The Rising

FORTY-ONE

AS I PASSED THE kitchen, I heard someone. I poked my head in. Corey was opening a can of pop with one hand and balancing a slice of cold pizza on the other.

“Hey,” he said. “Just in time to keep me from eating alone.”

“No, I’m not hungry,” I said, and started to withdraw.

He came over before I could disappear. “Did you find Daniel? He was looking for you.”

I muttered that I hadn’t seen him and, again, tried to leave. This time Corey swung into my path.

“Okay, what’d I do?” he asked.

“Nothing. I’m just tired.”

“Uh-uh. I suspected I was getting the cold shoulder earlier, but with everything going on, I wasn’t sure. Now I’m sure. You’re giving me the look.”

“What look?”

“The Maya’s-pissed-with-Corey look. Fifty percent disappointment, thirty percent disapproval, twenty percent exasperation. I’ve done something you’re not happy about.”

I hesitated, then blurted, “Rafe told me what you said about Daniel.”

He frowned. “You’re going to need to be a little more specific.”

“In Salmon Creek, when Rafe and I started getting together. You told him to back off because Daniel . . .” I glanced at the open door and lowered my voice. “Because Daniel likes me.”

He swore, then dropped his pizza on the counter and started for the door. “I’m going to kill him.”

I caught the back of his shirt, reached past him, and closed the door.

Corey turned. “Rafe should not have told you that. He had no right. What the hell was he thinking?”

“So it’s true? What you said?”

His face went still for a moment, then he looked down at me. “Do you need to ask that? Really, Maya?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but it felt like someone was sitting on my chest and I gasped for air. Corey swore, grabbed my arm, and steered me to a chair. Then he pushed me down into it and crouched, face lowering to mine.

“Breathe, Maya,” he said. “Just breathe.”

I scowled as I found my voice. “I’m not—”

“Oh, yes you are. You look ready to pass out. Apparently it is a surprise.” He swore some more, then shook his head. “What a mess. Of all the crappy timing . . . I’m going to kill him.”

“He didn’t mean it. He’s just stressed and anxious and he wasn’t thinking.” Was I defending Rafe? I took a deep breath, then looked at Corey. “You shouldn’t have said anything to him.”

“Why?”

I met his gaze. “Why? You have to ask?”

He pulled over a chair and sat down. “Yeah, I do. Daniel’s my friend, Maya. I’ve watched him go through hell over this for two years now. Liking you but dating Serena, which was a stupid idea, which I told him many times. Then him finally realizing it was a stupid idea, and torturing himself about dumping her. Which was nothing compared to the torture of having her die, then being trapped between grieving for her and wanting to be with you and knowing there was no way in hell that was happening anytime soon. A year goes by, and I’m pushing him to make his move and I finally convince him to give you a hint, and in strolls Rafael Martinez. Daniel’s this close to actually doing something and you decide you’re going to date a town boy? After all these years? There was no way in hell I wasn’t going to tell Rafe to back off.”

When he finished, he glanced at me and swore under his breath, reaching over to grasp my shoulder.

“Breathe, Maya.”

I shook off his hand. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. You look like someone hit you in the gut with a sandbag.” He sighed. “I kept telling myself you knew. You had to know.”

I looked at him. “And what? I was just being a heartless bitch, ignoring it?”

“’Course not. I just figured you weren’t ready. After Serena and everything. You were playing it cool until you got enough distance. . . .” He trailed off. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have found out like this. Not now. Not from Rafe. Not from me. I blame Rafe and I kinda blame Daniel. You know how he is. So damned worried about doing the right thing. But it’s out now and you know, so I sure as hell hope you’re going to do something about it.”

I looked up at him.

“Don’t look at me like you don’t know what I mean. Maybe you aren’t as obvious about it as Daniel is, but you can’t tell me you don’t—”

The kitchen door opened.

Daniel walked in, saw us, and stopped. “You guys having a party and forgot to invite me?” He went to the counter where the pizza box sat. “You better have left some.”

Corey’s gaze swung from me to Daniel. Then he stood. “Maya and I were just talking. There’s something—”

I grabbed the back of his shirt and wrenched hard enough for him to stumble. Daniel looked over and frowned.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“We were talking about Hayley,” I said. “Something she said to me in confidence. Can I have a minute with Corey?”

“Sure. Holler when you’re done.”

Daniel left. Still holding Corey’s shirt, I stood and moved closer to him.

“You are not going to tell him,” I whispered.

He twisted to look at me. “Why not? I’m sick of this. It’s like being twelve again, dealing with all that damned drama. I like her. Does she like me? What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Except when we were twelve, it was us dealing with your drama.” I moved closer and lowered my voice even more. “Don’t do this, Corey.”

“He likes you. You like him. You know you do.”

“Yes, I like him. As a friend. Beyond that?” I steeled myself and met Corey’s gaze. “When I let Serena ask him to the dance, I wasn’t ready to date. Anyone. I just wasn’t at the stage. By the time I was, Daniel was off-limits. In my mind, he’s been off-limits ever since. I have no idea how I feel about Daniel. I’m not being coy. I really, really don’t. I’m freaked out and I’m confused, and I’m dealing with so much other crap that there’s no way you can expect me to figure out anything right now. Hell, at this point I couldn’t decide whether I want the Hawaiian pizza or the veggie.”

“Veggie. Trust me, you always pick veggie.”

I shook my head. “Even if I did feel something, I wouldn’t do anything about it now, would I? Under the circumstances? Kinda more worried about the rest of my life.”

When he said nothing, I headed for the door. “I’ll call him back in.”

Corey shot forward and grabbed my arm. “I’ll keep my mouth shut on one condition.”

I looked back at him.

“Don’t punish Daniel over this,” he said.

“Punish . . . ?”

“Maybe that’s not the right word, but you know what I mean. Don’t shut him out. Don’t run away from him. Don’t make things weird.”

“They are weird.”

“But they’ve been that way for years. Daniel’s felt like this forever and he hasn’t let it change your friendship. He hasn’t interfered with you and other guys. He’s been cool about it. You need to be cool about it. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I know that.”

“Then act like it, okay?”

I nodded. I opened the door and leaned out.

“Daniel?”

He stepped from a room at the end of the hall. “All clear?”

I said yes and started to withdraw, but he motioned me into the hall. I hesitated, then came out. He walked over.

“Everything okay?” he whispered.

“Sure.” I started backing up, but he stopped me.

He moved closer and as he did, I stiffened. Exactly what Corey asked me not to do. Damn you, Rafe. Damn you, too, Corey, for starting this.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered.

I looked up at him and when I did, I saw worry. Worry and concern. Corey was right—if Daniel did feel something for me, then it wasn’t new. It was just this—Daniel, as he always had been.

I leaned against his shoulder, resting my cheek on it. His arms went around me in a hug. Nothing weird. Nothing new. Just a reassuring squeeze.

“Rough day, huh?” he whispered.

I nodded as I pulled back. “Can we grab pizza and talk about it?”

“Sure. I don’t think anyone’s getting much sleep tonight.”

We went into the kitchen. At first it seemed empty and I frowned as I looked at the half-eaten slice on the table.

“Corey was right here—”

At a noise to my left, I turned to see Corey on the floor.