Perfect Timing by Brenda Jackson Page B

drink for Maxi and a glass of white wine for Mya.
    Maxi immediately picked up on Mya’s nervousness. She reached across the table and firmly gripped her hand. “What’s this about, Mya?”
    A wry smile formed on Mya’s lips as she studied their joined hands. She then met Maxi’s gaze. “I owe you an explanation as to why I didn’t go to Howard University with you.”
    Pulling her hand away Maxi slumped back in her chair. “No you don’t. It’s in the past.”
    Mya shook her head. “No, it’s not, Maxi, and we both know it.”
    Maxi stared at her for a long moment before saying. “Why now, Mya? Why do you want to tell me now after ten years? Why couldn’t you have told me then?”
    Mya shifted her gaze to an object on the other side of the room. Moments later she returned her gaze to Maxi. “Because I couldn’t. It was a secret Garrett and I couldn’t share with anyone.”
    Maxi stared at Mya thoughtfully, wondering what it could have been. She and Mya had shared everything. There had never been any secrets between them. “And you can tell me now?”
    Mya nodded. “Yes. Garrett and I think you should know. Hopefully you’ll understand why I did what I did and find it in your heart to forgive me. I know changing my mind at the last minute about going to Howard messed things up for you in a lot of ways.”
    Mya waited for the waiter to place their drinks in front of them and leave before she began talking again, recalling that time right after they had graduated from high school. She met Maxi’s gaze. “You know Garrett and I were sexually active.”
    Maxi nodded. “Yes.” She’d known that Mya and Garrett had started sleeping together at the beginning of their senior year in high school.
    â€œWe’d always been careful but the night before he was to leave to began training at Texas Southern we got kind of careless and he didn’t use a condom.”
    Maxi raised a brow but said nothing.
    â€œWhen I missed my period the next month I was fairly certain I was pregnant. You had gone on that trip with your parents to New York to visit your aunt and uncle, so I didn’t have you around to talk to about it, and Garrett was in Texas. When he called one night I told him my suspicions, and he made up some excuse with his coach so he could come back home to see me.”
    Mya took a sip of her wine to relieve the sudden dryness in her throat before she continued. “Neither of us knew what to do so we went and talked to Coach Johns.” Coach Johns had been Garrett’s football coach and his mentor during high school. He had been instrumental in Garrett getting a full football scholarship to Texas Southern.
    â€œCoach Johns explained to us that if Garrett married me because I was pregnant he would lose the scholarship. He suggested that I go somewhere and have an abortion.”
    A soft gasp escaped Maxi and she sat up straight in her chair. She should not have been surprised by what the older man had suggested. Mya had told her several times that Coach Johns thought Garrett’s relationship to Mya was too serious and should take a back seat to his career in football. “Did you…get an abortion?”
    Mya let out an audible sigh. “You know me better than that. And Garrett wouldn’t hear of such a thing either. He got upset with Coach Johns for even suggesting it.”
    â€œSo what did you do?”
    â€œGarrett and I decided to get married anyway. Coach Johns wasn’t happy about it but he helped us to make all the arrangements. Everything was done in secret. No one knew. Not my grandmother or his parents. Not anyone. Coach Johns said we had to keep it that way because if anyone found out, Garret would be stripped of his scholarship and get kicked out of college, destroying his dream of becoming a professional football player. The only persons who knew we were