The Fight For Love (Joshaya)

Chapter 30

  The next morning Maya hears the birds chirping and sees the sunlight shining into her room, but her heart isn't in the same state of happiness as everything around her. She throws the top portion of the covers over her face and tries to continue to sleep away her problems. Sleep doesn't come, so she tosses the covers off of her body. She turns her head to look at the emptiness that is her room.

  Her phone rings all of a sudden, and she jumps out of bed to answer it. "Hello?"

  But the person on the other side of the phone call isn't Josh. "Hey, Maya! I was wondering if you'd want to come over this morning. My parents and Auggie are staying with my grandparents for a couple weeks."

  "Oh, hey, Riley. So, why aren't you with your family?"

  "I'm in charge of the bakery while they're gone."

  "That's awesome."

  "Girly, you seem off. Want to come over and we can talk about it?"

  Maya releases a sigh before answering, "Sure. Be right over."

  After hanging up the phone, Maya sets her phone down and gets dressed for the day. She looks through her closet when she comes across a white dress she hadn't worn yet. Maybe she should wear that as a portrayal for purity. Though she may not be pure, she wants to head back into that direction and run far away from crossing the dangerous line.

  She takes it out of her closet. After putting it on with some dress sandals, she stares at herself in the mirror. Will Josh see that she's striving to put the past behind her? Does she even see that in herself? She can't answer either one for certain. 

  Grabbing her phone, she carefully climbs out the window and goes to where Riley's bay window is. Once she arrives at the window, she gives a light tap and attempt to smile at her friend. 

  Immediately, Riley rushes to sit at the window and opens it for Maya. She crawls through and sits next to her best friend. Riley starts the conversation, "So, girly, what's going on?"

  "Just issues between me and Josh."

  "What kinds of issues?"

  "You're really my best friend again? No backsliding?"

  "Promise. No backsliding." Riley holds out her pinkie finger, and the two girls pinkie promise.

  "Well, you may end up being seriously disappointed in me."

  "I can't be any more disappointed in you than I was in myself for the kind of person I had been to you. You can trust me. I won't hold anything against you. You're safe here. Let me be your safe place."

  Maya looks down at her shoes and starts to cry. "How would you react if I said I went back to my old ways last night?"

  Riley smiles at her and rests a hand on her leg. "Peaches, we all fall back into temptation here and there. That's part of living on earth as a Christian."

  "This was more than temptation. I gave into something, Riley."

  Her face suddenly goes serious and concerned. "What do you mean gave into something?"

  "I went to Josh's campus and went on a date with another guy."

  "Maya? I feel like there's more to this story that you're not letting on."

  "After the date, he wanted me to go to his dorm with him and me being the idiot I am agreed."

  "First off, you're not an idiot no matter what you did. We all make stupid mistakes. And second, can I ask a question that's going to be hard for me to hear the answer?"

  Maya already knows what she's going to ask, so she answers before she does. "I'm still a virgin."

  "Well, that's relieving."

  "But Josh and I had only kissed like once before, so I never had a kiss from another guy until last night."

  "You kissed him? Oh, I can see why you feel bad."

  "That's not the only reason I feel bad. I almost fully unclothed myself in front of this guy I barely knew."

  "Oh, darling. I'm so sorry. Have you told Josh yet?"

  "I didn't have to. The second I told him something I did was going to hurt him he knew I had cheated."

  "But does he know about the kiss and the unclothing?"

  "No, he doesn't know. He said he wasn't going to talk to me for at least week so that way he'd have time to think and process through all of this. I made a silly mistake, Riles. I don't want to lose him. I really love him."

  "Oh, sweet girl, come here." Riley wraps her arms around Maya, and Maya clings tightly to her best friend, allowing all of her tears to spill over onto Riley's shoulder.

  After crying with her friend for a long while, Maya rests both of her hands in Riley's hands and her head against Riley's shoulder. Riley softly says, "It's going to be okay, sweet girl. Whatever happens, just know it's because God has a grand plan for your life. He's going to work through you and your situations to fulfill his plans. His ways are higher than our ways. Remember that. You're going to get through this. Josh will also get through this. I have faith of this."

  "Thanks, Riles. I'm really glad to have you back, not just as my best friend, but the encouraging Christian girl you are."

  "I still endure many hardships and temptations daily, but we have a hope to look forward to."

  "And what's that?"

  "One day, there won't be any more sorrow. There won't be any more evil. And guess what, we're going to live in God's presence. He's going to bring heaven to earth, except it won't be this earth we're living on. He's going to make a new one."

  "As great as I know that will be, all I can think about is being with Josh right now. I don't want to lose him. Do you think he'll forgive me?"

  "It's Josh. Of course he'll forgive you."

  "That's good to hear."

  "However, I can't promise that he'll want to stay in this relationship with you."

  "Oh. Yeah, I guess that's understandable. I didn't figure that forgiveness and staying together don't necessarily go hand in hand."

  "You guys will get through this, though. No matter what. Will you at least believe that?"

  Maya nods her head before letting it rest right back onto Riley's shoulder and tries to convince herself of Riley's words.