Apologies for the long wait but the universe had it out for me for awhile now and kept me from updating hopefully I can update again soon.
The minute Mr. Matthews passed out on the floor and everyone surround him Maya moved away from the table. She had to get out of there. She knew she couldn't go out the front door so she chose the next best option.
The bay window. Her home away from home for most if not all of her life.
She moved towards the stairs feeling someone's eyes on her and prayed they weren't Josh's. She turned around seeing Riley giving her a small smile and a nod of her head like she knew what she was doing.
She smiled at her mouthing a thank you as Riley went back to pretending to be concern with her dad who was out on the floor. Maya walked upstairs knowing she owed Riley more than a thank you. If anything she owed her her life. Hell if she wanted Maya would give her her kidney even if she didn't need it.
In helping her Riley had told her one secret that she wasn't ready to spill yet and Maya couldn't have asked for a better best friend. She would do whatever Riley wanted even if it meant dressing like a flower and dancing around the park.
Maya opened the door to Riley's old room smiling at the familiarity of it. She laughed softly at the pictures that were still taped to the mirror of them from when they were kids. She smiled walking towards the window sitting down and sighing happily.
She looked around before opening the window freezing when she hears the door open. "You know I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to bolt." She turned seeing Josh leaning against the wall smiling at her. "I think we're in enough trouble and bolting out the window no matter how appealing it sounds. I can't."
They both look at each other as Maya looked around the room before looking at Josh. "So guess we are 0 for 2." She smiles when he looks at her weirdly.
"In telling our parents about our drunken night." He chuckles softly nodding his head as he sits on the bed. "Well your parents took it a whole lot better than mine." He says as Maya laughs. "Well we Hunters are pretty chill people."
"Hey! Not all Matthews are as dramatic as my brother." Maya looked at him as they both laughed. Maya bit her lip as she looked at Josh who was smiling and shaking his head. Was it right for them to be joking around when they were in a huge mess.
Especially when her feelings were all over the place once again.
"So on a scale of one to hulk angry how mad is your mom with me?" She asked as Josh looked at her. Next to Riley, Amy Matthews was someone who she could be completely honest with about anything.
Although Topanga was someone too there was something about the eldest and youngest Matthews that compelled Maya to open up. "I don't think she is angry with you as much as she is with me." Josh tells her as she looks away. "Somehow I don't believe that."
Before Josh could ask what she meant the woman in question walked through the door. "Joshua go downstairs I need to talk to Maya alone." Maya looked at her then at Josh who stood up. "Maybe I should stay?" Maya widened her eyes as Mrs. Matthews pulled Josh by his ear and out the door.
"Listen for once Joshua Gabriel!" She closed the door on him as Maya gulped. She looked at her hands in her lap afraid of looking her in the eye. She wasn't sure what to say or call her. Should she call her mom or Amy or Mrs. Matthews?
Should she just go ahead and apologize for getting drunk and marrying her son.
All these thoughts were running around in her head she didn't feel her sit next to her. "I would say I'm more disappointed than mad at you." Maya looked up at her knowing she heard what she said.
"I'm disappointed because I know how you feel about Josh and I feel like this is just going to mess with your head and do some serious damage to your heart." She says taking one of Maya's hands in hers. "I dont know the whole story yet but I know you and I just don't want to see you broken." She adds cupping her cheek.
"I think I prefer you to be angry with me. Yell at me." Maya tells her with a sigh looking down at her hands. "What did your parents have to say?" She asked changing the subject. "Mom was surprisingly calm but I think she is waiting for your reaction before she kills me and dad..."
Maya sighed as she looked at her. "Well he punched Josh." Something Maya found out later that day from her dad. Maya waited for her response and was shocked to find her laughing. "I would expect nothing less from Shawn." She says as Maya smiles. "So I'm assuming Mary wasn't to happy to hear about your drunken marriage?"
Maya looked at her with wide eyes as Amy looked at her. "What?" Maya sighed not sure if she should tell her everything but once again she does. Starting from the very beginning. Before Amy can respond they hear the front door slam. "Well I better go see what happened."
She gets up to leave but looks back at Maya. "Sweetheart you know I love you and I love my son but I think you two should take a step back and really think things through a little better. I don't want to see you hurt." Maya watched as she left knowing she was right.
She sighs chewing her lip as she looks around once more before climbing out the window and down the fire escape. She started walking with no real direction in mind. Which was ironic seeing as how she had a lot on her mind.
Was she just setting herself up for heartbreak?
Maybe Josh and her weren't meant to have a someday pact or a relationship. She knew the farther she walked that she had a lot to think about.
Riley watched as Maya took off upstairs knowing she needed a little bay window time. Honestly Riley wished she could have gone with her. But no instead she had to stare at her dad who was taking being dramatic to a whole new level.
Always taking his fake heart attacks and faint spells to far. Riley had already warned him nobody was going to believe him after he faked one dropping her off at college when they found out her roommate was a guy.
Suffice it to say she was the talk of freshman orientation.
She sighed rubbing her stomach staring longingly at the meatloaf that sat on her plate along with the mini mountain of mashed potatoes that were getting cold. She pouted slightly wishing she had grabbed another sandwich before she came.
She debated with herself on whether to get up and ignore her dad who was still milking his "faint spell" when a roll appears in front of her. She looks up smiling at her grandpa who winks at her. "Well you better find yourself a good lawyer Riley. You killed him." Auggie tells her as their mom frowns at him.
"He's not dead he's..." their mom says nudging him as he doesn't move. "Should we throw water at him or have someone get some smelling salts?" Riley asked munching on her bread. "Well do you have smelling salts on you?" Her mom asked raising her voice slightly.
"Sorry sweetheart." She says rubbing her head. "He's still pretending?" Riley looked up frowning as she sees Josh walking towards them. She was sure he had been right beside them but she should have known he go after Maya.
She looked around noticing her grandma had left too and hoped she wasn't interrogating Maya upstairs. "Mom said I could slap him if he was still...Ow!" Josh shouts holding his head where his dad hit him and his shin where Riley pinched him.
"I got it." Their grandpa says pulling his phone out his pocket. Riley tilted her head wondering what he was up to. "Cory? Hey buddy you there?" She looks at her grandpa when the sound of her uncle Shawn's voice plays. "Shawnie is that you?" Her dad ask with his eyes still closed. "Yeah buddy."
Riley looked at her mom who shook her head as she got up going to the kitchen. "Oh Shawnie I had the worst dream. My baby told me she was pregnant." Auggie chuckled softly as Riley shook her head hitting him. "Get up Cory!" Their mom shouts tossing a glass of water on him making him yelp. "It was real?" He asked once he opened his eyes seeing everyone looking at him.
"Grandpa what app is that?" Auggie asked as they all got up sitting back down ignoring Cory who was lying on the floor still. "An app Minkus helped make me for times like this." Auggie Hi fived him as they sat back down.
"Well I'm just going to go." Riley says standing up making her way towards the door. "Oh no you don't young lady sit." Her mom says as her dad gets up putting his hands on his hips shaking his head. "So I'm assuming while Maya got married you were...? How did that even happen?" Her mom ask with a slight twitch as Riley bit her lip.
She was hoping her mom would have been on her side against her dad. "Well you see when two people love each other the woman gives her flowe..." Auggie starts to say before their mom hits his arm. "I know how babies are born thank you very much. I have kids."
Auggie starts to smile but gags once he thinks about what their mom just said to him.
"Oh please tell me that the father is someone other than who I think it is?" Her dad ask finally speaking as Riley sees his eye begin to twitch. "Well..." Riley rubs her arm as her dad begins to pace holding his eye mumbling about fake sisters and killing that old man.
"I've decided not to go to college."
Everyone turns to Auggie who stands up as their parents turn their twitching eyes towards him. "You what?!" Their mom ask as Auggie nods. "Yeah I thought about it and it doesn't seem like something I want to pursue. Ava agreed." He adds as Riley sees her mom's eye begin to twitch even more. "Cory grab my bag." She says as she holds the door open. "This isn't over." Their dad says looking at them both before walking out slamming the door.
"What is going on down here?" Their grandma ask as Riley grabs her own bag.
"Nothing. I'm going to take a walk. Auggie join me?" She ask as he nods grabbing his jacket and hers. They kiss their grandparents goodbye before heading out. Riley held her stomach as they begin to walk letting out a deep sigh. That was not how she pictured everything going down.
"So what's the real story?" Riley asked as they sit down at their favorite pizza place. "How did you figure it out?" Auggie asked smiling. "I'm me I could tell you weren't telling the whole story." She says pouring cheese over her pizza. "Okay I did it for you." He says as Riley smiles. "You didn't have to do that Auggie I..."
"Yes I did dad was already losing it and mom was going down the same road just slower and I didn't want my future niece or nephew to get hurt. What hurts you hurts them." He says when he sees her not understand.
"Auggie." She says giving him a small smile as she sniffs. "Why are you crying?" He asked looking around and handing her napkins. "I don't know hormones maybe plus your a good baby brother." She says hugging him and eating her pizza at the same time.
"Okay calm down Riley and stop stress eating. They will come around." Auggie tells her as Riley wipes her eyes looking at him weirdly. "You're eating my slice." He says gesturing at the pizza in her hand. "Oh I'm sorry and I don't stress eat."
"Yes you do. When you got asked to the ninth grade dance and were afraid to tell dad you ate your weight in gummy bears." He says as Riley shrugs. "We had to take you to the hospital to get your stomach pumped." He says making her frown.
"I can't help it okay." She says sighing softly as she sets her slice down. "I want my little one to have their grandparents in their life and at this rate I'm not sure. Did you see mom's twitchy eye? I thought she'd be on my side in all this. I just don't know what is going to happen and..." "And you don't want them to kill your boyfriend slash baby's father?" Auggie interrupts her as she nods.
"You know you just admitted Lucas was your boyfriend right?" He says taking a pepperoni from her pizza. "No I didn't." She tells him smacking his hand. "Yeah you did. Just admit you like him?"
"Maybe." She says sipping her soda as Auggie chuckled softly causing her to throw her napkin at him. Even if she did which she wasn't going to admit her dad was probably going to kill him before anything happened.
Lucas looked over the papers in his hand before grabbing his pencil and crossing off a couple of items. He groaned softly crossing off more things before crumbling them up.
He was going over plans for the new hotel for Paris that Zay sent him but they were a complete disaster and he knew the board was not going to like them. He grabbed his work notebook drawing out new plans when his phone goes off. "Hey doc I know it's your day off but we got an emergency call think you can come in?" Mandy asked as he tells her yeah.
As soon as he arrives Mandy hands him his coat. "So did you tell her?" Lucas looks at her weirdly. "Tell who what?" He asked even though he knew exactly what she was talking about. "Don't play coy. Riley." She asked again as he grabbed the files she was holding attempting to change the subject.
"You didn't tell her did you?" Mandy asked once they were finished up. "I told her." He says avoiding her eyes. "Uh huh. You look just like my husband did when I asked if the chicken I accidentally burned was good."
"But I did tell her." He says as she gives him a look folding her arms across her chest. "Okay fine I didn't tell her." He covers his face as she begins to hit him with a folder. "Why haven't you told her yet?! This is huge news that she needs to know about."
"It's not like I haven't tried to tell her." He sighs as Mandy looks unconvinced by his words. "Okay maybe I could have tried harder but something always happens that I forget or stops me from telling her."
"Like what?" Mandy asked he explains all the interruptions Riley and him have faced since he found out. Like Riley's dad. "Plus I have to make up a sister who is pregnant just so her dad won't kill me. What?" He asked when Mandy laughs shaking her head.
"I thought you did have a sister?" She asked as he looks at her weirdly before smacking his own head. "Oh my god I do! See this just proves how stressed I am that I forgot." He tells her slumping down into a chair.
"Maybe letting Riley in on your news would help. Just like a band aid. Rip it off." She pats his shoulder as he grabs his phone texting Riley asking to meet up. He sits up a little straighter when he sees her text saying she was going to ask the same thing.
Lucas stood at the bakery door breathing deeply. "Just like a bandaid." He says as he pulls the door open. He looks around the bakery for Riley spotting her at table overflowing with food. "Wow that's a lot of foo...are you expecting more people?" He asked about to sit down when Riley looks up with wide eyes.
He was about to ask why was she looking like that when he hears. "You!" He turned around long enough to see Cory Matthews twitching eye before he pounced on him. "What are you doing?" Lucas asked as Cory sat on him slapping him with his own hands. "Oh you know why sister's baby you liar." Lucas looked at him wide eye before looking at Riley who was standing up eating a muffin with worried eyes.
"Cornelius Matthews get off of him right now!" Lucas snickered as Cory pushed him back down frowning at his wife. "Who told you that name?!" She gives him a look as he snaps his fingers. "Feeny!"
"May I say something?" Lucas says trying to get up only to be pushed back down by Cory with his foot. "No you may not liar." Lucas groaned shaking his head as Mrs. Matthews pulled her husband away. "Cory I thought we agreed we would talk like civilized people?"
"No you agreed." He says as they begin to argue in not so hushed tones. "So your dad found...hey are you okay?" Lucas asked standing up by Riley who was holding her stomach. She shakes her head as Lucas picks her up running out the bakery.
Lucas rubbed his neck as he continued to pace back and forth glancing down the hall at the closed doors. After rushing out the bakery with Riley, he along with her parents at the hospital waiting to hear if everything was okay. He glanced once more as he sat down shaking his legs trying to stay still.
He would have been in there with her but Mr. Matthews and himself were kicked out after arguing who was the father and Mr. Matthews squeezing Riley's hand way to tightly. Plus they were equally stressing her out with their constant bickering.
Which wasn't good for her or the baby when he found out she had a bad habit of stress eating which was why they were in the hospital now.
"Mr. Friar?" Lucas looked towards the nurse who held the door to Riley's room as he sped walked in. He sees Riley laying down in the bed and admittedly starts to freak out. "Calm down Lucas Dr. Wong is keeping me to appease my dad." She says as he takes a deep breath sitting in the chair by her bed.
"So everything is okay? You and the baby are fine?" He asked taking her hand in his. "Don't worry Mr. Friar, Riley and your little one are perfectly fine." He looks towards the door where a dark haired woman enters. "Lucas meet Dr. Wong. Dr. Wong, Lucas."
"So everything is good then? What's that for?" He asked looking at the doctor who was grabbing a machine moving towards them. "Everything is wonderful. This is something Riley thought we should wait for you to do." Lucas looked at them with a confused expression.
"Hey where are my parents?" Riley asked as the doctor got everything ready. "Oh." He says rubbing his neck wondering if he should tell her. "The psych ward." He looks at her waiting for her reaction and is surprised when she begins to laugh. "I'm not even surprised." She giggles as Dr. Wong tells them she is ready.
"Wait I thought you said everything was good?" Lucas asked noticing the doctor place something on Riley's stomach. "Lucas everything is good just breath and listen." Riley tells him taking his hand in hers again. He looks at her taking a deep breath before looking at the machine playing their baby's heartbeat. "Wow." He whispers wiping at his eyes. "How did you check on the baby if you didn't listen for a heartbeat?" He asked.
"I heard it but Riley wanted to wait to hear it with you." Dr. Wong tells him as he looks at Riley. "That's because she is in love with me doc." Dr. Wong chuckled as Riley playfully hit him. "So why did you look all sickly earlier?" He asked Riley when the doctor stepped out. "Oh that." She says with red cheeks. "Really bad gas. I'm supposed to stay clear of stressful things or people. Like my dad." She laughed. "You okay?"
Lucas looked at her and then the machine that still played their baby's heartbeat. At that moment he knew exactly what he needed to do.
"Yeah I'm good and I'm not going anywhere I'm going be right here."
Josh watched as his mom paced back and forth in front of him mumbling about the days before she had children. They were currently back at his place which he regretted. He watched her staring at the rug beneath her feet that was starting to take on an a deep oval shape.
A shape he was sure would never come out.
He turned to his dad who was pretending to watch the news eating popcorn while secretly watching his mom pace probably planning the murder of her youngest. Josh had hope that his dad would help him with his mom but he just chuckled everytime his mom would hit him and mutter things under her breath that only he could understand.
Josh sighed as he looked back at his mom who was now pacing but shaking her head making her look slightly like a life size walking bobble head. He couldn't help imagining her as one causing a slight chuckle to escape his lips. "I don't see anything that is funny Joshua Gabriel Matthews." He sits up clearing his throat as his mom glares at him.
"I know mom." He mumbles as she sighs sitting down next to his dad. Josh sighed as he sat back staring at the ceiling. He was starting to feel tired but he knew he was in for one hell of a lecture from his parents. Well at least his mom. "You know this really isn't that big of thing." Josh mumbles regretting the moment he says it.
"Not that big of a thing?! You got drunk and married Maya in Vegas! Explain to me how that's not a big deal?" His mom asked folding her arms across her chest. Before he could answer his mom went on. "Did you even think of the consequences of your actions?! Or how this would effect you or Maya for that matter? Answer Joshua."
"Well...to start I sort of have thought about the consequences." He tells her wincing when she gives him a look. "And secondly we don't know if we are married." Josh says scratching his neck before covering his head.
Josh looks up at his parents who had both begun to laugh. He wasn't sure what was going on so he joined in on their laughter. "Are you kidding me Joshua Gabriel?!" His mom shrieks hitting him with a pillow in the head. "What?" He asked getting up when his mom raises the pillow to hit him again.
"Explain to me how you don't know if you're married? Maya and you both have wedding rings on." She asked as he chuckled nervously moving farther away. "Well that's a funny story you see the next morning after our drunken night I went to the chapel we apparently visited and..."
"And what?" His mom ask getting up. "This is where the funny part comes in. The chapel had a major blackout and lost their data so there's really no way to know. Until they get it fixed." He adds as his dad shakes his head and his mom sits back down.
"Alan why did we agree to have children?" She asked as he pulled her close. "I'm not sure really we were young and out our minds." She nods her head as she eats some popcorn. "We should have just kept the oldest and the girl. They both are less trouble."
Josh looks at them with a frown. "Hey! Cory is way worse than me." He tells his parents as they share a look and begin to laugh. "That's funny son." His dad chuckles shaking his head as they get up. "Your mother and I are headed to bed."
Josh nodded his head sighing in relief as he laid back on the couch glad that the topic of his marriage was over. "Oh and we will be continuing this discussion in the morning so don't even think about running." His mom warned giving him that look he'd seen Cory give Riley.
Josh glanced at the time on his phone before glancing at his bedroom door. It was after seven and he hadn't heard his parents get up yet. Which was odd since they were usually up before the sun starting their day. He was hoping that they were still tired from their cruise and he could escape.
He checked the time once more before grabbing his shoes and quietly making his way out his room. He stopped by the door smiling when he didn't hear them moving around. He had just made it to the front door with his hand on the knob when he was caught.
"7:30 on the dot pay up Alan." He groaned hitting his head on the door before turning around seeing his dad hand his mom money. "I thought you guys were still sleeping?" He asked dropping his things down as he heads for the kitchen.
"Oh we were but my mom radar informed me that my baby was trying to sneak out." She says as Josh pours himself some coffee. "Yeah it was like that time he snuck out to go to that r-rated movie with his friends when he was sixteen." His dad chuckles as he chokes on his coffee.
"You guys knew about that?" He asked as they both nodded. "Oh sweetie you were so loud sneaking out and besides feeny ratted you guys out when your friend peter stepped on his roses." His mom tells him sitting next to him. He shook his head remembering how peter did make a lot of noise.
"So." His mom begins causing Josh to sigh knowing he wasn't escaping another lecture. "I've had a long discussion with your father last night and we've decided that it would be in your best interest if we stayed in New York." Josh looked at her and then his dad who nodded his head in agreement.
"Come on I'm an adult now I don't need supervision anymore." His mom gives him a look saying otherwise as he groans.
Josh balanced the two boxes of pizza in his hand as he quickly knocks hoping the door would open. When it finally does he holds up the pizzas smiling as Maya gives him a look letting him in her place. "So you would not..."
"I think we should be just friends." Josh placed the food down as he turns around looking at Maya who looked nervous. "Friends?" He asked wondering if she was joking or not. "Isn't it a little to late for that?" He asked pointing at his ring. Maya sighed as Josh chuckled softly. "I'm kidding Maya and if I'm honest with you I agree."
Maya looked at him with wide eyes as they sit down at the counter. "Seriously? I thought you would be against it since you kind of confessed your feelings." She says biting at her lip as he sighs.
"Yeah I know but after only getting four hours of sleep and many and I mean many slaps to the back of the head. Which I'm sure I have a concussion from." He joked as Maya laughed. "I realized how wrong I was confessing the way I did and we don't even know if we are married and I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Maya smiles patting his hand as he looks at her weirdly. "Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" He asked as she shook her head. "Yes you are. What I did was horrible. I didn't take into account your feelings and I confess to liking you and admit I still had lingering feelings for my ex. You know what they call people like that?"
She shrugs her shoulders as he shakes his head. "Jackasses. Or douche bags or slimy little weasels who don't deserve to live." He takes a breath as Maya looks at him with a smile on your face. "You feel better douche ass weasel?" Josh smiled as they both begin to laugh.
"Only if you forgive me for being just that." He gestures as Maya looks at him with a confused expression. "Being what?" She asked biting her lip to keep from laughing. "You know what Hunter." She shrugs her shoulders as he sighs. "A douche ass weasel. Happy?" He ask as Maya begins to laugh at him.
He playfully glares at her as she grabs them sodas from the fridge. "So friends?" He asked as she hands him the soda. "Friends." She says sitting back down. "And I forgive you." He smiles as he opens up the pizza box handing her a slice.
"This may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship Hunter." He smiles holding up his soda. "To a beautiful friendship." Maya laughs. Josh looked at Maya as she ate her pizza with a smile on her face. They still had a lot to talk about but he knew it was going to be a beautiful beginning.
It dawned on me to late after I posted the last chapter that I did give Lucas a sister. Smh at myself. Hopefully you're enjoying story still and it's not boring ya yet.
Don't worry Joshaya will talk more about their relationship and dealing with their parents and rucas will have Riley's parents to deal with.