Major Chiley.

Major Joshaya.

Maya/Spencer outfits: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=209064769

Riley/Shallon/Liv outfits: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=209068885

On with the show!

TWELVE: GIRL MEETS LET HIM IN, LET HIM GO

"Why are you dressed in mint?" Shallon asked, wrinkling her nose when Riley made her way from the change rooms. They'd just finished a six-hour shift at the Shack and were on their way to meet Liv for a late lunch.

Riley looked down at her outfit. "What's wrong with mint?"

"Nothing, except that everything is mint. Your romper, your shoes, well okay, that's it, but it's still a lot," Shallon sighed.

"Too late," Riley said, shrugging. "Besides, the shoes happen to be the exact same colour as the romper. Can you believe my luck?"

"I guess any other shade of mint would look weird," Shallon agreed.

Riley hadn't been paying much attention to anything as of late, and apparently that stretched as far as her clothing choices. She kept replaying her conversation with Chase, over and over again, in her head:

"What do you want?"

"If you're not ready, then you're not ready."

"We can't be friends...because it's just going to complicate things."

"The kind of setback you can't just walk away from."

"Riley?" Shallon was saying, and Riley shook herself from her mind.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"You okay?" Shallon asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine," Riley said. "Just a little lost."

"Not sure what to do about Chase, hm?" Shallon guessed. When Riley nodded, she continued on. "He respects you enough to not let this get out of hand, and I think that's a sign that he really cares. He's not going to let this fall back into what it was."

"I'm the one who isn't ready," Riley said, shaking her head. "This isn't about Chase. It's about me. I'm not ready for commitment. But he doesn't want to be just friends."

Shallon's face had morphed into an expression of sympathy. "You're just going to have to find a way to let him go."

"I don't know if I can," Riley admitted.

"Then you'd better find a way to let him in again."

Liv said pretty much the exact same thing when Riley and Shallon met up with her a half hour later. "Follow your heart," Liv advised. "Your brain is stupid when it comes to the matters of your heart."

"My heart doesn't feel, it doesn't emote," Riley said, rolling her eyes. "Actually, nobody's does, because hearts don't do that."

"Your brain is going to overthink every little decision you've ever made, especially when it comes to this shit," Liv said, shaking her head. "Your heart only cares about your feelings, and it's going to push you in the direction that's the best for you."

"What happened to you all thinking me getting back together with Chase was a mistake?" Riley demanded.

Shallon shook her head. "We just want you to be happy, Riley. We know Chase makes you happy. You know it too. But maybe you can't see how important he is to you just yet, and that's what's holding you back."

"You look like a grape," Maya said in disbelief when Spencer sat down next to her on the bench in Central Park. Ever since California, Maya had been frequenting Central Park to draw, almost every day, whether she had a project due or not. The park calmed her nerves, and she never had an artistic block whenever she drew here.

"Thanks," Spencer said, grinning.

"Seriously, those shoes wouldn't be that bad except for the purple pants and the flowers on your neckline," Maya said.

"Thanks," Spencer said, rolling her eyes this time.

"So what brings you to me?" Maya asked. "Or, to New York, because the last time I checked, your school was in New Jersey."

"Had the weekend off."

"And you didn't go back to Philly?" Maya asked, surprised.

"Not ready to face my parents." Spencer took a deep breath. "They're going to flip when they find out I left Farkle."

Maya understood from Spencer's perspective. Spencer's parents were convinced Farkle was the second-coming of Jesus, and was the best thing for their daughter. "I'm sure they'd understand if you told them why you ended things. Have you talked to him?"

"All of our classes are super weird now," Spencer sighed, "especially in the classes that we're lab partners."

"Understandably," Maya commented, her brush dancing lightly over the paper. "He's really sorry, you know that right?"

"I know, he keeps telling me," Spencer groaned.

"But you won't take him back," Maya guessed.

"I still care a lot about him, I just don't want it to happen again. Do you know how hard it is when you're with someone who cares more about someone else's well-being than yours?"

Maya winced. "I think you should be talking to Lance, not me."

"Right," Spencer said. "Sorry."

They sat in silence for a while as Maya painted over her sketch in watercolours. Spencer watched her, although her attention was drawn away from Maya's artwork when she saw who was approaching the bench. She hesitated, not sure whether or not she should say anything to Maya.

Josh took a deep breath once he reached both girls. "Hey, Maya."

Maya's head snapped up. She'd been so focused on her painting that she hadn't even heard or seen him approach. Her paints went flying. "What the hell?" she demanded.

Spencer really wished she'd given Maya a warning.

"Sorry," Josh said, glancing down at his watery-paint-stained shirt. "I guess I should've said something."

"No," Maya sighed, "that was on me. Sorry. What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Josh admitted, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. "I wanted to talk to you in person about, well, us."

Maya's eyes flew wide. "Uh, what?"

Josh glanced at Spencer before taking a seat on Maya's other side. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you Charlotte and I broke up."

"I guess you had your reasons," Maya said.

"Not good ones," Josh admitted. "I just didn't want to make things any more difficult for you. I wasn't sure how you'd react to knowing I was single again, especially when you seemed so happy with Lance. I didn't want to ruin it for you."

"What happened between the two of you?" Spencer found herself asking.

Josh raised an eyebrow but answered her: "She moved back home and got back together with her ex-boyfriend after we graduated."

"Oh." Maya had picked up her watercolours and had resumed painting.

"So she wasn't feeling it anymore?" Spencer asked.

Josh hesitated. He had been the one to end things, because he'd come to the realization that he was in love with the blonde sitting next to him on the bench. But he wasn't sure if it was right to tell her right then.

Maya said, "If she ended things, she was an idiot."

Josh raised an eyebrow at that. "In what way?"

Maya glanced over at him. "Because you're a great guy. Liv is really lucky, you know."

Josh laughed. "You think we're dating."

"You're not?" Maya asked, confused.

"No," Josh said firmly. "I mean, I like her and all, but I'm not sure about anything right now."

Maya winced. "I thought you were here to tell me that you were in love with her and running off to Vegas to get married."

Josh laughed again. "I guess you're glad you're wrong."

Maya nodded. "But why are you here then?"

Josh took a deep breath. There wasn't any point to hiding the truth any longer. "Because I'm in love with you."

That was the last thing Maya had been expecting to hear. "What?" she managed, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure she'd misheard him.

Josh smiled sadly. "I ended things with Charlotte because I was irrevocably in love with you, Maya. I didn't tell you because, well, I didn't want to complicate things. I went to California because I needed to get Riley's advice about what I should do with my feelings."

"You're in love with me." Maya wasn't even sure she could comprehend the magnitude of the situation.

"I am." Josh took a deep breath. "I might have feelings for Liv, but they don't come close to the ones I have for you. I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you."

Maya's whole world had just done a complete 180. She swallowed hard and said, "What now?"

Josh's smile faded. He shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, to tell you the truth. I know it's a lot for you to take in right now, so I'm not going to push it. You know where to find me if you want to talk some more." Josh stood up and turned away from the bench, closing his eyes as he walked away. Of course she wouldn't say it back, he thought sadly. It's too soon. Maybe this was a mistake.

Back on the bench, Spencer hit Maya, hard. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "Go after him and tell him you love him!"

"I can't," Maya said miserably.

"That's bullshit, because you do love him," Spencer said in disbelief.

"I'm not ready, Spencer, I just got out of a serious relationship, I still have feelings for Lance, he still has feelings for Liv, he said it so himself!" Maya wasn't sure why she was shouting. "One of us is going to get hurt."

"I think one of you just did," Spencer said, gesturing to Josh's figure getting smaller as he walked farther away. His shoulder hunched, his back slouched. "Stop pushing away the people who care about you," she said, standing up. "You ignored Lance for most of California because of that guy who just poured his heart out to you right now, and now that you're not tied down and in a relationship, you don't go after what you want?" Spencer shook her head. "That's so stupid, Maya."

"What do you want me to do?" Maya asked, exasperated. She shook her head. "It's not-I'm not...not right now," she finished lamely.

Spencer stood up, shaking her head. "If this is how you want to live your life, I'm not going to stop you. All I can say is that you're going to regret pushing him away." Then she walked off, and Maya was left alone, with her paints, sketchbook, and her confused feelings. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. This is what has to happen, she told herself. She was resolute. It had to be done.

But her lips twisted into a frown as a lump formed in her throat. The hot tears prickled her eyelids, and her heart gave a painful pang. Josh deserved someone who hadn't made the mistakes she had, who hadn't hurt so many people, who couldn't see the consequences to most of the decisions they made. He deserved someone like Liv, who cared enough and had a good head on her shoulders. Maya still had a lot to learn about herself, and life.

Maya did love Josh, so much.

She loved him enough to let him go.

I hope this makes up for not updating in so long!

Leave me a review because they actually give me motivation to write more.

Thanks!

Lauren.