Counterpart (Succubi & Incubi Assn.) (13 page)

No, you didn’t.
“Tristan, you can't
blame yourself.”

“That's it, Maya. I have to blame myself. I have only myself to
blame for
everything
.”

I was starting to think we weren't just talking about the fight.
“Tristan, what's going on?”

He kept his eyes on the ground, not making a sound. I gave him a
moment in case he was just thinking, but after a few long seconds all I got was
more silence.

“Tristan.” My hands moved on their own, grabbing his large ones and
bringing them between us. There was a response to my touch and his head snapped
up in my direction. We were close, his knee still casually touching mine, my
hands keeping his hostage. I stared into his eyes, trying to find an answer.
There were dark lines under them, but it didn’t ruin how his long lashes
touched against his cheek. I felt myself moving forward, wanting to be closer
to him. My breathing wasn’t normal anymore, except it had shortened and sped
up. I was being pulled into a trance I knew I had been in before.

I noticed his eyes flick down to my lips and his own parted in
response. Our noses were almost brushing, but I knew I couldn’t keep going. He
was here for a reason and I wanted him to tell me it. “What’s going on?” I
whispered.

He watched me for a quick second and I felt one of his hands slide
out from under mine. My breath noticeably hitched when I felt his fingers touch
my jaw lightly, his thumb coming up to brush along my bottom lip. “The way I
feel for you,” his voice was low and almost a murmur, “it's unexplainable. I
can’t even describe the thrill I get when you’re nearby. It’s like being on a
constant high.”

His fingers moved up my cheek, and before his palm pressed against
the skin, I was already leaning into his hand. “There is not one ounce of my
body that wished I didn’t know you.”

He didn't once let his eyes linger away from me and I held the challenge
with my own. I wanted to close the stupid distance between us, take him all in
and never let him leave again. But his words didn’t seem like he was on the
same boat. Actually, the way he was speaking almost proved that.

“I’m being selfish,” he murmured, pulling his hand away. As soon as
the touch disappeared, I knew I wasn’t going to like this. I hated that he had
slid his other hand out while I wasn’t noticing.

“I'm kind of worried now.”

His face was still towards me but his eyes were stationed over my
shoulder. “You should know something.”

I waited, anxiety building inside me. My demon was also getting
restless.

“Tori and I had sex,” he finally said.

It was like a bomb being dropped out of the blue. It wasn't
something I expected. It was something I had considered, but not once did I
think it was the truth. “Oh.”

I shouldn't feel so disappointed about this. It was bound to happen,
right? But I thought her celibacy was more important.

“It happened the night of the fight.”

The hole of disappointment grew deeper, and I was just about ready
to bury myself in it. He had sex the same day he was in bed with me. Yeah, we
didn't have sex, but he was still there. I knew she was seeing him, but if I
knew they were going to have sex the same night... I... actually, I didn’t know
what I would’ve done.

I wanted to go home. I wanted to go back to my bed. I have no right
to be disappointed. I was just his friend that he casually made out with. I was
just the person that comforted him. We were only friends. Nothing else.

Ashamed at myself, I turned my body back around and linked my
fingers between my legs. It was warm, but my body was cold. It was like ice had
now taken over the blood that ran through my veins. “Okay,” I whispered. It was
the only thing I could come up with.

There was a long silence that followed. I thought that was going to
be the end of our conversation, until he sighed. “There's more.”

Oh, great. Was he going to tell me that she was pregnant too? Were
they going to run off to Vegas and get married? If so, I don't want to be
invited.

“I think we shouldn't see each other anymore.”

I would have preferred the wedding bombshell.

“Are you serious?” I asked, not understanding.

“It's for the best, Maya.”

“It’s for the best?” The disappointment I felt before changed and
evolved into anger. “You obviously don't know what the best is, Tristan. You're
going to end our friendship over
her
?”

“Was there really a friendship to begin with?” His answer was quick
and snappy. The words hit me like a tidal wave, taking every emotion—except
anger—with it. How could he even question our friendship? Yeah, it was
different and complicated, but he had the nerve to tell
me
that we
didn't have a friendship.

“You have to be kidding me right?” my voice was hard and calm. I was
giving him the chance to say, '
Yes, I am joking. Now kiss me
' but I knew
that was a long shot.

I was considering punching him for both his and Melinda’s stupid
reasons for getting me out of bed today.

“Maya, I’m so—”

“Don’t say you’re sorry.” I didn’t want to hear it.

The anger was bubbling inside me. “I was there for you through all
your crap, Tristan. And you want to sit there and tell me that there wasn't a
friendship?” The words were starting to come out in their own accord and I had
no motivation to stop them. He was ending our friendship because his bitch of a
girlfriend was more important. “Then what was it, Tristan? Was it a little
booty call? Was I just your twenty-four hour therapist? Because I was every
single one of those things to you. So yeah, it probably wasn’t a friendship for
you, but it was one for me. So you know what, you can go back to your Malibu
Barbie and fuck the fake shit out of her. But when she can't satisfy, or when
she ditches you for something more
important
like a day out in the spa,
don't—and I mean
don't
—come calling to me.”

He kept his eyes on the ground, his jaw tensed while his body stayed
rigged.

“You’ve changed, Tristan.” I could feel my voice getting weak. “And
frankly, I don’t think it’s for the better.” I didn’t wait for him to answer.
Instead, I did the one thing I should have done that day we first met.

I walked away with no intention on looking back.

“So he dumped you at the one place you guys met?” Melinda asked,
twirling a piece of her hair mindlessly as we walked to the gym. “How unique of
him.”

After leaving Tristan at the bench last night, I went home and
headed straight to bed, ignoring the fact that Melinda was wondering what
had—and I quote, '
sauntered up my asshole and put me in a cranky mood
'.
I didn't want to have to explain to her what happened. I couldn't even find it
in myself to shed tears. It may be because I've never seen one of my kind cry,
or the fact that I was too angry to let it out.

It stung, don't get me wrong, it hurt just thinking about it. But
after being in a dark room with my own thoughts, I really didn't have a reason
to be pissed. He wasn't mine. I didn't own a bit of his soul or energy.

So why did it hurt?

“He didn't exactly dump me,” I muttered. I needed to work off all
the emotions that were mutating inside me, sending my demon into a frenzy that
neither one of us liked.

“Yeah, but if you think about it, he practically did.” Her face
showed sympathy towards me.

Eventually, I did tell Melinda about last night. It was actually
about 9 minutes and 23 seconds ago that I finally got it out of my system. She
was just taking her time at processing the information.

“I still can't believe you told him to fuck the fake shit out of the
blonde,” she grinned, “I'm so proud of you.”

“Don't be,” It wasn't that I was regretting the words I said,
because I didn't. But I stooped so low that even I had trouble trying to
understand that I said it. “I was angry.”

“Either way, you were only saying the truth.”

We arrived at the gym at
1:30pm
—I knew this because I was constantly looking at the time, hoping
Tristan wouldn’t be there. He didn't have his gym class today, but he did have
his moments when he came in by himself.

There was a song playing softly when we walked in. My ears instantly
concentrated on the slow strum of the guitar. It was familiar. Actually, it
sounded like the song that was playing the night of Tristan’s twenty-first.

Great, now everything is starting to remind me of him.

Thank God Sophia decided to talk then.

“Hey, Maya, and, look... it’s Melinda. You’re a sight for sore
eyes.” Sophia walked around the counter and gave Melinda a tight hug.

Just like Jamie was my
human-best friend
, Sophia was
Melinda’s.

“I know, right? I've been such a bore to hang out with lately. We
should catch up though.”

“Yeah, totally, I heard they were opening a new nail salon around
the corner, might be interesting to check out.”

“You have a deal.”

Sophia turned her attention to me, and the friendly smile was gone,
replaced with a small frown. “Did you hear?”

“I've heard those three words more than once today, and the first
time got me pissed.”

Her gaze flickered to Melinda and I saw the succubus roll her eyes
at the comment.

“Uh,” she turned back to me, “well, hopefully this one doesn't go that
far,” she was hesitant now, but eventually, it came out, “Tristan terminated
his membership this morning.”

The information hit me instantly. “What?” I don't even think I heard
her right. “You're kidding right?”

Melinda was as shocked as me. “Yeah, this must be a joke.”

Sophia shook her head and went back behind the desk. “Nope, I wish I
was joking but he came in himself and terminated it. The kids are going to be
devastated.”

“No kidding.” The kids would be more than devastated. I leaned over
the counter. “Did he say why?”

“Not a single reason. Tori was here though, probably trying to
present herself as
support
.”

Melinda and I shared a knowing look. We were both thinking the same
thing. Tristan leaving the gym was like me saying I was giving up on sex—it just
wasn't going to happen. But here he is leaving the gym, the one place he went
to let out his anger or to remove himself from the world.

And he went and left it.

Then Tori was here.

“If I find out she provoked it, I'm going to be—” my words cut off.
What was I going to be? Mad? I was already mad. Tristan didn't want to see me
anyway, so why should I bother? “You know what, that's his decision. People
change, world still rotates. I'm sure he had a valid reason.”

It was silent for a minute. Glances were exchanged, silent words of
disbelief. But like I said, I have no point bothering.

“I'm going for a workout,” I murmured, leaving Melinda and Sophia to
ponder over their thoughts.

****

“But don't you think it's weird that he just left, with no reason at
all?”

I picked up my speed on the treadmill, trying to get as much strain
building in my calves so I didn't have to walk for the next week.

“Maya?”

I pressed harder on the buttons, willing it to go up further. I
didn’t want to talk about Tristan.

“Maya, you're going to over-work yourself.”

I ignored Melinda. All she wanted to talk about was Tristan. I
didn't.

“Maya!”

Her words mimicked in my head.
Tristan this. Tristan that. I
can’t believe Tristan did this. I can’t believe he did that.

“Maya, stop.” A hand came over and stopped my own from puncturing a
hole in the plastic button. “Fuck, what is wrong with you?”

“I'm fine,” I snapped. I snatched my hand back and shut the machine
off, needing to get away. I didn't know what was wrong with me, and judging by
the sickening feeling in my stomach, my demon didn't like it either.

“I'm going to go get some air.” I grabbed a towel from my duffel bag
and wiped the sweat off the back of my neck, walking towards the main entrance.

My stomach was twisting and turning. It was like nausea, but I knew
I wouldn't puke. My demon was going crazy lately, and even though I had fed her
yesterday, she wanted more.

So much for helping Tristan with his stupid match, it wasn’t even
worth it in the end. I thought it would help us, but all it did was end us.

“You're underestimating my strength, Tristan,” I said. My arms were
wrapped around the punching bag. I was holding it for Tristan to hit, but he
was making a big deal about it, saying he didn’t want to hurt me.

“And you're underestimating
my
strength, Maya,” he replied,
his arms firmly crossed over his hard chest.