Page 68 of Sun-Kissed Fangs
“You really think that was a tactic?”
The anger in Harper’s eyes faded, hurt showing beneath it. “I don’t know what to think. I was hoping you might help with that.”
Maya should have known this would happen. That Harper would want answers,demandanswers. Anything less than honesty, and the tiny bridge that had been erected by her seeking Maya out would collapse.
“Nothing about what we did was pretend,” Maya said. “Whenever I was with you, I forgot why I was there. I didn’t lie, I just… Some things I couldn’t share. I never hid anything about myself.”
“Except for the fact that you aren’t human.”
The words might as well have been delivered with a hammer. The pain that followed started out dull, but quickly grew to the point where Maya had to lower her eyes just to keep it from turning agonizing.
“Yeah. Except that.”
That was an awful truth no amount of talking could dismantle. The connection they’d built rested on a bed of lies. It didn’t matter that Maya had just been following orders. She had still lied about so many things, and while she could easily tell where they ended, Harper had no idea.
If only she hadn’t been alone in St. Louis. If Diana had been there, she could have corroborated everything. Hell, ifMayawas the one who got thrown off this job, that would have been better.If Harper’s only memory of her was that first encounter in the parking lot… maybe this could have been fixed.
Then, Harper’s gaze softened. Slowly shifting from icy to curious.
“Shouldn’t you, like… have burned or something?”
Maya blinked. Then frowned. Then, thinking she must have misheard, opened and closed her mouth until she finally found her voice.
“What?”
“You’re a vampire, right? They burn under the sun. Or sparkle, according to some pieces of media.”
That cut off her voice all over again. She hadnotseen that coming. Not with how stern Harper’s tone had just been. Or with the many nervous glances being pointed their way, all of which were so blatant that it was baffling Harper hadn’t noticed them.
Maybe she had. And she just didn’t care.
“Are you saying you don’t know?” Maya said, confusion making her voice slow. “Evie didn’t tell you?”
“She told me a lot of things. Including some stuff about you. But she also admitted that most of it was based on rumors, so… I told her I didn’t want to hear it.”
Harper uncrossed her arms, putting her elbows on the bar. “What Ididhear didn’t sound like the person I’ve gotten to know these past few weeks. I want to know, but I want to know the truth. I was hoping you would give it to me.”
This was a level of grace Maya had forgotten was possible. Since her life was stolen, people had regarded her with either awe, fear, or just plain suspicion. Understandable reactions, given that she wasn’t supposed to exist.
Harper just wanted honesty. And that price should be easy to pay, but Maya couldn’t make the words come out. There was far too much to go through, all of it painful, all of itfrightening.
If she started sharing, she would have to share all of it. Terrifying events, filled with bloodshed and cries for mercy, either coming from her own lips or from the people she had been ripping apart.
Her past was a dreadful horror. One she felt like cowering from every time she thought of it. If that washerreaction, she could only imagine how much worse someone else would respond.
“I don’t want to tell you.” Maya dug her nails into the bar top until she was sure her voice wouldn’t waver. “I’m not like anyone else. Unlike other vampires, the sun doesn’t hurt me, for some reason. But I didn’t choose to be like this. Becoming it washell, and if I had any choice in the matter, I wouldn’t have survived. And I don’t want you to know about any of it.”
“Why not?”
“Because when people learn about it, they get scared of me. And I don’t want you to be scared of me.”
It wasn’t what Harper wanted to hear. Or what she deserved. She was owed answers, had even given Maya a chance to offer them herself, but how was she supposed to explain something she didn’t understand? That no one understood?
Even if this returned the anger to Harper’s eyes, having her storm off would be better than having her run away. Between being feared and being hated, Maya found that she preferred the second option.
But Harper didn’t leave. Instead, her eyes softened again.
“Well… Are you going to hurt me?”
