WHO'S STANDING NEXT TO YOU?
This is a Rucas (Riley and Lucas) fanfiction based on this quote from the show One Tree Hill:
"Imagine a future moment in your life when all your dreams come true. You know it's the greatest moment and you get to experience it with one person. Who's standing next to you?"
Background/setting: It is junior year of high school and Lucas and his friends have traveled back to Texas so that he could compete for the most prestigious title in the bull-riding category at the rodeo. Lucas and Riley have been broken up for a few months after deciding that they might work better as "just friends." Little does Lucas know that the real reason for this breakup is much more complicated. Right before Lucas is called into the ring to ride "Quiet Riot" the bull, Riley admits to still having feelings for him. Shocked, Lucas just stands there and says, "I care about you, but I don't want to go through this again." Riley gets upset and runs off, leaving Lucas to face what is going to happen next on his own.
Note: This is set from Lucas' point of view.
Other note: I could have used this quote to write something for all the chaos that happened in Texas or even just after that and used it to show Lucas' struggle between Maya and Riley, but I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to go there if I'm honest haha.
Other other note: I do not own the characters or the quote that this story is based off of. However, the dialogue and story are mine.
There was a loud roar coming from the other side of the gate where the crowd was cheering, celebrating, being happy. I was fully aware of this and yet all I heard was silence. I knew before I looked up at the time on the board that I had won. I felt it before I even hit the ground. This is what I had worked so hard for. This was my dream. And yet, I couldn't let myself hear the crowd. Couldn't let my eyes wander over to the board flashing my winning time. None of it mattered. Not without…
"You did it!" I heard Zay yell as he jumped the gate and ran towards me.
I stared at him for a few seconds before I realized that he was talking to me.
"Yeah," I said in a trance. The volume of the crowd, mere white noise only moments ago, was slowly starting to push its way to the surface of my mind.
I looked behind me. Maya and Farkle were running towards me now too.
"Not bad Huckleberry! Not bad at all," Maya said with a sly smirk.
"See? I told you that if we just stuck by and believed in him he would be fine! There was never any need to doubt him," Farkle, ever the loyal friend, said with a giant smile.
"I didn't doubt him! I just didn't want to inflate his ego too much before he actually won by telling him he could," Maya replied.
I looked at all my friends and then I looked out into the crowd. This was the moment I should be jumping up and down with joy. Pappy Joe was smiling and clapping like this was the proudest moment of his life. People in the crowd were starting to chant my name. But something was missing. Someone was missing. The person I wanted with me when all my dreams came true. The person who believed in me more than I believed in myself. She wasn't here and it was all my fault.
"I have to go," I muttered before turning around and running towards the gate.
There were so many people here. I maneuvered my way through the sea of bodies, frantically searching the crowd for her face.
"Riley!?" I shouted, looking around.
I wanted her here with me. And I needed her to know that I wanted her here with me.
"Riley!?"
I would never forgive myself if she left without knowing how I really felt.
"Ril-!"Someone gently touched my shoulder from behind me and I spun around quickly.
"I thought you might have left," I said breathlessly, staring at Riley Matthews' beautiful face.
"Of course I didn't leave. I told you once that I would always believe in you. And I still do. I couldn't just not watch," Riley said, staring at me with her warm brown eyes. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was holding my breath.
"You were watching?" I asked.
"Of course. You were amazing. I had no doubt that you would be. You always are," she said, slowly removing her eyes from my gaze and shifting them to the ground. She sounded sad, tired almost. So unlike the Riley Matthew I've known for so long.
"Riley, I-" I started to say, but she cut me off.
"Lucas, it's okay. We had our chance at being a real couple and it was perfect. And then I got scared and told you we were better at being friends. Again," she laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You have every right not to feel the way you used to feel anymore. People change, they move on. I need to accept that I think. And I need to let you go. But I promise I will always be there for you. Always." Riley took my hand in both of hers, brought it up to her mouth to gently touch her lips to it, and then dropped it quickly as she turned to walk in the opposite direction.
"I told you a long time ago that my moment would be my moment," I started to say, hoping she would turn back to face me. She did. Slowly. "Do you remember that? I thought that my moment had happened a long time ago, a dozen different times, but I think that this is it. I think that me telling you this is my official moment." I took a deep breath. "When I was on that bull today all I could think about was that first time we all came to Texas because you and Maya signed me up to ride Tombstone. I remember being so terrified. And I remember everyone being terrified for me. Everyone except you. Your faith in me never wavered and I don't think I could have gotten through it without you," I said, swallowing hard and looking her directly in the eyes.
"When the bull finally threw me today and I realized that I had won, the world went silent for a few seconds. And in those few seconds I realized something. I realized that I was happy that I had won, but I wasn't happy that the one person I wanted with me when all my dreams came true wasn't there… You weren't there and you should've been because I should have told you this a long time ago. I love you. I'm in love with you. And I shouldn't have let you walk away earlier. Or a few months ago. Not without telling you all of this. Not without telling you that I want us to share moments like I felt today together. For a long time." I breathed in deeply, feeling vulnerable and afraid that I had missed my chance. "So that was my moment… I hope I didn't ruin it."
Riley had tears in her eyes, but she didn't look sad anymore. In fact, I swear that I saw a glimpse of the Riley Matthews that fell into my lap that first day on the subway. She was someone I hadn't seen in a long time and I missed her so much.
She smiled sweetly. "You didn't ruin it. In fact, it was everything I used to dream it would be," she said, almost in a whisper. She stepped closer and took both my hands in hers. "I missed you."
My hands moved up to her face and I brushed a piece of hair from her eyes. We had been with each other practically everyday since the breakup, but I knew what she meant. "Not as much as I missed you," I said quietly.
I leaned in close, breathing in the scent of her vanilla and honey shampoo, and our lips met. She was the one person I wanted with me when all my dreams came true and now that she was here I finally let myself look at the scoreboard. I smiled widely and kissed her again.