong?” Marco repeated Sai’s question.
I sighed, “it really isn’t worth having all these angry humans honk at you.”
“Maya,” Atlas demanded.
I sighed, “I was just thinking about how long the six of you were planning to stay in the area and it made me sad to realize you may leave.There!Come on, I don’t like the honking noise.”
Marco frowned, “why would we leave?”
“We wouldn’t leave you, Maya,” Sai pointed out.
See, that?Thatfrustrated me. I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair. “Can we please go?” I watched out the window until they started moving again. I was frustrated because you couldn’t just say that to someone. You couldn’t just say you wouldn’t leave them. They couldn’t promise me that.
Before I knew it, we came to a massive mall that seemed to be made up of a cross shape of shops that all connected through open air walkways. Didn’t seem very smart to me, considering the weather. I shook myself, promising I’d be in a good mood while we were here.
Marco’s hand caught mine and I smiled up at him, liking how his rough palm felt against my soft one, his eyes searching my face before offering me a smile as well. Butterflies jumped in the center of my chest as I focused on the steps ahead.
“He’s right, you know,” he whispered softly as we entered under a terrace. “We wouldn’t leave you.”
I frowned, “you have to stop saying stuff like that, Marco.”
He made a low noise and paused, tilting my chin up, “absolutely not. Why would I stop?” I was glad the other two had walked ahead.
I sighed, “Marco, I’m barely friend material, let alone someone you should base your life around. If you guys have to leave town, then you have to leave.”
His eyes darkened, “what do you mean you’re barely friend material?”
I shrugged, “I am a bit weird. I growl. I set people’s hair on fire and my mom has yet to be proven wrong about the devil thing. I’m just saying, you could do a lot better.”
A low rumble came from his throat as he shook his head, “I really hope your birthday is sooner than Saturday.”
I frowned, “what?”
“Then you will understand what is going on here, honey,” he muttered and fixed me with a demanding gaze. “Do something for me?”