Chapter 36
Riley was curling her hair, debating on calling Maya before Thanksgiving, turns out she didn't have to. "Riles?"
"Come on in peaches." The brunette set down the curling iron. "I was fixing to call you."
"You were?" The blonde had her head down from embarrassment. "I was such a jerk to you yesterday, I wouldn't want to talk to me."
"Maya, sisters fight. I love you." A small smile crept to her best friends lips.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you." The dancer tucked her legs into her chest. "I was just so frustrated, everyone was acting like they don't trust me like i'm making a mistake by talking to Harley, innocently."
"I just didn't want you to mess up the relationship you've wanted for so long. isn't that what friends are for. Trying to prevent you from making mistakes." The blue eyed girl nodded her head but still looked bothered. "What happened after you left here last night Maya?"
"I went home, I debated on calling Josh when I got a message from Harley." Riley raised her eyebrows. "He admitted that he had feelings for me."
"And?" The brunette urged.
"And I didn't hate it, what does that mean? Does that mean I like him?" Her best friend shook her head and sat beside Maya on her bed.
"No, every girl likes to hear someone has feelings for them, that doesn't mean you like him." A tear fell from the blonde's eye. "What did you say back to him?"
"Nothing, I said nothing. I love Josh so much and I don't want to lose him."
Riley furrowed her brows. "Why would he leave you? You didn't do anything wrong."
"I don't know, my dad left for no damn reason. Who's to say Josh won't because I was talking to a guy who has a crush on me."
The dancer scoffed. "Peaches, I hate to break it to you but Josh is the exact opposite of your father. But you do have to tell him, and if you feel this guilty, i'd cut contact off from Harley." Maya pulled out her phone and went to facebook.
"Won't this make me like a terrible person? Knowing he has feelings for me and deleting him." Riley shrugged her shoulders.
"I guess it really just depends on who's feelings you'd rather hurt. Josh's or Harley's."
"You're really smart peaches, thank you for keeping me in check." The friends hugged and the blue eyed girl dried her tears. "I'm not going to delete him yet, only because I want Josh to read the messages to prove nothing really happened, and I don't know if they'll be there if I delete him."
"One last thing, do it before dinner. He's going to know something is bothering you."
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Riley was sitting in Lucas' lap laughing, they were being heckled by Uncle Shawn and Uncle Eric. "Inappropriate Ms. Matthews, up!" Eric demanded.
"Uncle Eric, cool your jets and go get you some snacks." Lucas laughed and held her hand. The front door opened again and Josh was back from getting the pies. He instantly set the pies down and found Maya.
"Hey baby. What are you-" Maya moved her head to look at him and he saw worry in her eyes. "What's wrong sweetheart?" The blonde glanced at her best friend who nodded her head for support.
"Can we talk?" He shook his head in agreement and the blue eyed girl led him to her best friends room.
"So, the only reason someone says 'can we talk' is if they're about to break up with someone. Can I remind you that it's Thanksgiving, and then it's Christmas, New Years, Valentines, just don't break up with me." She giggled and bit her lip.
"I'm not going back with you for the weekend anymore." He furrowed his brows while she pulled her phone out of her back pocket. "You said you didn't want me to break up with you, and it just so happens I was going to ask you the same thing." Maya passed him her phone with the messages on them.
"Overlook the blatantly flirtacious remark." He mumbled while he continued to read their messages. Josh quietly passed her the phone and after deleting him she put it away.
"Please don't be-"
"Mad?" He interrupted, her eyes turned red. "I shouldn't be mad that one of my best friends is flirting with you? My girlfriend, someone i'm madly in love with."
She cleared her throat. "I didn't want to lie to you, and I didn't even reply to him after the last messages. I love you and i'm sorry I should've sensed that you weren't comfortable with me talking to him."
"Yeah you should've. I'm not going to tell you, who you can and cannot hang out with, that's not my style I trust you." Josh mumbled, a few tears fell from his girlfriends eyes. "Apparently, I trust you for a reason. You didn't do anything wrong, you didn't flirt back with him."
"I liked it, I liked the fact he said he had feelings for me." Josh dropped his head. "I want to be 100 percent honest with you."
"Of course you did, that's a normal response it's flattering." The blonde was a little shocked as she leaned back. Maya, i'm not mad at you."
"Really?" She whispered.
"Really, now Harley I have a few things i'd like to do to him." The blue eyed girl shook her head, in disagreement.
"You fight to help others. I may not have a right to say this, but you aren't going to fight because of, or for me. Especially because i'm not going to your hometown anymore, I deleted him off of FaceBook and most of all," She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, "most of all I love you, and I want to be with you. Yeah, I was flattered when he said he had a crush on me but nowhere near as flattered when you say you love me."
A small smile approached his lips. "I love you Maya."
"I love you Josh, and i'm sorry for hearing what you said but not listening." Their lips touched and it made her curl her toes. "I was afraid you were going to leave me." She mumbled as they hugged.
"I don't think I ever could bring myself to do that." He whispered, and kissed her cheek.
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"How're your parents?" Riley questioned.
"They're okay, I invited them over but with it being Thanksgiving my mom randomly starts to cry." The brunette nodded and kissed him.
"ALRIGHT DINNER TIME!" Maya and Josh sauntered out from the hallway and stood beside Riley and Lucas. "A friendly reminder, there will be a football game going on outside after dinner. But right now, i'll start." Cory continued talking when Lucas leaned over to whisper in his girlfriends ear.
"Start what?"
"What we're thankful for." She grinned. "Don't be nervous." The dancer winked and the quarterback was nudged now that it was his turn.
"That was fast." He joked. "I'm most thankful for Riley." Everyone awed. "She's changed me in more ways than one, and without her I don't know how I would've handled my grandpa's passing."
"Bleh." Uncle Eric grumbled causing the couple to laugh. "Riley your turn."
"I'm thankful for a lot." Riley exhaled and grinned. "I'm thankful for little moments with my friends, family, boyfriend." She turned her eyes to look at him. "Because in a few days those little moments become precious memories. Besides, there are so many amazing things and people in my life it's hard to pick out one thing." The brunette smiled at her family when Maya picked up the game. She stood on her tiptoes to whisper in Lucas' ear. "You stole my thankful thing, you are what i'm grateful for." Lucas chuckled and continued to listen to the rest of the family.
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"Alright Riles, can you keep away from Lucas?" The brunette raised her head and glanced at her boyfriend.
"I mean i'm fast but he's taller, hence he's faster." Eric clicked his tongue.
"Okay, go long and just run." He joked. "Break." The family was playing a game of two touch and this was Riley's favorite part of Thanksgiving.
"Why are they putting you on me?" She questioned her boyfriend.
"I volunteered." Lucas smirked. "So does that mean you're getting the ball?" She shook her head no quickly. "Yes it does, you're lying to me."
"I'd never." The ball was snapped and the dancer took off after juking Lucas. The ball landed in her arms and she continued to run when the quarterback grabbed her hips and they both fell to the ground. The brunette landed on top of him laughing. "I GOT IT! You practically tackled me Mr. Friar."
"You juked me!" Riley helped Lucas off the ground.
"Yeah because those two are the same thing." She joked and looked out towards the group of people who weren't playing. Maya was pointing at her mother and Shawn talking, and they both jumped up and down from excitement.
"HALF TIME!" Josh exclaimed as he sauntered towards his girlfriend.
"WE JUST HAD A HALF TIME! GET OFF YOUR GIRLFRIEND AND LET'S PLAY THE GAME!" Lucas' eyes widened at her statement. "I mean geez, right?"
"Whatever you say. I think your skin is turning green." The dancer moved to punch him when he grabbed her arm and rolled her across the grass. "You want to wrestle Ms. Matthews?" He put her arms above her head and pinned her down.
"I will win!" Riley wiggled trying to get out of his grasp, Lucas didn't even seem phased.
"Let me know when you're done sweetheart." The brunette grinned and after wiggling a leg loose, lightly kicked him in the neck, loosening his grasp on her. "Look at you." She stood back up and smiled. "What else you got?"
"Lucas!" The green eyed man turned around and felt her hop on his back, trying to put him in a choke hold.
"Hey sweetheart." The quarterback rotated her to his front. "You're adorable." He laughed while she pretended to be mad as they sauntered towards their friends.
"What's up Josh?" Maya and Riley started kartwheeling away from their boyfriends.
"If your best friend called Riley beautiful and said he had feelings for her, what would you do?" The green eyed man glanced towards the grass.
"Not what you're thinking. Not anymore." The brown eyed man glanced towards his friend. "If Maya told you about it, then you know she loves you enough to be honest with you and not go through this again."
"What would Texas Lucas do? The one from the party at Lovell's Field."
"Probably exactly what I did out there." Lucas glanced at his girlfriend who was laughing and staring right at him. "I'd do anything to protect her, which sometimes means doing nothing."
"Then how do I get rid of the anger inside of me? I mean it's boiling." The quarterback shrugged his shoulders.
"Find an outlet that helps release that negative energy. For me it's working out or being with Riley or kissing-"
"ENOUGH!" Riley's uncle shouted.
"Easy we haven't done that. I'm merely making suggestions." Josh moved his eyes towards Maya who was talking to his niece. "Do you love her?"
"Of course." He mumbled.
"Did Maya ask you to not fight for her?" Josh didn't say anything. "I figured, Riles did the same thing. Then don't do anything."
"Fine, you win."
"I would tell him that you know about him flirting. Not today though, do it after Thanksgiving and after you calm down. Do it with Maya or with me to keep you calm, because you don't want to ruin a lifelong friendship."
"IS HALF TIME OVER YET?" Riley exclaimed.
"We should start the game." Lucas rose his voice and yelled. "BEFORE MY GIRLFRIEND LOSES HER MIND!"
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"You ready to do this man?" The green eyed man stood beside his best friend who was staring at Harley's number.
"I think so. I'm calm, I mean how could you not like Maya? She's amazing."
"There you go, now hit the green phone button and put it on speaker because i'm nosy." He chuckled and sat at his desk.
Hello?
Hey Josh how are you?
Pretty good. Hey I needed to talk to you about Maya.
Did I do something to make her mad? She deleted me off of Facebook.
Well she showed me the messages and was pretty uncomfortable with what went down between you two.
She showed you the messages?
Yes sir she did.
I'm sorry Josh.
Yeah I am too. I thought we were better than that, I never would do that to you. Even if I had feelings for someone you were dating i'd keep my mouth shut.
Lucas stood up and gestured for him to calm down. I know I don't know what I was thinking.
Look man, I just felt like you should know why she deleted you and quit talking to you. I didn't ask her to, if that's what you were thinking.
You aren't the kind of guy who would do that. I knew better. Just tell Maya i'm sorry for making her feel uncomfortable.
I will definitely.
Are we good?
Not at the moment, but i'm hoping we will be soon.
I'll take it. Later man.
The quarterback had his thumb up, "good job."
"Now, can we go pick up our hot dates and go do something?"
There was a knock on his bedroom door and Josh's gorgeous girlfriend popped her head in. "Oh hey Riles, both of our hot boyfriends. Now we don't have to go get Lucas."
"We're here to pick you up and take you out. Dinner and movie on us." Riley pronounced. "Let's go!"
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