Stupid Maya
1066 Words
Maya
~_
I don’t remember walking to my car.
One moment, I was standing in Liam’s doorway, Bree’s smug voice still ringing in my ears. The next, I was gripping the steering wheel, my knuckles white, my vision blurry.
I pounded my head on my steering will questioning my actions What was I even doing here? Running over to take out his trash? Stupid. Why did he invite me over? To gloat over how she has him wrapped around her fingers?
But Bree’s smirk, her voice, the way she leaned into the doorway like she belonged there—like she was mocking me—shattered everything.
I should have left. Gone home, cried into my pillow, and accepted what I should have known all along.
But I didn’t.
I stepped out of my car, slammed the door shut, and marched back to the house.
I don’t know what I was expecting—an explanation, an apology, some kind of reaction that would justify why I’d spent half my life chasing after a guy who never once looked back or even burned my gas to come console him.
I reached for the handle, pushing the door open without thinking.
And then I froze.
Liam was inside. In bed with Bree.
You're just a bro, Maya. Don't overreact. Don't react.
The sheets were barely covering them, his arm slung lazily over her waist. Her head rested on his chest, her fingers tracing lazy circles on his skin.
My stomach twisted violently.
Liam turned his head slightly, his eyes heavy with sleep before they landed on me. His brows furrowed in confusion, like he couldn’t quite process why I was standing there. Like he didn't ask me to come over.
“Maya?” His voice was groggy.
Bree smiled to herself
Something inside me snapped, Liam never texted me and this was just a f*****g set up.
I spun on my heel, my entire body buzzing with humiliation. I needed to get out. Now.
I barely made it down the hall before I collided with something solid.
No, not something.
Someone.
A strong hand gripped my arm before I could stumble back. I looked up, ready to mutter an apology, but the words got stuck in my throat.
He was tall. Broad. Dressed in a crisp black shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and his arm veins were visible. His jaw was sharp, his dark eyes piercing, and his expression was unreadable—like he was amused but also irritated that I had crashed into him.
And then it clicked.
I knew who he was.
Everyone knew who he was.
Ryder Cole.
Liam’s older brother.
His biggest rival and greatest nemesis.
His complete and utter opposite.
I swallowed hard, suddenly forgetting how to breathe.
Ryder arched a brow. “You seem to be in a hurry, Koala.”
I yanked my arm away, my pulse hammering in my ears. “I—”
But before I could answer, his gaze flickered past me, down the hall where Liam was still in bed with Bree. His smirk deepened.
“Ah,” he said slowly, like he had just figured something out. “So that’s what this is.”
I clenched my jaw. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Ryder chuckled, low and rough. “Sure you don’t.”
He stepped closer, and I forced myself to hold my ground.
I had never spoken to Ryder before. I had only ever heard about him—his reputation, his power, the way he could make or break someone with a single word.
And now, standing this close, I understood why people were scared of him.
He had a presence.
A dangerous one.
The kind that made your skin prickle, made your instincts scream at you to run, but also made you want to lean in just to see what would happen next.
I hated that I wasn’t immune to it.
Ryder studied me, his gaze unnervingly sharp. “You don’t belong here, sweetheart.”
I forced my chin up. “And you do?”
His smirk widened. “More than you.”
I scowled. “Go to hell.”
He let out a low chuckle. “Ive been there severally.”
Ryder Cole was said to be the son of Evelyn and the gardener at the Cole mansion, when Timothee Cole found about the illicit affair he kicked Evelyn and Ryder out, Ryder never dropped the Cole name, instead he made sure to regain his status in the society and buying couple of shares from the ColeM Enterprise.
He tsked, shaking his head. “You’re wasting your time.”
“What do you care?”
Ryder leaned in, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “I don’t. But it’s getting boring to watch.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, my nails biting into my palms. “Screw. You.”
His lips twitched like he was enjoying this—like my heartbreak was some sort of entertainment for him.
“Careful, sweetheart.” He tilted his head. “You might end up in my bed next.”
I didn’t think.
I slapped him.
The crack echoed through the hall, louder than I expected. My palm stung, but I ignored it, my breath coming in short, angry bursts.
Ryder didn’t move.
His head barely turned, his cheek reddening slightly from the impact.
For a second, I thought I had crossed a line—pushed the wrong man too far.
But then he laughed.
A deep, amused chuckle that made my skin burn with even more humiliation.
His fingers brushed his jaw, his dark eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t place.
“Oh, Maya.” His voice was smooth, almost…pleased. “I think I’m going to enjoy this, you know I love to be hit sometimes.” Ryder laughed softly. “I see why Liam keeps you around. You’re fun to toy with.”
I hated the way my name sounded in his mouth.
So I did the only thing I could.
I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there with that damn smirk still on his face. I wanted to wipe it off his face completely.
Even as I left, I had the unsettling feeling that I hadn’t seen the last of him.
And worse?
That some part of me knew this was far from over.
- Writer
