Eddie woke up to warmth. It was the kind of warmth that made him forget about everything: the chaos, the stress, the ever-growing disaster that had become his life. The kind of warmth that only came from having someone next to you.
His eyes fluttered open, his heart stopping as he realized there was a girl in his bed.
He froze.
Then it hit him: Maya.
Her head rested gently on his pillow, her long, soft hair splayed out across it. She was still wearing his hoodie, looking far too peaceful for someone who spent most of her time teasing, plotting, or—more recently—driving him crazy. This was a rare, almost magical moment.
Eddie stared at her.
And then—
BANG BANG BANG.
"EDDIE, OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"
It was Zeke.
Eddie nearly fell off the bed, heart racing, pulse thundering in his ears. He scrambled to get his bearings, desperate to act like nothing was going on.
Maya groaned in her sleep. "Kill him."
Eddie stared at her in horror. "I'm considering it."
The knocking continued, louder now. "EDDIE! OPEN UP, OR I'LL BREAK DOWN THE DOOR."
Zeke.
Maya groaned again, her voice thick with sleep. "Just let him in, he's already ruined your day."
Eddie was starting to think that maybe his day was beyond saving. He gave up and yanked the door open.
Zeke stumbled in, grinning like an idiot, scanning the space like he was a detective investigating a crime scene.
"Dude, this place smells like sin." Zeke's eyes fell on the couch , where Maya's shoes were discarded by the side. "Oh-ho-ho. What's this, Eddie? A little mystery woman action?"
Eddie panicked. His heart skipped a beat. He grabbed Zeke by the collar and tried to shove him out of the room. "No!"
Zeke held up one of Maya's shoes, smirking. "Care to explain, bro? Got yourself a secret lover hiding here?"
Eddie felt a cold sweat form on the back of his neck. "Dude, shut up. This isn't—"
And then, his eyes fell on it. Sitting innocently on his desk was Maya's bra.
The very evidence of his impending doom.
Before he could stop himself
He shoved the bra into his pocket, his heart racing as if it were a bomb about to go off
Eddie's phone buzzed. He glanced at it, heart dropping as he saw the caller ID.
Mom.
He answered it quickly, trying to play it cool. "Hey, Mom…"
"I'm coming home early," she said, her voice so sweet and casual, it made Eddie's stomach turn. "Be there in five."
Five. Minutes.
Eddie dropped the phone like it was on fire, his face pale. "I'm dead."
Zeke, ever the menace, burst out laughing. "Oh, man. This is gold."
Maya, half-awake, walked into the living room ,looked at Eddie. "What's wrong? Oh, wait—your mom? I should hide, right?"
"Yes, you should hide!" Eddie nearly shouted. "Right now!"
"Okay, okay. Chill," Maya said, laughing as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "This is the funniest thing that's ever happened to you."
Eddie was in full panic mode, his brain scrambling for any possible way to avoid disaster. "This is not funny. This is a family crisis."
Maya smirked, unbothered. "You're panicking."
He shoved her toward the closet. "Get in there. Please, just get in there!"
She barely squeezed inside, her head poking out from the slightly ajar door as she surveyed the room with amusement.
Zeke raised an eyebrow. "What are you—wait, she's hiding in there? How suspicious, Eddie."
"Shut up," Eddie hissed through gritted teeth. He slammed the closet door shut and turned to face the impending disaster.
Zeke's voice floated out from the hallway. "I don't know, man, she doesn't seem like she's hiding."
Eddie nearly tore his hair out as he pushed Zeke outside. He gave one last frantic look at the closet door, praying Maya would stay quiet.
He then dashed down the stairs with Zeke in tow, trying to keep his best friend occupied as his heartbeat pounded in his ears. By the time he came back inside, he was drenched in sweat.
And that's when he heard it.
Laughter.
Eddie froze.
Maya and his mom were in the kitchen.
Maya was sitting at the table, laughing at something Eddie's mother had said.
Eddie's brain couldn't process the sight. His mother—who was supposed to be oblivious—was actually sitting down with Maya, talking like they were old friends.
Maya, without missing a beat, looked up at him and smiled. "Oh, hey, babe."
Eddie's world tilted.
His mom beamed at him, clearly oblivious to the disaster she was enabling. "Sweetheart, she's lovely."
Eddie stared at them both. "No," he blurted out. "She's lying!"
His mom smiled like she was about to burst with pride. "Oh, Eddie," she said, shaking her head. "You're just shy."
Maya gave Eddie a knowing look, her lips curving into a smirk. "He's always been a little shy, huh?"
Eddie's face was an inferno. "WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!"
Zeke laughed loudly, nearly spitting out his cookie. "Oh, man, this is a trainwreck."
Maya raised her glass, toasting to Eddie's demise. "To Eddie, who can't even hide his secrets properly."
Eddie contemplated running away to some far-off place,
But he couldn't escape. Not even his mother was on his side.
He took a deep breath and snapped, "She's not my girlfriend!"
Maya raised an eyebrow. "Oh, sweetheart. Who said I was?" she teased.
His mom chuckled. "Oh, Eddie, you wish."
Eddie's world officially ended.
Later that afternoon, Eddie was still reeling. But he dragged Maya out of the house, desperate for a moment of peace.
"You ruined my life," he muttered under his breath.
Maya walked alongside him, laughing. "No, I made it better."
"You traumatized me," he said, still in shock.
She stretched, clearly unbothered. "And yet, you're still thinking about me in your bed."
Eddie stopped in his tracks, his face heating up again. "Shut up."
Maya hesitated for a moment, her smirk fading into something softer. "Are you still mad?"
Eddie shoved his hands in his pockets, sighing. "Come on. I'll take you somewhere."
She followed him quietly as they drove to a secluded beach, where they sat in silence.
Finally, Maya spoke, her voice barely a whisper.
"It's nice to be loved by your parents. Funny thing is, I've never experienced that. I'm literally an orphan with parents who are still alive."
Eddie's heart broke at the words. Without thinking, he reached for her hand, squeezing it gently.
For a moment, Maya's eyes softened, her usual cocky facade slipping. "I don't know. My mom…" She trailed off, looking down at her hands. "She never cared about me. I used to wish I could have a mom like yours. Like, the way she treats you… she's kind, and present. My mom… she never was. She was always too busy with herself. And when she was home, she made me feel like a burden."
Eddie swallowed, his chest tightening. "Maya…"
She looked up at him, her eyes darkening with something painful. "But it's not just that. My dad… he drinks. All the time. And he's always been like this. He gets drunk and blames me for everything. Every time I look like my mother, he loses it. He says I'm just like her—evil like her—and that's why he beats me." Her voice trembled slightly, but she forced herself to continue. "I don't know what to do anymore, Eddie. I don't know how to fix it. It's like I'm never going to be enough."
Eddie felt like his world had shattered. The weight of her words hung in the air between them, thick and suffocating.
Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. His chest ached for her, for the pain she had been carrying all this time. "Maya… you are enough. You are."
She pulled away slightly, wiping at her eyes, looking embarrassed. "I don't even know how to talk about this."
"You don't have to," Eddie whispered, brushing a tear from her cheek. "I'm here. I'll always be here for you."
For the first time, Maya allowed herself to lean into him, her walls crumbling just a little. And for the first time, Eddie knew that he wasn't just the nerd in her story. He was her story.