Hi! How are you doing today?

After a century I'm back. My intention was to do only three chapters, but it won't happen anymore because Maya's part is HUGE and I'm still writing it and it's already almost ten thousand words :( so let's split it into two parts.

Some people will like these two chapters others won't...

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For all guest, Your wish is my command!

He had left her. It's been a month since the last time she'd seen him that night where they should have celebrated their fifth anniversary together, but as stupid as she is, Maya forgotten about it and she felt like an idiot for doing that.

No words were needed, she woke up and didn't see him in their apartment, Maya came home after work and didn't find his stuff there. The only thing she found was an envelope with money to pay their bills for a month and nothing else.

Maya wanted to call Riley that first day, but she couldn't do that, no after all she'd done because Maya didn't wanna see her best friend's disappointed look she'd already disappointed somebody so important to her and that was enough at the moment.

The only thing she did was go to her studio to look at a blank canvas for hours since her inspiration had left her after that night. And when she gets tired of looking at that blank canvas Maya would go home and be alone in that empty and dark bedroom, laying on their bed staring straight up at the wall.

Riley's first call came twenty-four hours after Lucas left her, but Maya didn't pick up her friend's call, nor did the twenty others after that. Apparently, Zay had told Riley what had happened and it was no surprise for Maya to see Riley standing at her door with her biggest worried face.

It was all her fault. She had been an idiot, she had hurt him and herself, why all this? Maya didn't know. She remembered the first time he had shown up after his arrival in New York, the biggest smile on his face as he greeted everyone in the apartment, and when it came to her turn he had looked at her up and down analyzing her. there was a different shine in his eyes, it was very different from what she was already accustomed to and then he hands was around her waist pulling her closer. He wrapped his arms around her when he got the closer he intended to, hugging her after and whispering in her ear:

"You still gorgeous, Maya!"

He laid a long kiss on her cheek and Maya felt herself blush as she walked away from him. Unlike the other times years ago when she always tried to be around him while he ran away from her, this time he was the one who wanted to be closer, he wanted her attention, he said some sentences that were apparently innocent, but there was something else behind them.

Their first going out happened at a bar in downtown. Josh had called her at lunchtime and asked Maya out for a drink after work, he said that was Riley who'd given him her number so he wouldn't feel alone these first days at New York and there was no problem since they are all friends. It was a pleasant three hours of conversation and memories. Josh had told her that he had decided to move back from California because of a relationship he had with a nuts girl there and that it would be good for her to forget his existence for good.

She had enjoyed spending time with him and Josh also, so they set up a second date that led to a third date. Josh started attending her studio at lunchtime so he could catch up with her and bring her some lunch. Maya had said that he didn't need to grab her lunch, but Josh said the reason he grabs some lunch to her was that he didn't want to eat lunch all by himself so actually, she was doing him a favor and plus she is a good company.

With all his attention Maya found herself growing anxious, looking forward to lunchtime every day where she could have a good conversation with someone interesting who was always available to hear to whatever nonsense she wanted to say. Then there were the caresses with no intentions during the conversations, the hugs and suddenly there was no more space between the two.

He kissed her on a Friday afternoon, but that was just an accident. Josh had just turned around at the same time and the kiss that was to be on her cheek became a light peck on Maya's lips. They walked away quickly and faced each other for a while without saying anything, so Josh apologized and left quickly. Maya found herself thinking about that kiss all weekend, the softness of Josh's lips, the good sensation she felt as his lips touched hers again after all these years. Maya found herself thinking about Josh practically every hour and looking forward to Monday so she could be able to see him again, to get his attention.

Then came the long-awaited Monday and she was a nervous wreck as lunchtime came, she was so nervous that she couldn't do anything all morning. Maya could hear the noise of Josh's motorcycle on the street, she took several deep breaths as she waited for him to walk in, but Josh didn't come and Maya wondered if what had happened had affected him as much as her. After five minutes, he showed up at the door and waved to her with both food packages and his smile that gave him a seductive look. Maya disastrously dropped her brushes unintentionally when she saw him, Josh came over to help her gather all of them up, joking about the little mess she'd made. The lunch was silent, neither of them wanted to talk about what had happened that Friday and Maya had even put some distance between them, so Josh said goodbye and left leaving her there alone. Maya felt a lump in her throat as he left and forced herself to paint some painting to ease that sensation. Late that afternoon she had a confused painting with a mixture of dark colors, Maya stopped in front of the painting staring at it for a while trying to figure out all that mess, but the sound of footsteps caught her attention and she turned around watching Josh walking quickly in her direction, his name came out of her lips seconds before he pressed his lips to hers pulling her into an urgent kiss.

That was wrong, but it felt so right. They spent a couple minutes just kissing, one kiss became another and then another. Maya felt so good, she felt light, free, happy. Josh had told her that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since he had come to New York, and after that little accident on Friday he couldn't get her out of his head even for a second. He was starving, he needed to know what it was like to taste her lips again. Maya felt like she was floating on cloud nine all the way to her home, but then reality came on as soon as she closed the door of her apartment and saw all those pictures scattered around the room. She was no longer that fourteen-year-old girl alone, now she had Lucas, someone she never thought would be the one right beside her and If someone had told her years ago that she and Lucas would be together in a few years she probably would have laughed at that person's face because that place would always belong to Josh, Huckleberry never! Maya felt sick, so sick that she had rushed into the bathroom and threw up. Maya cried for an hour in the tub until the water was so cold that her body forced her to move. She heard the sound of keys hitting a metal surface from the living room into the bedroom. which made her sink even more into the covers and hug her legs, his scent has spread into the bedroom as soon as Lucas opened the door, Maya tried to stand still so he could think she was asleep but apparently, she had forgotten how to breathe and Lucas noticed it. Lucas approached and left a soft kiss on her lips asking if she was feeling ok, Maya said that she wasn't feeling good and maybe the reason she was feeling like that was that she had eaten poisoned food.

On Tuesday, Josh was there again with his packages, his seductive smile and his lips. Maya tried to stop him by saying it was wrong, that she was with Lucas, that it ended there, but she couldn't resist him, Josh had got her good under his spell.

As the days went by Maya thought it better to go home earlier so she wouldn't be meeting Lucas around the apartment because once he walks in she would be asleep so she wouldn't feel so bad about what was happening. The problem was when everyone was together, something that Riley was trying so hard to make it happen, Lucas was always around her and Josh tried to get crumbs of her attention, he tried to enjoy the moments when she was alone to steal a kiss, compliment her, hug her. Then Maya began to avoid those meeting that gets her on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

She loved spending her afternoons with Josh being the total center of his attention and his caresses, so one day Josh called her and asked Maya for to stop by at his home after work. Maya agreed without thinking, but then she realizes that it was a big step, that going to his house would make things more real between them, more serious and that scared her. There she was nervous in a simple black dress in his kitchen next to him, Josh gently stroked her hand as he talked about his day and Maya wondered if he could feel the sweat of her hands. He took her into his bedroom between kisses and she could feel his scent wrapped around her impregnated in his bed sheets as she got dizzy with his slow kisses on her neck. She missed that sensation in her body, it's been a while since the last time she felt that good. Maya closed her eyes to enjoy his caresses affections so Josh pressed his hips into hers and Maya could perfectly picture Lucas on her head. Scared, she quickly wide opened her eyes and met with Josh's lush eyes, Maya felt her body tense as she realized what was really about to happen. Maya felt Josh's hand begin to lift her dress as his hand slide on her thigh then Maya gripped his wrist with her hands keep Josh's hand from moving.

He didn't show up the next day and she felt relieved, nor in the day after, Josh just showed up a week after she rejected him in his bedroom. He wanted to know what he had done wrong and Maya asked for time and said they were going too fast, then Josh promised to slow down with her.

The daily lunches had begun tailing off to three times a week and Maya found herself starving for her couple minutes of Josh's attention, she even suggested to him if he would like to meet after work, something Josh didn't object to. Then he disappeared for a week and that was hell, Riley even suggested that he was going out with someone, something that pissed the blonde off. So, they argued for the first time on Tuesday about that other person and Josh laughed at her face saying that there was no one else and this someone else that his niece had told her it was her, Maya felt bad for doubting him.

He had tried it again, they had gone to a bar and Maya had accompanied him to his apartment after because Josh shouldn't drive under alcohol's effect on his body. Josh had invited her in and while they were talking on the couch he had kissed her more urgently and in a few minutes, she found herself just in her lingerie, her body pressed against the fabric of the couch while Josh got rid of his own pants. Maya lifted her hand to take a lock of hair that fell on her face then her eyes stopped at the simple bracelet on her wrist, the pendants are shaking through the movement of her arms and Maya found herself touching on some them. Riley's Eiffel Tower as a promise of a future travel together, a camera that Shawn had given her, a cowboy hat given by Zay so she could remember who is her favorite Texan guy, but the heart was the one that drew her eyes most Lucas had given it to her on their first Valentine's day together, he had given his heart literally and figuratively to her, Maya traced the outlines of her heart gently and she found herself smiling at the memory of Lucas that day, but the contact of Josh's body with hers brought her back to reality. His lips on her skin no longer have the same effect of minutes ago, they seem to freeze her skin every touch of them and Maya saw herself pushing Josh away. He looked at her confused as he watched her look for her dress and as soon as she got dressed Maya saw frustration in his face. His kiss was different when they said goodbye and it was in her head all night long.

They had a conversation about it a few days later, Josh said that she knew it was natural that he wanted to get more intimate with her and he hopes she wanted the same, Maya asked him for a time because she couldn't take that step with him right now since they were still something new to her.

He filled her with flowers, cards, and chocolates even though he knew she didn't care much about those things. The problem was that Maya didn't know what to do with it after the charm of the all those gift deliveries ended, the fact that anyone could see that and ask her over who had sent them, this possibility terrified Maya.

Josh always invited her to spend the weekend with him at somewhere he was in the mood to go, but Maya always refused it even if she knew she would spend the weekend by herself because Lucas would be busy with something from the clinic or attending in some event related to his job.

Josh had left her to solve some problems in California for a week and Maya found herself in a crisis of anxiety through the week. The only thing that reassured her was paint, and that was the first time she had painted Josh. In fact, she hadn't realized what she was doing until her work was done. Josh had loved the painting because it meant she'd been thinking about him when he wasn't around, and that meant she had real feelings for him. Then Josh kissed her lips gently, Maya was starving for his kisses, for the sensation that Josh's kisses conveyed to her. The delicate kiss became more urgent and she felt herself being pressed to the table by him, her brushes falling to the floor as Josh tried to make some room for them at that table. Josh sat her down on the table without separating their lips for a second, devouring her and making her dizzy with his kisses and his hands all over her body. Unlike other times he was being rough with her, Maya felt his lips on her neck not even kind and the only thing she could think of was that she needed him right now. His shirt was on the floor next to Maya's shirt and Josh was desperate to get rid of the tightness of his pants. So it would be their first time in that studio with no one to interrupt them and for the first time Lucas wasn't in her thoughts, it was just her and Josh.

She heard her phone ringing insistently, Josh had asked her don't pick up the phone, whoever was calling her can wait, but as soon as she saw his face on her phone, Maya felt as if the temperature dropped about twenty degrees. She pulled Josh away from her and answered his call as fast as she could. Lucas had called her to ask her how she was doing, something he hadn't done in a few months, and they talked for twenty minutes about nothing because he just wanted to hear her voice and He wanted to know if she was okay. In the end, he'd told her breakfast would be theirs in the next morning so she should postpone any plans she had in the morning. Upon hanging up the call Maya found herself smiling from ear to ear alone in the studio, Josh had left without even saying goodbye.

Lucas was acting weird that morning and Maya didn't understand why. Everything seemed fine, anyway, after many days they met for breakfast because Lucas would go work later that day. Maya felt his arms around her holding her tightly which made her smile automatically. She felt his lips on her skin gently, his warm breath on her skin as he breathed her in which made her laugh. Maya placed her hand on Lucas' nape stroking it, whispering him a good morning. Lucas's kisses were no longer soft and became more intense, Maya felt her body shiver as she gave more space to his lips. Maya closed her eyes enjoying the sensation of his kisses on her skin she missed that so badly. She ran her fingers through his hair and tugs it, feeling the vibration of Lucas' voice on her skin. Her free hand joined his in front of her belly stroking his skin with her fingers. Maya felt the contact of his teeth on her skin that made her gasp and tightens her fingers on his hair, her body becoming fully aware of his presence and their lack of intimacy. She wanted to kiss him so badly, wanted his hands on her body, his caresses, his attention. Maya bit her lip to keep a moan from escaping when his lips found a perfect spot on her neck, but the smell of something starting to burn made her remember the frying pan on the stove, which made her ask him to move away from her. She expected something more, but what she got was his silence the whole time they were together after that little moment. Maya couldn't understand what had happened, why Lucas had gotten so weird, but that changed when she went to take her shower. Maya was tying her hair in a bun when something caught her eyes in the mirror. It couldn't be true, Maya stood on tiptoe to better see the mark on her shoulder, and by the color of the mark on her skin, she didn't get that hickey in this morning. Maya felt disgusted with herself, her tears rolling down as she desperately tried to get it off her skin which resulted in her getting hurt. Maya was terrified, Lucas had seen it, Lucas knew it, he knew and would break up with her. And the thought of not having him in her life crosses her mind for the first time and instead of the long-awaited feeling nothing that would show her that Lucas no longer means what he had meant to her years ago, Maya felt anguished by that possibility.

He only talked to her about what was necessary and Maya felt relieved about that, but at the same time Maya was afraid of the time when he would decide finally talk to her about it, so she avoided spending too much time near him because if she wasn't there Lucas wouldn't bring that up.

Josh was upset and he was right, once again she had chosen Lucas to him. He gave her a week of the cold shoulder, it has been the most he could take before looking for her in her studio. Maya found herself apologizing for hurting his feelings and promising she would try not to do it again, lies, lies that came out of her mouth without Maya realizing it. So, they were good and Maya should be happy about it, but no, the reason she wasn't happy was that she couldn't handle another week being ignored by Lucas.

Then she was laying her head on his chest as she felt Lucas' breath showing her that he was almost asleep. Maya could hear the beating of his heart in a comforting rhythm that always made her feel sleepy after a few minutes listening to it, but this time there was no sleep. Tears rolled down her face as the thought of losing Lucas crossed her mind again, Maya tried to wipe away her tears, but her tears multiplied and she found herself leaving Lucas alone on their bed and locking herself in the bathroom, trying to make as little noise as possible to not wake Lucas up with her crying. Those last few months passed through her head, every moment she had spent with Josh instead of Lucas and she felt dirty for it. She had to put an end to it.

To be continued...

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I think I owe you guys an apology for my delay to finish this chapter, I just could not ignore the Shawn Mendes concert at Rock in Rio

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