Runaway [Rilaya AU]

Six -- Maya.

@katara1999 helped me with this chapter. CREDIT, MY FRIEND. (idek if it's gonna tag, but who cares.)

(What I'm listening to: Girls Like Girls -- Hayley Kiyoko)

~ JM/SS/CW

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It's been a week since the little incident where I was almost discovered by Riley's mom, and Riley herself is still being as careful as ever.

"It could happen again, Maya. You know how close that was," she tells me when I inform her that I'd been living here for about a month before it happened.

"Riley," I say after she tells me to quiet my voice, finally fed up with her sudden extreme caution. "We used to talk all the time, out loud, and we were never caught. So just.... calm down."

She just stares at me, for what feels like eternity. "I don't want you to leave."

"What?" The confession catches me off guard, and I don't know how to react.

"Maya..... I don't want you to leave. I like having you here, to talk to. I....."

I wait while she searches for the right thing to say, half expecting it to be "I love you," even though that's stupid because we A. are strictly platonic, and B. met because I climbed through her bedroom window in the middle of the night.

"I would miss you."

"Y-You would...."

She cuts me off before I can finish my sentence. "And I'm worried, after what you said last week.... About killing yourself...."

Oh. I did say that, didn't I? I could tell her that it was my hysteria talking, but then I'd just be lying to the poor kid.

"I want to.... Protect you, I guess."

Protect me....? I'm hardly worth protecting, Miss Matthews.

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Maya Hart is a precious flower that must be protected at all costs.