Shout-Outs: Guest, Guest and evergirl2000

Rated: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Chapter 9

"I think I came up with something good," Maya told Josh the day before Christmas Eve. "Do you know if there's a place around here that I could record it so I can send the demo to Big Machine Records?"

"Sure. I know somebody who goes to Julliard. He owes me a favor," Josh answered. "Could you show me what you wrote, maybe?"

"Well. It isn't the exact song she's going to record," Maya warned him. "Because it's a Christmas song but you inspired me."

"Hey, I thought you said I wasn't going to end up on the radio!" Josh teased.

"Don't worry, this will stay between you and me and. . . well, the singer that I'm writing a song for," Maya promised as she tuned up her guitar and started to strum a few chords. "But I swear, she won't say anything either. Okay, are you ready? I'm only going to sing you a sample."

"Ready," Josh answered.

"Walking around this frozen town, I'm wrapped up like a bow, in your arms, shooting stars, we're bouncing off the snowflakes, falling down and decorating all the tangled lights. There's nothing like these silver nights, nothing like these silver nights, Nothing like these silver nights with you!"

"With me?" Josh asked, grinning at her.

"With you," Maya confirmed, laughing joyfully. She couldn't believe how happy she actually was, she had never felt this way before about anybody. The past 8 days had been fantastic, she didn't want it to end.

But she wasn't going to admit this to Josh because they had to separate when her vacation was over and she didn't want to complicate it even though she was already complicating it because she could feel the first stirrings of love for him in her heart.

At least she thought it was love.

She didn't know what love looked like.

"Hey, I just texted my friend Austin and he said that he could get us into the studio to record that demo," Josh told her, breaking into her thoughts. "Normally the campus is closed for the holidays but he's got connections."

Maya put her guitar away and smiled at him. "Sounds good to me."

Josh put his arm around her and together they walked out of the apartment. Both of them trapped in their new secrets, the secret of liking each other a little more than they were supposed to.

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"I'm not even thinking about it," Riley promised Topanga. "I think not marrying him is going to be a good thing. I'm okay. But I do miss you guys a lot. I can't come home though. I need to see the rest of this trip through. I'll be back in three days. I'll call you tomorrow. I love you, mommy. Okay. Tell daddy and Auggie and Josh I love them too. Okay. 'Bye."

Riley hung up and stashed her phone in her purse. She hadn't been lying when she had told her mother that she was okay. Yes, she was still hurting a little bit and she didn't want to think about her nuptials that would have been, but being far away was helping. She hadn't drunk any alcohol since the session with whipped cream vodka and the Taylor Swift album, but she didn't need it. That night had been the start in her healing.

And she was becoming better friends with Lucas. Sometimes, she was sure in another life they would have been more than friends. She wished she had met him in another life. He was everything that Charlie Gardner was not. Riley could even overlook the fact that he was waiting tables because he had ambition and was working his way through veterinary school.

Currently, he was smiling at her from across the diner while he took an elderly couple's order. She took a sip of her sweet tea and smiled back at him.

She was anxious to go back to her family and her life in New York. But she didn't know how she was going to say goodbye to Lucas on December 26th. Sometimes it seemed like he had always been a part of her life.

Riley had told him on another trip to Dollywood that she was planning on keeping him, now that she had found him. Lucas had grown very serious and said that he was planning on keeping her too.

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Maya hung up her phone, a songwriter triumphant. Taylor had loved her song and had strongly encouraged her to write something like it that was a little less Christmas-y. With renewed energy, she sat down with her guitar and began to pen another song. Something a lot happier than what she had become known for.

For the first time since she could remember, she was actually happy. It was a foreign concept to her but she liked it. She liked being happy, she didn't know how she was going to hang onto the feeling when Christmas ended.

Unless she asked to stay in touch with Josh, maybe be something more than they already were. But every single time she thought about it, she got scared to say anything. The fear of rejection. . . of everything going wrong and them falling apart was too great.

She was going to take what she could get and then make a break for it, with just a little bit of hurt to deal with.

She just hoped Josh would feel the same way. Sometimes she got the feeling from the way he was looking at her that something was going to happen, something big and personal and that would hurt the both of them.

Maya was already practicing a speech in case it happened.

She pushed the thought out of her mind and moved forward with her songwriting because she was on a deadline and she liked the not thinking better than anything else. She was okay when she didn't have to be alone with her thoughts.

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"You might not want to hear this. . ." Lucas started. "Not so close to the day you were supposed to get married."

"Then don't say it," Riley replied as she made a pitcher of sweet tea. "Please don't say it Lucas."

"But I have to," Lucas said. "I have to or I'll spend my whole life wondering what your answer would have been."

Riley looked at him, worried about what he was going to say next but she didn't want him to wonder for the rest of her life, so she nodded in encouragement. "Okay. You better say it then."

"I was wondering if one day when you're over Charlie Gardner and you're a completely a free woman if. . . well, if you might give me a chance," Lucas answered, all in one breath. "Please."

Riley blushed a little bit and ducked her head, her hair falling in front of her life as she started to cut lemon wedges for the tea. "I don't know. . ."

"I like you," Lucas told her. "I really, really like you. This whole time I've tried only being your friend and I'm willing to do that for as long as possible but one day in the future, I want to be the man that you might possibly love."

Riley looked up and smiled at him. "I think I might like that," she answered.

Lucas' face broke out into a relieved grin. "I'll be waiting for you, Princess."

"I'll let you know when I'm ready."

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Author's Note:

Okay, so I gave people a little taste of Rucas because they asked. Next chapter addresses Christmas, for real this time. Sorry for the shortness of this one, I am going with my inspiration and trying to wrap up this story at the same time. I hope you'll tell me what you thought! Because I'm going to be honest and say I am discouraged by the lack of reviews for this story and I am dying to get into my other ones and just drop this one.

So, if you liked this at all, drop me a line. I am not a review Nazi, but I want to know that writing this story is worth my time.

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

Holly, 12/29/2015_