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Chapter 4 Christmas Heartache

2019

"Where's lover boy?" Josh asked when he found Maya hidden away on the stairs in the kitchen.

"Asher is stuck in London," Maya answered. "He was supposed to be home from his business trip yesterday but there was a blizzard. Shut down the whole airport, I suppose he's in his hotel room right about now, sleeping."

"So, you're missing his family's Christmas Eve party. Shame," Josh said, shaking his head. "I'd say I'm sorry but I'm glad you're here tonight instead of there with them."

Maya sighed. "Josh now's really not the time."

"If you're so serious about each other then why didn't you go with him to good ole' England?" Josh asked.

Maya huffed. "Because, I had finals Josh. And also, I am not that type of girl."

"What type of girl?" Josh asked, smirking at her.

"The kind of girl who discusses those sorts of things with other people," Maya replied, rolling her eyes.

"Don't look so glum, chum!" Josh ordered. "It's Christmas Eve. Santa's watching!"

"I know the secret, Josh. No such thing as Santa!"

Josh pursed his lips together, trying to think of a way to cheer her up since none of his usual tactics were working. "Okay. You wait here, I'll be right back!"

He went into the living room and went through his father's record collection. He changed out the Bing Crosby album and then danced through the kitchen, barely escaping the door hitting him in the back.

"What are you doing Josh?" Maya asked as he held out his hand to her.

"Sweeping you off your feet," Josh replied as he took her hand and started to dance with her.

"I'll warn you, I am not easily swept off of my feet," Maya said as he whirled her around the kitchen before effortlessly picking her up and twirling her around while she shrieked a little. "Josh! What are you doing?"

"Are you cheered up yet?" He asked.

"If you think one dance is going to cheer me up—"

"You're not allowed to have a bad attitude," he told her as he dipped her. Her blonde hair almost touched the floor before he pulled her back up into an upright position.

"I am not having a bad attitude!" Maya insisted. "I'm just not really into celebrating right now."

"Why not? All your friends and family are here. Don't we count as much as Asher does?" Josh asked.

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Are you manipulating me?"

"No. Just stating facts," Josh answered. "We are all here. We do love you. It's not like you're stuck with people who don't care."

"It's just. . ." Maya trailed off. "It's just I kind of wanted him to be here, I want him to be a part of this. Of our patched together little family."

"I wouldn't say that we're all that little," Josh replied jokingly as he stopped dancing with her. "We're growing yearly. I am sure he'll become a part of the family as time goes on. We're all going to give him a chance but only for your sake."

"But then there's this other part of me," Maya told him. "The part that can't see him being a part of this world at all. And I'm not even sure I want him to be."

"Trouble in paradise?" Josh quipped.

"No. No not at all," Maya said. "He's perfect. The perfect gentleman, the perfect everything. But still, he's from the Upper East Side. His parents never got divorced. His father knows people like Chuck Bass and Lin Manuel Miranda."

"Lin Manuel Miranda isn't exactly Upper East Side," Josh said. "He has a whole musical about where he's from—"

"And then there's me. I was raised Hell's Kitchen! I am a poster child for children of divorced parents. And yes, I've had a good life but our worlds are so different. But I still want to be with him tonight."

"I suppose that's what love is."

"Love?" Maya repeated. "No. I don't think we love each other."

"You've been dating for over a year and you don't think you love him?" Josh looked incredulous. "Don't you think you should know by now?"

"Not everybody's like you and your family," Maya answered. "Harts don't just find that one person and know they're the ones we want to spend the rest our lives with."

Josh grabbed her as she started to walk away. "You haven't?" he asked earnestly.

"I already told you, I don't know if I love Asher. I don't even know if he's the One. You all seem to know. . ." Maya trailed off and looked at him. "Well, maybe you don't. I haven't seen you date anyone at all, not in all of my years coming here."

"I don't have time for a relationship," Josh answered, waving her off.

Riley came into the kitchen. "Have you managed to cheer her up? She's been in such a bad mood since she found out Asher wouldn't be home in time for Christmas."

Maya sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm fine Riles. Stop worrying about me, okay? Thank you for trying Josh, but I think I'm just going to see if I can catch an early train home. Tell my mom where I've went, okay?"

"Do you want me to drive you to the station?" Josh asked as he trailed behind her. "If I don't, you'll have no way of getting there."

Riley and Maya exchanged looks, having a conversation with their eyes and then the blonde turned back to him and shrugged. "I guess you can drive me to the train station, if you'd really like to."

"I'll go and get my car keys and coat," Josh said. "Be right back."

"You better be careful, Maya," Riley told him.

"What are you talking about?" Maya asked as she put her coat on and wound her scarf around her neck.

"He has feelings for you. It's written all over his face," Riley told her.

"I told you a long time ago, he's never going to like me. We're friends is all, it's better to keep it that way. . . not get my hopes up that something else is going to happen when it's obviously not."

"Are you only with Asher because you can't have Josh?" Riley inquired.

"Riles, you know it's not like that!" Maya insisted. "I'm with Asher because I like him."

"Liking somebody isn't always enough. C0me on Maya, we haven't talked about this—"

"Are you ready to go, Maya?" Josh called, zipping up his jacket and twirling his keys around his finger.

"Ready!" Maya called back.

Riley stopped Maya. "Think about it. Really think about it. More than one person's heart is at stake here. Please be careful Peaches."

Maya hugged Riley. "I will be. I promise! I love you honey."

"Love you too," Riley murmured. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Maya replied, squeezing her tightly.

TBC. . .

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Author's Note:

I know I am cutting it down to the wire here. But I promise this story will be done before the holidays are over. I appreciate your patience with and your reviews for this story. I'll be back soon with another chapter. I promise!

In the meantime, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! I will be thinking of you all fondly this weekend.

Lots of Love,

Holly, 12/22/2016