Maya finally looked up, and in that instant, Nny realized that the tiny wormy thought was now a maddening itch. And it had to be let go.
"Do you want to…stay with me?"
Nny would never know how touched Maya was with this proposal. Neither would he ever understand the true reasons that Maya accepted.
She knew, in less than a moment of infinity, that Nny could be the one. The one that could be the only one. The one that could free her from her prison. The one that, in a sea of possibilities, was the only absolute. And in realizing this, Maya set herself free.
It was as if a bullet had gone through her head. She jumped, and her eyes were opened wide. They were rigid - not in fear, but in pure contentment. And for the first time, Maya smiled at Nny. A pure, lovely, sane smile. And Maya's lips found his.
Nny smiled back and closed his eyes. It was wonderful. More so than Devi had been. And Devi hadn't been this pure. This perfect. Oh, sure, she had been beautiful. But she had been lost, thanks to the Doughboys. Now though, Nny was free. He could do as he wished. And he certainly wasn't going to ruin the moment by trying to kill the girl.
After just a brief few moments, but what seemed like an eternity to the two standing in the street, they parted. And Maya gave a final, sleepy smile to Nny, just before she sank through his arms to the dirty asphalt below.