I wake up the next morning to find Riley still sleeping next to me as usual. I decide that I should probably check my phone since I hadn't checked it in two days. I unlock my phone and see I have three texts from Farkle, two from Ranger Rick, one from my parents from two days ago, and fifteen missed calls from Zay. I decide to check my parent's text first.
MOM, DAD: Hey kiddo. Hope everything's going okay at the Matthews. We're having a great time but we can't wait to see you tomorrow baby girl. Love you.
I smile down at the text knowing that my parents will never know just how amazing my week here has been. I shoot them back a quick text.
MAYA: Things at the Matthews' are amazing. I'm having so much fun. But I can't wait to see you guys tomorrow. Love You!!
After I send the short text to my parents I decide to see what Farkle wanted. The first text is him asking if I was okay, obviously hearing about mine and Zay's breakup. The second proves why we call him a genius.
FARKLE: The long game was too hard to resist wasn't it 😉
I laugh. Of course Farkle would figure out that I was with Josh without me having to tell him. And as if that weren't enough the third one reads:
FARKLE: I'm sure Josh is keeping you pretty busy, but you could take a second to text back the most important man in your life
I'm laughing so hard at this point I think I'm going to wake up Riley so I calm myself down and send a text back to Farkle.
MAYA: You're too smart for me Minkus. I'm fine and yes Josh and I are together. It's a long story but I'll fill you and Smackle in on everything after Josh leaves tomorrow. Love Ya 😙
Now on to Ranger Rick.
HUCKLEBERRY: I'm sorry about last night and thank you for not telling the Matthews.
I feel awful as I read the text. I know that I always mess with Lucas but I always figured he knew I was just playing around. But maybe he actually thought I didn't like him or value our friendship. I sigh as I read the second text.
LUCAS: How's Riley?
After reading the text I start to type a response immediately.
HUCKLEBERRY: Lucas, I would never tell anyone what I walked in on last night. I may enjoy messing with you but I don't want Matthews to kill you. And Riley's fine she calmed down after you left and we talked. Btw your plan last night was super sweet but next time make sure there won't be anyone home. The last thing you need is for Matthews to walk in instead of me.
I don't expect a response but not three seconds later I get one.
HUCKLEBERRY: Aww Maya you actually do care
I laugh at his response and type back.
MAYA: Ha. You wish Huckleberry. But seriously be careful. If Matthews kills you I won't have anyone to tease.
HUCKLEBERRY: What about Josh 😉
I'm taken by surprise by the text and decide that Lucas deserves a little payback for teasing me.
MAYA: Oh don't worry I tease Josh plenty...but not in the same way I tease you 😉
HUCKLEBERRY: Okay!!!! I surrender!!! I DO NOT want to know what you and Josh do behind closed doors!
I laugh victoriously. I decide not to listen to the voicemails from Zay. I plan on doing it eventually but today is Josh's last day and I'll be damned if I'm gonna spend it anywhere other than Josh's room.
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I put my phone back on the table and climb out of bed. I go over to my suitcase and try to decide what to wear. I find a tight black V-neck at the bottom of the bag and a pair of short shorts and go to the bathroom to change.
After I get dressed I look in the mirror. The shirt hugs all my curves in exactly all the right places and the shorts do the same for my lower half. I smile at myself in the mirror. I looked much more put together than I did yesterday when I snuck into my boyfriend's bedroom.
I leave Riley's room and I hear the front door slam. I look at the clock in the hallway. Its 8:30 which means that the Matthews are gone at work and Auggie is at daycare. I smile, Josh and I have at least an hour and a half before Riley may wake up, but judging by how late we went to bed last night I don't expect her up any time before noon.
I reach Josh's door and reach my hand out to knock but before I have chance the door flies open and I'm being pulled into the room. It reminds me of last Sunday, when he grabbed me out of the hallway to talk to me about what was going on between us. Only this time instead of punching him when we pushes me up against the door I kiss him.
I wrap my arms around his neck pulling him closer to me as he grabs my waist. He slips his tongue into my mouth as I run my hands through his hair. I'm lost in the kiss when his lips suddenly leave mine but I'm sent into a frenzy when they land on my neck. "Josh" I sigh as he trails kisses down my neck. After a few more seconds he knows not to go any further so his lips land back on mine. I grab his waist and pull him closer to me leaving no space between us, until Josh suddenly pulls away.
"Maya" he warns as he takes a step back.
"What? Did I do something wrong?" I ask confused.
"What? No" he insists walking towards me again. "We're waiting, for as long as we need to and that's fine, I'm totally cool with that. It's just. That was getting a little too-." He starts but he's unable to finish his sentence.
"Intimate" I suggest causing him to smile at me appreciatively.
"Thank you" he says. "I don't want you to feel pressured" he insists making me smile.
"I don't. I'd tell you if I was uncomfortable. I promise. But for the most part as long as your hands stay above my clothes until I decide otherwise, everything should be fine. If not I'll tell you. Promise" I say walking towards him. "Now, it's your last day and I was really enjoying making out with you" I confess smiling.
"Can we at least lay down?" he asks laughing. "Or sit or something other than stand. You're a klutz and I don't want to have to worry about you tripping over something" he laughs.
"Well maybe if you'd clean this place" I tease back smiling before continuing. "Yea, Josh we can lay down, or sit, or something" I say mocking him.
"I hate you" he laughs as he sits down on the bed grabbing my wrist pulling me down onto his lap.
"And I love you" I say leaning in to kiss him.
"Someday" Josh adds as we lay back on his bed. It's not an I love you, but I knew he was falling for me and I knew the day he told me he loved me was going to be perfect.
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Josh and I end up spending the entire morning on his bed making out until I look over at the clock on Josh's bedside table realizing that it's 11: 13. We'd been in his room tangled up in each other for almost three hours.
"Josh" I say laughing in between the short kisses he was placing on my lips. "Josh" I say shoving on his chest playfully but not making any effort to actually put an end to the kissing. "Josh, it's" I'm able to get out this time before his lips are back on mine and this time we end up making out again for a couple minutes. I laugh as he finally pulls away. "Josh, stop distracting me! It's almost 11:30! We've been in here for three hours." I continue unable to stop laughing as Josh just smiles at me from his position above me. "Why are you smiling? If Riley walks in" I say trailing off.
"Maya, we've already been in here for three hours and Riley's not an idiot. So I highly doubt she's just going to come walking in here" he laughs as I think back to last night realizing that even if Riley walked in it wouldn't be half as bad as what I walked in on last night. Just then we hear a knock on the door.
"Okay, I've been up since 10:30 and Maya is nowhere to be found, so I know she's in there. But I gave you guys an hour and since Maya wasn't even there when I woke up I can only guess how long the two of you have been in there, so could you please detach yourselves and come and eat breakfast with me." Riley says from the other side of the door as we both start to laugh.
Josh sits up so he is no longer positioned on top of me and he climbs off the bed going over to his suitcase and pulling out a new shirt since the one he was wearing is wrinkled from this morning's activities and I know I should look away but I can't bring myself to. He takes off his shirt and just as he's about to pull the other one over his head he realizes I'm staring.
"Enjoying the show Hunter?" he smirks as he finishes putting on his shirt.
"Maybe" I tease as I climb off the bed walking over to him. I wrap my arms around his neck and lean up to kiss him. But the kiss only lasts a second or two because Riley pipes up again from behind the door.
"If the two of you aren't in the kitchen in the next 30 seconds I will come in there" she threatens.
Josh and I laugh and break apart and finally leave his bedroom. When we get to the kitchen Riley is cleaning cereal up off the floor. I laugh at my klutzy friend and she turns around noticing for the first time that Josh and I have joined her. She looks up at the two of us and laughs.
"Okay, I only have one question. If it weren't for me would the two of you ever leave that room?"
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We're in the middle of eating breakfast when all of a sudden the speaker box buzzes. I look at Riley curious as to if she might have invited Lucas over for a do-over of last night but she looks at me mirroring my confused look. We both turn to look at Josh.
"Why are you looking at me? The only plans I made today include me and you" he says pointing at me. Through the confusion I can't help but blush, he really was the best boyfriend ever. I get up from the bench and walk over to the box.
"Matthew's residence" I say in my best adult voice.
"Maya?" The voice that I hear through the speaker box causes shivers to run down my spine and not in a good way. The voice belonged to Zay.
"Maya, I know it's you. Look we need to talk. Please let me up." I look back at Josh and Riley. Riley is looking at the speaker box in disbelief as she drops her spoon. It makes a loud noise as it hits the hardwood floor. I look at Josh.
"What do I do?"
"Answer it" Josh answers.
"Answer it! Josh are you crazy?"
"No but he's gonna think you are if you don't buzz him up." Since I don't make a move toward the box he must realize that I need a little more encouragement. "Maya" he starts, coming to join me by the speaker box. "The faster you deal with this the faster we can get on with the rest of our day" he says leaning down to kiss me.
I hear Riley complaining about mine and her uncle's constant PDA but I ignore her and continue to kiss Josh until he pulls away and presses the button that opens the door downstairs.
"Josh" I start upset but he just leans down to plant one last short kiss on my lips to shut me up before he disappears upstairs, Riley following after him as the doorbell rings.
I take a deep breath and open the door.
"Hi, um, come in" I say stumbling over my words. I really should've listened to those voicemails. "How are you?" I ask trying to make small talk.
"I'm okay. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute." He says taking a seat on the couch.
"Okay." I respond joining him.
"I guess I'm just confused. I mean I thought things were so great between us and then out of the blue you broke up with me. Did I do something to upset you?" he asks confused.
I feel awful seeing Zay this way. He is usually just as sunshiny as Riley but he just looks so sad sitting next to me. "Zay, I told you, it's nothing you did. I-I just I." I say trying to give him an explanation but there isn't one good enough. I cheated on Zay and while I don't regret my relationship with Josh I do regret hurting Zay. I try again, "I just couldn't do it anymore Zay." I start finally able to get out a coherent sentence.
"But why?" he asks still confused.
"My heart just wasn't in it anymore" I respond being as truthful to Zay as I have been since Josh came back.
I can tell he's still upset but my explanation does wipe the confusion off his face. "Thank you Maya" he says getting up.
"For what?" I ask confused.
"For helping me get closure" he says as he walks out the door.
I don't know when the tears started to fall but they were soaking my face as this point. I hear someone walk into the room and I know it isn't Josh because he would never eavesdrop on a personal conversation like that. But Riley would.
I turn around and see my best friend standing on the stairs and I start to cry even harder. Riley takes this as her cue to come into the living room and pulls me in for a hug. I don't know how long we stand there like that but after a while I hear someone else walk into the room and I know this time it is Josh.
Riley and I pull apart and I look up at my boyfriend.
"You okay?" he asks looking at my tear-stained face.
"I will be" I say walking over to him. I put my arms around him and he reciprocates the action, He kisses my forehead and strokes my hair gently and in that moment I knew that as long as I had Riley and Josh I really would be okay.
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Later that night, Josh and I are back in his room watching tonight's episode of Red Planet Diaries. Well, I'm watching it, he's packing.
Topanga and Cory are downstairs cleaning up dinner so Josh and I decided to take advantage of the last few hours we had together. His flight was leaving at 11, meaning he had to leave the Matthews at 9 and I couldn't come to the airport with them since my parents would be here to pick me up at 10.
I'm sitting on the bed when suddenly my boyfriend shoves me softly as if looking to see if I'm sitting on something he's looking for causing me to smirk up at him. "Um excuse me I'm sitting here" I tease playfully.
He smirks at me. "Yea I know" he says still looking around his room frantically. I laugh to myself silently as I watch him. I know exactly what Josh is looking for. He's looking for the beanie he always wears. But what my clueless boyfriend doesn't realize is that the beanie is tucked in the back pocket of my shorts. Obviously knowing where his beanie is, I decide to play with him a bit.
"Hey, babe what are you looking for?" I ask nonchalantly.
"My beanie" he answers digging through his suitcase for the third time.
"Where was the last place you had it?" I ask faking concern.
"I don't know. I thought it was on the table next to you but..." he trails off looking at my face and I know I've been caught. "You wouldn't happen to know where it is?" he asks walking toward the bed.
"Me?" I ask feigning innocence. "Josh I am hurt that you would even ask me such a thing." I say but I can't help it and I start to laugh as he climbs onto the bed.
"Maya, come on where is it?" he asks propping his arm on a pillow looking at me.
"Josh I swear I have no idea where it is" I reply giving him by best puppy dog face.
"Oh yea?" he teases as he leans in to kiss me. I kiss him back immediately trying to deepen the kiss but his lips stay glued shut.
"Josh" I say mumble frustratingly against his lips.
"I'll kiss you back if you tell me where my beanie is" he says pulling away slightly.
"Fine" I say. "I'll give you a hint but you have to find it."
"Deal" he responds without hesitation.
"It's somewhere on me" I reply deviously. Not two seconds later Josh's lips are back on mine and his tongue is in my mouth clearly accepting the challenge and giving me my reward for telling him where his beanie is. I feel Josh's hands reach around my waist since he knows that it's not anywhere on the front of my body or else he'd have seen it. Just then I feel Josh's hand rub against my behind and reach into my back pocket. I breathe in sharply and bite Josh's lip. I didn't expect him to find it that quickly. He retrieves the beanie and his lips leave mine.
"Got it" he says jumping off the bed. I just stare at him as he goes to put the beanie in his bag. He looks up at me as he zips up his bag and obviously notices my disappointment that he ended our make out session so abruptly. I see him laugh as he climbs back onto the bed next to me. "Now" he says shutting off the television and looking at me, "where were we?"
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Josh and I are still making out on his bed when I hear someone knock on the door. I know its Riley and I know what it means, it's time for Josh to leave.
I try to distract Josh by grabbing his waist and pulling him down on top of me so that there is only about an inch of space between us. For a second it seems to work as Josh's lips leave mine and start trailing kisses down my neck but as he brings his lips back up to meet mine Riley knocks again and this time Josh hears it. He breaks away from me before placing one last kiss on my lips before getting off the bed.
Tears start to pool in my eyes as I watch Josh go to the corner to retrieve his bag. I hide my face in my hair and wipe the tears from my eyes as I hop off the bed and walk over to the door. Seconds after I reach the door Josh appears next to me. I'm looking down at the floor so that he doesn't see me cry but he takes his free hand that isn't holding up his bag and lifts my chin so that I'm forced to look at him. He uses his thumb to wipe away my tears before he leans in to kiss me.
The kiss ends after a few seconds and Josh places his forehead against mine and I realize he's also crying.
"I'll be back before you know it" he says and I'm not sure if he's trying to comfort me or him with those words.
"I know" I say with tears streaming down my face. "I love you Josh" I say with tears running down my face.
"I love you too Maya" he says and I'm taken aback for a second. "I'm not just saying it because I'm leaving. I love you. I think I was just afraid to admit it to you and myself. I'm gonna get back here in a few weeks and we are going to pick up right where we left off. Happy and in love. I love you so much Maya" he says pulling away from me.
"I love you too Josh." I say happily. We look at each other for a few seconds before Josh turns to open the door. Riley is standing on the other side of the door and Josh leans down to give her a hug. "Be good Riles. And keep an eye on this one. She's trouble." He says looking at me.
I laugh through my tears as Riley replies, "I always do."
Josh takes one last look at me before finally turning away from me and Riley. I watch as he walks down the stairs as Riley pulls me in for a hug and I fall apart in her arms.
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It's almost ten and Riley and I are on the couch watching TV waiting for my parents to get here. I'm feeling a little better than I was an hour ago.
Riley let me cry in her arms for a long time but eventually I pulled myself together and we decided to go downstairs. Riley was making popcorn when my phone beeped. It was a text from Josh.
BOYFRIEND: At the airport ✈ It sucks, I'm pretty sure this is the first time in a week that I've been alone 😕
MAYA: Miss me?
BOYFRIEND: Of course gorgeous. But I'm boarding my plane so I'll text you when I get home.
I think that's it and I put my phone down about to turn my attention on the TV when my phone dings again.
BOYFRIEND: I love you 💙
My heart swells looking at the words flash across the screen. Joshua Gabriel Matthews was in love with me.
MAYA: I love you too 💜
"Why are you so smiley?" Riley asks sitting next to me handing me the bowl of popcorn.
"Because I love your uncle" I say smiling from ear to ear making sure to pause for dramatic effect. "And your uncle loves me" I add as Riley's eyes go wide.
"WHAT?" she exclaims. "Josh told you he loves you?"
"Yea, before he left. Riles, Josh is in love with me. I'm finally getting my happily ever after. Complete with an amazing dad, the sweetest boyfriend ever, and the best friend anyone could ever ask for" I say pulling her in for a hug. We turn our attention back to the TV and around 9:55 there's a knock on the door and I hop off the couch anxious to greet the people on the other side.
I open the door and there are my parents, looking extremely tan and happy. "Welcome back mom and dad" I say standing in the doorway.
My parents smile at me before pulling me in for a giant hug. "Hey baby girl" my mom says after the hug ends.
"Why don't you go get your bag kiddo?" my dad says. I don't have to go too far because it was on the couch next to Riley. I grab my bag and hug Riley before going back to the door.
My mom shuts the door to the Matthews' house behind us and she comes over to me putting her arm around me. "So baby girl, how was your week?" I smile up at my mom and dad remembering my week with Josh and Riley.
"It was amazing."