You Will Forever Be My Always: Josh Matthews

The Most Important Part of Any Relationship

Maya dragged the three of us back up to the wicker couch at the top of the small flight of stairs. She sat us down, Josh in the middle and waited for somebody to speak.  

Josh broke the silence "I'm a lot younger than my brothers and my sisters."

"So, they won't have a relationship with you either?" Maya said. I couldn't quite tell if she was joking or not...probably joking.

I thought quietly for a second "I really don't think that is what Josh was trying to say."

"So I spent a lot of time just watching them." Josh explained.

Maya moved just a little bit closer to Josh and said "So far we're still talking about you and me."

"Stop it." Josh said, a little humour in his tone.

"No." Maya said simply.

Josh rolled his eyes "I've learned to be pretty good at observing people, understanding what's going on with them...you sure you're ready to hear this?" He paused.

"Right now." She nodded. 

"Even if it was bad for me?" Josh asked.

Maya nodded before repeating "Right now." But this time more assertively.

"What i have observed about you...is that you are the best friend anyone could ever have, maybe it's cause your dad left, maybe it's cause you never felt that love..." He said. Where the hell was he going with this?

"Josh...what are you doing?" I hissed

He shrugged me off "But it gave you the greatest capacity for love that I have ever seen." That was not what I had expected.

"Say that again." Maya urged.

Josh smiled "Why, you didn't understand it?"

Maya looked at him before saying "No, i understood it." She paused "Say it again, say it 50 times, say it in french."

He laughed "You heard me the first time."

"I did. thank you, but you're wrong." Maya started "It's Riley that's the best friend you could ever have." Their friendship really was admirable.

I decided that I had had enough of sitting there like a spare part "Yeah. But there's something I've also noticed Maya is that you've cared about Riley so much for so long that the moment she decides to care about somebody else..." I started.

"Lucas." Maya interrupted.

I nodded "You need to protect her." I finished.

"How?" Maya asked.

Josh then decided that he had something to contribute. "You needed to see if she was safe with him."

"Yeah, well, how could I possibly do that?" She scoffed.

"Well, lets see, all right. You lose yourself and become like her so you could get to know him like she knows him. What a great way to know if he was good enough for your best friend." Josh said softly.

Maya's expression also softened "I was protecting her?"

I stood up and walked around Josh to Maya's side. She looked like she was tearing up "She would do the same for you." I gave her a quick hug before sitting the other side of her.   

"She did. she brought me back." Maya's tone was full of admiration for her best friend.

Josh pushed another question "And now that you're you..."

"I don't like Lucas like that." Her eyes opened as if she had finally realised something.

"How do you know?" Josh asked. 

Maya's smile widened as she said "I went out with him one time. Poured a smoothie on his head." I remember her telling me about this story.

"In a cute, romantic way?" Josh laughed.

"No. In a, he's so nice I wanted to mess him up kind of way. He's perfect for Riley. I know because when you're Riley, it's hard not to like him. That was the first thing I found out." Maya explained.

"When you were Riley?" Josh questioned.

Maya nodded "Yes, but now I'm me."

I put my hand on Maya's shoulder and moved so I was looking straight at her. "And how do you feel now?"

"I feel like...if you know me at all...then you know the last thing I would ever want to do is want anything that was Riley's." She explained.

"Why?" This question was full of concern and interest.

"Because I love her." Their friendship was really something that I enjoyed hearing about. It was so perfect and unconditional. I missed Lilla. "I always have and she loves me. We would never take from each other, and there's nothing that could ever happen to change that."

Josh smiled sweetly at Maya "Good. Good, you know that's a real adult way of thinking." 

"Thank you Josh...Hey, why is this bad for you."

Josh scratched the back of his neck. I watched a little closer. Yeah, I was actually looking forward to hearing this. "That it isn't Lucas who you like? That you remember who you are now?"

"That conversation is the most important part of any relationship, and that you and I just had another amazing one? Josh?" Maya realised.

Josh looked at her "What?"

"Why have you let me hold on to your hand this entire time?" Maya held up their hands and...it was true.

"Excuse me." I said as I cleared my throat, got up and left.

A/N: Okay so this happened. I thought I should just do it like this because a little fight might be interesting. For today goodbye, I will be updating tomorrow and all through next week.

Love you all!