I gotta tell you; this is the fastest I've updated in…

I gotta tell you; this is the fastest I've updated in….well….ever. This particular part of the story takes place a few years later. Ri n Lys are now 24. And that's at the beginning part, so near the end, they're like, 26, I'd say. So, usual stuff, NT belongs to Jerry, Painted on My Heart belongs to the Cult. On with the show!

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Riley couldn't believe what he'd heard. He stared at his friend in disbelief. Lysa was….having an affair? No, it couldn't be true. They loved each other. "Wha...what?" he spluttered out. His friend nodded. Riley couldn't remember walking down the hall to the elevator. He hadn't taken the job at first when Ben offered it; he had plans to marry Lysa; but now….what did he have to live for?

He got into his van and drove to his apartment, packing up the few personal items he had. He looked up when he heard the door open, and saw Lysa's shocked face. "R…Ri…..Ri-kun, what are you doing?" she choked out. Riley felt his anger rise slightly. He didn't want to see her.

He turned back to his stuff that he was throwing in his tattered old suitcase, and snarled out, "I'm taking the job with Ben." He could almost feel Lysa's pain as she said, "But….I thought we agreed you wouldn't take it…so we could be together…" He turned sharply to her and snapped out, "Look, I don't want us to be together anymore." He grabbed his now packed stuff, and turned back to her for one last look, and growled out, "Now your new boyfriend can move in," slamming the door behind him. As he went down the stairs, he whipped out his cell phone and called Ben, telling him he'd take the job.

I thought…you'd be out of my mind

And I'd finally found a way to

Learn to live without you

Life with Ben couldn't be greater. Well, except for that stupid Brit and his cronies, but whatever. Riley and Ben quickly became best friends. In fact, most nights, Riley didn't even think of Lysa. It was much easier than he expected to live without her.

I thought…it was just a matter of time

Till I had a hundred reasons

Not to think about you

Soon. Soon they would find that treasure that Ben kept going on about, and Riley would never have any reason to think about Lysa. They were high school sweethearts, and how long did those relationships ever last? Almost never.

But it's just not so

And after all this time

I still can't let go

Ok. They had found the treasure. And of course, Ben had to get a woman. In fact, it had been 2 years since Riley had last seen Lysa, but he still would find himself staring at the ceiling, thinking about her.

I've still got your face

Painted on my heart

Drawn upon my soul

Etched upon my memory, baby

Every time he closed his eyes, or let his mind wander, he saw her. Smiling perfectly, blue-gray eyes amazingly glinting green in the sunlight. Every feature on her face was perfectly etched in his brain.

And I've got your kiss still

Burnin on my lips

Your touch on my fingertips

Is left so deep inside of me, baby

As Riley was typing on his computer, he unconsciously ran his tongue over his lips, and tasted Warm Vanilla Sugar….her favorite scent. Years later, he still couldn't get her out of his mind. Even with a second treasure, he still couldn't.

I was trying

Everything that I can

To get my heart to forget you

But it just can't seem to

Riley sighed as he placed the check on the table. Another blind date, another failure. He'd been out with too many women too count, and he always blew it. He even knew the exact reason he couldn't keep a date, why he always screwed it up. It's because he never focused on the women he was with. His thoughts always strayed to Lysa. Always.

I guess it's just no use

In every part of me

There's still a part of you

As Riley's fingers raced across the keyboard, his thoughts strayed again, and without realizing it, he went to a website that he hadn't been to in years. . A place for drawings by people. And Lysa had always drawn pictures, and written stories. It was a part of who she was. And a part of his memories. He slammed his computer shut, and strode up to get a cup of coffee.

And I've still got your face

Painted on my heart

Drawn upon my soul

Etched upon my memory, baby

And I've got your kiss still

Burning on my lips

Your touch on my fingertips

This loves so deep inside of me, baby

Riley screamed out. Why were the memories flooding his brain?! Hadn't he done enough to prevent?! He screamed out in fury, and threw his laptop against the wall. It still wasn't enough. He crushed his iPhone, destroyed his computer, anything that came within his reach was destroyed. And after a bit, it died down. He stood there, his hands gripping his hair, trying hard not to cry as he thought of what he had lost. Everything reminded him of her, and it was eating away at him.

Something in your eyes keeps haunting me

I'm trying to forget you

And I know there ain't no way to

Chase you from my mind

Riley was driving around town in his Ferrari, when he thought he saw something in the rear view mirror. A flash of blue. He looked again, and saw it was nothing. But it got him thinking. Something in Lysa's eyes, all those years ago….hurt, betrayal, compassion…but no guilt. Maybe…he screwed up really badly. Riley realized this, and stopped the car in the middle of the street. He did a sharp U-turn, and sped off towards the beach, where Lysa was all the time at this time of day. He had to fix things, no matter what.

I've still got your face

Painted on my heart

Drawn upon my soul

Etched upon my memory, baby

And I've got your kiss still

Burning on my lips

Your touch on my fingertips

This loves so deep inside of my, baby

Riley was racing down the beach, to a specific spot he just knew Lysa would be at. And soon, he came upon it. A tree, with their names carved upon it. From all the way back in high school. And that's where he found her. Sitting next to the tree, sobbing her heart out. He breathed out a single word. "Lysa." She looked up at her name, and then her eyes widened in shock when she saw him. He almost couldn't hear her say "Riley," He closed the distance between them, and pulled her up into a kiss. That's where he belonged.

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Riley should know better than to go by the word of a friend. They could be lying. He made the biggest mistake of his life, but it was also the greatest thing of his life. It gave the both of them a chance to expand and grow, and to learn to not be dependant of each other so much. So, it gets better from here. Sort of. Just trust me, I have the whole thing planned out. Thanx for reading!