Talk To Her
A Josh & Maya Story
By Brown Eyes Parker
Author's Note:
Sorry this is a little late in being posted. I had a family emergency last night that needed to be dealt with immediately. I was in the ER for hours, I'm fine but it took a lot out of me. Better late than never, please forgive me tardiness and the terrible title. On top of the family emergency, I've been dealing with a migraine for three days. I cannot take anything for it because of my procedure on Wednesday.
Rated: T
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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"We need to talk."
Josh lowered East of Eden and glanced at his older brother. "What do you want to talk to me about exactly?"
"Maya," Cory answered.
"We already talked about Maya. You told me that I couldn't be interested in her yet and as far as she knows, I'm not interested. Besides, I don't think she likes me anymore. It seems like she has transferred her affections to somebody else. "
"That's what we need to talk about. The "someone" else is Lucas!" Cory said. "Or she at least thinks that she likes him."
Josh frowned. "What do you mean she thinks she likes him? You don't think she knows her own feelings? Because I think she does know her own feelings. She's told me about them before."
"About her feelings for Lucas?" Cory asked, looking confused.
"No! She told me how she felt about me!" Josh answered, tossing his book aside. "That's how I know. . . whatever she's feeling for Lucas is probably real."
Cory pursed his lips together, his brother was clearly trying to hide his distress over the fact that the girl he liked could have feelings for somebody else. He sat down beside him on the couch and sighed.
"I know it's hard right now," he said.
"She's still three years younger than me. She can date whoever she wants, she doesn't owe me anything," Josh replied, flexing his fingers a few times. "But why does it have to be Lucas Friar of all people? I mean, Riley likes him! Right? Isn't there some sort of sister code against this kind of thing?"
"Josh. . . I wanted to talk to you because I think you need to speak to Maya about all of this. I can't help but think you'd have some influence over her." Cory looked at him pointedly.
"Are you using me because Riley still has feelings for Lucas?" Josh asked suspiciously. "Because that's not my style. I am not going to get together with a girl on false pretenses."
"Is it a false pretense, Josh?"
"So, you expect me to bear my soul to her and she'll fall all over me?" Josh asked.
"I don't want you to do that at all!" Cory protested. "I care about Maya and Riley and I know when Maya realizes that Josh doesn't like her back then she'll be hurt. I don't want her to be hurt, Josh. Do you?"
"What if she figures it out all on her own? Maybe she'll realize the only thing she feels for Lucas is sisterly feelings and that will be the end of it. Do I really have to tell her how I feel? Especially since she might not feel the same way about me anymore."
"Hey, you brought that upon yourself! Mr. I'm Too Old For You!"
"You told me that I had to steer clear of her!" Josh retorted. "There aren't any laws against it, you said. But still, you should just wait until you're both a little older, you said! It'll be worth it, you said! Nobody told me that she wouldn't actually wait around for me."
"Did you ask her to wait?" Cory asked. "Did you tell her that you liked her!? No, you did not! You kept telling her the age gap was too big for you to get together. She probably translated that as I'm not interested! Get with the program, Josh!"
"Oh, like girls are so easy to read!" Josh scoffed. "I thought I was safe. I thought she liked me enough not to like anyone else!"
Cory cleared his throat. "Okay, this conversation has taken a complete turn from how I originally planned it."
"You want me to tell Maya that she likes Lucas as a brother."
"I never said that!"
"Well, you want me to do something unethical," Josh muttered, opening his book again and trying hard to concentrate on the passage in front of him.
"No!"
"What if she really doesn't like me anymore?" Josh asked. "That puts her in the awkward position of having to reject me and me in a position to get hurt."
"Well, you reap what you sow, Joshie."
"Thanks!" Josh said dryly.
"She really does still like you. You just haven't been around a lot lately. It's easy for her to get confused."
"I thought that absence makes the heart grow fonder," Josh answered.
Cory shook his head. "No, not always."
"What about if you love something, you set them free and if it was meant to be they'll come back to you?"
Cory looked at him incredulously. "You read Steinbeck and you're quoting that!?"
"It's tried and true," Josh replied wearily.
"Talk to Maya," Cory told him, not dignifying his comment with a response.
"Or what?"
"You might regret it later on."
"Frankly, I'm regretting ever listening to you in the first place!" Josh snapped.
"Like you would have brought a 15-year-old girlfriend to college," Cory snapped back. "I wanted to make sure you were serious about her because I didn't want you to break her heart. As it is right now, I'm going to have to deal with two girls with broken hearts. Because Riley still likes Lucas and she's sacrificing her own happiness for her friend's."
"Have you talked to Lucas about all this?" Josh asked.
"No. Auggie has."
Josh laughed. "Auggie!?"
"He told Lucas that Riley only has one brother. Lucas told Riley that he didn't want to be her brother anymore," Cory said. "And before you accuse me of anything, Auggie came up with that all on his own. Everything's a mess right now Josh. I'm asking you to help because you have a way with Maya. I trust you with her heart."
"But do you trust me with mine?"
Cory put his hands on Josh's shoulders and looked at him seriously. "Listen, you're my baby brother. I don't want to see you get hurt any more than I want to see Auggie or Riley or Maya get hurt. I just want you to be happy. I want all of you to be happy. But you know, it isn't easy getting to the happily ever after."
"Who said I was thinking about happily ever after?"
"Come on, Josh, you're a Matthews. Of course you're thinking about a happily ever after," Cory answered. "Even if you haven't admitted it even to yourself yet."
There was a long pause and then Josh smirked. "You know I'm not a baby anymore."
"Then man up and go talk to Maya," Cory said. "I trust you'll know what to say and what to do when the time comes."
Josh sighed. "I don't know. She'll probably see right through me."
"You care for the girl, don't you?" Cory asked.
"Yes. . ."
"Well, tell her then!" Cory demanded. "Especially if you really mean it. Tell her before its too late."
"Too late for what?" Josh couldn't help but ask because he had always counted on Maya being around. Where Huckleberry could disappear at any given moment and make everybody's lives a lot less complicated when he did.
"Do you really want to find out?" Cory asked.
"No. . ."
"Then talk to her! You have to Josh!"
_The End_
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Author's Note II:
I made the ending a little ambiguous because maybe after Appreciation Week is over and I have the time, I'll expand on it or maybe it's the prequel to New Year's Eve Kisses & Confessions although Josh pointedly said that Cory didn't talk to him. It's up to you. I can't promise a sequel because I never like sequels as much as I like first parts and the same has proven true for the stories that I've written sequels to. It never gets as much reviews as the first one.
Anyways. Tell me what you thought of this. One more story to go.
Until Next Time!
Lots of Love,
Holly, 11/15/15_