Fault Lines
1223 Words
"Don't forget," Damien said that morning as Maya buttoned her blouse, "my parents land at four."She was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting her collar. "You told me."
"I'm serious, Maya. They're only in London for two days."
"I know."
He watched her through the reflection. She looked composed. Focused. Already somewhere else in her mind.
"Try to come early," he added.
She picked up her handbag. "I'll try."
That word again, try.
They dropped Layrus at her mother's house like always. Maya kissed her son twice before stepping away. Damien noticed she lingered a second longer than usual as if steadying herself On the drive to their respective offices, they barely spoke.
Damien had arranged an early shift so he could leave before noon. He wanted everything perfect today. No delays. No excuses. He picked his parents up himself at Heathrow.
His mother wrapped her arms around him warmly. "You look thinner," she said immediately.
"I'm fine," he replied with a small laugh.
His father clapped his shoulder. "Where's Maya?"
"At work," Damien answered. "She'll meet us later." He said it confidently. As if he believed it.
They checked into their hotel, then went for dinner nearby. Damien chose a restaurant he knew Maya liked - soft lighting, quiet music, polished glassware. He checked his phone as soon as they sat down. No message He sent one. We're at Bellmont's. Let me know when you're leaving.
No reply He called her straight to voicemail.
"She must be busy," his mother said gently when she noticed his expression.
"Board review," Damien replied, forcing a smile. "They run late." He called again during dessert Nothing.
His father raised an eyebrow but said nothing. By the time he dropped them back at their hotel, irritation had hardened into something heavier.
Embarrassment He called again from inside his car. Still no answer.
He gripped the steering wheel tightly before starting the engine. When he pulled into their driveway, he saw it immediately.
Lucas' car was parked directly in front of the house.
Damien's heartbeat spiked.
He didn't move at first. Just watched through the windshield. Lucas stepped out calml Walked around the front of the car. Opened the passenger door Maya stepped out.
They stood there. But close enough that the air between them felt charged even from a distanceLucas said something. Maya looked up at him. Their eyes held.
Damien's jaw tightened painfully.
Finally, Maya stepped back and walked toward the house. Lucas remained there for a second, watching her go, before getting back into the driver's seat. The car drove off smoothly Damien opened his door immediately. He entered the house seconds after Maya diThe door shut louder than necessary.
She turned, startled. "You're back."
He stared at her. "This is the reason you wanted to work in that office so badly?"
Her eyebrows drew together. "What?"
"You heard me."
She set her handbag down slowly. "Lower your voice."
"Don't tell me to lower my voice." The anger was no longer simmering. It was raw.
"When there was a space in my workplace, I told you about it. I asked you to come work there."
"Yes," she replied carefully.
"You refused."
"Because it wasn't my field."
He laughed sharply. "No. You said you didn't want to. You said you didn't want to leave Layrus. You said you weren't ready to commit."
"And?"
"And now Lucas gives you a job and suddenly you're the most dedicated employee in London?"
Her eyes flashed. "That's unfair."
"Is it?" His voice rose. "I called you five times today. My parents kept asking where you were. I kept saying you were coming. You didn't pick up."
"I was in meetings."
"Until ten at night?"
"Yes."
"With him."
"With the board."
"Stop hiding behind technicalities."
She took a breath, trying to steady herself. "I didn't ask him to drop me."
"But you didn't refuse either."
"It was late."
"So?"
"So it was practical!"
He stepped closer. "You think I don't see the way he looks at you?"
She hesitated just slightly.
That pause ignited him. "I saw you tonight," he continued. "Standing there like you didn't want to walk away."
"That's in your head."
"Is it?"
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing once across the living room. "You turned down my offer because you said Layrus needed you. Now suddenly you're working late, being dropped off by him."
"That role you offered wasn't aligned with my specialisation," she said, her voice sharpening. "This one is. I studied for years to practice endocrinology. I didn't practice medicine for years to work in any work I find
"And that's the only difference?" he challenged.
"Yes."
"Not him?"
"No." He searched her face desperately for guilt. For doubt. For something, instead, he found defence.
"You're different," he said more quietly now.
"How?"
"You're distant. You don't talk about your day anymore. You guard your phone. You smile at messages you don't share."
Her chest tightened. "That's work."
"Is it?"
She folded her arms. "You're insecure."
"I'm not insecure," he snapped. "I refuse to be made a fool."
"That's dramatic."
"Is it?" His voice cracked slightly despite himself. "I introduced you as my partner. I told my parents you were coming. I kept calling. And you show up being dropped off by the father of your child."
The words hung heavy. "You don't own me, Damien," she said, quieter now but firm.
"I never said I did."
"You act like it."
His jaw clenched. "I stepped in when he wasn't there," Damien said. "I was here when everything fell apart. I held you together."
"I never denied that."
"But now he's back. He's powerful. He's your boss."
"He is not my boss."
"He chairs the company."
"And?"
"And you don't think that changes things?"
"It doesn't change me."
He looked at her like he wanted to believe that, but fear was louder. "You think I can't see what's happening?" he asked softly.
"Nothing is happening."
"Then why do I feel like I'm losing you?"
That stopped her. She hadn't expected that.
He swallowed. "I'm not shouting because I hate you," he continued. "I'm shouting because I feel pushed out."
Her anger softened slightly. "I'm building something for myself," she said.
"And I'm not part of it?"
"You are. But not as my supervisor. Not without my permission."
Silence stretched between them.
His breathing slowed. "So what am I, Maya?" he asked quietly.
She hesitated "You're... here."
The answer wasn't enough.
He laughed bitterly.
"That's it?"
She looked exhausted now. "I'm tired."
"Tired from work?"
"Yes."
"With him?"
Her eyes flashed again. "Stop."
He stared at her for a long moment. "I won't compete," he said finally. "I won't fight for space in my own house."
"You're not competing."
"It feels like I am."
Maya picked up her bag. "I won't shrink myself to make you comfortable." "And I won't pretend I don't see what's in front of me."
They stood there, wounded and rigid.
Finally, she turned and walked toward her bedroom. The sound of her door closing echoed down the hallway.
Damien remained standing in the living room, staring at the space she had just left. Anger still burned.
But beneath it, fear. He wasn't certain she would choose him.
And that uncertainty terrified him more than Lucas ever could.
- Writer
