Riley's POV
Farkle climbed in through the window. He looked at us with a stunned expression. He must have seen us kiss.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, I just came by to see if Maya came back." He clasped his hands and looked down at them awkwardly. He continued "And to see if you two worked things out, which clearly you have, so nice to see you ladies, I'll just be going now."
He started to make his way back toward the window, but Maya stepped in his path.
"Not a word to anyone about this." She demanded.
"I wouldn't even know what to say," he replied. Maya stepped aside and Farkle left through the window.
Maya's POV
Riley looked worried. I'm sure my face mirrored the same sentiment.
"Do you think he's going to tell Lucas?" Riley asked.
"No. He wouldn't." I assured her.
"Now I'm conflicted." Riley said. "I don't want to tell Lucas because it might hurt him, but Farkle is Lucas' best friend and I don't want Farkle to have to keep something from him." Typical Riley. Always putting others ahead of herself. It's one of the many qualities I love about her.
"Sweetie," I took her hand and lead her back to where we were sitting on the bay window. "What would we tell him? We haven't even talked about this ourselves yet."
"You're right. We should probably talk about this. You first." Riley said.
"Why don't you go first?" I countered.
"Because you kissed me first, so you talk first."
Before I could object she summoned "Ring power." Darn. Can't argue with ring power.
I sighed, taking a moment to try to figure out where to begin. "Riley, I've always felt closer to you than to anyone else in my life. When I was with Lucas, I kept thinking about you. At first it was guilt, knowing that you sacrificed your chance with him for me. But then it was more than that. It was like I was comparing him to you, and while you are both golden rays of sunshine, I realized he wasn't my golden ray of sunshine. You are, Riley."
A huge smile spread across Riley's face.
I continued, "I realized in that moment, that I might have feelings for you, and the only way I would know for sure if those feelings were really more than friendship, is if I acted on them."
"And what did you find out when you acted on them?" Riley asked.
"That I do have feelings for you, Riles. Maybe I always have, and just never really understood them until now." I answered.
"And now it's your turn. What are you feeling?" I asked with trepidation.
Riley's POV
"I'm feeling both happy and scared at the same time." I bit my lip, not sure how to explain my feelings.
"What scares you?" Maya asked.
"So many things. How Lucas will react. How our parents will take it. How our classmates will treat us. How strangers will treat us." I replied.
"And what about the happy part?" Maya asked, smiling.
I couldn't help but smile back. "Maya, you are my favorite person in the world. That first kiss, it took me by surprise, but it was amazing. It was exhilarating. I felt like I was getting to know a part of you I hadn't seen before. And I always thought I knew every part of you there was to know."
"So what do you want to do about it, Riley?" Maya asked playfully.
"I want to get know you better." I ran my fingers through her hair and leaned in. I kissed her lips, softly at first, and then more intensely. I parted her lips with my tongue and her tongue danced with mine.
Remember to keep breathing, Riley. It would be really embarrassing to pass out again.
Maya slowly pulled away from our make out session.
"Was I biting?" I asked.
"No" she shook her head.
"Was I bad?"
"No! Riley, you're great."
"Then why did you stop?" I asked.
Maya looked into my eyes and asked "Do you have feelings for me, Riley?"
Wow. Tough questions already. I have to answer this really carefully.
"Maya, If you asked me that before yesterday, I would have said I love you as my best friend. But after you kissed me, I'm not sure now. I feel like things are different between us now, in a good way. I feel even closer to you now, and I like that. I know it's not the answer you want to hear. I'm really not sure, but I want to take a chance and see where this leads us." I explained as delicately as I could.
She nodded in understanding.
Maya's POV
I shouldn't have asked her that so soon. I'm putting too much pressure on her. I need to take a breath and slow down.
"You know what scares me?" I started.
"The possibility that I might not return your feelings the same way?" Riley offered.
"There's something even scarier than that." I said.
"That you're going to have to start wearing rainbows and going to pride with me?" She poked fun.
"Hey, I got no problems with rainbows. Though they do look better on you." I said.
"I know." She smiled
"What are you afraid of Maya?" Riley asked.
"That this is going to end badly. That one of us will hurt the other, and we won't be the same anymore. I never want us to not be friends." I revealed my fears to her.
She put her arm around me and pulled me in for an embrace. "That will never happen, Peaches."
"How can you be so sure?" I asked.
"Because you're my best friend and I will always do my best by you." Riley said.