A/N: It's been such a long time since I've been on here. I think the last time I updated was in October to complete Dangerous Woman, but even then the chapter was finished the month before. When I published Dangerous Woman it was such an amazing experience for me because not only was it my first story, but you guys read it and reviewed it. I just missed that and I came back for more. The idea for this story came to me on August 26th, 2018. The writing process started on November of 2018 and I completed it on April 10, 2019. I knew from the beginning the direction I wanted it to go and it made me happy that I got the chance to be able to do just that.

This story has already been completed, it's the first story that I have been able to do this and I hope you guys enjoy it. I will be responding to all the reviews so make them count. Enjoy!

Where Love Blooms

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The snow in New York was starting to melt as the first days of April settled in. The sun was out and bright in the early morning and the air was a fresh breeze, the trees stood like x-rays of their summer selves. Their branches as empty and dead-like as a skeleton. The wildflowers in the bushes were starting to blossom again, as people left their homes to continue with their daily lives. Young Riley Matthews took the same path she took to Topanga's, a local bakery she now owned, through her favorite side of the park. There was a pond near it that she had grown to love because of her parents. It's where her dad proposed to her mom and where a promise - that was now broken - was created.

She tucked her hands inside her coat and took a few seconds to admire the view of the Bow Bridge in front of her. Immediately she was reminded of her younger self playing in the grass, feeding the ducks and running into her mother's arms.

Although those memories were very important to her, that wasn't the reason she was smiling. She was smiling because it wasn't just a regular day. It was a special day for her. Today marked three years since her relationship with Lucas began.

He had made the past three years for her the best and she was so happy because of it.

When it became clear that they both had feelings for each other, Lucas became extremely flirty with her. He would compliment her and tell her she was pretty all the time and nothing could stop him. It made her smile a lot and the unacknowledged feelings between them encouraged him to continue.

To further show Riley he liked her, Lucas refused to let her pay for the things she needed when they were together. He said that he didn't mind it, and she loved that; even if she didn't show it. He would comment hearts under her Instagram posts and whisper in her ear things she never imagined he would say when they were just friends.

The day he asked her out was a day she would never forget. This was mainly due to the events that occurred in which he gathered the courage to finally ask her that led to the best years of her life.

It was like a scene taken out of a movie.

She was seated on her bay window in her newly bought apartment whom she lived in with Maya at the time. The blonde was right next to her and they were talking about Lucas. Riley had never been so happy to talk about anyone in her life, saying his name made her feel things she never felt before. She was telling Maya that she would say yes if Lucas asked her out.

Unbeknownst to the brunette, she had accidentally butt dialed him when she sat down and Lucas heard everything.

When he was able to process the words she said, he ran out of the building he was working in and into the cold rain. He had to see her. He smiled the entire drive to her place and by the time he reached her house, she was alone and he was completely soaked in rain.

She offered him a towel but he refused. He had to know if what she said was true.

Riley was quick to discover just how he found out. She felt embarrassed for doing something like that and not realizing it.

"Did you mean it?" he had asked her, his hand meeting hers. "Cause it would make me really happy if you did."

Riley stared at his green eyes, searching for the same emotions she felt a few minutes before. The thrill was still there and the excitement was still there, in its complete form. "I did."

He kissed her. And that was just the beginning.

The first year they dated was about getting to know each other romantically. All they ever knew was how to be friends; not boyfriend and girlfriend. In a matter of days, Riley got to see Lucas in many ways she hadn't before. She got to learn about the way he handled things on a personal level. She learned that he had the biggest heart in the world and knew more than he let people credit him for.

The second year they dated was more about learning and expressing each other's sexual side. And how they could maintain their relationship that way. This brought them closer to each other and established a secure long-lasting relationship.

Riley hoped that their third year together would be even better.

Now, as she walked to Topanga's to meet Maya for their weekly coffee, she couldn't wait to talk about Lucas. She had so much to say and she loved that Maya was always there for her and always listened to what she had to say; the same way Riley was there when she talked about Josh. Maya was there to listen when Riley wanted to brag about Lucas, she was there when Riley wanted to rant about him, she was there even when Riley was sad because of him. Maya was her best friend and she became a person that Riley depended on.

The brunette placed her hand on the door before she opened it and walked in. She searched the crowd inside the cafe that was mainly college students and smiled when she saw Maya waving at her.

"Hey, girl, hey," she said and gave her a hug. "How have you been?"

"Great, just tired," the blonde began, "Being a stay at home mom with a one-year-old is probably the most difficult job known to date. But I'm glad we can meet, even if it's just for a couple of minutes."

Maya's baby girl was the perfect angel. She was quiet and cute and Riley was so happy to be her godmother. "How's Josh? Is he still working those long shifts?"

"Of course he is," Maya answered. "He's trying to rush us into a home so that we can finally buy one, I really hope he doesn't feel pressured into doing that."

"You know how he's like. Just like Lucas. When they want something they will do whatever they can to get it. It's a love-hate trait they have." She unbuttoned her coat and revealed her light gray cashmere top. "Hey, is Miranda working her shift?"

"You should know, it's your bakery."

When Topanga saw the same potential in Riley she had when she started owning the bakery, she decided to pass the business off to her daughter. Riley happily accepted and she loved every second of it.

The brunette decided to not stress over the little detail and turned her attention back to Maya. Maya wore a grin, one that made Riley suspicious.

"Well..." she smiled, "It's your guy's anniversary, tell me all about it. What are you two doing?"

"I don't know," she answered. "He said he would take care of everything. And he's been super nervous lately. Every time I ask him about it he starts to sweat and rambles about something completely different. And if I'm honest..."

"What?" Maya leaned in. "What is it?"

Riley didn't know what to say. She didn't want to tell anyone about it because she had mixed emotions to what she thought Lucas could potentially do for their anniversary. She took a deep breath and decided to tell Maya. "I think he's gonna propose."

"GIRL!" she nearly choked on the piece of muffin she had in her mouth. "That's great! Oh my God, you're gonna be engaged!"

Riley didn't react the same way Maya did. All she could do was think about her future if Lucas did propose to her.

"Why aren't you happy?"

"Because," she paused and played with the glass of water on their table. "We haven't even said I love you to each other and I'm not ready for that type of commitment yet. I love him, I really do, but I'm just not ready."

"So if he does propose...?" Maya began waiting for her to answer. "What are you going to say?"

"I don't know," she said, panicked. "I'm happy, I am. This is huge for me especially after Charlie but every time I think of him getting down on one knee and then saying those words, I start to feel sad and scared. I don't want to hurt him and I don't want to say no either...but I can't say yes. That will break his heart when he finds out how I feel."

Maya grabbed her best friends hand for reassurance. "You have to tell him the truth. Tell him you're not ready and that you need time - "

"He'll think it's a breakup - "

"Then tell him it's not." She watched as Riley's stress increased. "The worst thing you could do when he gets down on one knee is lie. It's just not worth it."

It took some time to calm the brunette down. She was overcome with sadness and fear now that she knew her date with Lucas could jeopardize their relationship. "Sometimes I blame myself for feeling like this. Three years, Maya. Three years and I'm not ready to get engaged to him. He's everything to me...why is that not enough?"

"I don't know, Peaches. I don't know."

The void of fear Riley had recently fallen into did not last. She managed to get past her worries and look forward to her date. She didn't want to be sad, she just wanted to be happy. It's all she's ever really searched for.

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"Martha," Riley called to the receptionist a few hours after she left Topanga's. She had changed out of her comfortable clothes and into a more suitable outfit. She wore a blue off the shoulder top with a floral skirt. "I'm here to see, Lucas.

"Yes," she said as she looked down at her computer. "2:30, not a minute late."

"Yes, well, it's our anniversary. Did he mention that?" Riley spoke. For the past couple of months, she has been starting to notice that Martha may have feelings of her own for Lucas. She didn't mind it at first and she wouldn't have, had she not seen Martha get handsy with Lucas on one or more occasions.

"Not at all," the receptionist added before directing her to Lucas' office.

Riley rolled her eyes at her the second she walked away. When she opened the door, she was met with his green eyes. His perfect green eyes and his smile. "I got your text," she informed him.

He stood up and approached her, placing his hands on her cheek and kissing her on the lips. "Happy anniversary, babe."

"Happy anniversary," she repeated before taking a seat in front of his desk. Lucas was the PR director of one of the biggest marketing companies in the entire Northern continent. He loved his job and it was clear in the way he worked. "You still haven't gotten rid of this picture," Riley pointed out once again. She disliked the very picture Lucas had of her in his office, it was of her playing in the snow with a bright red nose to make it all the better. The way she was smiling made her unrecognizable but someone who knew Lucas was able to tell that the ugly girl in the picture was his girlfriend.

"Never," he answered. He kept his gaze on her, "It's one of my favorites of you."

Riley playfully rolled her eyes. She didn't like to blush around him.

"It'd make me feel better if you wore this for our date tonight," he said before pushing a red rectangular box her way.

She looked up at him, "We said no presents."

"You said no presents. I just nodded."

She looked at him and gave a low sigh, "You don't need to."

"I want to," he was quick to add. Lucas loved spoiling his girlfriend. He loved buying her expensive gifts and showering her with things he could afford, he never really understood why she didn't like that. "C'mon open it."

Riley placed her hand over the lid of the box and pulled it open. It was beautiful. A teardrop diamond necklace with a pinkish gold touch to it. "I love it."

"If you love this one wait till you see the one I give you on our date."

Riley froze. Her palms began to sweat and she could feel herself go light, almost as if she didn't have any strength on her upper body to keep herself up. "T-there's more."

"One more," he said. "And that's it - but this time it won't be a necklace."

"Oh," were the only words that could leave her mouth.

"I can't wait for tonight," he said hopeful, almost entirely.

Riley ran a hand through her hair. She didn't want to feel scared and anxious so she changed the topic, she could see Lucas' reaction to that but she avoided it in the best way. "So your contract with Silas Pacific, it's big, isn't it? New York Times is calling it 'one of the greatest compromises of its time.'"

Lucas smiled, "You pay attention to my work."

"Of course," she stood up and walked around his desk to touch him. "Are you worried?"

"A bit," he answered. He moved his chair back so that she could sit on his lap, "But we've already signed the contract. We're just waiting for them to do the same. If they don't then everything goes back to normal, two successful companies avoiding the other."

Riley kissed his forehead. "I'm proud of you either way."

"Thank you, babe," he watched as she got to her feet and circled his desk once more, "And I am glad you like the necklace."

She slipped the box into her purse and smiled. "You always know the way to a girls heart." As she walked out of his office, Riley turned to Martha and waited till they made eye contact before she wiped her lips and smirked. She did this to allude to the idea that while she was in there, she was using more than just her mouth for talking.

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"You look beautiful," Maya complimented her best friend as she stared at her. It was time for her date with Lucas and he was minutes away from picking her up.

"You think?" Riley asked as she ran a hand through the fabric of her dress, "It's not too much?" The brunette wore a white silk dress that ended just at her knees with black lace heels. Her hair was in a bun and she had a few strands hanging to frame her face. "I don't know why I'm so nervous."

"You're always nervous," the blonde reminded. "Even though he's been your boyfriend for three years now."

"It's different this time," she said as she walked into the next room. "He's going to ask me to marry him and that's going to chance everything. I really don't want to hurt his feelings."

"But you're going to tell him the truth, right?"

She hesitated and instead focused on applying her lipgloss. She wanted to forget and not have to worry about it, but it was something she was supposed to go through. She couldn't imagine what would happen if she did lie.

"Riley?"

"Of course I'm gonna tell him the truth," she finally answered. "I just don't wanna hurt his feelings."

"He loves you, he's going to understand."

"But he'll be hurt and humiliated - "

She heard a knock coming from the front door, "Oh my God, is that him?"

"I don't know," she responded. "I'll go check."

"If it's him tell him I'm still getting ready, I'll be out in a few minutes," she said this all the while she ran throughout the room picking up some of the pieces of clothing she would be needing.

Maya walked towards the front door of the apartment and opened it. Standing on the other side was Lucas wearing a tux and a rose in his hand, "You shouldn't have," she joked. "You know my favorite flower is anything but a rose."

"You're not Riley," he said as he entered the apartment. "Is she still getting ready?"

"No, she's on a date with her other boyfriend," the blonde laughed, "Of course she's getting ready, dummy."

"Maya, be nice," Riley yelled from the other room.

She playfully shrugged and returned her attention back to him, "So, big night for the both of you, isn't it?"

He nodded, "Where's your kid? Shouldn't you be with her?"

"She's with a babysitter."

Lucas was about to say something but he turned around just in time to see Riley enter the room. She looked beautiful. Every step she took captivated his attention and he struggled to say something to her.

"Hey," she said when she approached him, the butterflies in her stomach caused her to squirm in the cutest way.

"Hi," was all he could say back to her. He handed her the rose before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"

"Thank you, Lucas." She set the rose down on her kitchen counter and grabbed his hand before they walked towards the front door.

"She better be home by ten," Maya had the chance to yell before the door closed.

As Riley walked with Lucas by her side, she feared how the night might end. She didn't if she'd be walking inside her apartment crying or smiling. She just wished everything would be okay because if it didn't, then a perfect night would be ruined.

"Everything okay?" Lucas asked as he caught sight of her dejected facial expression.

"Everything is fine," she lied. "Just fine."

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A/N: Tell me what you guys think. I would love to hear your guy's opinions and feedback. Tell me what you liked and disliked about this story and I'll see you next Friday.

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