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Thank you for stopping by!

Well, this story will only have three chapters and I'll try to update it soon, but I don't promise because I have some others stories to write yet.

I wasn't born in a country that speaks English or has English as our second language, so you will have a terrible headache reading this, I'm sorry, but I'm trying and that's what's matter.

"Happy fifth anniversary to us!"

He blew the candle that was already burnt in half and watched the smoke dissipate in the air and then loses itself in the darkness. The sound of the clock was the only sound that could be heard in the room lightened only by the moonlight through the huge glass windows. Lucas moved his fork again lining up next to his plate, his eyes went to the empty chair beside him for a moment, and then they went to the table with her favorite foods that already had cold down for a long time.

She hadn't answered his calls or texted him back, Maya had not even bothered to tell Lucas she'd be late because she'd be stuck at work. Actually, he wanted this to be the real reason for her absence, from the bottom of his heart, but he knew it wasn't, Lucas knew that about three months ago even though he had never had the courage to ask her.

It all started to change that late afternoon when he'd met her at Riley's parents' house. After parking his car in a rarely available space to park Lucas saw that black motorcycle parked in front of Riley's parents' house. He didn't understand why that insignificant motorcycle had so caught his attention to the point that he spent a few minutes looking at it. A bad feeling went through his body and he knew something was wrong, that everything would change from that moment. When he walked in the house after being greeted by his friend, his eyes automatically searched for her and found her sitting at the table in front of the man in his leather jacket. He had not seen him for about seven years, but he still the same, the same jokes, the same charm and flirty smile on his lips.

"Uncle Josh just got back from Los Angeles. He's moving to New York. This is so cool!"

Riley said excitedly with the return of her uncle and the only thing that Lucas did was to fake a smile. His eyes didn't leave those two at the table, he got a feeling that it was a déjà vu. The way she moved her hair and leaned her body toward Josh while he was saying something to her reminded Lucas of that 13-year-old girl with a big crush on her best friend's uncle who is three years older than them and always rejected Maya using the speech of being too old for her.

He had noticed the small changes after that day, Maya was distracted, more cheerful, humming around something he had never seen. She began arriving later from her studio with a certain frequency always claiming that she was too busy, that she had to deliver some of her works in a couple days and he understood because he had already seen her paint several times and in those moments Maya gets stuck in her own little world losing track of time and all that was happening around.

The first sign that something was happening was one of the nights when he and his friends had reserved for themselves at least once a month, the men's night. One of Zay's roommates had called and asked Zay to bring him something for him at his work, Lucas offered a ride to his friend and Zay had accepted, and in a few minutes, they were in a bar in downtown. Lucas had decided to wait for his friend at the door while he would deliver his roommate's request, his eyes traveling by people at the bar, there's a lot of activity at that hours already until his eyes found the couple sitting on the counter. He blinked don't believing what his eyes are seeing. She looked so good in her black dress, her blond hair fell freely in perfect waves on her back and she laughed, laughed in a way that he had never seen her laugh. Maya had said that she would go out with a customer to discuss a work he wanted her to paint so she would probably be late that night. He wanted to go and greet them, but the moment her companion turned to call the waiter his feet froze on the floor. The customer was actually Josh, Josh Matthews. Josh turned to her and put his hand on her leg and Maya did nothing to take it away just smiled and moved her body closer to him.

He called it a night early in that evening because he no longer was in the mood to stay with his friends after what he had seen, the only thing that was going on in his mind was the two of them alone in that bar, the smile that was always present on her lips like that little girl from years ago. Maya had got in at ten o'clock saying that the customer was too picky and she didn't know if she would accept the job; Lucas wanted to say that he knew, that he had seen them, but he couldn't.

Lucas saved the food in the refrigerator, leaving only the plates, the cutlery, glasses, wine, and the candle on the table. His eyes went to the clock on the wall that marked half past ten, she should have come home about three hours ago like she always did before Josh's return, mostly because today was their day, but apparently, they were no longer so important for her.

He could have seen it coming, they hadn't seen each other a lot in the last six months, their days off were different, their schedules rarely matched, their vacations never coincided. Maybe they were getting together about 48 hours a week or less on the occasions when Riley demanded some time for her. They had drifted away, taking lives independent of each other, sometimes the personal objects of both reminded each other of the other's existence or the weight of the other beside them on the bed. In recent days, he practically found Maya sleeping and several times he watched her sleeping and saw how she was slipping out of his fingers gradually, then he silently cried praying that when the time comes and she leaves him this wouldn't hurt him so badly.

Sometimes Lucas would tell himself that it was all in his head, that it was normal for her to want to spend time with Josh because they were friends, even if there was something unfinished between them. So, he holds on to this illusion that was destroyed every time she came in late and he pretended not to be awake, every time he saw the happiness on her face as she received his texts, with every hidden call.

He had a ritual every time he saw Maya when they were available to take breakfast together, while she made pancakes he would approach and leave a trail of kisses from her throat to her collarbone, just to make her laugh and so he can feel the scent of her skin. Then that morning when she had her hair in a high ponytail who giving more access to him, she wore her comfortable sweater two sizes larger than her usual size so it slides down her shoulders easily. Lucas stopped for a moment watching her from the doorway as she did her magic on the stove, she was so beautiful and apparently hadn't noticed his presence so he approached her, hugging Maya tightly and kissing her throat begin his trail of kisses, he heard her laughing as fun as she always did. He felt her hand on the back of his neck, slowly stroking his nape as she whispered a good morning. The sweater slides from her shoulder as she gave him more space. He loved the feeling of her warm skin on his lips, the familiar scent of her skin around him, Maya let go a sigh showing how much he still affects her. When he was almost finished his trail, he saw it. He saw that purple bruise on her collarbone, the bruise caused by a more urgent kiss a few hours ago that left the impression that he had gone further than he should go. Lucas blinked twice thinking it was just a confused image captured by his eyes, but it was still there when he opened his eyes and Lucas found himself freezing there. Maya had dismissed him saying that he was disturbing her so he walked away and remained quiet for throughout breakfast. He tried to keep his eyes off of that area, but he couldn't because it attracted him like a magnet, that was just a reminder saying that she no longer belonged to him.

After that day Lucas had turned in upon himself, forcing himself not to think that Josh already had her for himself and he could see in her eyes that she knew he already knew about that, so she had given him space avoiding being in the same place with him for a long time. Two weeks after that, he'd come home after work and found her in their bedroom getting dressed after a shower, Lucas promptly went into the bathroom and as the water stream down his body Lucas made a decision, he would love her in a way she could never forget.

As soon as he left the bathroom he found her sitting in their bed finishing spreading cream on her legs. Lucas said her name and Maya looked at him waiting for what he wants to say but instead of saying something Lucas approached and knelt in front of her taking Maya by surprise. Maya looked at him confused and then he told her that he loves her, that he loves her so much kissing her then urgently and he felt her melt in his arms. He made love with her enjoying every inch of her body memorizing them with his lips, he had slowly made her lose her head in the dance of their bodies in perfect sync. Lucas repeated several times that he loves her between each caresses so that Maya would never forget that and in the end, he had her for him, in his arms, her head resting on his chest like before all this happened, but when he was almost sleeping he felt her leave him alone in bed and he pretended not to hear her cry in the bathroom.

After that day things started to change, Maya was always there, there were no more come home late, her phone was in some corner of the apartment instead of her pocket. He noticed that she got a melancholy as often as her thoughts were somewhere and it got him terrified. And then there was the first come in late in days and the only thing he could do was cry when he noticed that it was past midnight and Maya hadn't yet shown up, he felt the mattress move what made him opened his eyes to look at the clock that marked three o'clock in the morning, he felt her arm around him and tears stream down his face. Lucas cried silently when he notices that she had fallen asleep.

And a week afterward that there he was on their fifth anniversary alone at that table realizing that he was no longer her choice. She had chosen Josh her childhood dream. Now three years mean nothing, now they could finish the long game they had started when Maya was twelve years old and be together for good. He knew Maya had been disappointed when Josh communicated that he was moving to California because it meant that all those years waiting for the long awaited eighteen and beginning of college the moment he had sworn that when it arrived he would notice her as a woman no longer as the best friend of his niece, it was a complete waste of time. He had taken her on a date before he left, and Josh had kissed her, and Maya had never seen him since then.

He heard the sound of keys in the door and he turned to see her open it, Maya stopped, taking her high heels off trying not to make too much noise as she walks in the apartment, she had a smile on her face showing that she had a pleasant evening with Josh. Maya shut the door and her eyes met his sitting alone in the dark on that table. She approached the table and her smile died when she observed the table tidy, her eyes stopped on the calendar set beside her on the wall and so she apparently remembered only now that today was their anniversary. Lucas got up from the chair and headed toward the bedrooms.

"Lucas!"

She said trying to get his attention, but he didn't turn to her. Lucas held the doorknob of the bedroom that was originally meant to be hers since Shawn didn't stand the idea of his daughter sharing an apartment with a guy like him and Shawn hated it, even more, when he got the knowledge that the two were no longer just friends, that bedroom she had never slept there.

"I hope you two had fun!" He said with a hurt tone in his voice, then he turned to her so he could get one last memory of her, Maya had a sad expression on her face, a tear trickled down her face as she watched him open the door "Have a good night, Maya!"

Lucas locked the door and lay in that bed hugging his legs as he stared straight up at the wall, there was no need for words, he knew it and she knew it too, Maya was hurting him in such a way that he never thought she could. He was leaving her and he knew this is one of her worst fears due to her father's abandon when she was a child who had said that he would buy some milk and only return nine years later when she had contacted him to try to forgive him, but she couldn't, she had not been able to forgive him because it was nine years and in those nine years he had never tried to contact her and this lack of interest hurts her a lot. But this time he knew she really appreciated it because they didn't need that stupid speech "it's not you, it's me" now she'd have her way free for Josh and the only thing left was for him to be happy that she was happy with Josh.

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I'm in Rihanna's week, seriously I can't stop listening to "What now".

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