Chapter 1: Chapter 1

"Maya…Is over, we can't continue this. You are a way to clingy and possessive. You are constantly exhausting me. You need to much attention." Maya's boyfriend just dumped her, being brutally honest. He doesn't went with the old is not your fault, is mine. No he told her short and direct that it was her fault, only hers. The truth being told, he wasn't a saint neither, nor a model boyfriend. But it still hurted Maya. She felt her heartbeat increasing and her old fears surfacing once again. No matter how many times or how hard she tried, she was always abandoned. She was already twenty-five and never knew what love really is. Always wanted it, secretly dreamed about it but never letting herself hoping. Despite the lack of her hope, she still jumped from relationship to relationship.

„Dean... don't do this..." She wasn't trying to keep him or make him stay, she just didn't want to be left again. So many boyfriends who left her. Her father left her, her relatives wanted to have nothing to do with her, neither of those from her mother's part nor those from her father's was so lonely. Everytime she was left , she felt like she was stabbed in her heart. She learned to hope, worst thing of her life.

„It's over. Don't call ,text and don't try to contact me in any way. Honestly you are scaring me." He was brutal. Her worst breakup at this point. „Is better if we don't see each other anymore." Well that won't be hard to do. Her breakup hurt for another reasons, maybe it was her daddy issues or abandonment issues or she was just a masochist ,for putting herself in those situations.

„Well, glad that I have nothing to do with you anymore. Hope I never see you again. Bye douchebag." Maya said it with fake confidence. She turned slowly around ,not showing how much she wanted to run and walked away .The heartbroken young woman walked and walked and walked with an enigmatic smile . After a while she got exhausted of faking normality and tears flew down her cheeks and her lips started to tremble . Silent sobs escaped her lips, but nobody noticed or mostly nobody cared as she got lost in the sea of people of New York. Maya got to a bench where she sat down trying to regain control over her emotions. That was what she loved in New York. You are just one of other millions, your story gets lost , behind all of the existing stories. After she was sure that she was in control of her feelings ,Maya called the only person she always knew that she can count on, her childhood best friend , the most constant person in her entire life, Riley Matthews. Maya looked at the screen of her phone, watching the smiling photo of her friend,that appeared every time she called her. It was an old photo, from when she was fourteen. She kept it, because that picture brought back good memories.

„Hiya, Maya." The ever optimistic voice of Riley greeted her. Maya smiled to herself , loving how Riley never changed.

„Hi, Pumpkin." replied Maya sadly. Riley, because she knew her friend for years, observed that something was wrong with Maya.

„What happened, Peaches? You sound off." Maya thought about how to tell her about the breakup,in a way she don't have to tell to much about her inner turmoil. She was fidgeting with the button of her shirt , took a deep breath, before spilling out the truth.

„Dean dumped me." Maya swallowed the tears that threatened to come out once again. „He said is my fault. He said I need to much attention. The worst. I think he's right." Maya blinked several times ,until she was sure that she won't cry again.

„Maya... I am sorry... I am going to fix this. Make him understand what he..."

„Nooo!" interrupted Maya. He wanted to do nothing with him anymore. He was horrible, but won't let Riley knew.

„Then I have an other idea. I'll make it better, Peaches. I am going in a vacantion in Texas to stay at Farkle's friend's hotel. Will you come with me?" Asked Riley, riled up by the idea of going in vacation with her friend. They done nothing like this together for a while. But Maya didn't really liked the idea of Texas. „You'll love Austin , Maya."

„I will think about it , Riles. We'll speak later. Love you. Bye."

„Fine. If you won't call me soon , I am coming for you. I hate seeing you hurt."

„I am fine , Riley. I am always fine. I'll call you, when I get home."

„Bye, Maya."

Maya found herself packing up for a trip she hasn't really planned. From her questions to Riley , she found out that in Texas the weather is different from the New York's . There are hot summers and warm winters. She never really cared about other places except her city, her home. Maybe putting some distance between herself and New York, the place she lived all of her life , was a good idea. She needed an out and staying all july in Texas was a good one or it seemed like a good one. She looked at her apartment , memorizing every part of it. She after school she couldn't afford to go to college so she started selling her paintings and drawings. A prestigious art teacher discovered her and told her that she has a raw talent and with a little exercise she'll become famous artist. He taught her a lot without asking for said she'll pay him when she will be famous, he was right. Maya made her income from drawing portraits for money. A lot of people were fascinated by the idea of being drawn, Maya used their fascination in her was hard . People thought that they don't have to pay , because is her hobby. But she got used to it and selected her customers.

Here she was on a plane contemplating about the events in her life that lead her to this point. Her thoughts went back for the first thing that leaded her here. When she was just five years old her dad,Kermit, abandoned Maya and her mom,Katy. That was the beginning of Maya's brokenness, from that point Maya Penelope Hart lost her hope and developed some abandonment issues. Her mom worked so hard to provide for them. Because she got pregnant she never finished her studies so she lost her chance to have a well paid carrier . Living in New York as a single mom was expensive, but she loved her daughter so much, that it was worth to over work herself. Maya never understand none of this. As a child all she saw was her dad leaving her and her mom always missing. She thought that her mom worked so hard just because she couldn't stand her. She was wrong with her mother , it took her years to really understand her absence. She always understood , if she had to be honest. She was so lonely that she just couldn't accept that there wasn't any other way.

„Maya?!" Her friend's voice pulled Maya out of her thoughts.

„Yes, Riles?

„Look out the window. We're almost there." Maya did as she was told and she saw left her speechless. Under her a magnificent,huge city started to unwrap. Austin wasn't as she expected , it wasn't that small town were everybody knew everybody. It was enormous, grandious as a capital must be. Not really like her dear New York , still better than she pictured. She really saw herself getting lost between those buildings, being one of those people, Maya loved to be anonymous.

„Big city, hm. We'll definitely find some good clubs."

„Maya... we won't stay in the center of city. There is a small neighborhood at the outer part. It is a touristic attraction, that commemorate the wild west. There will be horses and bulls and other animals . Is closer to the nature and so on. You'll love it." Maya's hopes instantly dropped. She was a city girl not an animal loving person, with all honesty Maya was terrified of horses.

„Is it to late to go home? Riley you lied to me."

„I didn't, we're in Austin. Maya please give it a chance and if at the end of the month you'll be still disappointed , I'll owe you."

When they get to the place they were going to stay , Maya really started to think that the place wasn't that bad. If not anything, it was beautiful and she could really see herself painting there . „Austin ,Texas" Said Riley happy to be there.

„We're gonna own this place."completed Maya lookong up at the hotel . She smiled to herself,that building was marvelous and so was from inside. The view from her room was exactly how she preferred, the windows facing the hills. After resting a little the two friends went down to drink a coffee and eat something, but mostly for the coffee. While they were talking a tall handsome guy ,around their age or maybe a little older , approached them. He was really tall and had the body of a greek god. He got broad shoulders, impressive biceps and long strong legs. His hair was sand blond and his eyes were the most intense green ,Maya ever seen.

„Hi, girls . I am Lucas Friar. Zay's friend and the co-owner of Western Saloon . He couldn't get here today so I am in charge of greeting you two." he looked at them unsure of what to do or say. Maya classified him as a girl's fantasy. But this trip was made for her to forget about her heartbreak.

„Why are you talking like this? I don't really understand you ,Huckleberry. You are speaking weird" Maya knew that she was mean but, she needed to protect her heart first.

„And you are a walking New York stereotype." He replied and automatically turned all of his attention to Riley who was smilling at him sheepishly. Riley , as her friend was stunned by his beauty, but even though she went through her amount of heartbreaks she had no intention of hiding her fascination.

„Hi, you must be Riley Matthews. Zay described you two and showed me some photos Farkle sent. I can say that you look prettier than the photos." Riley blushed instantly, hearing the felt jealousy cripping from inside. She didn't wanted him, but she still somehow wanted to be complimented too. „How was your flight? Did our hotel lived your expectations?"

„Everything is perfect." said Riley in a dreamy voice. Maya's annoyance just grew, till she felt that she couldn't take it anymore. She didn't understood her feelings ,but nor could she ignore them.

„I heard things about the Texans hospitality, but you are disappointing me." Maya's lips curled in a devious smirk. „You felt so fast insulted by my joke ,that you decided to ignore me. That's sad, are you ashamed of something? Maybe your cowboy heritage? That's why my joke annoyed you? Or you just know nothing about hospitability" continued the blonde beauty. Lucas wasn't idiot and realized that the spunky blonde wanted to get under his skin so he flashed his brightest fake smile.

„Oh. I am really sorry to disappoint you, miss Hunter. Consider your drinks on me girls." He turned all of his attention to Maya slightly smoldering . Maya felt her heart racing under the weight of his gaze. The green pair of eyes held so much intensity that it scared Maya.

„Ma'am , I guess I have a month to make up, for the dissapointment that I made."Lucas promised ,his smile widening and turned then again to Riley and smiled politely. „It was pleasure to meet you miss Matthews." turned again to Maya. „Miss Hunter." His gaze shifted from one to other and stayed a little longer on Maya. „See you around." As Lucas left their table , both of the girls were lost in their thoughts about the Texan. Maya smiled in a cryptic way, her eyes staying on his back. This trip will be way more fun than the blonde expected.