what the future holds

#6

"Thank you, Professor." I called as I walked out of the room. It was pitch dark except for the occasional street light and the light coming from rooms as I walked down the streets towards my house.

It was only natural to be nervous. After all, I'm walking home at night in New York and all alone. I have the right to be scared, but I absolutely didn't show it.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I jumped, then spun violently towards my attacker. It was that stupid Texan cowboy again.

"Why are you walking home alone at night, Maya?" Lucas asked, a stern look on his face. I was not in the mood to be scolded.

"Because I can." I shot back, walking faster away from him. He easily caught up with me.

"But you're afraid." Lucas noted. I scoffed and tried to walk faster, but my little legs were already carrying me as fast as they wanted to go.

"No." I retorted, deciding that I should ignore him. He shot question after question at me, but I remained silent, although my pace did slow.

"Why didn't your boyfriend just pick you up?" Lucas asked. This question caught my eye, or rather, ear.

"He–um," I started but Lucas read my eyes...again.

I really need to work on that.

"He's not here. For how long?" Lucas asked. Okay so either Lucas is incredibly talented or I'm just really easy to read. Probably both.

"The weekend." I muttered quietly. Lucas nodded.

"You're staying alone?" Lucas asked, he had concern in his voice but I ignored it. He couldn't possibly care about me anymore.

"Yes." I told him shortly.

"You need someone to stay with you. It's dangerous to stay alone for that many days without a ride or someone else." Lucas said, trying to stop me from walking. I avoided his grip the first time, but the second time he was able to turn me towards him. I looked at him, annoyed.

"I don't need anyone." I told him, trying to turn out of his grip, but he held me there, gentle but firm.

"Maya–"

"Why do you care?" I all but shouted. He looked at me, shocked.

"Because I care about you, Maya." He told me.

Liar.

"Oh you care about me, do you?" I ask him, bitterness in my voice from what happened years ago. "I thought it was always Riley." I said. He looked at me, partially hurt, partially surprised.

"You told me that if I cared about you I would tell her I loved her–"

"You think I really meant it?" I yelled into the silent night. "You think I actually wanted to give you up? I stood no chance." I cried out, letting all of my emotion from that rush through me. All of the feelings of betrayal, coming back to me. I told Riley's uncle that I would never want anything that Riley wanted, but Riley didn't mind at all going after someone I wanted. Lucas didn't fight for me. I was betrayed by Mr. and Mrs. Matthews who didn't really care about me, they just wanted their daughter to get the guy. The only one who hadn't betrayed me throughout my entire life was Josh.

"You told Riley's uncle that you only liked me because you were seeing if I was good enough for her." Lucas said. I glared at him. Typical boy, believe everything you here, why don't you.

"Of course I still liked you! But I didn't want to hurt my little sunshine. You were the perfect couple and all I did was get in the way." I explained, my voice became quiet by the end of the sentence. Lucas looked at me with green eyes, but they were filled with sadness.

"Maya, I had no idea..." Lucas said, his sad eyes finding their way to the ground at his feet, all of sudden he wasn't so interested in talking to me.

"Of course you didn't. Your focus was on Riley, and that's okay now." I told him, I headed back into my house. He followed me in and I didn't object, I was almost getting used to him being my shadow.

"Riley's with Farkle now. Do you even know why I came back?" Lucas asked me, I didn't need to know why he came, I just needed him to leave.

"I don't care." I told him, heading up the stairs. Lucas grabbed my hand and spun me around to face him.

"You do care and you care a whole lot. That's what I love about you." Lucas said, releasing his grip on my hand, but I didn't run.

The phrasing of his sentence threw me off.

That's what he loves about me? Does that mean that he's in love with that part of me or he just admires that? Oh geez this boy brings so much drama into my life.

Lucas stroked his thumb over my chin. I pulled away.

"You can stay here for the weekend if you need to." I told him flatly. Showing no emotion was what I did best. Most of the time, not even my closest friends could tell what I was feeling when I didn't want them to know. Lucas Huckleberry Friar, however, had always been the one exception.

"Maya, if you don't want me here–"

"I offered my home, Lucas. You can stay here or in a hotel or on the streets, I don't care." I told him. It was a harsh way of offering my hospitality to him but I knew it would get through. That sort of the thing was the way I always spoke to Lucas. Since the day I met him to the day I left New York City, that's how I talked to the cowboy.

"Thank you, Maya. You really do like me." Lucas said, reaching out to pull me into a hug. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get over the fact that it wasn't meant to be a friendly hug. Lucas was apologizing through physical contact, one of the things he did the very best. When he pulled out of the hug he looked into my sea blue eyes and leaned towards me. I quickly pushed him away.

"I liked you, Lucas. When you chose Riley that day at the ski lodge, I still liked you. When I told you to tell her you loved her, I liked you. When I told Riley's uncle that I had only liked you because I was protecting her, yes, I truly liked you. I did like you, Lucas, but it's not like that anymore."

__________

aw honeyy 🍯

♡ kylie