I know I'm the worst. Let me just say that the last few weeks have been ugh. Just horrible and hopefully people are still interested in the story and I haven't given up. Ps sorry if chapter is boring more exciting things to come.
Lucas sighed as he looked at the list in his hand and back around the bookstore. He was trying to find a salesperson but no such luck. Ironic how when you don't need help there are a million salespeople around and the one time you do nothing. He groaned as he looked at the aisles looking for the section he needed but still hadn't found it.
He looked around once more rubbing his neck as he threw his hands up deciding just to go through every aisle. It couldn't hurt to look in every section right? He had come to an aisle with real estate books. Taking one off the shelf flipping through it only to drop it on the floor.
He was about to become a dad and he didn't have a place to call his own. He didn't even really have a place anywhere. He was always on the go and usually stayed in his childhood home when he was in Texas and right now he was in a hotel room.
He picked the book up again adding it to the books he desperately needed. He looks some more for the aisle he was originally looking for snapping his fingers with a smile on his face when he finds it.
"What to expect when you're expecting." He reads taking the book and flipping through the pages. He wondered if Riley had a copy and grabbed another one just in case and a couple of more he had read about on the internet.
He still needed to talk to Riley about their situation and how exactly they would proceed. He had an idea of what he wanted he just wasn't sure Riley felt the same.
He was reading one of the books as he walked towards the register bumping into someone and dropping his stuff. "Sorry about tha...oh it's you." Lucas looked up with wide eyes as he seen that the person he ran into was none other than Mr. Matthews.
"Oh excuse me sir sorry my fault." Lucas says picking up the books not paying attention to the ones he was handing him. "So got a baby on the way huh?" He ask as Lucas freezes not knowing what to say. "What is wrong with you?" He asked as Lucas looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
"Nothing sir I must have grabbed the wrong books or someone else. Sorry sir I'll take those sir." He said switching the books and taking back his own. "Okay what is wrong with you? And why do you keep calling me sir?" Mr. Matthews ask as Lucas shook his head looking anywhere but at him.
"Nothing is wrong with me sir I do believe I'm coming down with something that may be it." He says hoping he'd buy the sorry excuse he was giving him. He didn't know why Cory Matthews never freaked him out before but now he was scared out his mind of him.
Oh yes he did Riley and him were about to have a baby and he already wanted to murder Lucas. He couldn't imagine what he plan to do to him once he finds out about the baby.
"Okay I'm leaving making fun of you is no fun if you are going to keep calling me sir. See ya old man." Lucas watched as he goes breathing a sigh of relief as he leans against the shelf trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. "Do you need help sir?" A salesperson asked from behind him causing him to jump.
Lucas rubbed his neck as he stood outside Riley's door. He was nervous as he stood with the books in one arm and a bag of Chinese in the other. "Hey." He smiles softly as Riley opens the door slowly staring at him. "Hi. What are you doing here?" She asked as Lucas rocks back and forth on his heels.
"Well I was hungry and in the neighborhood and thought maybe you would like to share with me?" He says holding up the bag of food. "Well you're lucky I haven't made or ordered something yet. Come in." She says opening the door as Lucas hands her the food. "I have something for you."
Riley looks at him as she takes the food out as Lucas gives her the books. She looks at him weirdly and then smiles looking down at the books. "Thank you I haven't had time to go yet." She says placing the books down as she grabs plates. They sit at the counter eating in silence as Lucas looks at her.
"This is weird isn't it?" He asked her as she lightly laughed nodding her head. "Yes and I'm not sure why." She says as Lucas rubs his neck. "Maybe because it's real now." Riley tilted her head looking at him with a confused expression. "What's real?"
"Us. Well you and me having a baby I mean." He says as he seen her look at him with wide eyes. "Yeah I guess it is. I mean it's always been but I guess the shock has finally worn off." She says as he nods staring at his fork in thought.
"I know you said that you don't want to get married and I respect that but I have another proposal for you?" He holds up his hand as Riley begins to protest. "No I just mean we're having a baby together and I just...I would like us to be friends a team so to speak and then maybe work our way to see if there is something more here."
He looks at her as he cleared his throat getting a little nervous when she hadn't said anything to him yet. "You don't have to answer right away I know we are still getting to know each other and I'll still be here no matter what you decide."
Lucas chewed his cheek as he stared at his plate feeling like a fool. He probably should have kept quiet and just ate instead of proposing what he did. "Let's just forget I said anything." He says as Riley nods turning back to her food.
Josh watched as Alan dribbled the ball counting how many times he passed it between his hands. He smirks at Josh thinking he had him only for Josh to snatched the ball and dribble it down the court and shoot a three pointer.
"That's game." Josh roars as Alan flicks water at him making him chuckle. "Remind me never to play you again. You cheat." He pants laying down on the cement as Josh sits next to him with his water and towel chuckling. A phone goes off as Josh hops up jogging over to his bag to see if it was Maya.
He frowns slightly when he sees there was no message from her.
"Man you're so whipped." Alan chuckles walking slowly towards him as Josh gives him a look. "What?" Josh ask putting his phone down. "You hear a phone go off and you practically ran to see if it was the little misses." Josh looks at him weirdly as Alan smirks at him.
"Dude you're so smitten. If you weren't already married I'd tell you to marry that girl. You're so in love with her." Alan tells him as Josh shakes his head chuckling. Josh knew it wasn't love between Maya and him. They weren't even sure if they were really married or not.
Something he realized he hadn't checked in on that whole situation in awhile. It seems being around Maya caused him to forget all about it. Although he wasn't complaining.
"Dude don't you owe me brunch?" Josh says changing the subject as Alan gives him a look.
Josh scooped eggs on his plate as he looked at his phone. He still hadn't heard anything from Maya yet and he was getting a little nervous. "Beep beep Matthews you're holding up the line." Alan joked seeing as Josh and him were the only ones in the line.
"Funny." Josh says as he looks once again at his phone. "Smitten kitten just call her if you're so worried for her." Alan tells him as they sit down. Josh gives him a look as he starts to eat with one eye on his phone. "You know she is just with the wives she isn't being held for randsom."
"Haha I know that it's just Maya isn't really the type of girl that likes to shop and when she does it usually with my niece her best friend who doesn't try to get her into anything she doesn't like." Josh knew he looked and sounded crazy as Alan folds his arms across his chest trying not to laugh at him.
"I'm being serious okay. Gorgeous likes certain things and if you try to get her to change she will hurt you." Josh looks at him weirdly as he sees Alan smirking at him. "You call her gorgeous?" Josh widens his eyes as he shakes his head at him trying to ignore the look on Alan's face as he pretends to eats.
"Stop it." Josh says shaking his head as Alan as he continues staring at him humming I won't say I'm in love from Hercules to him. "Okay one more question." Alan says after twenty minutes of silence that Josh was actually enjoying up until that moment. "Go ahead unless it's another love question?"
Alan smiles shakin his head as he tapped his chin in thought. "If Maya is your niece best friend how did she take the news you guys got involved?" Josh looks at him weirdly before smiling at him.
In the beginning when Maya first kept saying she was going to be Riley's aunt Riley was very clear about her not wanting Maya to be her aunt. Josh never knew if it was in a joking way when Riley would tell her she wasn't going to become her aunt or not. Although he's pretty sure it was since Riley always wanted the best for her.
"Well not at first but she eventually came around to the idea." Josh tells him wondering why he was lying. Riley already threatened his life after finding out about their marriage.
"What about your parents or hers?" Alan asked as Josh widened his eyes dropping his fork. He totally forgot his parents knew he got married and were on their way back and headed straight for him and answers.
"Um they're pretty good with it." Josh says standing up and scratching at his neck. "I got to go but thanks for this. See ya." He dashed off not waiting to hear if Alan says bye as he heads for his room. He was an idiot a big one at that. Completely forgot about his parents and the fact he had to tell Maya too.
She was going to kill him.
He paced around his room trying to think of something when his phone goes off. "Hello Maya?" He says quickly into his phone. "Ugh I'm not Maya." He heard Cory say over the phone making him laugh. "My brotha." Josh says as Cory shouts it back to him making them both chuckle.
"So I need a favor." Josh says sitting on the couch as he chews his lip. "Last time I did that I ended up with a cast on my leg." Josh try to contain his laughter but the flashbacks hit him quick making him laugh. "It's not funny Joshua Gabriel I could have died!" Cory shouts making Josh laugh harder.
"Always dramatic Cornelius I was seven and you decided you wanted to ride my skateboard I didn't make you." He smiles as he hears him gasps from calling him by his full name. "Just for that I don't think I want to do you a favor anymore." Josh shook his head at his older brother antics.
"Cor just do me this favor okay?" He ask as Cory groans as he waits. "Are you going to tell me?" Cory ask as Josh takes a deep breath telling him how their parents found out about him being married and were coming back and wanted to sit down with his new bride and him.
"So I was hoping you could run interference with them and soften them up before I tell them? Cory you there?" Josh ask when he doesn't hear him anymore. "I'm going to be the favorite again!" Cory laughs as Josh shakes his head. "Cory are you going to do this for me or not?" He ask as Cory continues to call himself the favorite child again.
"I'll do it. Softening them up will be easier then telling Maya." Josh widens his eyes scratching at his neck. "On second thought you tell Maya I'll tell them."
Maya moaned in pleasure as her masseuse Dora rubbed her shoulders. Who knew a girls day and going to a spa would be so relaxing. She was reluctant at first since she didn't really know any of the women she was going with.
Sure she talked with them but that was with Josh at her side. This she had to do alone with women she just met. Shopping was not something she did all the time and when she did it was with Riley who never dragged her to more stores then her tiny feet could carry her.
Maya was sure she would have to make an excuse to get out of shopping but the women surprised her when they ended up hitting up two stores and some breakfast then straight for the spa. It was easily one of her favorite days spent shopping although it would never top shopping with Riley.
"Okay Mrs. Matthews you are all done." Dora claps covering Maya back with her towel. Maya groaned in protest as she covered herself back up and sat up looking at her as she wiped her hands cleaned. "Dora is there anyway I can get you to come back home and be my personal masseuse?"
Dora smiled shaking her head as she handed Maya her robe. "Sorry Mrs. Matthews I only do this part time and besides I'm not sure how my wife will like me being your personal masseuse." She says winking at Maya before walking out the door.
Maya smiled as she got dressed pulling her phone from her pocket to see if Riley had texted. She left her a message in the morning saying she got roped into going on a girls or wives trip and needed excuses to get out of it. Riley texted her telling her to enjoy it and spend Josh's money instead of her own.
Maya laughed for an hour at that wondering what had got into Riley for her to comment like that. Riley told her it was her hormones and the fact she couldn't go shopping since she was throwing up and going to get bigger.
As Maya walked out she begun to laugh out loud at the lasted text Riley sent her after she told her she was enjoying her time with the wives and was even at the spa. Riley text saying did she ask for a happy ending. Maya wasn't sure she knew what a happy ending was and wasn't about to tell her.
Although she was going to tease her later about when Riley finally figures out what it meant.
"Is that Josh making you smile that wide?" Joann asked as Maya jumped clutching her phone to her heart making her chuckle. "No it's my best friend. Josh's niece." She elaborates as Joann nods with a smile. "How did you guys manage?" She asked as they begin to walk out the spa and towards where the others were.
"Manage what?" Maya asked even though she had a feeling she knew what she was going to say. "Being married to your best friends uncle who is three years older than you. He didn't feel like a brother when you were around him?"
Maya smiled at her as they continued to walk. She was always asked this question when she commented on how she was going to marry Josh when they were younger. Despite the age difference Maya never saw him as anything more than the boy that had her heart and made her feel all weak in the knees.
Maya went to respond when Joann smiled shaking her head. "The look on your face tells me everything." Maya laughed as they walk along the sidewalk heading to the others. "Oh hey Maya, Joann!" Patricia called out as she hung up her phone.
"Feel like hitting up a couple of more stores?" She asked as they looked at Maya who nodded. She blamed Dora for why she was so relaxed and agreed to go. They shopped around the little shopping center when Maya stopped looking at a little baby boutique.
She smiled wide going inside looking at the little girl dresses and little boy tuxes. She took pictures sending them to Riley as she hears a gasps behind her. "Maya are you pregnant?!" Patricia and Joann squealed in delight as Maya widen her eyes shaking her head.
"N...no. This isn't for me." She says as they begin to giggle thinking of baby names. "Ladies!" Maya shouts as they stop and look at her. "I'm not pregnant. I have a friend who is and was looking at different outfits for her." Joann and Patricia frown slightly as Maya goes back to looking at different outfits.
"Do you ever think about having them?" Joann ask holding up a little onesie. Maya laughs softly as she shrugs. "I don't know we haven't really talked about that." She said but couldn't help picturing a mini Josh and her together.
"I'm telling you with your beauty and Josh's your child will look amazing." Joann smiles as they head back to the hotel with their bags. Maya shook her head as Joann and Patricia tried to find an app that could morph faces together. "Hello ladies."
Maya looks seeing Josh standing in front of the hotel holding lilies smiling at her. "Hi Josh." They say together as Maya bites her lip to keep from laughing. "Mind if I borrow my wife?" He ask as Maya looks at him weirdly when she sees him scratch his cheek something he only did when he was nervous.
"Go ahead Matthews we have to go yell at our husbands for not being romantic like you." Patricia says as Josh chuckles watching as they walk away. He turns back to Maya who folds her arms across her chest looking at him. "I'm waiting." She says as Josh sighs handing her the flowers.
"My parents know."
Riley looked over the menu in her hand debating with herself what she should get. She was currently at the bakery and craving practically everything on the menu everything calling out to her. She wanted to say it was due to the little human being she was growing but it was more her.
That and she was hoping food would distract her from her thoughts about Lucas.
She chewed her lip as she puts in an order to sample everything. Something Maya and her use to do in high school when they were both craving something sweet. She smiles as her first batch of goodies hits the table rubbing her tummy as she bites into a muffin.
"Riley I hope you ordered something healthy besides all that sugar. It can't be good for you." Her mom says having her choke as her mom pats her back. "What?!" Riley gasps as her mom hands her bottle of water. "All that sugar it's not good for you right now." Her mom says as Riley chokes some more widening her eyes.
"Who told you?" Riley rasped as her mom pats her back more. "Everyone knows Riley." She says shaking her head and looking at her weirdly. "Everyone who told them? Does dad know what did he say? Was he mad?" Riley asked knowing if her dad knew she was in trouble.
"Of course he was mad you know your father. He makes a big deal out of everything this is no different." She says sitting across from Riley who looked at her with a confused expression. "Wait he wasn't upset with me? Or he was?" She asked as her mom tilted her head at her.
"Why would he be mad at you? It wasn't your idea things just happen." She says shaking her head at the waiter who brings out more food to Riley. "So dad is okay with Lucas and me then? Our situation?" Her mom looked at her weirdly.
"Sweetie what does Lucas and you have to do with this? Wait there is a situation?" She asked as Riley looked at her. "Wait are we talking about the same thing?" Riley asked completely confused about their conversation. "I don't know are we?" Her mom ask looking at her with a knowing look.
"You said you knew you?" Riley whispers as she looks making sure no one heard her. "Sweetheart is there something you want to tell me?" Her mom asked as Riley took a deep breath. "You said you knew." She says again as her mom laughs. "Riley I was talking about the smorgasbord sitting in front of you."
Riley looked down at all the food and felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. She was freaking out that her family knew about the baby that she was sure that was what her mom was talking about. She looked at her mom who had a smile on her face with her arms folded across her chest. "What did you think I was talking about?"
Riley chewed her cheek as she tried to think up an answer when her mom provides her with one. "Is this about the Lucas and you situation you were hinting at?" She asked as Riley let's put a breath and nods. "Yes. He asked me again and I was thinking of saying yes but..."
"Ugh are you talking about that old man again?" Her dad ask sitting down next to her mom with a tray of cups. "Cory when did you get here and what is that?" Topanga asked gesturing at the tray. "I just got here and seen the food so I got us espresso!" He hands her a cup and one to Riley. "Cheers." He smiles clinking cups as he downs his.
"Riley why aren't you drinking it?" He ask as she smiles raising it to her lips. "Bottoms up." She whispers trying not to throw up from the smell of the coffee. She had just raised it to her lips when someone yells no smacking it out her hand. "Auggie!" Her parents shout as he sits next to Riley.
"Sorry it's just coffee isn't good for Riley right now." He says as Riley widens her eyes looking at him as he realizes what he said at the same time their parents look at them weirdly. "Why can't she have coffee right now?" Her dad ask as Riley pinches Auggie thigh.
"She can have if I was just saying she has all this in front of her." He gestures at the food. "I just think adding coffee will really damage her insides. Don't you agree?" He ask their parents who still was looking at them skeptically. "Besides you don't want her getting diabetes or some disease do you?"
Riley silently thanked him as their parents nod their heads agreeing with him. "Your right but who am I going to drink my espresso with?" Cory ask as Auggie gulps picking one up. "I'll join you dad." Cory smiles picking one up as Riley smiles softly at Auggie who grimace as he swallows his drink.
"You know for a minute there I thought you were going to say you were pregnant and that's why you couldn't drink coffee." Cory chuckles as he downs another espresso. Riley and Auggie share a look and nervously laugh as their mom shakes her head. "Oh Cory you and your imagination." They all laugh as Cory picks up a cupcake.
"Hey I'm just saying. But speaking of that I saw that old man at the bookstore and he was buying pregnancy books. So looks like you dodged a bullet honey." Riley laughs slightly as her mom looks at her sympathetically and Auggie widens his eyes choking on his espresso.
"Yeah I did." She smiles as Cory orders more espresso for Auggie and him.
"I feel like I'm buzzing am I buzzing? Is that my phone wait..." Riley shook her head as she walked to her fridge grabbing a water for Auggie who was laying on her coffee table with his legs in the air.
After watching her dad make Auggie enter an espresso contest Riley pretended to be sleepy asking Auggie who looked like his eyes were about to fall out his head to walk with her. "How you feeling?" She ask after handing him another water which he chugs sitting up and holding his head.
"Like I can run around the world and my mouth is dry plus I can't feel my tongue anymore. Is that normal?" Riley nodded as she had experience similar symptoms when she last entered a contest with her dad. "Yeah just keep drinking plenty of water. You'll be okay"
"Hey sorry I almost blurted out you're pregnant to the parents." Auggie tells her as she shakes her head smiling at him. "No worries I almost spilled to mom anyways. I'm surprised Lucas didn't when he ran into dad." Auggie chuckled as he sat on the couch with Riley chugging his water.
"Me too. He must have a death wish or something but he's alright in my book." Riley turned to him as she seen him smiling at her. "What do you know?" She says as he smiles. "Nothing much just he asked me if I knew any apartments or houses for sale and if you would go out with him."
Riley gasps as she hit Auggie with a pillow as he wiggles his eyebrows at her. She was still thinking about what he had said to her and she wasn't to sure what to make of it just yet. On one hand she was wondering if maybe they should just keep it civil for the baby or take a chance with him.
She rested her hand on her stomach hoping the little one growing inside would give her the answer.