Step Up

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven:
Through His Eyes

{josh's p.o.v}
I woke up on the couch with Maya snuggled up next to me. I gently reached for my phone off the coffee table and she shifted but her eyes remained closed.

I never realized just how beautiful she was. I always knew she was gorgeous but now she's glowing. The way she is right now, no makeup on, sleepy, her hair's thrown up, she's wearing cheer shorts and a t-shirt and she's sleeping next to me. She's more beautiful than she's ever been.

"How could Lucas ever leave someone as amazing as you?" I whispered looking at the sleeping beauty.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask him?" She mumbled smiling with her eyes closed.

I laughed nervously, "you weren't supposed to hear that."

I looked at the time on my phone and it read 8:23

"We should get up before everyone else does." I really didn't want to, and I was half-hoping she didn't either.

"Yeah, we should." She whispered curling up closer to me.

"Tell you what," I said, "how about we go to my room. That way we don't wake Riley and you can sleep somewhere more comfortable than this couch."

She groaned so I just said, "Come on, sleeping beauty," then swooped her up in my arms and carried her to my bedroom across the hall from Riley.

Once I laid her down and covered her up, I went to walk out so she could get some rest.

"Josh?" She called quietly, her eyes barely able to stay open.

"Will you lay with me, please? Just for a little? I don't want to be alone."

I crawled into bed with her and she curled up close to me. 

"Thank you. And Joshy?"

"I love you too."

"Get some rest ... " I smiled.

9:31 AM

Riley made her way into the kitchen after Cory and Topanga left and walked over to the fridge like she was still half asleep.

"Where's Maya?" She asked me half-concerned, half-upset.

"In my room. She had a long day yesterday. I let her sleep in there so she didn't wake you up."

"Why do you seem so okay about this?" She asked, sitting across from me. 

"It's just a bed." He laughed and she gave him a look of pure puzzlement.

"You mean to tell me, Maya didn't tell you anything last night?"

When I just stared at her and then let out a big, heavy sigh, her face lightened up, "I thought so." "She can't keep anything from you."

"So um, uncle Josh?"

I looked up with my eyebrows furrowed at her.

"I know you care about her."

"What gave it away?" He chuckled more monotonously than happily.

"She was with Lucas for four years ... He left her after one bump in the road. You're not going to-"

"I love her Riles. She's my best friend. Prior to you of course," she chuckled.

"Whatever she decides to do with this baby is her choice and her choice alone. Lucas seemed like a great guy but if he couldn't stand by her through this than she deserves better than what she got. I'm not saying that we're going to be together now, she's not in the right place for that. But I'm not gonna leave her side like he did. He wasn't just supposed to be her boyfriend, he was supposed to be her best friend as well and he dropped it all just like that."

"And if she decides to keep the baby, raise the baby? It's Lucas's baby, Josh. Lucas is the father. What if he gets himself together and he wants to be a part of it? Are you going to be okay with that? Because you're going to have to be."

"This is Maya's baby, Riley. Lucas gave up that title when he walked out the door. If he gets himself together and wants in, then good. That's- that is great for him, but he's going to have to stay in. A baby is a lot to handle and yeah, so she's strong enough to do it on her own, but she shouldn't have to. She'll have us of course, but she needs him, you said it yourself: he's the father. She doesn't need to constantly worry bout whether or not Lucas is just going to get up and leave again because he couldn't handle it like he told her that he could and she's all by herself again. That baby inside of her is just another mini-Maya and we're going to love it, Riley, no matter what guy helped her create it. That's all there is to it."

She just smiled at me and got up to go upstairs.

"Riley?"

"Yes, uncle Josh?" She said with a huge smile.

"What is that? That- that smile?"

"Oh, nothing.." She smiled and turned around.

"Riley."

She turned around for a few seconds, that same huge grin still on her face and looked at me before continuing up the stairs.