A/N.: This idea came to me a couple of weeks ago and I just had to write it down. I had originally planned this to be a one-shot, but turns out (and this comes as no surprise) I got too excited with the story and, therefore, it got kinda long, reason why I'm turning it into a two-parter. I'd love to know your thoughts on this though, so please let me know what you think! Your opinions are deeply appreciated! Enjoy!
"Riley? Riles, you there?"
Lucas walks into the dark, silent living room, confusion painting his features. He turns the lights on as his eyes scan the apartment, the place is completely empty. His mind instantly wanders back to the conversation he had with Riley over breakfast. They weren't on the best terms for the past couple of days, that was for sure, but she had promised him she'd make it tonight.
He steps aside letting Zay in, throwing his keys on the table when something catches his eye. Oh no, she didn't. Lucas can feel his jaw tighten as he reads the note, rolling his eyes at its unpleasant, though unsurprising, message. It doesn't go unnoticed by Zay.
"Let me guess… Jackass? He chuckles, walking over to the couch.
"What do you think?" The blonde bites out, rereading the note aloud "Out with Jack. Don't wait up. Wink face." Lucas features distort in disgust as he scrunches up the piece of paper and tosses it away.
He throws his gym bag on the floor by the sofa, a second before his body follows suit, falling exhausted on the familiar cushions "We need to stop calling him that, by the way." Lucas waits for his friend to protest, but when all he gets is a questioning look he sighs "I may have accidentally called him Jackass the other night. Riley was pissed." He waits a beat, smirking as his eyes return to Zay "I told her it was your idea."
"Of course you did, let Zay take the burn! Real friend you are." He says outraged, though failing to keep a straight face.
"It was me or you, man. And I'm the one who has to live with her."
"Has to?" Zay laughs dramatically "You say that as if you didn't like it."
"Anyway, I'd rather be on good terms with my roommate, thank you very much." Lucas ignores the knowing remark, trying to focus on anything but the fact he was being stood up by Riley. Again.
"It ain't my fault Riley has the worst taste in men." Zay shrugs "No offense."
"Non taken, I actually agree. I mean, look at us! She dated me when I was a problematic prick, all dark past and anger issues. I don't know why, it's like she has this pull to the broken ones. I guess Riley believes she can fix them."
"Well, sometimes she does. I mean, look at you!" He says matter-of-factly.
Zay was right, Lucas knew so. He never talks about it, not even with Riley, but he still recalls every last bit of it: the rage, heartbeat rising, blood boiling, muscles rigid, tunnel vision and the nothingness that followed. The darkness that'd overtake him on those few minutes his mind went blank and ultimately out of control, when he would see nothing, feel nothing and remember nothing but the sounds of his own mismatching breaths. He hadn't experienced that in a really long time… thanks to her.
Lucas had tried fighting it on his own and failed more times than he could count, until one day he stopped, convinced it wasn't worth the struggle, accepting it as his 'nature'. Being transferred to New York had been the last straw, even his parents said so, and if he was honest, he'd been grateful. He wanted nothing more than for them to give up on him, for it gave Lucas one more reason to do so as well. At the end of the day, he was just a bad boy wannabe heading nowhere fast and everyone knew it.
But then there was Riley Matthews.
She would never give up on him. She made it clear from the start and now, ten years later, she was still Lucas greatest supporter and absolute best friend (just don't tell Zay that). Of course, once upon a time they'd been more. But that was a touchy subject, one Lucas didn't understand to this day and one Riley avoided like the plague. Which didn't really make sense, after all he was the dumpee, how could it possibly hurt her to talk about it more than it did him? He closes his eyes, shaking the thoughts away and trying to focus on whatever Zay was saying.
"… I still don't get you guys' breakup, to be honest."
"Look, it happened. We tried, it didn't work and we're past it. Riley and I are great together, just not… just not as a couple." He tries to sound nonchalant about it, doing his best to ignore both Zay's inquiring stare and the sour taste the words leave in his mouth.
"So you're telling me it doesn't bother you the slightest little bit that she's out with another guy right now." The thought sounded so ridiculous to Zay he doubted Lucas could believe it himself.
"Nope." He pops the 'p', shaking his head.
"Yeah ok." Zay laughs ironically.
"What? I'm serious. I'm over her!" He says unconvincingly.
"Sure you are, champ. Whatever helps you sleep at night, you know, when Riley is next door doing God knows what with Jack…" Lucas throws a cushion his way, which Zay dodges easily, an amused smile playing on his lips "So much for being over it, hum."
"Do you have a point?" The blonde exhales frustrated, running a hand through his sweaty hair.
"I do, I just don't think you wanna hear it." Lucas rises his brows impatiently, willing Zay to continue "Look, you've been best friends for a decade. You've freaking lived together for almost two years!"
"Yeah, well, you and Maya bailed on us!" He says defensively.
It was supposed to be the four of them. After sophomore year on NYU, the four friends agreed they'd had enough of living on Campus, deciding to rent an apartment. The girls would share a room, the guys would take the other, it wasn't big or fancy but it was near Campus and for a reasonable price. For six months it worked perfectly, until Josh got a raise on his job and moved to a new, bigger place. He and Maya had been dating since her freshman year, so when she started to spend every other night on his flat, Lucas, Riley and Zay had all known it was only a matter of time until she moved out of their apartment permanently, which she did by the end of junior year.
Still, there was Zay… that is until he decided his last year was to be spent on the hottest fraternity on Campus. How he managed to get in on his last year was still a mystery to Lucas, one he didn't mind not solving, too afraid to learn whatever Zay must have done get in. He'd rather not know entirely. By all means, the fact was that with Maya and Zay gone, Riley and Lucas had the apartment to themselves. They had considered looking for separate places, but came to the conclusion it would be not only more stressful but much more expensive, so they decided to stick to the plan, unlike their unreliable friends, and keep living together until graduation.
That decision was made ten months ago and during that time something they didn't think possible happened. Riley and Lucas grew closer. Lucas had expected, and feared even, that living alone with her would be awkward, you know, given their history. But it wasn't. If anything it was the polar opposite. He felt extremely comfortable around her, like he always had. If he was honest, Riley was the one thing that made that apartment truly feel like home… only she hadn't been around much, lately.
Since starting seeing Jack, over a month ago, Riley was never home anymore… for anything. Gone were their movie nights or cooking extravaganzas, oh no, nowadays he was lucky to catch her for ten minutes during breakfast. She was always studying with Jack or on a date with Jack or doing whatever other things with Jack Lucas would rather not know, let alone think about. He kept telling himself it was only a matter of time though. She'd break up with him. She always did.
"Excuses, excuses… just admit you're jealous and move on already." Zay's voice breaks his trail of thought "Or don't, fight for her if you will. Just do something to get out of this weird limbo you've been stuck in since you guys broke up."
"I'm not jealous, okay? And there is no limbo!" Lucas protests "I'm just worried. The guy is a douche and so were all the others. I don't get it! Why does she keep doing this?"
"I don't know, man. But it's been almost two months, it should end soon enough and then you'll have your precious Riley back."
The unspoken two-month-rule. It seemed to be Riley's new norm, every relationship (if Lucas could even call them that) he had witnessed her get into for the past two and a half years hadn't made it to the third month. She had a pattern, a really strange, not-Riley-like, specific pattern and it took Lucas a while but he seemed to finally have it figured out. It was easy enough really, like a checklist. Get the stupidest asshole you can find, start seeing him nonstop for a couple of months and then end things, out of the blue, for no apparent reason. Oh yes, and never talk to your best friend slash roommate about it. Though the fact he was also her slash ex-boyfriend was probably a justifiable reason to keep the topic off limits.
"I just can't believe she bailed on me. Again! I talked to her this morning, she told me she had a class and wouldn't make it to the game and I get that, but she promised to go to the after party." His voice started to raise, an edge to his tone Zay didn't hear often "I mean, this is important! We're two months away from graduating, the season is almost over, these are my last games as quarterback! And she promised! I can't believe she lied to me!"
"Woah, Lucas, calm down." Zay held up his hand, wide eyes urging Lucas to stop, but the blonde barely noticed the shift on his friend's demeanor or the boy's clear discomfort, too absorbed on his own raging thoughts.
"No! This is shit!" He yelled "He'll be gone in a matter of weeks and I'll still be here, I've always been here! I wish Riley would stop pushing me aside for whoever she elects jerk of the month. That's not fair. It's selfish and it's messed up."
The door shut loudly, echoing endlessly through the living room. Lucas blood runs cold as he swallows, watching Zay get up from the couch carefully.
"I, hum, I should probably go." His stare bouncing from Lucas to the person behind him and back again. The blonde didn't have to look to know who it was.
Thick silence fills the room as Zay rushes out of the apartment, the air heavy with tension, making it hard to breath. It's only once he hears the door close that Lucas hesitantly looks over his shoulder, dreading the unavoidable argument he knows awaits him. She's standing by the door, arms folded, her usually sweet chocolate orbs shooting daggers at him.
"I thought you were out with Jackas… Jack, tonight." Lucas says, surprised by how bitter his own voice sounds.
"Clearly." Riley chuckles sarcastically, rolling her eyes up as she fights her gathering tears.
"So you heard." He all but whispers, his mouth dry as her stare captures his again, cutting its way to his soul.
"Every word." Riley says through gritted teeth, storming to her room.