The Singer and Her Bodyguard

Confronting

Hey guys!! So there probably aren't going to be very many chapters left in the this book. In fact, I think there might be maybe two or three after this one before I wrap this book up. I just wanted to say thank you to you all for sticking with me and reading and commenting on this book. You guys rock! Enjoy this chapter!
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Josh spent a good amount of time in his parents old room, just sitting there and watching old home videos of when he was younger. He watched all his first five birthday parties back where Cory and Topanga surrounded him. He watched family vacations where he would plant himself right between Cory and Shawn and wouldn't move. He followed them everywhere.

Eric had really helped Josh put things in perspective. He realized that for two years he had been wondering how Topanga and Cory could just leave him with their kids. How everything could happen so suddenly. Josh had lost sight of himself somewhere along the way, he had been so caught up in making Cory proud that he forgot Cory had always been proud of him.

It wasn't Cory's intentions to make him give up his entire life. Josh made himself do that. He had been resenting something that he had caused all by himself. And he felt horrible. He had made Riley and Auggie suffer for his stupidity for two years now. Well he wasn't going to make them anymore.

Shawn has a right to be apart of their lives. He was Cory's best friend, he was like another son to the Matthews and Josh had cut him out of their lives because he didn't want to admit that he needed help. Because he thought that this was something he had to do by himself. Cory and Topanga wouldn't have wanted that. They wouldn't have wanted or expected Josh to do everything on his own. No. He wouldn't disappoint them any further. He wouldn't disappoint himself any further.

He was going to get his life back together. He needed to get his life back together. Not just for his sake, but for Riley and Auggie's to. They needed him, and they needed him in his best form of himself that he could be. The form of himself that was two years ago, not the form that they saw now.

He knew what he needed to do. And it all started with Maya. They had both made mistakes. They had both done things in the relationship that they shouldn't have. But there was no denying it. The happiest he had been in two years was when he was with Maya. That was a fact. She made him feel more like himself than anything else in this world. And he needed that, he needed her.

Josh made his way down the stairs and into the living room. He crossed into the kitchen where he stopped. He stopped in the doorway and stared. Eric was having coffee, sitting down at the table with his legs crossed. That was no surprise. It was surprising of who was sitting with him.

"Hey." Riley smiled as she placed her mug down on the table and got up to go hug her uncle. Josh was in a state of shock. Why was she here? How did she get here?

"H-hey." Josh greeted as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "What are you doing here? I thought you were on Maya's tour." Josh said. Riley rolled her eyes as she stepped back from him.

"I am. This is our week to be in New York." Riley told him. A sudden mixed feelings washed over Josh. Relief that Riley was okay and she didn't train skip her way to New York. Happiness that Maya was here in New York and that reuniting with her was going to be a lot easier. And anxiety of seeing her again after these weeks apart, and how they had left things off.

"Do they know you're here?" Josh asked.

"Farkle does. He's distracting Maya for me until we get back." Riley told him. Josh raised an eyebrow.

"We?" He asked her. Eric smiled and sipped his coffee quietly as he watched them. Riley had a determined look on her face.

"You're coming with me, Josh. You're coming with me and you and Maya are going to fix things between the two of you. Because I don't want to have to choose to stay in California or come back to New York. Because I love you and I need you in my life. I need you to stay. And Maya needs you to stay. And you need her." Riley stated.

"You think there's still something there?" Josh asked her with a teasing smile on his face.

"She's miserable Josh. And I know you are, too. You're happy when you're with her. You two bring out the best in each other." Riley told him.

"You know what, I agree." Josh told her. Riley smiled and tackled him into another hug. "But what about Larry? You know Maya can't go against him, not with her career on the line." Josh said. Riley rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh don't you worry about Larry, me and Farkle have a plan." Riley told him. Josh raised his eyebrow at her, but before he could say anything, the sound of a chair scraping against the floor caused them both to look. Eric got up from his seat and walked over to where they both were standing.

"Cory would be so proud." He told them as he wrapped an arm around both of their shoulders. "Of both of you." He said as he looked at both them. He pulled them both into a hug and smiled. "Alright, get out of here." He said. "I have cartoons to watch." He grabbed a cereal box of Frosted Flakes that had a wooden spoon sticking out of it and made his way into the living room. Riley and Josh shared a look, but didn't say anything.

"Let's go, we can still get back in time before Maya starts her concert for tonight." Riley told him. She and Josh walked out of the kitchen door of the house and made their way into the backyard.

"Mr. Matthews. Miss Matthews." A voice stopped them. They both looked up and found themselves staring at the smiling face of George Feeney.

"Mr. Feeney." Josh smiled. It had been so long since he had actually come to his parents house. He hadn't really talked or seen the Matthew mentor in so long.

"It's been a while." Mr. Feeney said. "Eric tells me all about the two of you though. Says you're both doing your family proud." He told them. Josh smiled. He felt a rush of guilt come through him. Of course Eric would be the one in the family to keep up and check in on Mr. Feeney all the time. As they were the closest. But Feeney had been there just as much for Josh growing up as he was for Eric and Cory. And Josh had completely forgotten about him.

"If it's alright with you Mr. Feeney. We would love to come over and visit sometime." Josh said. His eyes shining bright as he saw Mr. Feeney's eyes light up. Feeney had been Eric's rock when the tragedy happened. Shawn, too. There had been so many times when Shawn would come down to visit over the two years that he had really come down to talk with Feeney.

"I would be delighted." Feeney answered. "Tell Shawn I said hello. He calls me once a week to check up and give me an update on how everyone is. But he always forgets to talk about himself." Feeney told them. Josh smiled.

"I will." With their final goodbyes towards Mr. Feeney, they walked off towards the direction of Josh's car, Riley had taken a cab to get there to the house.

"They're just fine, Cory." Mr. Feeney whispered to himself as he watched Riley and Josh leave with a smile on his face. "Just fine."
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