Maya & Tarik - The Test Pt. 05

"Well, it was nice to meet you all, but I do have to go; I see my food is ready. Maya and Tarik, always a pleasure to see you, and Happy Birthday, Maya," Victor said softly as he backed out of the room.

"Good to see you, Victor. Have a good night!" Maya called out before going back to chatting with her friends.

Victor grabbed his bag of food and paid for it, trying not to look back into the room but still overtaken by how beautiful Maya looked and feeling such relief in seeing her. He was trying hard to respect her wishes and not contact her, but the wait was agony. Victor's phone was full of draft messages that he wrote to her but didn't send, hoping that she would surprise him and reach out. Even though he was relieved to see her, he felt frustrated and angry at how Tarik treated him. He'd have to find a way to see Maya without him around. Once he was out of view of the restaurant, Victor dropped the bag into the trash before sullenly getting into his truck. He didn't even like Thai food.

The night wrapped up, and Maya and Tarik made their way home. Tarik was driving, so he didn't drink, but Maya had been more liberal with the tequila given the evening's celebratory nature and was definitely feeling tipsy. She had noticed that Tarik had gotten very quiet after Victor left, but she knew he would hate for her to ask him about it amidst their friends so she waited to bring it up until they left. They reached the car, and Tarik opened Maya's door and put some things in the trunk before sliding in next to her in the driver's seat.

"My love," she cooed, her hand reaching up to rest on his cheek. "What's wrong? You got so quiet, did you not have fun too? I know I'm a little drunk...sorry..."

"Why was he there?"

Tarik's tone was suddenly very serious and Maya was confused for a moment.

"Who?"

"Victor."

"Oh. Didn't he say he was just getting takeout?"

"You actually believe that Maya? Come on, you know why he was there."

Tarik's tone took Maya aback at how clearly distrustful and suspicious it was. The liquor put her immediately on the defensive, and she tiredly shot back at him.

"Do I know? Are you sure? Why don't you just tell me Tarik, you seem to have some idea."

"Did you tell him about the party?"

"Tarik, God no. Why would I invite him? So he could show up?"

"He knew it was your birthday. I assumed you just told him."

"No way. You know how frustrated I've been with him. What is this really about?"

"Well, I can't help but feel that he's trying to come between us. Or, I don't know...do something."

"No, he's not. Come on, that's ridiculous. He knows that I'm devoted to you and only you."

"Are you? I mean, are you really? You really have been quick to defend him lately! Maybe you're falling for him..."

Tarik gritted his teeth and gripped the steering wheel, surprising anger rising up fast in his body.

"What the fuck? How can you possibly say that? Are you for real right now?"

Maya was almost speechless. She had never known Tarik as the jealous or untrusting type, and these accusations, despite everything they talked about, were coming out of nowhere. She sat back in her seat, stunned. After a few moments of silence, Maya spoke quietly, straining to keep her voice calm and even.

"You know there is no way I could love anyone as much as you, and I have made that very clear to Victor. And clearly, watching him fuck me makes you happy, so if I was trying to keep him around, it was to please you. You certainly didn't say you were thinking and feeling so bothered by it to go so far as to accuse me of doing some shady shit with him."

"Well, he clearly doesn't get it as much as he should and is up to something. He's always hanging around, showing up unannounced and uninvited. Unless of course, you're inviting him..."

"Why would I invite him over? Tarik, that makes no fucking sense."

"Because you keep defending him every time I think something is off. He keeps trying to hang around, and I can't help but wonder if you like that."

"Tarik, I'm not defending him. And remember, I'm the one who keeps saying I can break it off with him, but you're always hesitant to do that. I am not interested in him like that. I think you're just freaking out for no reason."

"Really? What about the texts he sent you, about feeling supervised and wanting to be alone with you? And that bullshit about the rose bushes? Come on. Even if you don't feel something for him, he feels something for you, Maya. You gotta see that."

Tarik had raised his voice and was shouting, his emotions getting the better of him. Maya's head was spinning and not just from the tequila. She could not believe that she was drunk and fighting in the car with Tarik about Victor on her birthday. Maya took a deep breath and rubbed her temples. She rolled down her window, the evening air helping to steady her brain and her stomach. Tarik looked over at her, saw her drawn expression, and immediately wished to take back everything he said. He couldn't believe he was raising his voice to her and fighting with her like this. It wasn't like him. He felt sick.

"Fuck," Maya said, sounding tired. "Look, regardless of what Victor is feeling, it's not worth keeping him around if it's going to cause us this much stress and to fight like this."

Tarik exhaled deeply and reached over to Maya and squeezed her hand, feeling comforted when she returned his touch and sank back into her seat, her head resting on the door next to the open window.

"You're right. It's not worth it. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just...feeling a little jealous for some reason. It's weird. I shouldn't have gotten so angry. I'm sorry."

"It is weird. For both of us. But I understand. This whole situation has just been...complicated. Let's just not make this a regular thing, okay?" Fighting with you is not fun. And definitely not about bullshit, and definitely not on my birthday."

Arriving home, they immediately went into the bedroom, and Maya took Tarik onto the bed. He lay gently on top of her, kissing and caressing her as he slowly began to pull off her top and bra. He kicked off his loafers, and Maya pushed off her heels, their shoes clattering to the floor. She ran her hands along Tarik's chest and unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it and his suit jacket off his shoulders. Holding him close to her, Maya kissed and sucked on Tarik's neck, her teeth gently biting and nipping at his flesh. Tarik breathed heavily into Maya's neck, his cock stiffening underneath him.

He stood up to pull off his jacket and shirt, then Maya's skirt and panties. She sat up on the bed and opened Tarik's belt and fly, letting his pants slowly slide down his hips. His cock was rock hard in his boxer briefs, and Maya caressed it with her tongue through the fabric as she slowly pulled Tarik's underwear off. As his cock sprang free, Tarik gently pushed Maya back onto the bed and rested in between her legs, his arms wrapped underneath her as he kissed and sucked at her neck. Maya pulled Tarik closer, her hands and fingers pushing into his back as she gripped him tighter.

"You are the only one for me, Tarik," Maya whispered softly into his ear as he kissed her neck and shoulders.

Tarik slowly entered her, moaning softly, his breath slow and intense. They lay tightly entwined; the only movement between them the soft pulses of Tarik's hips as he stroked Maya, her legs locked around him. The weight of him pressed into her body sent Maya into ecstasy. Tarik pushed into her mound, where the pressure hit her clit in just the right way. She dug her fingers and nails into his back as he sucked on her neck and breasts, hard enough to leave a mark. Maya knew it was on purpose. She cried out at the sensation of his teeth on her flesh, but she loved the feeling. Even without his mark, she would always belong to Tarik.

"I am yours, my love. Now and forever."

----

Maya put off telling Victor that it was over, instead just ignoring his calls and texts, not wanting to hurt his feelings. Starting hard conversations was never her strong suit, mostly since she always wanted to keep everyone happy. Even though she and Tarik handled their rare disagreements well and she was able to advocate for herself at work and set boundaries with her students, for some reason, in this situation, she just wanted to avoid it altogether. At this point, Victor was making her feel more like a parent than a lover, and it had all become so unpleasant that she was hoping it would all just go away on its own.

After their big fight, life went back to what it had been before Victor complicated it. Maya was done teaching for the summer and Tarik took off a little time from his own teaching at the yoga studio. It was nice to just enjoy their completed slice of paradise together, with no distractions or interruptions. They spent their days working in the gardens, swimming, and exploring the other towns and cities around them. Pretty quickly, Victor seemed like a distant memory, and they absorbed themselves in each other.

Once their at-home vacation was over, Maya began working on a new book manuscript. She was having trouble deciding on the framing and really wanted to focus, so for the past couple of weeks she had been locking herself away in the shed all day to be as productive as possible. Tarik was happy she was starting this project; it had been one she was anxious to work on for a while but never had time with her other work. Maya went to the shed early before sunrise and sometimes didn't emerge again until sunset. In this deeply focused time she often forgot to eat. Tarik would bring up her breakfast before leaving for the studio in the morning and lunch when he returned, along with having dinner ready for her when she came back to the house.

One Friday evening, Tarik went up to the shed early before dinner to let Maya know he was going to run to the market quickly for some ingredients. The high summer season was starting to wind down, and the late August air already felt dry and slightly cooler. As he walked out of the driveway, he was surprised to see Victor's truck pulled next to the shed. He'd just about completely forgotten about him. He stopped for a moment and felt a pit form in his stomach, suddenly feeling very anxious.

"What if Maya never broke it off with Victor? We never really talked about it and I didn't ask. What if she's still seeing him?"

Tarik's mind was spinning and his blood began to race through his body as he walked faster toward the shed, quickly convincing himself Maya had been seeing Victor behind his back. He could see Victor inside, standing in front of Maya with his back to the door. He couldn't see her face, but just as he reached the door, Tarik saw Victor lean into Maya and kiss her. In other circumstances, this sight would enthrall him, but this time he was furious. He stormed into the shed, opening the door so hard it slammed into the wall, surprising himself and Maya and Victor. Victor pulled away from Maya and turned to Tarik, a startled look on his face, but quickly tried to look calm as he registered Tarik's reaction.

"What the fuck is this? Maya? Really?"

Tarik sputtered, rage filling his body. Without waiting for an answer, he left the shed and stormed back down to the house. Maya called after him, but he didn't stop.

"Tarik, wait! There was nothing happening!"

She turned to Victor, her jaw set and anger flashing in her eyes.

"Why the fuck were you trying to kiss me like that, Victor?"

She hissed at him, her face burning hot.

"Well, why wouldn't I? You said you were glad to see me."

Victor's meek response infuriated Maya.

"I only said that because I had been meaning to reach out to you and tell you that I wouldn't be seeing you anymore."

Victor's face fell and his eyes widened, his expression quickly turning frantic and worried.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, it's all gotten too complicated. Clearly, this is just not working for any of us, and it's better if we don't see each other. That's why Tarik is so pissed; he thought I was hooking up with you even though we decided to end it."

"But Maya, no, please don't. Wait, how do I make it up to you? I'm sorry, I can make it right."

Victor's pleas only served to irritate Maya more.

"No, no, you can't. And you just made it worse by inviting yourself up here. I should have told you sooner, but you really had no business coming up here tonight."

"Maya, please, don't leave me....I need you..."

Victor tried to reach out for Maya, wanting to hold her, hoping his touch would make her change her mind. But Maya stepped away from him and put her hands up to block him, her expression one of disgust and anger.

"Victor, you need to leave. It's over."

Instead of leaving, he just stared at Maya, expressions of pain, anger, and sadness flickering across his face. He kept his eyes on her, as if he stared at her long enough, she would change her mind. His stare made her anxious, but Maya held firm. It almost looked like he was in a trance.

"Victor. You have to leave now. You cannot be here. I don't want you here."

Maya's words cut the silence, and Victor blinked a few times, his expression becoming more neutral. He quietly muttered an apology, and slowly walked out of the shed, hanging his head with his sad eyes cast down toward the ground. Before getting into his truck, he turned back to Maya and made one last hopeful attempt to stop the relationship from ending.

"Let me know if you change your mind. I will wait for you."

Maya exhaled sharply.

"Victor, I won't change my mind. I promise. Goodbye."

Without another word, Victor got into his truck, his eyes fixed again on Maya. His stare had that eerie intensity creeping into it again. It made Maya terribly tense and, for the first time, a little afraid. Once his truck was out of sight, Maya collected her things and rushed back to the house to Tarik. Walking into the house, it was unusually dark, and she couldn't see him anywhere. Stepping out onto the deck, she saw Tarik sitting by the pool, a drink in his hand. As she walked toward him, the explanation for what happened in the shed rushed out of her.

"Tarik, nothing was going on. Victor showed up unannounced and uninvited, I hadn't told him it was over yet, and that's my fault, but I wasn't kissing him. He was trying to kiss me when you walked in, and I was pushing him away. Please, don't be angry..."

Maya could see by Tarik's expression that he was still fuming. She stood beside him and put her hand on his head, trying to reassure him. He flinched and withdrew from her before standing up abruptly. Maya's stomach lurched. Tarik had never refused her affection before.

"Don't touch me," he said gruffly and stormed past her into the house, unable to look at her.

Maya stood by the pool, stunned and speechless, tears welling up in her eyes. When she saw Tarik walk out the front door, her tears turned into sobs and she stood there, completely frozen. It felt like her world had just been tilted upside down. Eventually, Maya went back into the house and paced for a while, unsure of what to do. Tarik had never just walked out like that, and she didn't know what it meant. His car was still in the driveway, so she knew he couldn't be too far away. She called him, but the call was rejected and sent to voicemail.

"What? No. Why isn't he answering?"

Maya was shaking as she called him again, and again she was rejected. She was utterly lost. What if he didn't come back? Just the thought of Tarik being gone forever sent Maya reeling, and she fell to the floor in a heap as tears poured from her eyes and down her cheeks, her chest heaving as sobs wracked her body.

Night fell, and unable to sleep in their bed without Tarik next to her, Maya walked the house. She tried to get comfortable on the couches in the great room and the chairs in the library, but her body could not settle without Tarik there. Maya stepped out onto the front deck to ensure that Tarik's car was still there. It was, and she could now see the light on in the upstairs loft of the shed. As she looked up, she saw Tarik come to the window and look down at her. He stared at her for a moment, his face still dark and angry, before closing the drapes and disappearing from view.

Maya felt a violent sob catch in her throat as she realized that Tarik was definitely not coming home that night. She turned and went back into the house and sank into the floor. Maya sat with her back against the couch, examining her wedding ring. She wore a thin gold band inlaid with peridot, her birthstone. On her right ring finger, she wore the vintage opal ring Tarik proposed with. This simple jewelry meant more than her commitment to Tarik and their future; the rings symbolized the fulfillment of all her dreams. Building the perfect life with a man who was devoted to her and who she loved more than life itself.

At that moment, Maya did not understand how things went so horribly wrong, and all she could think about was the possibility that she had lost Tarik forever. Exhausted from crying, she eventually laid down, her face pressed against the cool and strangely soothing floor. She had fallen asleep for a short while and woke up to her phone ringing. Thinking it was Tarik, Maya pushed herself off the floor and raced to find her phone. When she got to it, she was enraged to see that it was Victor calling her. She answered it, seething with anger.

"What the fuck do you want?"

There was silence on the other end for a moment, just the sound of Victor's wet breathing. When he finally spoke, his voice was measured and eerily calm.

"Maya, please, I'm sorry, don't talk like that to me. I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"No, I'm not okay, Victor. What the fuck is wrong with you? Tarik is so angry that he's refusing my calls and isn't here. It's 1:30 in the morning, and my husband is not here with me because of you. So no, I'm not okay."

"Well...you must have wanted to talk to me; you answered the phone..."

Victor's voice was sickly soft and sweet. It made Maya's skin crawl.

"Your phone call woke me up, and I was hoping it was Tarik. The only reason I even answered this late at night is to tell you to leave me alone. You are the last person I want to talk to."

"Maya, do you really have to talk to me like that? I mean...I've told you I'm sorry,"

"Look, I know I fucked up by not telling you that it was over sooner, but you have been so disrespectful of me and my boundaries that at this point, I really don't give a fuck if you're sorry."

"I'm sorry, Maya, I was hoping you would just make some room for me because I love you so much."

"Victor, you don't love me. You barely even know me."

"No, Maya, I have never felt this way about anyone, the way you make me feel, the things you make me do...I did it all for you."

"What do you mean...you did it all for me? Did what?"

Maya's stomach churned and she felt sick. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that question.

"I mean, I thought if I was around more, it would just make you feel differently about me. I didn't think it was actually going to cause so much trouble for you."

"What do you mean if you were around more?"

She wanted Victor to confirm the sinking feeling she had in her gut.

"Just being around, helping you, showing you how interested I was in you...I felt like maybe you wanted to see me more but didn't know how to say it, so I just-"

"So wait a minute," Maya interrupted. "Your visit to check on the roses, coming to the shed, that was all intentional, wasn't it? You planned all of that? Surely you must understand how ridiculous that sounds."

"Yes, but don't you see, I just did it to show you how much I love you."

"Victor, stop saying that, you don't---"

Maya froze with a sudden realization.