Always Into You

Jeopardy - Chapter 15

Tanya's POV

Three months. Yes three months!

Three months since I clawed my way out of that hospital bed. Since Joanna left for Milan,and trusting Maico to watch over me. Since I had stopped drowning in the result of my downfall and started breathing again.

At first, my days were quiet. Healing. Learning how to live with myself again.

Then came the laughter.

It started small harmless quips thrown back and forth between Maico and me, sarcasm layered over genuine fun. He had a way of making things easier, like my past didn’t weigh as heavily on my shoulders when he was around.

He became my safe space.

And I hated that I was starting to need him.

“Try to keep up, princess,” Maico smirked as he leaned against the kitchen counter, watching me struggle to open a jar of peanut butter.

I huffed. “I swear they make these things impossible on purpose.”

He crossed his arms, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Nah, I think it’s just you. Give it here before you hurt yourself.”

I glared at him but shoved the jar in his direction anyway. He popped it open effortlessly, passing it back with an infuriating grip.

“You’re annoyingly strong,” I said, while putting peanut butter onto my toast.

“And you’re annoyingly stubborn.” He leaned in slightly, voice dropping to something softer. “But I kinda like that about you.”

I froze for half a second.

It was a small thing an almost imperceptible shift in his tone. But lately, I had been noticing a lot of small things. The way his eyes lingered just a second too long. The way his hand would brush against mine when we walked. The way he felt closer than before, like he was waiting for something.

And now, I knew what it was.

Because tonight, he wasn’t waiting anymore.

We sat on the couch, the dim glow of the television flickering across the room. Some silly reality show played in the background, but neither of us was paying attention anymore.

“Tanya,” he whispered.

I turned to him, my heart already uneasy. “Yuppy?”

His jaw tightened, like he was trying to find the right words, and then

“I like you.”

Silence.

The world seemed to stop around us. The air between us felt heavier, pressing into my lungs.

I opened my mouth, but he wasn’t done.

“I don’t just mean as a friend.” His voice was steady but laced with something deeper, something vulnerable. “I want to be with you, Tanya. And I know you’ve been through hell, I know you’re still putting the pieces back together, but… I want to be more than just the guy who’s there for you.” His hand brushed against mine, lingering. “I want you.”

My chest tightened.

Oh God.

He was giving me something I should have wanted something safe, something solid.

But the moment I closed my eyes, all I saw was him.

Christopher.

I saw the way he had looked at me that night, the way his touch had burned into my skin. I saw the way he had unraveled me, the way he had felt like a storm I never wanted to escape.

And even now, after everything, I couldn’t let him go.

I pulled my hand away.

“Maico,” I whispered, guilt twisting in my stomach. “I can’t.”

His expression barely flickered, but I saw it. The moment his heart dropped.

Still, he forced a small, pained smile. “Yeah. I figured.”

I swallowed. “It’s not that I don’t..”

He cut me off, shaking his head. “You don’t have to explain.”

But I did.

I owed him that much.

“I still think about him,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I still think about Christopher.”

A muscle in Maico’s jaw twitched. “Right.”

The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.

I expected him to leave.

Instead, he let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “You know what’s funny?” He leaned back against the couch, rubbing a hand over his face. “I knew. I knew this whole time. But I let myself believe just for a secondbthat maybe I stood a chance.”

I hated this.

Hated seeing the hurt in his eyes.

“I don’t expect you to wait for me,” I whispered.

His eyes met mine, something unreadable in his expression. “Yeah, well… too late for that.”

I swallowed, my throat tight. “Maico”

“Forget it.” His voice was rough, but not angry. Just tired.

He stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets, as if grounding himself. “Let’s just pretend this conversation never happened, yeah?” He forced a lopsided joke. “I mean, can’t let our reality TV commentary go to waste.”

I tried to smile, but it felt hollow.

Maico left a few minutes later, and suddenly, the apartment felt colder.

I exhaled shakily, staring at my reflection in the dark window.

I had made my choice.

So why did it feel like I had lost something, too?

It's so heavy, thae feeling, the aura it's too tight.