typical | rilaya au

e l e v e n

"I've been worried sick, Riley." She started. "You weren't answering my calls, or my texts.."

"I thought something happened to you." Her voice began to crack as she continued.

"I d-didn't think you made it home safely last night." Maya whispered. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

I stared at her blankly; unable to form a response.

"Why do you do this to me Maya?" I asked softly, breaking my silence.

She turned around to face me and sat on the edge of my bed. Tilting her head and offering me a sympathetic look, she asked "Do what?"

I stood up, and gestured wildly in the air. "Everything!" I exclaimed.
"everything." I repeated again, only I was whispering this time.

"You-you make me feel like I'm the only person in the world. Why do you hold me like that, smile at me like that, touch me like that- if that's not how you feel?" I asked, releasing all of my emotions.

"I want to make you feel like that Riley, you're special to me. You don't know how I feel." She replied, fiddling nervously with her hands.

I'm not holding back again. I've spent enough time thinking about what could've been.

"It's not fair." I said, looking at my feet, clenching my fists. I paused, debating on whether or not I should reveal my feelings to her.

"Why are you leading me on Maya?" I asked. "It hurts."

She reached her hand out from where she was sitting on my bed and offered it to me. "Riles.." she spoke softly.

I hesitantly grabbed her hand and she pulled me down to sit beside her.

I knew it was a bad idea to hold onto her like this, but I wasn't ready to let go yet. If I end up getting hurt a little more just for this brief moment with her, so be it.

I breathed for a second and spoke. "Don't call me that." I said flatly, remembering how I felt when Lucas called me by that nickname.

Maya didn't respond.

Instead, she placed a hand on my cheek, causing me to gasp as she turned my head towards her. "Look at me Riley."

I looked at her.

Maya briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I didn't kiss you last night because you were absolutely wasted Riley." she paused. "I could never take advantage of you like that."

"If we're going to kiss, I want us to both be sober and able to remember it the next morning." Maya continued.

The corners of my lips turned upwards. My shoulders stopped tensing and I felt relief spread throughout my body.

"Me too." I said breathlessly, remembering that her hand was still resting on my cheek.

"I really like you Riley, I've fallen hard and I can't stop it." she admitted, eyes scanning up and down my face.

I opened my mouth to respond, but was instead met with soft lips on mine.

I smiled into the kiss as I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer.

I felt so content in this moment, my hand in hers as our lips met for the first time. Maya's were soft and tasted like peaches, which I preferred in contrast to a boy's rough, chapped lips.

I would be lying if I said I didn't love every second of it. Our lips moved in sync so perfectly it was as if the bad universe constructed us to be together.

Slowly, we pulled away from each other. We both looked into the others eyes, searching for an answer to our questions.

Until I kissed Maya, there was a piece of me that I didn't realize was missing until this very moment.

I broke the silence first, smiling widely as I tried to contain my excitement.

"What happens to us now?" I asked

Maya hesitated, but answered me. "I don't know, but it'll be okay as long as I'm with you." She replied confidently.

I smiled back at her and stood up, taking her with me. We walked towards my closed bedroom door together, swinging our hands.

I don't know what had happened in the last minute, but Maya was now backed up against the door as I advanced on her.

"Can't get enough?" She teased with a raised eyebrow.

I smirked back at her, replying with a quick "Nope."

I blushed and leaned in to kiss her again, my hand resting on her chest.

"OW!" Cried out Maya as her head simultaneously banged against the door; pushing her forward.

I stumbled backwards as Maya fell into my arms, holding onto me tightly.

"DESSERT'S READY!" Screamed a little boy's voice.

I looked behind her shoulder to see a guilty Auggie standing in the doorframe, scratching his head.

"Oh.. sorry, I didn't mean to hit you when I opened the door." My little brother apologized.

Maya groaned into my shoulder as I rubbed her back. "I think your 8 year old brother gave me a concussion." she joked.

I laughed and gently shoved her off of me. "Let's go eat some cheesecake."