Light in the Shadows
Page 82

“The guest room is upstairs, the first door on the right. The bathroom is at the end of the hall,” I told her. Maria picked up her bag and gave Maggie and me a small smile before heading up the stairs.
“She’s…something,” Maggie said in feigned politeness. I sighed deeply and sat down on the couch.
“Sorry about earlier. I don’t know what her deal is,” I replied tiredly, already wishing the night was over.
Maggie snorted and sat down beside me, laying her head against my shoulder. “She likes you, Clay. It’s not that hard to figure out. Between the outfit from Tramps‘R’Us and the I-hate-you glare I’ve been getting since I showed up, I’d think that was pretty obvious,” Maggie said. I didn’t say anything. No point really. I didn’t want to try to explain Maria’s brand of f**ked uptness just now.
Maria reappeared a few minutes later, this time dressed in a simple pair of jeans and red blouse. She had scrubbed off most of the makeup and I was relieved to see her looking more like herself.
“Okay, ladies. Let’s get this show on the road,” I said, grabbing my keys. Maria and Maggie followed me out to my car.
“You can take the front, Maria,” Maggie offered magnanimously. Maria thanked her and climbed up front with me. I gave Maggie an appreciative kiss on the lips and got into the driver’s seat.
“Do you mind?” Maria asked, messing with the radio. I shrugged and almost took back my agreement when Maria picked a rap station and turned it up. I caught Maggie’s eye in the rearview mirror and she stuck her tongue out at me.
I grinned and turned onto Davidson’s main street. “Wow, it’s so small,” Maria commented, looking out her window as we drove past the string of shops that lined the center of town. “How do you guys not lose your mind?” she joked.
“Cow tipping and making moon shinefills the free time,” Maggie replied blandly and Maria blinked in confusion, as though she were trying to figure out whether Maggie was being serious or not. Maggie’s sarcasm took some getting used to, that’s for sure.
We pulled into the local diner and I noticed Daniel’s truck was already parked. “Places like this make me gain ten pounds. Just super,” Maria complained and I tried not get irritated by her whining. How had I never noticed this less than appealing side of my friend during all the months we had spent together?
“That’s okay; the average American is ten to fifteen pounds overweight anyway. You’ll just be fitting in with the general population,” Maggie quipped sliding out of the car after I opened the door for her. I shot her a look and she returned my stare with wide-eyed innocence. Maggie clearly hadn’t forgotten Maria’s earlier bitchiness. This night had awesome written all over it. Obviously I was sporting my own level of sarcasm this evening.
We found Rachel and Daniel at a corner booth and headed toward them. “Yummy,” Maria purred, catching sight of Daniel. Maggie stiffened beside her.
“Yeah and he’s very taken,” she warned, cutting Maria off so she could slide into the booth beside Daniel. Maria grinned like a cat on the prowl and I groaned inwardly for the hundredth time since she had shown up.
“Hi guys! Took you long enough,” Rachel teased, giving me a smile. Rachel and I had definitely become something close to friends. She was a cool girl and I knew it made Maggie happy to have us getting along.
“Hey, this is Maria Cruz, my friend from Florida. Maria this is Rachel Bradfield and Daniel Lowe,” I waved my hand between them in introduction. Rachel gave Maria a wide smile.
“Hi, Maria! Nice to meet you,” she said, leaning around me as she spoke. Maria smiled tightly.
“You guys up for a dude movie tonight? I’ve had my fill of chick flicks lately,” Daniel said, grabbing some menus and passing them around to everyone.
“I’m up for anything,” Maria said, batting her eyelashes. Daniel looked at her as though she had three heads and Rachel tried to cover up her laughter. Maggie grit her teeth and I just wanted to cover my head with my arms and pretend this night wasn’t happening.
“Okay then, I vote for shit being blown up. Rachel is not allowed to suggest that movie about the two best friends where one of them has cancer. I didn’t bring enough tissues for that crap,” Daniel gripped. Maggie smacked his arm.
“Spoiler alert you ass! I wanted to see that!” Daniel laughed and dodged another punch.
Rachel rolled her eyes and turned back to Maria. “So, Maria, you’re from Florida? Did you go to school with Clay?” Ah, f**k. Clearly Maggie’s friends weren’t clued into the fact that I knew Maria from the treatment center.
Maria shot me a look before answering. “Not exactly. I was a patient at the Grayson Center while Clay was there. We had a lot of groups together,” she answered, not shy in the least about announcing to complete strangers that she had been in a psychiatric facility for three months.
Rachel paled and looked embarrassed. “Oh, that’s nice,” she stuttered, looking away.
Maria, seeming to revel in Rachel’s mortification, kept on going. “Yeah, I wasn’t there for trying to off myself like our good buddy, Clay, here. I have a bad habit of f**king anything that moves. Of course that’s because of my abusive ass**le of a father. So consider me the stereotypical slut with a bad case of Daddy issues.” I choked on my soda and Rachel’s pale face went bright red.
“Cool it, Maria,” I bit out under my breath. Maria snickered and looked down at her menu. She seemed entirely too pleased with herself.