Room 221 || Lucaya

Explosions

MAYA'S POV:

I hear voices—or just one voice—murmuring close by. My eyes stay shut.

"I don't know. It's hard to put the puzzle together when you barely have the pieces."

The leaves crunch beneath his feet as he approaches the blanket where I lie, pretending to be asleep.

"No, I mean I understand but—I just need some help."

The crunching stops abruptly.

"I think... I think she's depressed."

A few seconds pass by before Lucas regains his position next to me as he did the night before. His body warmth radiates onto mine, causing my body temperature to rise. I feel Lucas' hand resting against my forehead for a moment before returning back to his call.

"Maybe I should bring her into the hospital. Her temperature seems high; I think the stress and anxiety is affecting her health."

"No!" I shout, exploding from my pillow and hitting Lucas' arm. "I'm fine."

Lucas slowly moves the phone away from his ear before whispering back to the caller, "I gotta go."

Depressed? No.

Anxiety? Maybe.

Hospital? Definite no.

How does Lucas have the right to decide what's best for me? Why must another person be involved?

It's fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine.

I have been telling myself those short words my entire life when everything felt as if the earth were crumbling into terminal pieces—and today is no exception.

"Who are you talking to?!" I shout, snatching the phone out of his hand.

Lucas takes the phone out of my hand as he sighs, breathing out the heavy woodland air. "Riley. It was Riley."

Riley.

Riley fucking Matthews.

The girl who refused to listen to my explanation when she unrightfully assumed Lucas cheated on her with me.

The girl who kicked me out of my own dorm for a night, forcing me to sleep in my car after the worst thing imaginable had happened to me just hours before.

The girl who avoids me at all costs as everyday passes from that night, not bothering to check up.

But she's the girl who became my safe haven when I had no idea I even needed one.

The girl who saw the best in me when I could barely even recognize myself.

The girl who gave me hope, then took it away.

Or did I take that hope away?

"What, are you two back together again?" I spit out, refusing to look straight into his eyes.

One look, and I fall.

At this point, falling seemed fatal to the both of us.

"No, Maya," Lucas begins defensively, his voice rising quickly, "Riley wants nothing to do with me."

I glance back to him. "Then why are you fucking calling her about me?!"

Silence. This time, it was not comforting.

And all of the sudden, when no one living on this universe expected it, Lucas Friar exploded.

"I don't know what to do, okay?!" Lucas shouts abruptly as he pushes himself off the ground, letting all of his built up anger inside burst out like a boiling pot of water bursting.

Never before have I seen Lucas like this.

It was scary.

For the first time in my life, I was afraid of Lucas Friar.

"Do what?!" I shriek, tears forming in my eyes.

Yet Lucas does not respond, rather he paces around the blanket anxiously, grasping his face, pulling it harshly.

"Lucas!"

He suddenly turns to me, revealing a face full of tears, anxiety, and sweat. His face illuminated bright red as it reflected the feelings he was moments away from pouring out. "I don't know what to do about you, Maya! Ever since that night, it's like you have been falling apart by the minute, and I can't seem to put back the pieces! The Maya I met back in Room 221 is not the same Maya that is sitting in front of me right now—and that's because of fucking him! He... He sucked all the life out of you, and no matter what I do, I can't fucking fix it! That son of a bitch ruined my damn life because he took you away from me! From yourself! I can't... I can't fucking fix it. And it hurts me so much because I'm in love with you, Penelope, and he hurt you to the point that—"

"You what?" I whisper quietly, wiping away the tears that flowed down my eyes faster than I could handle.

Lucas stops in his track and stares right into my blue eyes. All I could hear was the silent sound of birds chirping around us; no voices.

No voices were needed.

And I fall.

I try to stop crying. Every ounce of my body urges me to stop showing emotion, but Lucas leans down in front of me and gently wipes a tear off my cheek with his thumb.

Suddenly, every ounce of my body shifted feelings and urged me to do something else; and without even thinking, I lean into Lucas and let his lips crash against mine for the second time.

In that moment, it was if the sole purpose of each and every failure, struggle, and downfall in my life had led me up to this pinnacle moment of love in its purest existence.