YO! Two updates in one day! Considering the events following Ski Lodge, I guess you could now consider this story as slightly AU. Anyway, here's where the drama starts to kick in!

Much love,

H xx

Chapter 3: Empty Hearts | Rundown Bodies

Cont.

When Maya's eyes fluttered open in the early hours of the next morning, she took it as her body's way of telling her it was time to leave. Moving the stray blonde tresses that had fallen over her face in her light slumber, the blonde slowly slung one leg out of the bed as quietly as possible.

Pausing slightly, Maya was in the process of shifting her other leg from under the quilt when she realized that her bed buddy's breathing was not as steady as she had first thought. Slinging her legs back onto the bed, the girl shifted to lay on her back.

"Josh?" she mumbled, staring blankly at the ceiling.

There was silence in reply at first, and Maya wondered if she had merely overjudged the young man's breathing patterns. However, the blonde was proven right seconds later.

"Mmm?" Josh mumbled in replied, shifting in the bed next to her.

"I'm gonna go," Maya answered decisively, turning to face the boy in question. She instantly wished she hadn't.

She inwardly groaned and attempted to swat away the thoughts that were now flying around in her foggy mind. Like how deliciously handsome Joshua Matthews looked in the pale morning light, his disheveled hair falling messily over his forehead. Or how the slow rise and fall of the man's bare chest calmed Maya in a way that almost nothing else could.

However, creeping in amongst the layers of longing and wanting, were thoughts that were more sinister to the young woman, and they ate away at her until she almost didn't want to leave, but for a different reason.

Those blue eyes that Maya often found herself lost in, were perched on the type of bags that you wanted to avoid, and the girl bit back the urge to question why. Josh's tussled hair fell onto an incredulously creased brow that made Maya wonder what was bouncing around that deep-thinking brain of his.

It was evident that the man had not received little to any sleep following he and Maya's 'activities', but she wasn't about to press as to why. She would swallow the questions that begged to be asked and instead let them gnaw away at her internally.

Lost in her thoughts as usual, Maya's wayward mind space was only broken when she realized that Josh was replying to her earlier statement of departure.

"Alright," he half-sighed as he propped himself up on his elbow, now over-looking Maya's petite frame.

"Alright," the blonde replied, pulling herself upwards before in eventuality out of the bed.

She tried her hardest not to look back at Josh in an effort not to cave into sympathy for the clearly emotionally exhausted young man. She'd probably fumbled and say something stupid along the lines of 'Alright Matthews, talk to me.' Maya cringed at the thought as she pulled her creased black t-shirt over hear head with a quiet enough grunt.

The questions from moments earlier had already begun the slow churn of Maya's stomach, but they were to be locked away in Joshua Matthew's cell in her dungeon of sadness. She had known he was broken on the first night he came searching for her, but trying to fix him would be adding further insult to injury.

So away they went, locked in along with the feelings that remained prisoner even after years passed, replaced will a dull numbing feeling that would soon grow. And she didn't look at him on her way out, for she worried that one glimpse might send her scrambling for the key.

When Maya woke again a few hours after slipping through her apartment door, she could hear the bubbly laughter of her flat mate echoing through the apartment. They had company.

Groaning slightly, the blonde dragged herself sluggishly out of bed and simply ran a hand through her tussled locks. She had recognized the other voice as Lucas now, and despite the tumultuous turns of high school, the girl remained comfortable enough around the Texan to not bother with making herself presentable.

"Howdy-ho!" Maya cried in jest as she made her entrance in the living area known. She took note of her brunette best friend taking homage at a kitchen bench stool, while Lucas sat splayed over the couch.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Hart," Riley clucked, skepticism evident in her raised brow.

Maya rolled her eyes in an exasperated reply, moving toward the couch and roughly adjusting Lucas' limbs in a bid to make room to sit.

After a scrimmage that went on until Riley cleared her throat, Maya eventually moved to the singular armchair in defeat.

"When are you leaving anyway, Huckleberry?" The nickname had stuck.

"Maya!" Riley exclaimed.

"What?" the blonde raised her hands in defense. "Don't you have classes to be getting to? Horses to be…birthing?" Maya's face scrunched as she realized she should've stopped talking after the first question.

She could see Riley shaking her head while Lucas merely let out a small chuckle.

"My flight out is tonight," he answered, sitting a little straighter on the couch. "I just wanted to get one last visit with Riley in."

The blonde emitted a sort of fake-gagging noise, although there was a pang of bitterness in the fact that Riley had a boyfriend that would catch a flight out of Texas in the drop of a (Cowboy's) hat just to see her.

A cup of tea, a shower, and a pair of fresh clothes later, Maya was out of the apartment once again. She decided that since Lucas was bound for Texas and another drudging college semester later that evening, she would let the couple spend their due time together.

Early April, 1 Week Later

The next time Josh visited the flat, it wasn't for a scandalous rendezvous with a certain fiery blonde; it was because the man felt a certain guilt eating at him about an overdue coffee date.

The catchups between Josh and Riley usually took place on a fortnightly basis, but 3 months has passed since the last, and a perky brunette was beginning to ask questions.

Josh was good at dodging, but his excuses finally ran thin, and the man agreed silently to sacrifice his ability to look his niece in the eye for a small coffee catchup.

"Uncle Josh!" his niece exclaimed when he let himself in quietly.

"Riles!" he shot back as the younger Matthews embraced him.

"It's good to finally see you, Mr. Always-Busy!"

Josh laughed lightly at the girl in front of him. While Riley was still as goofy as ever, he stared in admiration at the graceful young woman that his niece was growing into.

"Have you figured out how to work the machine yet?" Josh asked as he followed Riley towards the kitchen. He ushered to the coffee machine that he had bought Riley and Maya as a housewarming gift over a year ago.

Knowing his niece's clumsy nature, Josh had witnessed Riley time and again try to make a coffee with no result other than coffee grounds in her hair.

Riley smirked and his suspicions were confirmed.

"No," the girl smiled, "Maya's a pro, but I don't think I'll ever get the hang of it."

Josh hoped that Riley didn't notice that his smile faltered when she mentioned her best friend's name. as he began to shoo away the thoughts that came rushing in. He wondered why the blonde hadn't emerged yet. Maybe she wasn't here. Maybe that was best.

"It's not for everyone, niece," he said encouragingly, clawing through his Maya-clad thoughts and rustling Riley's hair.

Riley smiled warmly at Josh as she stepped aside from the coffee machine to allow him to work his magic.

"So how is the roommate situation anyway?" Josh asked inconspicuously as he scanned the fridge for milk.

"I'm not tired of it yet," Riley smiled, seating herself on a stool at the kitchen bench. "There's something about living with your best friend that is so special."

Josh turned momentarily to let his niece know he was smiling at her comment. That's when he noticed that her own smile has disappeared.

"Maya's acting a little strange lately, though," the girl continued.

"Oh?" the young man mumbled, turning his attention back to the coffee machine with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah," Riley said breathily, confusing lacing her tone. "She's been awfully distant. It's almost as if she's seeing someone…" she trailed off.

Riley's last sentence ended as more of a question than a statement, so Josh took it upon himself to find the answer.

"But?" he asked curiously, pushing down the panic that was rising in his stomach. He didn't dare turn around.

"It's like she's seeing someone," the girl thought aloud once more, "But, she's lonelier than ever."

Josh stopped momentarily as he heard Riley's downcast tone. He felt a pang somewhere, he wasn't sure where. But it was somewhere.

He wasn't sure what to say, what to even think. So he broke the silence with the gurgle of the coffee machine until Riley decided to ask more questions. His paranoia hoped that Riley didn't wonder why he had no ever-wise answer for Maya's situation.

'Because you caused it', Josh tried not to outwardly cringe as the thought crept in, setting Riley's coffee down in front of her with a smile.

And so the morning passed, Riley was all smiles and family, with no evidence that the young man in front of her was probably seeing her best friend more than she was.

And Josh was just as he should be. Wearing his smile like an old coat that still fit but didn't have much appeal anymore.

And when Riley finally shut the door behind him he paced a few steps before letting out a sigh of frustration. Frustration that his thoughts were not caffeine and family and happiness, but lonely eyes and blonde hair and fire.

Because Josh's only feeling of not seeing Maya today that was stronger than relief, was disappointment.