Maze [Completed]

DYLAN

I grabbed the last of my things and threw them into my bag then looked around my room. It was empty. The only signs that I had been there for the past year were a rubbish bin full of torn up notes and study schedules. I grinned, I wouldn't need that anymore. Not for a while at least. It was my last year of University and I had graduated with a degree in English literature. I just didn't really know what I wanted to do next.

"Dude, you ready to go?" Mike bellowed from the communal living room.

I took one more look around the room and sighed. Another year finished at University. Three whole months off. I didn't have to stress about anything, plan my days or read books unless I wanted to. Bliss.

I shoved my glasses up my nose and shouldered my bag, "Let's go."

Mike was sprawled over the large brown sofa, affectionately named The Turdis and pretended to be asleep.

I threw my bag on his chest and he let out a large burst of air.

"You fucker, you could have broken my ribs!"

I laughed, "Mate, you play Rugby three times a week and look like you bench press whole families at the gym. Do you honestly think my little bag is worse than a 18 stone man launching himself at you?"

Mike bellowed again and stretched out. He had always been tall, even in school he'd towered over everyone at 6 foot 2 but when we started Uni, he had taken another stretch and now reached 6 foot 7.Combined with his constant eating and working out , he cut an intimidating figure. Most people are stunned when he tells them that he's studying to be a Social Worker. His red hair is cut short and his brown eyes always appeared to be in a constant state of mischief, which was usually the case.

"Come on, man, "Mike said, throwing my bag back at me. "Let's go home."

Home. Now I now what you're thinking, why are University students going home when they could go travelling, drinking and see the world? We had our reasons, mainly because the beaches were brilliant, the surf was pretty much great everyday and we could see our families. Mike's has 6, yup 6, little brothers and sisters and he misses them a lot. I have to go home, I need to see my Dad. He's all I've got left.

I watched the trees whizz past as we left the motorway and the roads became narrower. Mike tapped the steering wheel in excitement as we neared the village that we had grown up in. He drove past the Welcome sign and headed towards my Dad's house on the outskirts.

Dad built this house for Mum when they got married, it was nestled on top of the cliffs and all the windows faced out to the ocean. They had painted it white and blues, decorated it and had been happy there. I was raised there, we were a happy family until Mum got sick and everything changed. Mike parked outside the house, letting the engine idle as I climbed out and grabbed my things.

"Thanks, I'll see you at the pub later?" I asked.

Mike nodded, flipped me the bird and then drove away, gravel scattering in his wake.

I fumbled around in my pockets for my key, took a deep breath and opened the door.

There was no one there.

I frowned, puzzled.

"Dad?"

I walked into the open plan lounge/kitchen and my frown deepened. The place was clean. Too clean. No empty glasses, no bottles of alcohol scattered everywhere.

I backed out and made my way upstairs to the bedrooms. Nothing.

I dumped my stuff in my room and sat on the bed. Where was he?

My phone buzzed and I fumbled about my bag trying to find it.

Mate! Are you home? Bugger, it was Si.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket, ignoring it. I didn't want to speak to him just now. If I did, he would mention her and I couldn't bring myself to hear him talking about her. I needed to find Dad. I tried to think rationally, the nearest pub was a few miles away. I could grab the bike and head there. I just needed to change first.

I walked back into my room and pulled off my t-shirt. I was just grabbing a fresh one when I heard the front door open and close.

"Dad?" I called out as I left my room and walked down the stairs quickly. I reached the foot of them and stopped suddenly. My heart beat a heavy rhythm in my chest as I stared into the eyes of the one person that I desperately didn't want to see.

Maisie.

Fuck.

She stared at me, those stunning blue eyes twinkling with surprise. She'd let her hair grow, so much so that I could see the curls resting just past her elbows. She was wearing dark blue yoga pants and a white vest top that clung tightly to her and, holy shit, it clung really well.

Everywhere.

I swore internally to the maker of that vest top, sending them a curse that would hopefully ensure that they never got to enjoy anything again. This was fucking torture.

Her cherry pink lips, the bottom one fuller than the top stretched into a smile at the sight of me.

"Dyl! I didn't know you were coming home today!" She stepped closer, resting her delicate hands onto my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her waist gently and inhaled her scent, a sweet lemon smell, almost like sugared lemonade. Heat gathered in my lower stomach.

I pushed her away gently, ignoring the confusion on her face.

"Maisie, what are you doing here? Have you seen my Dad?"

The look of confusion was gone before it had ever really been there, "Ah, I see your Dad has been keeping secrets from you."

Her soft voice was trying to tease a smile out of me but I tried to batten down the hatches, I frowned at her.

"Sean is at my parent's house, we're having a BBQ and my Aunt Jem is there," she said.

I raised an eyebrow quizzically, "And..?"

Maisie chuckled and it sounded like music to my ears, "Dyl. They've been dating for months. Aunt Jem moved back a while ago to open an art store and they hit it off. I was on my way to them when he called and asked me to pick up some non-alcohol beer he'd left in the fridge. I know where you keep your spare key so I let myself in."

She waggled the key at me, trying to get another smile out of me.

"Non-Alcoholic beer?" I said slowly, my brain struggling to catch up with all the information she'd given me.

My Dad was dating?

He wasn't drinking?

Why hadn't he told me?

Why hadn't he remembered I'd be home today?

"Dylan," soft fingers touched my arm and I jumped, realising that I was half naked in front of Maisie and I felt vulnerable as hell.

"I need to go lie down, I'm shattered and I'm meeting Mike later. Uh..just let yourself out. Good to see you,Maze," I blurted out, trying to ignore the hurt I saw in her eyes and failing miserably.

I stumbled back up the stairs and into my room, closing the door behind me and lying face down on my bed.

What the hell was going on?