Caught Inside

Chapter Thirty-Four

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses." – Proverbs 10:12

Maya was extremely hyped after her conversation with Alana, and her nervous excitement continued throughout the rest of the afternoon. Even when she chatted with Trevor and joked around with the rest of the gang, thoughts about Jake still lingered in the back of her mind. She knew she had to apologize to him, but when was the right time? She couldn't exactly have a private conversation in the midst of a busy surf competition. So, after rinsing off, getting dressed, and stashing all her surf equipment in the car, she returned to the beach to say goodbye to everyone, hoping that she might have a chance to pull Jake aside for their much-needed and long-anticipated talk.

However, Jake was busy chatting with his parents, and Maya felt awkward coming up to them after distancing herself for so long. She grimaced and slowly turned back around towards her mother's car. So much for that plan...

She cast one last fleeting look over her shoulder before resigning herself to her fate. She would figure out another way.

Fortunately, even though her adrenaline rush had peaked and ebbed, she still carried some degree of excitement throughout the rest of the afternoon. Only when she found herself alone at home with nothing to do did she finally resolve to pick up the phone and dial Jake's number.

She sat on the couch wearing Yoga pants and a long-sleeve shirt, twirling the end of her ponytail around one finger as she listened anxiously to the dial tone. She heard three rings, then four, and waited with bated breath. She quickly formulated the words she would say if she reached Jake's voicemail. But to her surprise, Jake suddenly answered, catching her off guard.

"Hello?" he asked, sounding strangely bored and indifferent.

For a moment, everything Maya had rehearsed seconds earlier came up empty. She cleared her throat and said shakily, "Um...Jake. It's me."

"Yeah. I know."

"Oh." Apparently he hadn't deleted her contact after all. "Well, I was kind of wondering if I could come over now—or later—if you're not busy."

Silence.

"I, uh...I want to apologize," she added meekly.

"You do?" Jake asked, betraying a hint of surprise in his voice.

There was another pregnant silence, and then Maya asked again, "When would be a good time for me to come over?"

"Anytime tonight," he said.

"I'll be there in half an hour," she promised.

"Okay."

"Okay."

Before she could say anything else, the line went dead. She held the phone away from her ear and dropped it onto the couch, exhaling a sigh of relief.

But now came the hard part.

As she grabbed her mom's car keys and hurried out of the house, she tried to convince herself that everything was going to be fine. After all, it was Jake who had clearly established that he wanted them to get back together. Plus, he had sounded surprised—hopeful, even—during their phone call just now. Maya was bound to emerge with a victory, wasn't she?

"Oh, God," she breathed quietly as she started the ignition. "Please forgive me. Please just give me the right words to say."

The nervous excitement Maya had experienced all morning vanished in an instant. Her hands shook as she gripped the steering wheel. I can do this, she told herself, occasionally murmuring the words aloud. Ten minutes later, upon reaching the Sanders' home, she breathed another quick prayer before stepping out of the car.