Maya and her conscience walked out of Rileys room and towards the living room. Maya was ready to start growing up and becoming more mature. She was about to walk down the short step into the living room before noticing Josh was still there. Maya still a bit embarrassed by everything that had happened at NYU, contemplated waiting til he left to walk out. She eventually decided to just walk out.
She stepped down and immediately Josh looked up to see Maya. Maya just looked down and started walking over to the door.
"Maya." Josh called and she looked up at him.
"Hey Josh. I thought you already left." Maya responded, trying not to make it obvious that she was embarassed and a bit nervous. Maya Hart was anything but the nervous type but Josh brought out a side of her that she never even knew existed.
"Yeah, I had forgot my phone charger and I came up here to get it." He said putting his hands in his pockets awkwardly.
"Oh." Maya responded in a nonchalant tone.
Maya and Josh just looked at each other and a moment of awkward silence passed. Maya stared into Josh's brown eyes trying to figure out what he was thinking and Josh was doing the same. They both stopped staring after a few seconds the before Maya finally perked up and said something.
"Well, I'm gonna walk home now." Maya said before putting her head down and walking towards the door.
"Let me walk you home." Josh said and Maya smiled in excitement before turning around and looking back at Josh.
"You don't have to." Maya said, hopeful that he would insist.
"But I want to." Josh said and Maya smiled at him.
"Okay." She said and with that they both walked out of the door.
Maya and Josh has gotten downstairs and walked outside of Riley's apartment complex with out much being said. Although, normally Maya would've been excited getting to spend some alone time with Josh,but after what happened at NYU and him calling her mature earlier she kind of felt more anxious. She was worried about saying the wrong thing and him looking at her as Riley's little friend again. They walked two blocks away before Maya finally said something.
"Josh you really don't have to walk me home. I'm used to walking home by myself, or just being by myself in general." Maya said.
"I want to, because that just the kind of guy I am." Josh said repeating what Maya had said to him last night. He made a mental note about what Maya had just said about being used to being by herself. He wanted to remember to inquire about that at a later date.
"I know." Maya said with a slight smile and to her surprise he returned it.
"Riley told me that you can draw." Josh said trying to make conversation and lose some of the awkwardness.
"Yeah I can a little and I paint a little too." Maya said modestly.
"You have to show me some of your drawings next time I'm here." Josh said and Maya excitedly responded by saying "Sure."
Josh chuckled at her excitement and Maya just glanced down, emabarassed by her reaction.
"You know, I used to draw a bit when I was younger," Josh said before continuing and saying "I guess we do have something in common."
"Why did you stop?" Maya asked curiously.
"I don't know. I guess I just didn't have the time for it anymore. I guess I just got too busy. I kind of wanted to start again, I just need a little inspiration."
"When I don't know what to draw, I like to go places and see things and people. That inspires me."
"Maybe I should give it a try that. Next time I'm here, lets go somewhere for inspiration."
"Alone?" Maya asked and Josh chuckled.
"No, you can bring your other half and Auggie." Josh said and Maya felt both relieved and a little upset at the same time.
"Yeah, that sounds fun." Maya said sincerely and Josh smirked at her.
The rest of their walk was filled with silence, but not awkward silence anymore, but a more comfortable silence. When they got to Maya's home, she pulled out her keys and fiddled with them as they stood on the steps to her building.
"I can make my way up from here," she told him, opening the door and biting the corner of her bottom lip slightly. "Thank you for walking me home."
She waited for him to respond but with no sign that he was going to reply, she went to walk inside. Maya was caught off guard when she heard Josh call her name.
"Maya, wait," Josh finally spoke up, grabbing the door before it closed and standing in the doorway. "About last night, I-"
"You don't have to," she cut him off.
"No, I want to," he replied, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry I never took your feelings for me seriously. I always thought you were just Riley's friend who had a crush, but I was wrong. You're different than I thought, and I'm really, really sorry it took me this long to realize it."
"It's okay," she promised. "I'm just glad you finally realized it."
He nodded, remaining quiet for a moment as his eyes glanced to the ground before he looked back up at her. "You do understand that right now, I'm still too old for you, right?"
"Yeah I understand." she sighed.
"Good." Josh said, looking down awkwardly.
"I'm still in it for the long game though." Maya said referencing something she had told him before.
He chuckled at that, and she had a slight giggle. "Yeah, I figured, but oddly, I'm okay with that." he told her. He stepped closer and leaned down to kiss her cheek, her eyes falling closed as he did so.
Maya started blushing and smiling all at the same time.
"I think the lesson of that nigth was that the long game is better anyways. See you soon Maya." Josh said and with that he walked out of the building and Maya walked to her apartment with a smile on her face.