Ink Enduring (Montgomery Ink #5)(21)

“She’s the one that dumped me.” He shook his head. “And I didn’t f*cking see it coming. And now Border’s here, and it’s all screwed up.”

Maya had to blink a couple of times to digest everything. Holly had dumped him. So he had to still be hung up on her. And Border? His old friend from before he’d met her? And she knew Border wasn’t just an old friend, not quite an ex, but more than just someone he’d lost touch with. No wonder it looked like he’d gone on a bender without the alcohol. That was a lot to deal with all at once.

Of course, the fact that Border was back just brought home the fact that she and Jake were only friends. Jake was single, and his ex was back in town after being gone for what seemed like forever.

Well, f*ck, then.

She’d take care of her best friend and do her best to not make it weird. Because it wasn’t weird. It couldn’t be when the man in front of her had been by her side through so much over the past decade, and nothing would change what they had. They were friends.

“That’s a lot,” she said finally. “When did Border get back in town?”

Jake shrugged. “A couple of days ago. Right before Holly dumped me. And, hell. She just threw me, you know? I thought I was going to break up with her, and instead, she shows up and says that I should follow my heart or some shit. I thought she meant Border, you know, because he showed up even though she doesn’t know our past. But then she mentioned you, and I just stood there like a f*cking idiot.”

She tilted her head, her heart racing. “Excuse me?”

“I mean, hell, why would she think you’d come between us? You’re my best friend. You’re Maya. You’re not competition.”

Maya stood there like an idiot, trying to process his words. They shouldn’t have hurt as they did, but apparently, she couldn’t quite think clearly where he was concerned.

And that was enough of that. There was no way she could keep this up. She was so done with it. Done with being angsty and not herself. Her friend needed her, and apparently, she wasn’t ever going to be competition. Thinking that she could be, thinking that she had any right to another role in his life only made things harder for her.

She didn’t like this Maya. Didn’t like who she became when she stood off to the side.

But she wasn’t going to be with him. Not the way she wanted or thought she wanted. So she’d buck up and remember who she used to be because this pale imitation of herself wasn’t someone she ever wanted to be. She’d put on the mask she’d worn for so long, the one that told everyone to f*ck off and that she’d be fine no matter what happened. She was happier that way.

It didn’t matter that Jake was single now. Didn’t matter that Holly had mentioned her name when she’d dumped him. Because Jake didn’t feel that way. Hadn’t for a long time; if he ever had. One night of drunk almost-f*cking didn’t count for much in the grand scheme of their relationship. Jake could have his ex, and Maya would just get over it.

It was nothing really.

Nothing.

“Why would she think that?” Maya asked, her voice low, devoid of emotion. “We’re friends, Jake. We’ve always been friends. I know that not everyone understands that, but I thought Holly did.”

Jake met her gaze. “We weren’t always just friends, Maya.”

Her jaw clenched. They’d purposely never mentioned that night, never mentioned the fact that she’d had her mouth on his dick, and he’d finger f*cked her to orgasm. Even Graham and Owen hadn’t mentioned seeing her at the bar. It was the unwritten rule, and here Jake was, messing it all up.

“That was one night a long time ago,” she said, her voice steady. She wouldn’t break despite the fact that she wanted to be anywhere else but here. She’d put on her shell, and nothing could penetrate that, not even her best friend’s trek down memory lane.

“And we never talked about it.”

Maya shook her head. “What’s there to talk about? It was fun, and we both know we’re good in bed. But things changed after that, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

“And Holly thinks there are unresolved issues with that.”

There were.

“What do you think? You say you were going to break up with her, but you didn’t. You waited until she did it first. You have Border here, and frankly, I won’t be used as a scapegoat.”

“I think that I’m too tired to deal with this.”

She snorted. Typical. “Fine. But I’m still your best friend so if you want to get a drink and talk this out, let me know. And if you want me to help you bash her? Well, I can do some of that, but there’s got to be a girl code or some shit that says I can’t. Oh, and Jake? Next time you come in here like you did, just tell me what’s wrong. We’ve always been good with things like that, and yet you’ve…” She trailed off. Mentioning that things were weird when they both already knew that wouldn’t help anything.

“Maya,” Jake growled, his eyes closed and his head resting back over the chair. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

“Then you better figure it out, Jake. Because you know I’ll always be by your side, but I can’t be that person if you change things.”

She’d already changed things on her end, but that was her fault, and she’d deal. She hadn’t altered her relationship with Jake, not really. And there was no way she’d actually do that without knowing full well the consequences. Because right now, her brain hurt, and the shell she wore was cracking. Jake didn’t know what he wanted. Maya sure as hell didn’t. And then there was Border. Where was he? What did he want? And why hadn’t she met him yet?