Shout-Outs: Rucas, Guest, ranggy, Guest, Guest, Guest (Carolyn), and Galpalcj

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rated: T

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Chapter 3

"You seem lost this morning," Josh's shift supervisor, Freedom Barnes, commented as she swung her thick, silvery white braid around her left shoulder. Her Maine accent was still jarring to his ears after five years "What's on your mind? Do you got girl troubles?"

"Two of them," Josh mumbled as he flipped the switch for the coffee pot on.

Freedom's eyebrows shot up. "Two of 'em? Don't tell me. . . girlfriend number two got pregnant and girlfriend number one found out about it?"

"What!?" Josh said. "No! It's nothing like that! Since when have you seen me date?"

Freedom's turquoise bracelets clinked together as she turned on some music. "I suppose you're not the type to have a girl on the side never mind a regular girlfriend. You're so tangled up in blue, have been ever since you showed up here hung over and lookin' for a job. So, tell old Freedom what's goin' on. What troubles are you havin' with 'em?"

Josh waited for a cursory joke about how they must be mad because he wouldn't date him and did they think he was gay. But there was no sarcastic or witty remark from the older woman. She just folded her hands, a silver ring on every finger.

Josh sighed. The Hot Chocolate Sparrow was starting to be filled with Joni Mitchell songs and the rich smell of coffee. Their first customer would be there any minute.

"My niece and ex-girlfriend showed up early this morning," he answered.

"I ain't seein' how that's a problem, Matthews."

"My ex is getting married in a week! You don't think there's anything suspicious about that!? We haven't spoken or seen each other in about four years and suddenly the week before she's going to get married she shows up here!?"

"Kismet," Freedom said sagely. "Nobody stands a chance against it."

"Kismet!" Josh scoffed. "Don't talk to me about fate and destiny! They are cruel and unforgiving."

"And yet they are a part of your life. Funny how that works!" Freedom replied. "So, this ex-girlfriend. . . do you still love her?"

"No!" Josh answered too quickly and too empathetically. "Not like I used to. She's a part of my past."

"Ah yes. The mysterious past that you are so desperately trying to escape!" Freedom said. "Did you kill a man in Reno just to watch him die?"

"It was nothing like that," Josh answered.

"One of these days I'm going to find out the story," Freedom warned him as she pulled on her best smile for their first customer of the day, a former Wall Street broker who had moved to Wellfleet when his wife of 30 years had died from cancer. "Hello Neil! You want your usual today?"

"Of course Free. Do you not know me at all?" Neil flirted right back, he looked at Josh. "What's going on with you today? You look even more down in the mouth than usual."

"His ex-girlfriend showed up early this mornin'," Freedom answered.

"She won't be here long. She's sleeping off her bachelorette party and then they'll be headed back to New York."

"Don't act like you're not happy to see her. I know I would be if I ever got a chance to see my first boyfriend again," Freedom said, sliding Neil's large black coffee over to him.

"She's getting married in 8 days," Josh reminded Freedom. "She's probably looking for closure or something."

"Now why would she be lookin' for that?" Freedom asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well. . ."

"Well?" Neil pressed, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Well. . . Imayhaveleftherwithoutsayinganything," Josh said all at once.

"What was that?" Freedom asked.

"I may have left her without saying anything," Josh repeated.

"Did she break your heart?" Neil asked as he took his customary egg and ham sandwich from Freedom.

"No. No it was nothing like that. Maya has always been. . . she's always been wonderful ever since the first day I met her," Josh sighed and drummed his fingers on the counter. "This. . . this was all on me."

"All on you how?" Neil asked, squirting ketchup on his sandwich.

"It's a long story."

"One that I can't get out of him no matter how hard I try," Freedom said as the rest of their regulars started to trickle into the cafe in pairs and trios. "I know you have to go Neil but don't forget about my birthday party tonight. Bring presents! And Josh, feel free to bring your niece and your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend and they're leaving this afternoon," Josh replied.

He started to make the same coffee drinks he did every morning. Two white chocolate mochas for the twins who ran a boutique with Hollywood fashions. A black iced coffee for the indie singer who played cover songs for tips. It took his mind off Maya for a second. Her being back in his life was making him think about things he hadn't thought about in years.

Like the engagement ring in the back of his sock drawer.

Or how he had left her in the worst cowardly way possible. He would never talk about it. Maya would leave and he would go back to pretending none of it had ever happened.

He left after the lunch rush even though it was working overtime. He had done it on purpose. He wanted to avoid Maya at all costs. He couldn't handle teary needs for closure or long discussions about what had gone wrong.

It would all end in it's not me, it's you and nobody would be happy.

But of course his plans backfired.

Why would the universe be kind to him?

.

"Broken down!? What do you mean broken down!?" Josh repeated, looking at his niece like she was speaking Greek.

"I mean it won't start!" Riley explained. "And before you ask me if I checked x or y, the answer is yes. I checked everything. We have to leave this one to the professionals. I'm sorry Uncle Josh."

"It's fine," Josh lied.

"You won't be saying that when you hear how long it's going to take to get the part," Riley mumbled.

"How long!?" Josh asked, his voice raising an octave.

Maya winced beside him, her eyes shielded from the sun by his old Ray-Bans because she had a pounding headache.

"Well. . . he isn't sure how long it'll take to get the part," Riley said hastily. "But Maya and I will stay out of your way for the most part. We just need you to take us to get some clothes. Ours are all back in New York and we weren't planning on staying longer than overnight."

Josh sighed.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to Josh," Maya told him as she pushed her hair away from her face and crossed her arms like she was protecting herself from what he would say to them next. "We could figure out a way to do it by ourselves. Or we could just call Zach to come and pick us up."

Josh's stomach twisted at the thought of having to meet Maya's fiancé. It was something he didn't want to do, not in a million years. Not if they were the last three people on the face of the earth and their survival depended on them getting along.

"Zach and his groomsmen went away for his bachelor party," Riley reminded her. "Remember? He won't be back in New York until Wednesday."

Maya pushed Josh's sunglasses up higher on the bridge of her nose. "Right. I forgot."

Josh hoped his sigh of relief wasn't audible.

"I'll take you girls to get some clothes," he said. "I need to pick up a birthday gift for a friend anyways. She's having a party tonight."

"A girlfriend?" Maya asked.

"No. Not that it should matter to you either way."

Riley laughed nervously. "Can't we all be friends?"

"Oh, it really doesn't," Maya answered, ignoring Riley's request as she lifted Josh's sunglasses so she could look him directly in the eyes. "You don't belong to me. You haven't since that night you left my dorm room. Isn't that right?"

"Come on guys!" Riley pleaded. "We have to spend the week together. Don't make it awkward by arguing!"

"Be quiet Riley!" Josh and Maya answered together, fixing her with a look.

"I'm going to be in the house!" Riley said hastily. "Come and get me when you're ready to run errands. Okay? Okay!"

Her uncle and best friend didn't even acknowledge her disappearance. They looked at each other, the battle lines drawn even though neither of them knew it.

"Why are you here Maya?" Josh asked, his voice was surprisingly steady, not betraying his emotions. It was like he was right where he had started 5 years earlier. "Are you here to rub your happiness in my face?"

Maya laughed. "I think I just had a little bit too much Tequila last night."

Josh raised an eyebrow and studied her for the lie. "Tequila. Really, Maya?"

"Well, maybe it just gave me the courage to come."

"Why did you come!?"Josh demanded, stepping closer to her.

She wasn't frightened by his anger but she pushed him away when he had invaded her personal space. "I don't know, I'm getting married in a week and maybe I wanted to see you again. . . one last time. I've missed you so much, Josh."

"Even with your new boyfriend?" Josh asked, eyeing her skeptically.

"Yes! Even with Zach!" Maya replied. "Do you find that so hard to believe? You're the one who left me without saying anything! I waited and waited for you to come back and you never did!"

"I was going through some stuff!" Josh retorted.

Maya looked at him, taking in his beach bum appearance and tried not to roll her eyes. "You are obviously still going through some stuff!"

"You wouldn't understand!"

"I wouldn't understand! All I did was try and understand, to be there for you! To make it all better!" Maya said trying to keep her voice lowered as she paced back and forth. "Your heart was broken and I desperately wanted to mend it!"

Families of tourists were riding bikes and she didn't want to make a scene. But it was too late, she was sure the whole street had heard them at this point.

"Like you knew what I was going through!" Josh snapped, jerking his hand through his hair and turning away from her, seemingly not caring who heard them.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Maya replied, her cheeks flushing pink. "I don't know what it's like to lose a parent!? Okay, so maybe neither of my parents has died but my dad walked out on me! I lost the most important man in a girl's life. At least your father wanted you Josh! But you're right. I don't know what it's like to lose a parent."

Josh felt deflated like a balloon that was days old, all the fight gone from him. "Maya. . . I. . I'm. . . I have no excuses. I realize. . . I am behaving badly but everything's been so complicated. And I don't know how to. . . uncomplicate it."

Maya shook her head, the tightness in her chest loosening. "I know. I know you don't. But none of the complications mattered to me. I love. . . loved you. All I wanted to do was be there for you."

"Maya, I wasn't thinking straight. Besides, even if I was, I would have known better than to ask you to pick up your life in New York to come with me. I never would have. You were a student, your friends and family was there. I was a mess."

Maya sighed shakily and grabbed him by the shoulders. "You did too! You were a student. You had friends and a family there, people who love you . . And you had me. I could have finished my art major anywhere! All you had to do was ask and I would have gone with you. No questions asked!"

"Maya. . . I am sorry I left you the way I did. You don't know how sorry I am. I owed you more than that. You were there for me and I treated you so poorly. But you'd done so much for me already."

"I'd have done more if you asked."

"I know. I still think about our last night all the time," Josh confessed.

Maya pulled her hair back from face like she was going to put it up in a ponytail and then let it fall like a curtain in front of her face. "Do you hate me?"

Josh approached her cautiously and reached out his hand to lift her chin with two of his fingers. "Hate you? No. I could never hate you. Do you hate me?"

"Do you really think I've spent half a decade hating you? I've prayed for you and worried over you and thought about you every single day. But I've never hated you, not for a second."

"I'm glad," Josh said, hesitating for a second before reaching out for her and taking her in his arms, she didn't hesitate from hugging him in return, he took a deep breath. "I really am I sorry."

Maya sighed and squeezed him a little tighter. "I know."

"If I ask for your forgiveness, would you forgive me?"

Maya closed her eyes. "Yes I would."

TBC. . .

.

Author's Note:

Next chapter, the night in question will be revealed. Be warned, it isn't racy! And yes, there's been closure and forgiveness but their story is far from over. Stuff happens! Lots and lots of stuff. Stay tuned and in the meantime, please tell me what you thought!

I will be back soon!

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

Holly, 4/8/2016