Summer Fling

The walk back to the beach house had been bittersweet. Although the confrontation with Tim was over, the battle wasn't. Maya still had to go to the police with the recording and give a statement, she then would have to testify in court and go ahead to head with whatever support system Tim brought with him. It could get ugly, even with his own voice on tape admitting what he did.

"Are your knuckles okay?" She asked. His arm was around her shoulders and she had reached up with her own hand to lace her fingers with his. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Doesn't hurt that bad." He replied. "I've had worse." Maya snorted.

"You go around punching people often?" She asked with amusement in her tone.

"Only when there's a gorgeous blond that needs to be saved." He joked back. She stopped walking, causing him to stop walking as well. They had made their way back to the beach house. standing in front of the porch. He smiled at her as she stood in front of him, lacing their fingers together and staring up at him. "Thank you." She hadn't told him yet. The truth was she didn't know what would have happened if he hadn't been there. Though she had a pretty good idea.

"You know," Josh started. "I don't think I ever made things official. We got so sidetracked that I forgot to ask." She raised an eyebrow.

"Ask what?" She pressed.

"Well let me see if I can remember," He teased. "So much has happened since then." She playfully punched his shoulder and he grinned. "You know I'm going to be there every step of the way with you, right?" His expression was now serious. "No more going through this alone." He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Does it bother you?" She asked, her voice shaky. "That he- that you weren't-"

"The only thing that bothers me, Maya, is how he did it." He told her. He ran his hands up her shoulders and rubbed softly. "What you did before me is what you did before me. If anything, I should be the one beating myself up because I could have had you years ago and I was the one who fucked it up. The thought of any guy putting his hands on you burns me up inside, but the fact that he did it after he drugged you-" He cut himself off taking a deep breath. "Maya, if you hadn't pulled me off of him I think I would have killed him." She made a small noise in the back of her throat.

"I don't think any of you Matthews are capable of killing anyone." Of course, she had just witnessed him throw someone off the side of the boardwalk. Josh stared at her intensely.

"You'd be surprised of what this Matthews is capable of." She swallowed hard.

"I don't want to talk about Tim anymore." She stated. His sharp intake of breath was enough to tell her that he didn't want to either. His jaw ticked and his body tensed at the sound of his name. "I want to talk about us." She squeezed his hand. "Ask me." She whispered.

"Maya," He started. "Will you cross the finish line over the long game with me?" She laughed, letting go of his hand and throwing her arms around his neck. He caught her around her waist and pulled her closer.

"You're asking me right?" She teased. "And not one of your other gorgeous blonds you've been seeing lately?"

"Shut up," He grinned before leaning in and kissing her. Maya ran her hand through his hair, deepening the kiss and bringing her hands down to the collar of his shirt, getting ready to drag him inside the house when the sliding glass door opened interrupting them.

"Where have the two of you been?!" Cory's voice sounded panicked as he came onto the porch in his robe. "The whole house has been in a frenzy with Riley going into labor, and then you two weren't in your beds-"