Joshaya V.S Lucaya

Chapter 33

Maya's POV

"It's never going to end Riles. We're stuck here forever!" I say dramatically, throwing myself on the desk.

"Maya, this is your last class before free period which means this is your last class of the day. You are going to make it through and Josh is going to pick you up and everything is going to be fine." She tells me, laughing at my ridiculousness. I groan and flop back into my seat.

All I have to do is make it through Matthews class and then I'm home free. I get to walk out of here and not look back for 2 weeks.

"Maya!" Mr. Matthews shouts my name, interrupting my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what?" I ask, knowing I wasn't paying attention. He smiles at me and rolls his eyes.

"Your phone is ringing Peaches. " Riley tells me as I snap back to reality.

"Sorry." I mumble,  reaching for my phone. "It's Shawn." I confirm when I look at the screen. Why would he be calling me when he knows I'm in class? I look at Mr. Matthews and he nods, indicating I can answer so I quickly swipe the screen and say hello.

"I'm outside. Get your things and get out here." He tells me in a calm tone. Too calm.

"What's going on?" I ask him and he sighs.

"It's Josh..." he trails off and then begins talking again. I don't hear most what he says. The word 'hospital' stands out though. The most horrible feeling washes over me and I drop my phone. The whole world seems to be going in slow motion.

"I-I-I have t-to go." I stutter as I get up, shoving everything into my bag and retrieving my phone from the floor.

"Peaches?" Riley says and rushes to my side.

"It's Josh! I have to go!" I snap at her. I feel bad, but I'm terrified. I should have listened to what Shawn had to say, but his tone said it all.

"Go. We will meet you there." Mr. Matthews says calmly and I rush out of the classroom.

When I reach the steps outside I pause for a moment as the cold air of a new York December hits my face. Great, I'm crying. I shake it off, wipe the tears from my face and run to Shawn's car.

"Which hospital?" I ask him, my voice giving away how numb I feel right now. He tells me as we pull into traffic and I whip out my phone and shoot Riley a text.

ME: Lenox Health

RILEY: thx Peaches. See you there xo

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Josh?" I ask, my voice shaking as I open the door to his hospital room.

"Hey Gorgeous." He smiles at me, trying to sit up. I allow my eyes to wander over his body. Other than a few cuts and bruises he looks fine.

"What the hell happened!?" I whisper shout at him as I make my way across the room. I position myself on the side of his bed, glaring at him.

"It really is a funny story..." he starts but stops when the doctor comes in the room.

"You are incredibly lucky Mr. Matthews. No broken bones, no internal bleeding. Just a few cuts, scrapes and bruises. You also have a mild concussion, so you'll need to take it easy for a few days." he says, handing Josh a prescription for what I'm assuming is for pain medication.

"So I'm good to go, Doc?" Josh asks and the doctor nods before leaving the room.

"So? What the hell happened?" I ask again as I move from the bed, allowing Josh to sit up and swing his legs over the edge.

"I have a buddy who has a motorcycle and I took it for a spin. I got a little ahead of myself and wiped out. I was unconscious so someone called an ambulance and here we are." He explains. I can feel the hot tears running down my face as he talks.

"Hey, I'm fine." He says, pulling me against him and holding me tight. My sadness quickly fades and I feel the anger building inside. I pull back and hit him in the chest causing him to wince from the pain.

"You're not fine Josh! You could have died! I could be visiting you in the morgue right now!" I shout, unable to control the anger and fear washing over me in waves.

"But I didn't and you're not. Babe, I'm fine." He says, attempting to grab my hand. I pull away though. Does he not realize how precious his life is? He got so lucky today but he's just brushing it off. Anger and fear turn to frustration and annoyance as I stand and turn away from him.

"Maya..." he says my name like he needs me.

I almost want to turn back to him and hold him tight. I dont though. He should have thought about how much he needed me before he got on that bike. He should have thought about how much it would kill me to lose him before he got on that bike.

"I can't, Josh. I have to go." I say, rushing from the room. I run into Riley and Mr. Matthews in the hallway, but I don't say anything. I just exchange a quick look with Riley and continue on my way.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

I know I should be grateful that Josh is okay, and I am. I just can't believe he would be so stupid. Maybe I'm overreacting. My phone buzzes on the table again, and I know it's going to be another apologetic message from Josh. I want to talk to him, but I want him to understand how upset I am too.

Getting up from my seat, I take my empty cup to the counter and drop some change in the tip cup for my waitress. I need to take a walk and clear my head. I leave Topanga's and head down the street with no particular destination in mind.

I don't even realize I'm crying again until I stop in front of his house. This isn't how today was supposed to go. This isn't even where I want to be, but somehow, this is where my feet have taken me. I don't know why, but I knock on the door and wait. It seems like an eternity before he answers.

"Maya?" His voice cracks as he takes in my appearance. I cry harder.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here." I say between sobs, turning to walk away.

I feel his hand catch my wrist and a moment later, I'm against his chest. Having his arms around me is comforting. I cry harder, dampening his sweater as I break. I try to speak but nothing comes out so he just holds me.

After a while, I calm down and look up at him. His hands come up to wipe away the remaining tears and I smile slightly. He smiles back at me before speaking.

"How about some hot chocolate, short stack?" He asks and I nod, pulling away, but catching his hand in mine.

Lucas leads me inside, fingers laced with mine. This is the best I've felt since getting that phone call from Shawn this afternoon. Maybe coming here wasn't a mistake.