My one and only Love

Chapter 11

When Kermit told Maya he wouldn’t go after her again, she was sure that was the end of it. By ten-thirty that night, Josh was back and they were loading up his borrowed car with her boxes and bags. Josh drove until he couldn’t see straight anymore and had to stop, he had to break out the emergency credit card to spend a night in a Motel 6 near the off ramp. By eleven the next morning they were back on the road. Maya was quizzing Josh for his World History test he was supposed to take on Friday as they took their time getting back.

Maya took a deep breath as she looked up at the familiar bay window. “I never thought I’d be back, not really back.” She confessed, Josh took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s the first thing in my life he did that was actually for me.” She let out an almost bitter laugh and Josh knew this situation wasn’t something Maya was likely to get over any time soon.

Josh held Maya’s hand until they were in the door, Topanga looking up, having been expecting her. “Peaches!” Riley shouted and nearly tackled her best friend to the ground with a hug knocking her away from Josh before their closeness was really noticed. It turned out Kermit had called Topanga the morning after Maya left, told her Maya was coming back to stay. He told her it wasn’t working out and asked her to send him the paperwork he needed to fill out to turn Maya over to herself and Cory.

“Thank you for going to get her, Josh…we’ll pay you back for the trip.” Topanga assured her brother-in-law as they all sat around the table for dinner. Maya sat between Josh and Riley and realized then that none of them knew about her and Josh, none of them knew he’d been with her before he came back to get her. She stared at her peas, not sure how to react yet.

“It’s no problem, she needed help and my buddy has a car he never uses. You don’t need to pay me back for anything.”

“Maya, why didn’t you call me or Cory, we’d have gotten you a flight.” Topanga continued between bites.

“I know,” Maya began. “I should have, I’m sorry if I put you out Josh.” She covered. “It was just a huge fight and I wasn’t really thinking about anything rationally. Just was upset and wanted out.” Topanga understood, expressing how she’d had some bad fights with her father when she was younger.

Cory would get everything together for Maya to get back into school, Topanga and Riley would fix up Riley’s room to fit them both comfortably but for now it was just like when she’d slept over so many times.

In cozy pajamas, lying in bed beside Riley, Maya smiled. “It’s good to be home.” She whispered and Riley turned over to face her.

“It’s good to have you home.” She told Maya with a wide smile. After a few moments of silence, listened throughout the house and hearing nothing, Riley spoke up softly. “Maya?”

“Hmm?”

“Why did you call Josh and not me?”

“You can’t drive.”

“Yeah, but really…why?” Maya looked over at Riley, giving it actual thought before she spoke.

“I love him, Ri.”

“Yeah you’ve been saying that for years. I mean, I know you all are better friends now since you stayed there but…” She hesitated, letting it all settle in. “Why did you stay there so long? Why did….” She gasped in and looked to Maya with wide eyes, Maya quickly covered Riley’s mouth as the squeal came. “You and Josh!” She tried to exclaim, but it came out muddled with Maya’s hand on her mouth.

“Shh, you’ll wake everyone up.”

“But, you. And Josh. You and Josh.” She whispered, but it was an excited whisper.

“Yes…I think. Listen, I don’t know right now and I can’t talk to him about it with your parents around. He didn’t seem to want them to know.”

“What do you mean?” Riley asked, sitting up a little.

“Josh was already in Ohio,” Maya confessed, Riley’s eyes going wide. “Well I mean, he’d left and came back, but he was there, visiting me over the weekend. I stayed with him and didn’t go home that’s what started the fight that got me kicked out.” Riley listened intently, feeling as if she was listening to some intense young adult romance novel. “When I called, he turned around and came back to get me.”

“Wow…”

“But he didn’t tell them, he just said he didn’t mind to help. So I don’t think he wants anyone to know for some reason.” Maya had tried not to let it bother her, but now in the silent darkness, away from his eyes, she felt her true nature creeping up on her. She wasn’t destined for good things, she was abandoned at every turn, and there was no reason to think this was going to work out. “But…that’s why I called him.”

“I’m sure he just didn’t want them to think he was the reason for the fight, maybe didn’t want to feel like the cause of it himself. He wouldn’t have gone back to get you if he didn’t have feelings for you too.”

“I hope you’re right.” Maya said softly as she settled down in the bed. “C’mon, lay down I’m exhausted.” It was a lie, but she couldn’t take any more questions just then. She didn’t want to find herself poking more holes in what was by far the best weekend in her life.