So, the idea for a part two has been playing in my head for a while, so I decided to give in and finally write it. I kind of wish I almost didn't write it. It's way way longer than I thought it was going to be. Two thousand words to be exact.
Anyways, I should have another one-shot posted later today, then I'm going to focus on finally finishing chapter 9 of the road trip.
It's the morning of Riley's graduation, and she's feeling rather excited. It's the day she worked four hard years for, but she is more excited about the fact that she is going to see Lucas and finally tell him that it was over between her and Nathan—that it had been over between them for months.
The cab ride from the airport to Riley's apartment is quiet between her and Nathan. She can feel his eyes on her while she stares out the window. She had always thought England was beautiful, it still is, but, right now, England is the last place Riley wanted to be.
When the cab finally stops in front of her apartment, she turns to look at Nathan. "I'll see you in a bit. I'm sure you want to go home and freshen up."
Nathan shakes his head. "Actually, I think we should talk." There was something about his voice that worried Riley, and she knew, she felt it deep within her, that the discussion that is going to take place between the two of them was going to be anything but good.
The couple saunters into her apartment and Nathan closes the door behind him hoping that this isn't going to be the last time he walks through this door. He takes a few steps to the living room and that is when he sees the picture of Riley with her group of friends from New York. Why is the first time he has ever seen this?
"Is this new?"
Riley turns around just as she places her things down next to her sofa and sees his eyes glued to the picture that was taken during her last visit to New York. "Yeah…well, not the picture. It was taken last year, but I put it up a few days before we left. Why?"
Nathan glances at Riley expecting to meet her brown eyes, but instead, he sees her staring at the picture. But, he knows what she is really staring at—Lucas.
"Just asking."
Nathan returns his eyes to the picture. He tells himself to look away, but the longer he looks at it the harder it is to do just that. He sees Riley's smile in the picture (it was the one thing that attracted him to it in the first place), and he has never seen that smile until now. Nathan can feel the happiness Riley must have felt in that moment. He can't help but wonder if the smile is from the fact that she was home with her family and friends, or if the smile came from the fact that Lucas was beside her with his arm freely draped around her.
He brings himself to finally look away and focus on something else, but that only made matters worse. His eyes land on a picture of himself and her (one that he has always considered to be his favorite). He always thought that they looked happy in the photo, but his mind must have been fooling him. Nathan's eyes study Riley's smile, and it isn't like the one in the other photo. In the picture with her friends, Riley's smile is shining and her teeth are showing. However, in the picture of him and Riley, her lips are pursed together in what looks to be a forced smile. But, Nathan convinces himself that it's only that way because it was taken early in their relationship.
"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Riley's voice pulls Nathan out of his thoughts. He blinks a few times before looking at Riley.
His eyes meet hers, and he's looking for something, but he isn't sure what is it that he is looking for. He lets go of the handle of his suitcase and drops his carryon, and he takes a step closer to Riley. He's been wanting to talk to her since last night, but he was too tired to start another argument about Lucas Friar, both physically and mentally. Whenever he and Riley argued, it was about her ex.
"Do you love me, Riley?" His question catches Riley off guard. Nathan has confessed his love to Riley telling her what she means to him, but not once has she said those three words to him.
Riley tries to swallow the lump that forms in her throat. "I…I care about you a lot, Nathan."
"But, do you love me?" He wants her to say yes, but when all she does it stare at him, he knows the answer to the question. And he knows, Riley won't say the answer out loud in order to spare his feelings. So, he changes the topic.
"Last night, when you were on the phone, you were talking to him, right?" He hadn't stopped thinking about it since he caught her on the phone late at night. Riley didn't need Nathan to specify who he was talking about. She knew, and if she was being honest, she was waiting for this argument to happen.
"Yes." Is all she can bring herself to say. She can't justify calling her ex-boyfriend in the middle of the night when she had 'moved on' with someone else.
Nathan already knew, at least he had a strong feeling, but hearing her confirm it only made it worse. He can feel anger start to rise within. Why isn't he good enough for her?
"Why? What was so important that you had to call him so late?" He tries to hide the aggravation building inside, but Riley notices.
She spins her friendship ring on her right hand feeling guilty but also feeling exhausted about the same argument happening between her and Nathan. "I just," she starts but starts to shake her head. She wasn't going to think of a lie like she has all the other times Nathan had asked the same question in the past. "Nothing was important. I just needed to talk to him."
"Needed or Wanted?" Nathan snaps.
"What does it matter?" Riley sneers.
Nathan groans as he turns around for a second and runs his hands down his face. He takes a deep breath before facing Riley. "It matters! Did you want to talk to him, or did you need to talk to him?" Riley doesn't answer. She stares at him shaking her head with frustration seeping through her, but still, she doesn't say anything.
"Answer the question Riley!" Nathan's voice rises, and Riley knows this isn't going to end well. "I saw the way you looked at him while we were in New York! I saw everything. So, just be honest with me!"
Riley huffs. "I wanted to, okay! Is that what you wanted to hear?!" she shouts.
She can feel her eyes starting to sting from the tears that are slowly forming. This is what she didn't want to happen. She didn't want to fight with Nathan about Lucas. It never ended well, but what did she expect? She knew Nathan's concerns about her friendship with Lucas, but Lucas was too important to her to cut him out of her life.
Nathan takes a step towards Riley, and he flinches slightly when she takes a step forward. He lifts his foot to take another step, but he sees Riley do the same to take a step back so he stops.
"I can't do this anymore, Riley," he says defeatedly. "I can't be in a relationship with someone I have to constantly worry if they have feelings for someone else. It isn't fair to me! I love you, Riley, and if this is going to work, I want," he shakes his head, "no I NEED you to stop talking to Lucas."
Riley's mouth goes dry. "Are you making me choose?"
"I am." Nathan sighs deeply. "Even though, I shouldn't have to. There shouldn't be a choice. I'm your boyfriend, and he-"
"He's my best friend!" Riley cuts him off before Nathan can label Lucas as just her 'ex' because Lucas is so much more.
Nathan drops his head at Riley's words. The force, the energy, just everything about the way she said it should have been enough to stop Nathan, but it didn't and he continues.
He looks back at Riley, and he sees her eyebrow furrowed with annoyance. "It's me, or it's him. If you are going to be with me, you can't speak to him anymore."
Riley can feel her insides fuming. She steps forward, and Nathan mimics her actions. "You will not give me an ultimatum! But, if you are, and you're serious about-"
"I am," he interrupts her.
"Then I choose Lucas." Her voice is firm, and Riley can hear his breath get caught in his throat, but she continues speaking. "You will not tell me who I can and cannot speak to. You will not control anything in my life."
"Well, I can't continue to worry!"
"Then we shouldn't be together!" Riley's voice echoes through her small apartment, and Nathan moves back. He's never heard her shout this loud, but that isn't what he is taken back by. It's the assurance that he hears in her voice about their relationship.
He clears his throat. "I guess this is it then."
"I guess so." Nathan nods and picks up his luggage.
He makes his way to the front door and just as he is about to reach for the door knob, he turns around. "You love him still, don't you? That's why you couldn't love me."
Riley can see his glossed over eyes, and the tears that were stinging Riley's eyes earlier are now sliding down her cheeks, but she does nothing to wipe them away. "Y-yes," her voice breaks, and Nathan doesn't say anything as he opens to door and walks out closing the door behind him. And, Riley knows she shouldn't be feeling what she feels right now, but she does. She feels relieved.
Riley shakes herself out of the memory. The same day Riley thought about calling Lucas and telling him that she and Nathan are no longer together, but she couldn't do that to Lucas. He's with Sara, and maybe he did love her. She couldn't tell him and confuse him, plus she was still thousands of miles away. She believed if the universe wanted them together it would happen. She didn't tell anyone else in fear that the word would travel back to him. But, it's her graduation day, and he is coming with her family and their friends to see her, and she is going to tell him what happened with Nathan and her plan to return to the city. However, that changes when her phone rings.
She thought it'd be her parents to tell her that they had just landed, instead the voice that greets her is one she cannot recognize.
Who is this?
Riley hears a laugh from the other end. This is Sara. You know, Lucas' GIRLFRIEND. Riley notices her emphasis on the word. Riley is just about to ask why she is calling, but Sara beats her to it. I understand Lucas is going to be there with you, your guys' friends, and your family, but I'm telling you to leave him alone. He and I are happy, and the last thing he needs is for you to come and ruin everything and confuse him.
Well, if you two are as happy as you say you are, then what I say to him shouldn't matter, should it? Riley normally wouldn't say something as snarky, but this is a day she's been waiting for, for multiple reasons—a big one being Lucas.
Look, I know you care about Lucas, but he's moved on. He has a ring, and he's going to propose to me.
Riley tries to swallow her laugh, but a small snicker escapes. Did you actually see the ring?
Now it was Sara that is snickering. Actually, I did. He tried to hide it, but I found it. So, I'm telling you, Riley, he's moved on, and you should continue to do the same with that boyfriend of yours. Riley can feel her heart drop to her stomach. This was it. She lost Lucas. He is still with Sara. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight…I mean goodmorning for you. Bye, Riley.
The line went dead, but Riley doesn't pull the phone away from her ear. She's stuck in a trance too scared to move, hoping if she stays still so will life.
"Who was that, honey?" A voice startles her making her jump and laughter feel the apartment. Riley turns are her heels and sees her family and friends, but, really, she can only focus on him. Everyone notices the blank expression etched on Riley's face, and Maya is the first one to take a step forward feeling concerned; even though, Lucas wants more than anything for it to be him. But, as far as he knew she is still dating Nathan. "Riles, what's wrong? Who was that?"
She tries her best to muscle up a smile that is as convincing as she can make it. She couldn't say who it actually was. "It was the book publication I intern at. They offered me a job… here in England," Riley lies.
Her eyes scan her family and friends' reactions, and there are all beaming with pride for her, and she feels horrible for lying. Her eyes land on Lucas' face, and she can tell that he is conflicted about how to feel—the same way he was when she got accepted into Cambridge.
"D-does that mean that you are staying?" She looks away from Lucas and follows the voice to her brother.
She nods her head. "It does, Aug. I'm staying here." However, she looks at Lucas as she says the last part, and she sees the frown form on his lips, and she feels her own heart breaking. But, this is the right thing to do…right?
It's been half a year since Riley graduated from Cambridge, half a year since she lied to everyone about the job offer she was never offered, half a year since she has seen Lucas and a few months since she's spoken to him.
She thought it was for the best. He needed to continue to move on, and their friendship was just getting in the way. So, she ignored his call, ignored his texts, ignored any form of communication from him. However, she waited anxiously for an engagement announcement to arrive in her mail and crush her heart more than it already was, but it never came and she worried about that. Maybe their friendship was really done and that is why she didn't receive one. At least, that is what she led herself to believe, and she didn't have anyone to blame but herself.
Riley tried looking for a job but had no luck. She had her internship for a month after graduation, but she was soon let go. She had hoped for a real job offer, but it never came. She applied for multiple teaching positions. She even got a couple of callbacks for interviews, but nothing.
She thought about returning to New York. She was miserable here in England. Staying here was a mistake. She and Nathan hadn't spoken since the breakup, except for the few times they were giving back each other's belongings, and her friends were also his friends and they obviously picked a side—it was not Riley's, but she couldn't blame them.
She had a few other friends, but they were nothing in comparison to her friends in New York. She feels alone, and she is tired of feeling alone. It's late evening, and Riley grabs her laptop and does the only thing she can think to do, book a flight home.
She didn't tell anyone that she was going to New York, and she was a little worried that she's be intruding on plans her parents if they had any plans. But, the hugs and kisses that she receives when they opened their front door are all she needs to make every ounce of loneliness she felt vanish.
Riley fesses up to her parents about her lie and tells them about her trying to find a job, but is failing miserably. She finally tells someone besides Maya about her breakup with Nathan, and in the end, she cries to them about missing home. They don't scold her about lying. Her mother and father just sit there and listen to their daughter vent and hold her when she starts to cry.
After an hour, Riley escapes to the confines of her old bedroom. She feels a sense of warmness wash over her something she has been missing for what feels like forever now.
She throws herself on her bed and stares at the ceiling covered in glow in the dark stars. They stopped glowing a long time ago, but Lucas gave them to her and replacing them with news ones always felt wrong to her. If she did, the stars wouldn't be the stars Lucas gave her and helped her put them up.
A soft knock on her door gets her attention, and she pushes herself up with her elbows to see her brother smiling at her. It doesn't take long for him to rush over to the bed and jump on her. "You're really here!"
Riley laughs. "I missed you, Aug."
He rolls off her and lay next to her in the open space. "How long are you here for?"
Riley slowly exhales. "I'm not sure. I just…I needed to be home. England is nice and all, but it isn't New York. It isn't my home." Riley looks away from Auggie, and he follows her eyes to the stars.
He remembers the day she and Lucas put them up together. He remembers their dad sending him in here to watch them, and he did. Auggie remembers sitting in the bay window watching his sister and green-eyed boy laughing with one another. What he remembers most is the way he'd watch the boy stare of his sister and the way his sister stared at the boy. It was the same way he saw his parents stare at one another, and his parents are in love. That is when he realized that maybe Lucas and Riley were too.
"You know, he asks about you." Riley looks at Auggie, and he is smiling at her. "Whenever I'm working at Topanga's and he comes in, he asks about you before he orders."
Riley returns her attention to the ceiling, and Auggie sees her trying to fight the smile that is begging to shine through. "Riley," Auggie says tenderly and Riley turns her head to look back at him, "why did you stop talking to Lucas?"
Riley's breath hitches. No one has asked her that question before, and now that someone has, she doesn't have an answer. She knows Auggie is waiting for an answer, but she doesn't have one to give. She parts her lips, but she quickly closes her mouth.
She sighs deeply. "I…I don't know, Auggie." He raises his eyebrows at her response. "What?"
"I don't believe that. What's the real reason you stopped talking to him? Was it because of Sara? Because they broke up months ago."
Riley sits up, and Auggie follows suit. "They broke up?" Auggie nods. "And how do you know that?"
"Well, Topanga's is still your friends' favorite place to meet, and I might have overheard a conversation or two," Auggie smirks. "But really, Riley? Why did you two stop talking?" She looks down at her interlocked hands in her lap and back to Auggie. "I know I'm not Maya or Farkle, and even though I'm your younger brother, you can still talk to me."
Riley lets out a deep long sigh. "I thought mine and Lucas' friendship was holding him back from fully moving on with Sara. That wasn't fair, so I did what I thought what was best for everyone."
"But, it wasn't, and it most definitely wasn't the best thing for you."
Riley drops her head. She was so sure when she lied that she made the right decision to stay in England. She was sure that it was the right move for everyone, but why did she feel so awful? Why did she feel so lonely?
"Do…do you think he'll forgive me?" Riley's voice is low.
Auggie looks at his sister in disbelief. Was she really worried that Lucas wouldn't forgive her? Of course, the green-eyed man was hurt, more like devastated, when Riley had cut communication, but Auggie knew Lucas still cares about his sister. And, it might even be safe to say that Lucas still loves Riley. However, Auggie didn't think it was his place to tell her that.
"What I think is that you should talk to him. You and Lucas were always so good at talking to one another. I should know, I use to spy on you," Auggie smiles, and Riley giggles. "I also know that today is Wednesday, and all of them are going to be at Topanga's tonight." Auggie glances up at the clock that is mounted on Riley's wall. "I actually have to get ready for my shift at the bakery." He stands up, "But, I'm hoping I'll see you there."
He takes a few steps towards the door, and Riley calls out for him. "Thanks." He nods before continuing the steps out of the bedroom leaving Riley alone contemplating whether she was going to go to the bakery tonight or not.
Riley hadn't left her room since her brother left, and that was three hours ago. The thought of going to Topanga's still ringing around in her head. She hadn't told anyone that she was back, and she told her parents to keep a lid on it too. The last thing she wanted was everyone to rush to the apartment. At least, she knew Maya would and, right now, Riley wanted to be alone.
If she went to Topanga's, what would she even say to Lucas?
She was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she didn't hear her window sliding open, and someone stepping through.
"I see you still keep the window unlocked." Riley immediately jumps up at the sound of the voice. Her eyes move in the direction of her window, and she sees a pair of blue eyes staring at her and rushes to the open arms.
"What are you doing here, Farkle?" Riley finally asks as they pull away from their embrace.
He laughs. "I heard from a little bird that you were in town." Riley's eyebrows rise, and Farkle chuckles. "Auggie said you were here and said that he told you to come to the bakery. He would have told Maya, but she's a little occupied with your Uncle Josh. So, he asked me to come and get you." Riley shakes her head. "What's wrong?"
She walks to her bay window and Farkle follows suit, and it's the magic of the window that gets her to talk openly. "I let Lucas go. I stopped speaking to him. I thought mine and Lucas' second chance was going to begin the day of my graduation. I was finally going to tell him that Nathan and I broke up, but the," she takes a deep breath and can feel a familiar sting in her eyes, "the morning of my graduation, before you guys came, Sara called me. She said that Lucas was going to propose to her because she found a ring."
"That was the call we walked in on, wasn't it?"
Riley nods. "Yeah. I had this new information, and before I could really process everything, you guys show up, and…and I see him." Riley's voice starts to dwindle down. She knows if she continues she won't be able to stop the tears, but the power of the bay window won't let her stop talking.
She stares down at the ground and continues. "I couldn't stop him from moving on. I couldn't come in and confuse him. So, I lied and said it was a job offer. It was the best thing for everyone to stay away. He'd move on, and I…I would eventually be okay." Riley can feel a tear trickle down her cheek, and she knows that one tear is going to release a dam of tears.
Riley sniffles. "But, I'm not okay. I hate it in England, Farkle. I have no one. Nathan and I don't speak. Our friends took his side. I'm working at a clothing boutique. This isn't what I thought my future would look like." The tears are now spewing out of her eyes, and Riley tried to wipe them away, but it's no use because the tears won't stop.
Farkle scoots closer to Riley and drapes his arms around her pulling her close and she snuggles her face into his chest. Riley hadn't told anybody, besides her parents a few hours ago, everything she just said. She only told Maya about her break up with Nathan, but nothing else. She didn't want Maya to blab to Farkle, and everyone knew Farkle would try to fix things on his own.
He was shocked at what Riley had just said, and how quickly she said everything. He knew she was holding this in for a while. Farkle didn't know what to say, but it was okay because Riley preferred the silence for now. Sometimes the one thing someone needs is for someone to hold them while they cry, and that is what Farkle was doing for Riley. However, Farkle knew he needed to do something, but he also knew there is only one person who could really calm Riley and it wasn't him.
With his free hand, Farkle stealthily slipped his hand into his pocket to grab his phone and types a quick message and sends it.
After a few minutes, Farkle feels Riley pull away from him and wipe away the few stray tears.
"Why don't you go for a walk with me." Farkle's voice is laced with sincerity, but Riley shakes her head. "Yes." Farkle stands up and holds out his hand for Riley to take to help her up. "I promise we won't go to Topanga's, but I think a walk will do you good right now."
"Fine," Riley mumbles.
Riley follows Farkle out of her bedroom window, and soon they were on the streets of New York. Riley feels the cold air kiss her skin—a feeling that she missed. Riley takes in the city lights, the people, the atmosphere, she takes in everything. Riley thought she missed the people that live here, but walking along the sidewalk, Riley realizes it was the city that she missed too.
Her and Farkle walk in silence as Farkle occasionally checks his phone. He wasn't sure if she was ready to talk. He felt lucky enough for her to agree to go on a walk, and he didn't want to push it. So he remained silent, and it was Riley who spoke up first.
"So, where are we going?" Her question catches Farkle by surprise. He didn't think she would speak.
They round the corner, and Riley finally realizes where they are going. She feels her heart quicken and nerves start to flood her. How didn't she realize this is where they were going? She stares at the building in front of her, and she can see someone in the distance pacing in front of the stairs. And, that is when she feels her mouth go dry.
She instantly turns around, but before she can take a step Farkle places a hand on her shoulder. However, she doesn't face him, so he steps around to stand in front of her.
"Why would you bring me here? And why is Lucas here?" Riley's voice is shaky.
"I think you and he need to talk, and where better to pick up where you two first made your connection. It was his idea. You and Lucas used to be able to speak for hours on end. Talk to him. Do what you and he do best and talk. It was his favorite thing in the world to talk to you if you hadn't realized."
Riley glances over her shoulder, and he sees Lucas, but what she didn't anticipate is him to have stopped pacing in front of the library stairs and stares at her. "It was my favorite thing too."
"Well, then go." Farkle gives her a little nudge, and Riley's feet start to take small steps towards the only person who has ever held her heart.
She stops a few feet shy of Lucas—a mixture of emotions bubbling inside of her. "Hi, Lucas." Her voice is almost a faint whisper.
"Hi." A weak smile spreads across his lips, and Riley can feel a small flutter in her stomach. He hadn't seen her in so long, and all he wanted to go was wrap her arms around her and press his lips against her sweet sweet lips.
Lucas rubs the back of his neck. "Should we go inside?" He gestures to the library, and Riley shakes her head. She looks at him, and she instantly notices the drop in his expression.
"It's not that I don't want to, and it's sweet to have wanted to meet here, but I think we should go somewhere where we don't have to speak quietly." She can only imagine the words that are going to be exchanged between the two of them, and the slight anger that is going to be shown in Lucas. He must be feeling some anger because she knows she would be angry at Lucas if he cut her out of his life.
"We can go back to my place, if you want."
She nods. "That's fine."
"It's not too far. We can walk." He takes a step, and Riley follows.
It's silent between the two of them just like the walk with Farkle, but it's a different type of silence. The silence that lingers between her and Lucas is screaming about the longing that they feel for one another.
When they finally reach his front door, Riley can feel her heart beating against her chest, and right now, she really wants to run. Lucas opens the door and lets Riley walk in first.
He follows her inside, and he can't stay quiet any longer. "Riley," she stops mid step when she hears him say her name. It's been months since she heard him speak her name, and it sounds so sweet coming from his lips. She turns on her heels to face him. Her eyes locking onto his green eyes and feeling her breath hitch at the sight of them. "Why did you stop talking to me? Why did you kick me out of your life?" Lucas' voice is filled with urgency.
She thought they'd build to these questions. She thought they would tip toe around the subject, and that she would have time to come up with answers besides the ones that centered around her fear. She didn't think he would come at her right away with the hard question.
"I…I," she shakes her head, "I thought it was for the best." Her voice trails off. "You needed to move on with Sara, and I needed to stay away."
Lucas doesn't say a word. He steps around Riley, and she watches him disappear in a room down the hall. She walks further into his apartment reaching his kitchen table. She didn't know what was happening, but she felt nerves flow through her. She had no idea what he was doing, and she was trying to compose herself.
Soon he returns with a small red velvet box, and Riley can feel her heart racing. Was this the ring that was meant for Sara? He places it onto of the table, and Riley steps closer to look at the closed box and then steps back again.
He rubs the back of his neck and doesn't take his eyes off the red velvet box. He takes a deep breath before releasing it with a heavy sigh. "Staying away was the last thing I ever wanted you to do, Riley." There is a small silence before he continues. "I was going to propose…to you, but you got accepted into Cambridge and I didn't want the proposal to affect your decision about whether you go or not. You didn't know it was your dream school until you got accepted, and I couldn't do something that would influence you not to go. So, I decided to wait."
He looks up, and his eyes meet hers. Riley can feel her eyes well with tears. The ring was for her, but she pushed him away. She pushed him out of her life. "I thought we would have another chance at our happy ending. I thought you'd come back to New York, and we would pick up where we left off. I thought we'd be together, Riles."
Riley starts to sniffle as a single tear escapes. Her eyes moving back to the box. "The ring it…it was for me." She states out loud to herself, but then her eyes find his. "I thought the ring was for Sara."
Lucas' eyes widen. "Why would you think that?"
"She called me the morning of my graduation and told me she found a ring. She told me you two were happy," Riley's voice starts to break, "and sh-she told me I would ruin everything. So, I-I stayed away. I needed to give you room to move on and having me in your life wasn't helping."
Lucas scoffs. "You always think you know what's best for everyone! Why didn't you let me decide, Riley?"
Riley can feel fresh tears building. "Because I was scared." She swallows her sob. "I was scared that it wasn't going to be me! I was graduating, and you were still with her. I had broken up with Nathan months before I graduated. I was ready to be with you, but I didn't say anything because I was still stuck in England for months and we still had thousands of miles between us. My graduation came and I was happy, but she calls and tells me you have a ring…and for her!" Tears want to fall, but Riley is trying her hardest to keep them in.
"You broke up with Nathan?" It is the only thing right now that Lucas is able to grasp onto.
"Yeah. When we got back from New York, he wanted to talk. He brought up the phone call between you and I the last night in New York. He made me choose who I wanted in my life, and I didn't choose him."
Lucas takes step towards Riley, and she drops her head. "You chose me?" She nods.
"But, you didn't choose me." Her voice is below a whisper as tears race down her cheeks, and Lucas almost doesn't hear her.
"You didn't give me a choice! You just stopped speaking to me! I was scared too, Riley!" Lucas retorts. "I kept waiting for the call where you told me that it was over between you and Nathan, but it never came. I was scared that you fell in love with him, and he was the one for you now. So, I stayed with Sara. I stayed with her, and it was a selfish move on my end. I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want to hurt."
"Wh-why would she think the ring was for her?" It's the only thing Riley can bring herself to ask as she wrings her hands. "If the ring was for me, why did she believe it was for her if you were only with her to spare yourself?"
Riley watches as Lucas takes a step back with his eyes glued to the ground and a knot grows in her stomach. "Because I didn't correct her when she assumed it was for her. I let her believe what she wanted to believe, but she started badgering about when I was going to pop the question...and I snapped. I told her the truth about the ring, and she left." He sighs, "and I never felt more relieved when she did."
Lucas finally looks up, and he's scanning her eyes trying to look for the sparkle he always saw when she used to look at him. He takes a step closer, and Riley doesn't move. "Riley, there is never a choice when it comes to you because it will always be you. I will ALWAYS be here for you, even if you aren't there for me."
Something about the words seemed different to Riley, and it took her a second to realize what Lucas was really trying to tell her. I'm here for you. It was their way of saying I love you without actually saying the words. It's been months since she heard those words and hearing them now she felt her heart skip a beat, but she didn't want to hear their substitute phrase. Riley wanted to hear the real words, she wanted to speak the real words.
Riley takes the last couple of step to close the small space between them. Now, there were merely a few inches between her and Lucas.
"I LOVE you, Lucas. I always have, and I always will."
A smile tugs on his lips, and he snakes his arm around her waist pulling her close. His lips crash on hers, and she can feel a tingle run through her body. Riley wraps her arms around Lucas' neck and deepens the kiss. This is what she's been waiting for—this is what he's been waiting for.
Lucas reluctantly breaks the kiss, and he stares into Riley's big brown eyes. And, that is when he sees it—the sparkle.
"I love you, too, Riley." He places a soft kiss on her lips. "God, it feels so good to finally say that."
Riley smiles. "It feels good to finally hear it."