complicated [lucaya]

20

Early December

Lucas' POV; 

I gently placed a kiss on Maya's forehead and leaned against the desk. She sighed and looked around the old chemistry lab. "Was the desk uncomfortable?"

"It's not that..." She trailed off and nervously bit her lip. "We can't keep doing this, Lucas. Someone's going to catch us."

Intertwining our fingers, I smirked and looked into her eyes, "Isn't that what makes this exciting? The possibility of getting caught."

"And what happens when it stops being a game?" She looked at the floor. "She's gonna find out."

I sighed. "She'll be hurt no matter if we lie or say it to her face." I studied Maya's face and I could tell that something else was on her mind. "Have you seen Josh?"

Her head snapped up. "W-why would you ask me that?"

"Maya," I sat on the desk to be eye level with her. "Have you been talking to Josh?"

Maya cleared her throat and pursed her lips. "He was at Riley's house yesterday. It was terrible." She shook her head, "We didn't speak to each other, but he had the most smug look on his face as if he had won. And he had."

"Maya-"

"You were right. I just let him win, Luke."

I hugged her tight and rubbed her back. "You don't have to talk about it."

"It took a lot of strength not to smack that cocky smirk off his face."

I could feel Maya's body tense up when she talked about Josh and the horrible things he did to her. But this time was different. She wasn't breaking down in tears, nor was she hesitant and nervous.

Maya Hart is not the same person she was two months ago. She's not even the same person she was at Thanksgiving. It was like whatever guilt and sadness she was carrying has been replaced with anger.

-

"Why didn't you tell me that Josh has still been lurking around?" I questioned Riley as we claimed our usual spot in the courtyard for lunch. "And why is he even coming around at all?"

My girlfriend shrugged and started pushing her pasta around her tray. "Didn't know I was supposed to tell you when my Uncle was visiting his brother, also known as my father." Then she rolled her eyes. "Why do you care?"

Is she serious right now? "Why don't you care? He's only the man who put your best friend through hell?" This is so unlike Riley to sound so cold.

Pushing her tray forward, she folded her arms on the table and looked at me. "I just think it's laughable that a few months ago I was wondering why you were being so cold towards Maya."

"This isn't the same thing. She told me that you pretty much implied that she was a slut?"

Riley rolled her brown eyes and shrugged, basically brushing it off. "All I said was that she has a reputation for a reason. In fact, didn't you say the exact same thing after you slept with her at Zay's party?"

I took a deep breath and hesitated, because that is what I said, but I was angry. I was angry at the situation we were in. I never meant it, and Maya knows that. "I didn't mean it..."

She scoffed, "Lucas, I know you pretty well. You meant it. Is that's why you wanted to 'save' her rep. so bad? So you could keep fucking her without any actual commitment?"

My voice boomed, "I don't know what my thought process was, okay?" I sighed and brought myself back down. "She's your best friend, Riles."

My body froze as a heard a broken voice, "Is that really what you think of me?" I turned my head only to see Maya standing there, clearly heartbroken from what she just overheard.