"Riley still loves Lucas." Farkle's voice echoed through Maya's head as if he had shouted the words into the empty hallways of her mind. She forgot where she was. She forgot about the thirty other people who had just exited the roof, and it became just the four of them. She was frozen in time as she watched what unfolded in front of her.
Lucas stepped forward, unwrapping his arm from its spot around Maya's neck. "Yeah, as a brother, we've been over this Farkle."
Farkle faced his best friend. "No. She lied to protect Maya's feelings. But I can't let her destroy her own." He turned back to Riley, who still hadn't faced the group. "Tell them, Riley."
Riley slowly spun on her heel, opening her eyes for the first time in what felt like hours. She trembled like a coffee mug during an earthquake, fighting her hardest to keep from spilling over the edges. "It's true." She muttered through chattering teeth. "Maya's my best friend. I just wanted to make her happy."
Lucas's face was painted with the brightest shade of shock. "By lying about your feelings?" He couldn't tell which emotion he wanted to express, but he felt his voice raise unintentionally.
"It was the only way she'd admit how she felt about you!" Riley scrambled to explain herself. "And I always knew you liked her too."
Lucas shook his head. "That doesn't mean I didn't like you too. You at least owed me, and yourself, the truth."
Maya twitched at the mention of Lucas's feelings for the brunette, the only sign that she was even still present on the roof.
Riley's gaze fell to the ground as she blinked back tears. "I never meant for it to get this complicated."
"This was always complicated, Riley. Lying didn't help." Lucas forced himself to lower his voice and breathe before he got angry.
Farkle stepped between them. "Stop! I never wanted an argument. I just couldn't stand seeing Riley hurt over this any longer." He paused. "You guys haven't even noticed, but I have. You two," He motioned between Maya and Lucas, "being together; it kills her. But she loves you both too much to say that."
Maya finally snapped back into reality, not even realizing there were tears in her eyes. "If she loved us, she wouldn't have kept this from us, knowing that it had to come out at some point. She of all people should know that secrets don't last forever." The tears rolled down her cheeks as she ran to the staircase and stomped downstairs.
"Maya!" Lucas yelled, hurrying to the door, but being stopped before he could swing it open.
"Lucas." Riley didn't yell, but it was obvious now that she wanted him to choose. He could stay on the roof with Riley and calmly talk things out, or he could chase his annoying blonde girlfriend and stop her before she left. He was racing down the stairs before he had time to think.
—
Lucas found Maya sat with her head rested on a table in the back corner of Topanga's. She was obviously trying to hide from him, but he could spot her blonde locks from a mile away.
"Hi." He said softly, as if speaking normally would scare her away.
Maya sat up and viciously wiped her face with the sleeves of her coat, attempting to seem like she was fine. "Hi."
Lucas felt a pang in his heart at the sight of her upset. "You okay?" He already knew the answer.
Maya sighed, desperate to exhale all of her problems. "Of course not. I just listened to you admit that you still have feelings for Riley."
"That's what you think that was? Me admitting that I still like Riley?" Lucas almost chuckled at how wrong she was.
Maya rose to her feet. Even in her heeled boots, she was still a head shorter than the boy. "I thought it was kind of obvious." She turned to leave, but was held back by Lucas's hand on her elbow.
"Wait." He pulled her back towards him, terribly needing her to know the truth. "I did like Riley. For quite a long time. But I've always liked you too. I just never thought I had a chance with you." He paused to catch his breath. He was talking as if she was going to walk away any second. "But when I found out that I did, it was like all of my feelings for Riley had been a lie. It felt like I had just been waiting for you."
Maya stared at her feet, nervously scraping at the chipped black nail polish on her thumb. "I just feel so guilty. She's my best friend, I should've known she still liked you. I can't believe how selfish I was."
"Hey." Lucas took a step toward the tiny blonde, closing the distance between them by taking both of her hands and lacing their fingers together. "Do you want to be with me?" He tried to make her raise her head with his eyes.
Maya's gaze lingered on their hands for a moment, admiring how perfectly they seemed to fit together. She looked up, practically craning her neck to meet his stare. She selfishly let herself get lost in this moment. She let her palms melt into his, savoring the rush of warmth that coursed through her veins as they touched. She imagined his green eyes mixing with her baby blues, creating the color of the ocean, and she drowned in it.
In this one selfish moment, Maya let herself believe in something. "Yes. Of course."
Lucas let a small grin stretch across his face. "Then that's all that matters." He leaned forward to place his lips on her forehead, stroking one of his thumbs over the back of her hand while the other one reached up to get tangled in her curly hair.
Maya rested her head on his chest, basking in his love like it was sunlight. She would deal with the guilt if it meant getting to feel like this all the time.
Lucas kissed the top of her head, happy in this moment, despite everything. "Nothing has to change." He muttered, lifting his mouth from her head for only a second.
And, for that night at least, nothing changed.