Previously on Rescuing Hart:
"You kissed her?" Riley whispered, smiling.
Josh sighed. "It was once and it didn't last long. We didn't even talk about it afterwards." His niece sat across from him on the couch, interested in hearing more. "Okay, so we talked about us for like 10-15 minutes. You're dad would have a cow if he heard that story, which is why he's not gonna know." Josh was barely audible.
She shook her head. "Oh, I know, but it's not that he doesn't approve of you and her, it's the age difference for him too."
Josh shrugged. "Honestly, the age difference doesn't bother me anymore. It's Cory and Shawn. Maya is like a daughter to both of them, and they're both my brothers. I can understand it being a little strange for them."
Riley crossed her legs. "They'll get over it, eventually. I'm glad you and Maya are close, because if she becomes best friends with anyone else besides me, at least you're still family."
Josh leaned in to hug her, when he felt his phone buzz. It was really late. Who could possibly be calling me this late at night? He looked down at the name at the top of the screen.
Shawn Hunter.
-
Chapter 4: Investigation
"Is she okay?" The first words out of Shawn's mouth were spoken before Josh could even say hello. "Please give me something good, Matthews." Huh, that almost sounded like the male version of Maya talking.
Josh sighed. "Maya is fine as of right now. She's out of surgery, but she hasn't woken up yet." He thought best to leave out the fact that they lost her once or that it's up to her on whether on not she lives, or the fact that the accident wasn't an accident. That could be told for a later time. No need to worry them more by saying there's a chance she won't be okay or she's still in danger.
"Oh thank goodness." He could here Shawn's breathing steady on the other end, and his muffled voice, telling Katy the news. "The roads are open, but she skies are not, so we are renting a car as of right now. We should be there in the morning. Call us if anything changes."
"You don't want to know her injuries?" Josh asked.
There was a moment of silence. "No. I don't want to think about that for the next eight hours. It's best if we don't know those details until we get there." He had a point, if either of them were thinking about Maya's condition while driving, there could be another accident in the family.
Josh nodded, forgetting that Shawn couldn't see him. "Okay. We'll see you when you get here. Drive safe."
"Will do." Before hanging up, Shawn's voice came back. "Oh, and Josh?"
"Yes?" His voice was a tad nervous, not exactly knowing why. Was it nerves of his family just now finding out about Maya and Josh going to Shawn's cabin, or the fact that Shawn hasn't found out yet?
"Katy and I would like to thank you for being there for Maya. We know that Cory, Topanga, Riley, and her friends from school are always there, but knowing you are too is much appreciated." Josh was stunned. That was probably the most genuine thing Shawn has ever said to him, at least to his knowledge.
"Well that's what happens when you care about someone. I'll always be here Shawn, if you need me." Shawn was family to Josh, way before Maya was even placed in his life. Shawn was Cory's siamese twin. Brothers. Josh would always be there for his brothers.
The call ended, and Josh was sucked back into the silence of the room. Riley was curled up on the opposite side of the couch scrolling through her phone. Her chocolate brown eyes were glassy. Zay was back, and so was Farkle. They were having a quiet conversation on the other side of the room.
Josh caught Riley glancing in their direction a couple times, a curious look on her face. He decided to speak. "So what you looking at on your phone?"
She took a deep breath and sighed. "Pictures of me and her. Memories." She gave me the phone to look at and scroll through. There were thousands of photos of the two girls. They did everything together. From random selfies, in their pajamas, to beach trips and school dances. Josh wished he had a friendship like they did.
He couldn't get over how beautiful Maya was. Her smile was one of his favorite things to see. He remembered the little girl she was when they first met. A lot of freckles dotted her cheeks back then. Now the freckles were still visible, but they were faded, and mostly covered up by makeup. She has evolved into a beautiful woman, mind and body.
Confidence was an intriguing trait he grew fond of about the fiery blonde. To Josh, it always seemed like Maya didn't care what people thought about her. She sported a style that was classy, but bad-ass at the same time. She was never afraid to speak out her feelings about a subject, including confessing she liked Josh in front of a bunch of college kids at the age of fourteen years old. It was impressive. She grew into maturity quickly after their encounter at that party.
Josh noticed this upon chaperoning their Freshman Nature Club Trip to the Mount Sun Lodge, where there was this confusing triangle to be solved. Topanga had always communicated with Josh, and kept him filled in on his family and what goes on. Once told about this triangle, he thought that it didn't make much sense. Then once the situation was explained more thoroughly, mainly by Cory's eccentric antics, Josh came to a conclusion that made the most sense to him.
Though it was a theory, he understood why both girls liked Lucas, shoot, even he had to admit the guy was hard not to like, but he noticed that they both like him in a slightly different way. Josh knew exactly why he'd been asked to go on this small outing, and thinking about for a moment, he decided to say yes with his heart, and put the logic of the situation behind him just for once.
Maya's response to the resolution of the triangle made him realize how much he wanted her in his life. Age didn't really matter, when it came to them being friends. She was a big influence on him, and the type of person he wanted to live up to, because of her capacity of love and compassion she had for the people that she cared about.
He had no doubt she still liked Lucas, but in a completely different way than Riley did. It wasn't romantic, because Josh has seen the way she looks at him, and the way she looks at Lucas, and it wasn't the same. Topanga made that very clear in the beginning. Maya's love for Lucas was the best male/female friendship at it's finest.
Josh, still scrolling though photos, with Riley's head perched at his shoulder, spotted a photo of one of their Prom pictures and saw Maya standing next to a boy with dark skin like Zay, but tall like Lucas. He looked strong and athletic, with a hard jaw line, that made him look way older than Josh.
"Who's that?" He asked, pointing at the guy in the photo.
"Billy Ross. He's on the baseball team with Lucas and Zay. He was Maya's Prom date last year," she said, with an iffy look on her face.
"You don't like him?" Josh assumed.
She shrugged. "Billy's okay, I just don't like him for Maya. Plus he hangs around all the popular kids. The jocks and cheerleaders."
Josh narrowed his eyebrows. "So who asked who?"
"Billy asked her, and she said no the first time, because she thought he was just wanting to mess with our group. Lucas is around him at practice every day. Apparently Billy actually showed some interest in her, and even asked Lucas to talk to Maya about considering Prom with him. Lucas said he would talk to her, but gave him no promises."
Josh's had to admit he was jealous, though he knows that it's months later, and nothing is happening between Maya and Billy. It's just that event would have been after he and Maya shared their kiss at Shawn's cabin. Riley would tell him if there was something going on.
Riley looked down at her phone. "When Lucas talked to Maya, he told her that she didn't have to accept, but it was one date, for one night. She would only have to slow dance with him for a couple songs, and then she could dance with me the rest of the night."
"Lucas would let Maya steal you?" Josh raised an eyebrow.
She smirked. "The correct term for the dance is a MRL sandwich. The Maya-Riley-Lucas dance, and I'm in the middle. We dance together."
"Let me guess," Josh smirked, "the only person Maya shares you with, is Huckleberry?"
She nodded. "Yep."
"Well, did they go out afterwards?" He asked out of curiosity.
Riley gave him a sheepish smile. "Is someone jealous?" Josh said nothing. "They went out on one double date with me and Lucas, because she was a little uncomfortable being with him alone, also she truly didn't want to go out with him, but only said yes when Lucas and I would tag along. She trusts Lucas with her life, and nothing bad would happen if he was there. Plus, Billy doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to relationships. She told him afterwards that she didn't feel for him in a romantic way, and thought it was best if they were just friends. He didn't like the rejection, but seemed to get over it pretty quick."
Josh shook his head. Of course Maya would trust Lucas with her life. Did she trust Josh too? "No guy likes a rejection from a beautiful, amazing girl, especially a girl like Maya."
Riley's smile was something he missed seeing in the last few hours. "Yeah, she's pretty amazing." Her eyes went up to the ceiling and she gave a cocky smirk. "I am best friends with her for a reason." She giggled, before her expression dropped again. "Lucas thinks that Billy could have something to do with the accident."
"Why do you say that?" Josh raised an eyebrow.
She shrugged. "He thinks that maybe Billy has been sending her text messages, but we can't get into her phone. Plus it's dead right now, so once it's charged, we can try again."
Josh already had a sick feeling in his stomach. "And what do you think about it?"
"I don't know. If he likes her, it just doesn't make sense for him to hurt her, but that's just optimistic Riley talking, trying to look for the best in people. It is a possibility though. I've known Billy to get jealous, and act out by bullying. In middle school, he bullied Farkle, he was Lucas's best friend. Billy wanted that title, because Lucas was the most popular guy in our class, and he still is. Billy didn't think it was fair for someone like Farkle to be best friends with Lucas, so he bullied him. I wouldn't put it past Billy to do something stupid, all because he was jealous," she said, quickly adding, "But we can't assume something. Like, my mom says, everyone is innocent until proven guilty."
Josh was silent for a few moments, before deciding to change the subject. "So how are you and Lucas?"
Riley's expression became unreadable. "We're good. Lucas is up for a full ride baseball scholarship to the University of Texas." Josh now understood Riley's vacant stare she'd been having the whole night. Her best friend was in the hospital, fighting for her life, and her boyfriend of three years, was six months off from moving 2,000 miles away from her. They were the two closest people to her. She couldn't lose them both.
"Where are you planning to go to school?" Josh asked, hardly thinking Riley would pack up and move to Texas. She wouldn't do that unless she was married to the guy, because she was smart enough to not pick a college just for a boy, no matter if he was one of her best friends or not. If something bad happened, she wouldn't have anybody she knows there, and her family would be so far away.
Riley chewed on the inside of her cheek. Josh internally smiled because he did the same thing. It must run in the family. "I have two options so far. NYU accepted me right away. But I also got into Columbia University to study Human Rights and Psychology. Full-ride academic scholarship. Nobody knows about Columbia yet. I haven't even got the chance to tell Maya. My letter came in yesterday."
Josh nodded, in awe of his niece. "Riles, I'm so proud of you. Columbia. That's and Ivy League school. An academic scholarship there is hard to get and one of a kind. It seems you have a decision to make."
"I know. It's just that Maya and I always dreamed of rooming together in college. She's still has yet to receive her acceptance letter to NYU. I just don't want to disappoint her." Riley said, her voice still low enough that only Josh could here. He was happy to know that in their predicament as of right now, she still was being optimistic, and talking as if nothing was wrong with Maya, and she would be up on her feet in no time.
The boys were no longer talking, with Zay falling asleep in on of the chairs and Farkle sprawled out on the other couch, looking at the ceiling. Josh thought about calling him over, but he figured he would finish talking about college with Riley first. "You know, you could always get an apartment. Sometimes you can get deals as a college student."
"We could, but Maya would have to have the money in order to be able to get an apartment." He understood, even with Katy and Shawn's income, paying for college, and helping out with an apartment would be difficult.
"Talk to her about it," Josh said. "And the parents. I'm sure you could figure something out. Also, if Smackle is staying in the city for college too, she's an extra person. You could get a two bedroom and you and Maya could share. It would be cheeper, and you'd feel like you were actually living in a dorm room."
Farkle walked over and sat down with them. Riley nodded, "We'll see what happens."
"What are you and Lucas going to do?" Josh asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know if he'll want to do long distance. We haven't talked about it much. But we won't worry about it until we have to. Right now we need to focus on tomorrow. I'm assuming they'll be calling us to the station in the morning."
Farkle nodded. "They're more than likely going to ask about our relationship with Maya, and question us about where we were around the time of the accident."
Josh nodded, and yawned. It was pretty late, and he was up early for school today. "Well, I'm going to try and sleep. It's been a long day, and I'm worn out." He hadn't actually noticed how tired he was until he looked down at his phone. 1:19 AM. Yeah, this was usually the time where fog of exhaustion hit him. It happened every time he was up pulling all nighters to study, or do homework. This was the time to get coffee if he was going to stay awake. He thought it was best if he did sleep thought, if he wanted to be prepared for questioning tomorrow.
He moved to one of the single chairs and draped his legs over one side, while his back and head were against one of the decorative pillows. His eyes shut instantly, and all he could hear was the muffled voices of Riley and Farkle in a small conversation.
Josh thought about the person who could have done this to Maya. Could it be Billy? It was a possibility. Anyone who is involved in the victims life is a suspect. He stopped thinking about that for a moment, and focused on something else. The last image that popped into his head, before he fell asleep was Maya's face right after they shared their first kiss. That was enough for him to sleep peacefully until the morning.
----
Have you ever had a dream that didn't make sense, or was just completely jumbled up of memories or illusions? Usually when Josh dreamt, all of his emotions built up throughout the day would surface in his subconscious.
The first image was out in the woods, he nearly recognized the scenery because it was out by Shawn's place. The trees were bare, leaving brown leaves that covered the ground, in thick layers. You could clearly see that the frozen lake was not far from the cabin, and the mountains on the other side, were covered in snow. He knew it was a dream because he couldn't smell anything, and he didn't feel the cold bite of air that he would normally feel being in upstate New York in the middle of winter.
"Josh!" A girl screamed, and he turned, vaguely spotting a girl with brown hair, but he couldn't tell who it was, because her back was towards him. She stood in the middle of the trees, and he could hear a car revving up. A car in the middle of the woods? He thought, That's impossible to drive out here with the trees being so close together. On the other side though, facing the girl, a car was moving towards her, through the trees.
He began to run as quickly as he could towards the girl, thinking that it was Riley that needed to be saved. At the last minute, he tackled her out of the way, and onto the ground. Looking at her, he could see that it was definitely not his niece, but a girl who looked strangely familiar. Maybe a face he'd seen on the streets of the city?
Now standing, not remembering getting up in the first place, the car was gone. The girl's expression was displeased, and in an exasperating tone she asked, "Where were you when she needed you most?"
He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What? What do you mean?"
She smiled, in almost an evil and uncomfortable looking way. "You know exactly what I mean." Her hand went into her pocket and she brought out a cracked pale blue iPhone, and lifted it so he could see.
He didn't understand, and he wished that he could wake up from this distasteful mirage.
The scene faded, and he was suddenly standing in Grand Central Terminal, at the spot where he and Maya usually met up, when going to Shawn's. The domed green ceiling was painted in gold constellations. The American Flag hung high from the opposite side of the building. The three big windows were dark, which meant that in was night time. It was odd, because usually you could see lights of the city out side them, but it was nothing but black.
Josh couldn't hear anything, which was also strange, because though the Terminal might be closed for the night, it was New York City, the city that never slept. The large chamber was empty, until he noticed a figure standing on the other side, on the opposite corner, near the staircase.
It was a tall, dark man, wearing dark jeans and a black leather jacket. Josh couldn't make out his face, because he was too far to see clearly. He was suddenly afraid to speak.
"This is all your fault," the figure whispered, terrifying Josh, because he could actually hear him very clearly from so far way. "You failed her."
The Matthews boy wanted to scream, but he couldn't speak like he could to the girl. What in the hell is going on? He thought to himself. Josh looked around, desperate to find a way out of the building. He ran up the steps, and to the door. Once he opened it, the figure from the other end of the chamber was there to greet him.
Close up, Josh recognized his face as Billy Ross. Was he just so psyched out from Maya being in the hospital that this guy just happened to appear in on of his dreams?
He backed away, as more Billy's appeared in different directions, all saying the same thing. "You failed her. You failed her."
His back touched the concrete railing and he suddenly was trapped. Looking back, behind him, he saw the drop, and knew it wasn't going to be a fun one. They approached him, gaining closer and closer, until he felt a push, and he went over the railing. The land didn't hurt, but his vision went black.
He heard her giggle. He recognized it, because it was one of his favorite sounds.
A bright light began to shine in his eyes, before his vision cleared. He was laying in a bed of white sheets. The wall to his right, a floor to ceiling window, took up the whole space, and Josh could see the beautiful city of New York sprawled out before him.
He felt movement right beside him, as a girl with blonde hair rolled over, and placed an arm around his stomach, and her head laid on his chest. For a moment she was still, but then she moved her head to look up at him, and began to trace circles on his torso.
Maya's eyes were as blue as ever, and that smile made his vision tunnel. She giggled again, this time opening her mouth to speak. "Good morning," she said, the words rolled dreamily off her lips.
Josh blinked a few times, debating weather or not he was still dreaming. He forgot about what reality really was. "Where am I?" He asked. For a moment he thought he had asked that question in his head and not out loud.
"You're home, silly. Where else would you be?" Her expression amused.
Home? Like as in my place? Because looking around, clearly this wasn't his dorm room, nor was it his parents house. They were in a studio apartment. The left wall was covered in grey stone. The space was sectioned off by open bookshelves. He could see a small cutout kitchen along the left wall, with a long island bar, and living room area, with a tv placed in an entertainment center, and an office space, with a desk.
He was standing, once again not remembering getting up from his earlier position. He looked back at Maya. She sat in a white silk gown that reached to her thighs, on the end of the bed. Her hair was messy, but God, she was beautiful. He wore only a pair of denim jeans. If only his mind could wonder to the depths of this situation while he was looking at her, but she was giving him an acquired look.
"You are so gorgeous," he said.
Her expression softened, and she stood up to walk towards him. Placing her arms around him, she held him close to where there was no space in-between them. He was half a foot taller than her, so she had to crane her neck to look into his eyes.
"You were always there for me Joshua Matthews," her voice soft, and sweet.
He smiled. "And I always will be." He began to lean in, longing to kiss her lips. But before he got there, he began to hear a beeping noise. They were two centimeters away, when he asked, "What's that noise?"
Her face filled with confusion, she cocked her head to the side. "What noise?"
The sound was faint, but it was there. "That beeping noise," he stated.
She backed away from him, slowly. "Josh, what are you talking about?" The noise grew louder. It sounded like a heartbeat.
He looked around the flat and spotted a heart monitor machine by the bed. That wasn't there a minute ago. He walked up to it. "Where did this come from?" The curiosity in his voice spilled out.
Maya shook her head, no words were coming out of her mouth. All of a sudden fear filled her eyes. She clenched her hand over the area where her heart would be, and stumbled forward. Josh caught her shoulders, trying to steady her so she wouldn't fall.
He could see the life being sucked out of her as they locked eyes once more. "Josh," she said breathlessly, before collapsing into his arms completely. The sound of the heart monitor paned out, though she wasn't hooked to anything.
"Maya!" He yelled, placing her lightly on the bed, trying to get her to wake up. "Maya!"
He was standing again, away from her, unable to step forward to help. He tried to move with all his might, but instead the whole scene in front of him warped into darkness.
----
Josh woke up to his heart racing in fear. He could still hear the heart monitor machine panning out, and he quickly sat up, looking over at the door to Maya's room. Nurses and doctors were rushing in. In panic, he made his way to the door, when he could see Riley being quickly led out.
She tried to go back in, but Farkle quickly wrapped her in his arms, attempting to calm her. She began to cry profusely into her best friends chest. Farkle's expression broken.
What in the hell was going on? Josh could barely speak. Lucas and Zay were no where to be found. Josh looked at the genius for answers.
"That sound," his voice steady, but terrified. "That sound means they lost her heart beat."
Riley shuddered in his embrace, and she held on tight. Josh ran both his hands through his hair, breathing rapidly, praying to God, for help. Tears built up into his eyes, and for once he didn't hold them in. He walked away, crying to himself.
He wanted to scream. He needed to let all of his frustration and hurt out. Instead, he kicked the couch hard, and plopped himself down on one of the cushions, burying his face in between his knees. Was this the end? Was he never going to be happy? What about their someday? He promised he would be there, and he wasn't. He regretted not being with her sooner, because deep down that's all he ever wanted.
This logic of him, the sense he had to step back because she was three years younger was uncomplicated at this age. He'd seen many of his college friends leave for college, still dating underclassmen. In truth, since she turned sixteen, the age difference wasn't a problem for him anymore. His feelings for her, buried in the pits of his soul was now beginning to surface all at once. He was afraid of her, because she was so right for him. He was afraid to be with her, because he knew that he could fall hopelessly in love with her. He didn't know how to handle these feeling, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for them.
He never wanted to let her down. And now he felt like he had, all because he was scared to be in love, and be rejected in the end. Because, if there is one girl who could break his heart into pieces, it's Maya Hart.
Josh waited for them to do CPR, while trying to steady his own heart beat. He could barely hear them in the room, shocking her body. He shuddered. Come on, Maya. Come on. Please, please, please, his thoughts pleaded.
He moved back to the door. Looking in, he saw her parents looking fearfully at the scene. Katy looked like a mess. Shawn's face was as pale as a ghost. Nothing was happening. Josh moved swiftly to Shawn's side. He could clearly see the others standing by the door, watching.
"Come on, Maya," Josh's voice croaked.
The tears burned in Josh's eyes. Then after on last shock, he heard something. Beep. It was slow. Beep. Another. Beep. He could see the heart monitor line jump up and down at a slow pace. Relief washed over him, and he reached out to lightly squeeze her hand. The beeping sped up a tad more, and just stomach fluttered. Did he cause that, or was his brain just playing games?
What ever it was, he didn't let go. Katy moved up to caress her daughters face, tears streaming from her face. Shawn stood behind Josh, giving his shoulders a squeeze. His expression was the look of total consolation.
Minutes went by and the doctors still kept close. Maya was doing just fine. So close. That moment of fear gave him clarity. Looking in the face of denial was worse than he expected. "One more year," he'd told her. Ever since that night in the cabin, Josh's heart was all in. He couldn't shove the feeling back anymore. The thought of actually losing her was enough to make Josh realize that he wasn't waiting for sense to kick in once she turned eighteen for him to allow himself to fall for her, because he already had fallen for her. Hard. He had to accept it. And he did.
His thoughts grew angry, not at himself, but at the person who caused this event to happen.
Josh thought about his nightmare. He had a strange feeling about Billy Ross. The guy officially had given him the creeps. Who was the girl in the beginning, who almost got ran over by that car? He knew he had seen her somewhere, but he couldn't place the location with her face. And Maya? His heart broke. It almost seemed like he knew about her heart giving up on her before it happened. But the moments before? Josh would give anything to have a moment like that with her.
Forty-five minutes went by, and there was a knock on the door. The two detectives from the evening before entered the room. It was now time for questioning.
"We've decided to ask you all the questions here, out in the waiting room considering there are so many of you," Detective Shultz said, gesturing for us to join her, away from Maya.
Josh, still holding Maya's hand, didn't want to leave his spot, but Katy knelt down, and gave her best brave smile. He gently let her take her daughters hand. He stood up to stand beside Shawn. Clearly they now knew about the situation at hand, and Maya's step-father did not look happy.
When Shawn is pissed, he has a vacant stare and he's dangerously quiet. Normally Josh found his behavior to be amusing, but in this situation, Josh get the same way.
The two made their way out into the waiting room. The others were standing around, all still recovering from the close call with death. Riley seemed to be still shaken up. Lucas and Zay were back, and Josh assumed they went to the cafeteria before. Farkle still was regaining his composure.
He joined Riley near the door, looking back at Maya once more, he felt his niece wrap an arm around his waist, and he obliged, by wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He could sense she needed someone to cling to, family to cling to. Lucas stood close by, and Josh gave him a nod.
"Alright," Shultz began, "We are going to ask you to state your name and your relationship with Miss Hart."
Cory and Topanga started out, and it went down the line. When it got to his niece, she took a shallow breath. "I'm Riley Matthews and Maya is my best friend."
Josh squeezed her shoulder for support. "My name is Joshua Matthews, and Maya is one of my friends."
Rawlings looked at the Matthews kids. "You both are related again how?"
"Riley is my niece, and Cory is my brother," Josh stated.
"How old are you, Mr. Matthews?"
"I'm twenty," he stated, through clenched teeth. Josh didn't like when he was questioned about his age difference with his niece. People always made it seem like he was labeled the mid-life-crisis-baby, a mistake that wasn't supposed to happen.
Detective Rawlings nodded, writing the information down. "Okay, how long have you all known Maya?"
These were basic questions most of the group, besides Josh and his family, and Farkle met her in middle school. The detectives didn't seem interested in what Shawn had to say, probably because he was stuck in a blizzard last night. Riley didn't have to answer, because Cory had answered for her.
"I met Maya when I was ten," Josh said, watching them taking notes
Josh didn't understand why they had to write every single detail down. They were going to be here for a while. "Now how would you describe your relationship with Maya?" Uh oh, Josh thought.
He waited patiently for each of them to describe their relationship with her. Riley and Farkle's obviously going in depth because of their history. "She climbed into my window when we were seven years old." Riley said. "She heard me singing, and liked the sound. Her parents were arguing a lot and she found me. We've been best friends ever since."
Josh took a deep breath. "Maya is one of my closest friends. She might be a little younger than me, but my niece here is even younger than her, and she is one of my closest friends. I got to know Maya through her."
"Mhmm. So out of you boys, has Maya sparked any interest in you, romantically?"
Lucas didn't do anything, in fact he still didn't know if Maya had really truly like him in that way. Josh sighed, knowing that he couldn't blatantly lie to the police. He raised his hand.
Shawn looked at him carefully, and Josh didn't know whether or not to be scared. He should be because he was Maya's step-father, but deep down, Josh knew that Shawn trusted him. He wouldn't have allowed him to hold Maya's hand that long, if he was uncomfortable with it. Then again, Shawn really knew how to hide his feelings, when he wanted to.
"Interesting, so how long has Maya had feelings for you?" Rawlings was really pushing Josh's buttons with the whole interrogation. This was supposed to be about finding Maya's "attacker."
Josh looked at his niece for help, knowing that she would know more about the exact time frame. Riley thought about this. "Maya started to like Josh when we were thirteen? Her and her mom began to spend holidays with us then, and Josh was there during the holidays. It was just a crush at first. Then he turned sixteen and he was able to drive to New York from Philly to see us more, so he spent more time with us, instead of just seeing us every now and then. She got to know them, and now they're friends."
"And have you Josh, ever reciprocated these feelings?"
Josh licked his bottom lip, taking a long look at Shawn, before answering. "Yes, but what does this have to do with trying to find the person who did this to Maya?"
Shultz sighed. "I'm just getting some background information. You are the closest people to her. Now where were you all last night between the time of 6 PM and 7 PM?"
Josh spoke first, glad that there was no further interrogation about his romantic relationship with Maya, but still was receiving some looks from his family. "I was in my dorm room, with my roommate, Andrew Fields, getting ready to go out to dinner."
"Me and Lucas were at Topanga's doing homework," Riley said. "My mom was there too." Topanga nodded in agreement.
Farkle tapped on the table with his long, nimble fingers. "I was at Isadora's having dinner with her and her parents."
Zay stood behind Lucas, tapping his foot. "I was on a date with Isabella Reed."
Josh could feel Riley stiffen against him, but she said nothing. Lucas looked uncomfortable, and so did Farkle. Josh thought that was weird. The detectives didn't seem to catch on.
"Did Maya seem to have any problems with anyone recently?" Rawlings asked.
They all shook their heads. Lucas spoke up, "Like we said yesterday, Maya is liked by everyone, at least that we know of. She hasn't showed signs of any problems."
Riley nodded. "I would know. She can't hide much from me. I know her too well."
"Has she been involved with anyone, dating wise?" Shultz cut in. "I know homecoming was in October."
Lucas scratched the back of his head. "She went to Prom with Billy Ross last year. He liked her, and she didn't return the feelings."
"Is there a reason why she didn't return the feelings?"
Lucas shrugged. "Um, she didn't really like him like that to begin with. They were just friends. She said no the first time, but Billy asked me to talk to her about going with him, and she said that she would. They went out on one double date with me and Riley, but she told him that night that he was cool to hang out with, but she didn't look at him in a romantic way."
Riley stepped in. "He asked her why, and if there was something he did to turn her off, and she only said that she had feelings for someone else," she gave Josh a side look and he tired not to blush. "Billy didn't like that."
"Do you think he's capable of doing something like this to Maya?" Rawlings asked.
Lucas shrugged. "Billy had had some bullying problems in the past, but for him to do something like this seems to be way too extreme. I'm not sure though. I've learned that people can be unpredictable."
The Detectives nodded. Shultz sighed. "Well, I think that we have enough for right now. If any of you think of anything else, please feel free to call or come by the station. Here is our card." She took out a card, and gave it to Cory.
Once they left, silence filled the room. It seemed as if nobody knew what to say for a few moments, or what questions to begin with, until Topanga spoke up. "I had my suspicions when thinking of Billy. He seemed to like her, and she didn't really seem that into him. Like at all. She almost looked like she was forcing herself to go to Prom with him."
"Well, of course she wasn't into him," Shawn said. "She likes Josh. She always has."
Josh turned to him, his heart picking up speed because of nerves. "Um, Shawn . . ." he drifted off, not knowing exactly what to say. "I hope you don't mind that . . ."
Shawn raised his eyebrows. "That you like her too?"
Josh could feel the heat rise in his cheeks again. He didn't know what to say. Shawn sighed. "I've known for a while now."
Cory, who was now standing five feet away, gave Josh a once over, before looking at his best friend. "Yeah, Shawnie. Did ya know that Joshie here has been taking trips with your precious step-daughter to your cabin?"
The NYU students eyes almost popped out of his eye sockets in fear, before he quickly turned to grab Riley, to shove her in front him. Shawn's face was hard to read. Josh was terrified of what he might do to him, even if nothing bad happened, Shawn might not believe him.
"I know about that too," he stated. Josh stood there, shocked.
Cory yelped. "WHAT? YOU KNEW?"
Shawn gave him an annoyed side look. "Yes, at first, I was pissed off. Even after two years of being her dad officially, I was still new to it. I still am. Katy wasn't home for the weekend, because she was with Topanga. That made Maya my responsibility for that time. I wasn't too happy about catching her coming home early in the morning, especially wearing that green jacket of his, but she sat down and told me everything."
Josh stepped out from behind Riley. "Shawn, I promise you nothing bad happened. Maya means way too much to me. I would never let anything happen to her under my watch. I'm sorry for going behind your back."
Maya's step father placed a hand on Josh's shoulder.. "I trust you, Josh. You're smart. I told you last night on the phone that Katy and I appreciate you being there for her, because you always were. It's a Matthews thing. They're always there. If I was going to hurt you, I would have marched my butt over to your dorm that day to beat your ass." He paused for a moment. "You care for each other. I'm not blind. I'm a photographer. I'm supposed to pay attention to details, in order to capture beautiful photos. I've seen this developing for a few years, even before, when Maya was just Riley's best friend, and not my girlfriend's daughter or wife's daughter. I'm okay with you two. You're a great guy Josh, and you're part of a great family." He stuck out his hand for Josh to shake.
He took it cautiously, before Shawn pulled him in for a hug. "Now, if you ever hurt her, Matthews, I will kick your ass." Josh gulped, nodding, knowing that he meant it.
The adults walked back to Maya's room. "Well," Zay said, "I thought that would be a lot more awkward."
Riley whipped her head around, and walked up to him grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "You went on a date with Isabella Reed?" He tone angry. It must have been serious, because Riley is never angry with her friends.
Zay nodded. "She asked me. I said yes."
"Who's Isabella Reed?" Josh asked.
Riley huffed. "Only Missy Bitches best friend. I don't mean this in the wrong way Zay, but why would Izzy, ask you out?"
Zay put his hands up in defense. "That's not nice. I don't know why."
Farkle narrowed his eyebrows. "Weren't you supposed to be with Maya yesterday to study? She is tutoring you in Spanish, right?"
Zay shrugged. We didn't have an exact plan to study. We agreed yesterday morning that if plans changed, we wouldn't study. So, when Izzy asked me to go to the movies, I texted Maya. She said okay cool, I'll see you around sometime this weekend. That was the last I heard from her."
Riley reached in her jacket pocket and brought out a pale blue, cracked iPhone, and Josh almost lost it. It was the same exact phone that appeared in his dreams the night before. How in the world? His thoughts drifted, and he didn't hear what his niece had said.
"What did you say Riles?" Josh asked.
"I said I wish I knew the password to get into her phone."
"Did you try her birthday?"
"Yes."
"The day you met?"
"Yes. And Her mom's birthday, and Shawn's birthday. Even the day she met Shawn. I also tried their wedding anniversary, and the date to when she met you, Josh. Nothing." Riley said frustratingly, staring at the screen.
Josh held his hand out, and she gave him the phone. He felt weird holding it. The was Maya's personal item. This held her secrets. He did not want to violate her life. Then again, they were supposed to seek out any information regarding Maya's accident. He, Riley, and the rest of her friends were better to go through her phone, rather than people who didn't know her at all. If the found any information, they would be able to give the detectives only the important details, without violating her whole life.
Okay Josh, think. What would Maya use as her password? He tried her birthday again. Nothing. Maya wasn't one to just choose numbers. She would pick a set of numbers that meant something to her. Their first kiss? That was January 23. Nope. He began to chew on the inside of his cheek again.
"You guys don't think people were just playing games with her that went wrong, like it wasn't supposed to happen?" Riley asked.
Games . . . The Long Game. Someday. Josh looked down at the phone once again and typed in the date he and Maya made their deal. The screen clicked open. "Got it!" He said, triumphantly.
Riley looked at him. "How?"
Josh sighed, with a soft smile placed upon his face. "Your freshman year. It was the day that Maya and I agreed to Someday."
She looked shocked. "Why didn't I think of that? That's the day Lucas and I started dating."
"Maybe you didn't think about it, because it was the day you and Lucas started dating. You wouldn't have assumed she would pick your anniversary with him, because Maya and I didn't start dating then. It was an agreement."
"But it was important, because you finally admitted you liked her. I should have thought of that," she said. "But now, we can go through. Okay calls, missed calls. Okay so most of us called her. Um, the last person she called was . . . Josh."
His eyes darted over to her. "What? She didn't call me."
She held the phone up so he could see. "Yeah she did."
Josh got out his own phone and went to his missed calls list, and sure enough, there was her name, in red lettering. He shook his head. "This can't be right. I would have picked up her call." He looked at the time she called him. 6:15 PM. "This was right before the accident happened. Like minutes before."
His thought's drifted back to his dream. "Where were you when she needed you most?" The girls voice echoed. Maya had called him, and he didn't pick up. He didn't even hear his phone go off or get a notification for it. Then he remembered Andrew calling himself from Josh phone, because he lost his.
Josh sat down, and ran his fingers through his hair. If only he could have seen it sooner. He looked back through his text messages. There was nothing. He hadn't really got his phone out for anything since he'd gotten to the hospital. Basically to only call Shawn and Katy, but he used his voice activation for that.
He went back to his call log one last time, and saw a small notification on the right hand corner under voicemails. Clicking on it, he saw her name written across the top. She had left him a voicemail too?
Something inside Josh screamed at him to not listen to the voicemail. He was afraid of what he was going to hear, but the curiosity got the best of him, and he clicked on her name, and quickly putting his phone up to his ear. "Hey Boing," she asked, and he knew she had to have been smiling. "I don't know if you're busy tonight, but Shawn let me take his Camaro out for a spin, and I'm going to the cabin. Shawn knows I'm going, and was just wondering if you wanted to hang out. I haven't seen you since the college fair, and I miss—." She gasped really loud, and the message cut off.