Riley awoke with a blood-curtailing scream, prompting Lucas half asleep to hover over her with his form arms as he glanced back at the door. Once he realized that Riley wasn't in any physical danger he gently laid down next to her, turning on his side to look at her and she did the same sniffling. Her voice was soft as she apologized,
"Sorry I woke you up Cowboy"
Lucas shook his head and rested his hand on her hip rubbing the exposed skin with his thumb, "You never have to be sorry Riley, not for me. Do you want to talk about it?"
Riley gave a non-committal shrug and she scooted closer to him burring her face in his chest as his arm came up to stroke her hair, when she didn't reply after five minuets Lucas figured she had gone back to sleep but he heard some murmuring before she fully pulled her head out
"It was a memory, I think, from college during a break. When we were at the bar with the gang. Maya and I had gotten pretty drunk and you had gone to the bathroom." Riley sighed as she took a deep breath trying to steady the beat of her heart, "And Zay was supposed to watch us because I kept trying to dance on the table. And Maya kept trying to show you my bra or something. But a cute boy was flirting with Zay and we were encouraging it. And this guy came over."
Lucas remembered this night in perfect detail, but he wasn't sure how it was going to play out in Riley's dream realm with her hurt head, he continued to stroke her hair as a way to comfort her.
"And he was really big, and he kind of looked like you but you have the beard and he didn't. But Maya was so drunk and she thought he was you and tried to shove me at him and show him my cute bra. But it wasn't you." Riley sniffed and he knew she was trying to reign in her emotions, "And then you came back and he was trying to get me to dance with him and saying all this crude stuff. And you didn't like that so you told him to stop in your well mannered Texas way. But he wouldn't listen and then and then…you just punched him and you were so mad and everything was fuzzy and Maya just laughed like she thought it was cool. And I hated it but you just kept hitting him and Maya kept laughing and it just scared me and upset me because I can't remember how it really ended and and and" Sensing Riley was headed towards a spiral Lucas shushed her,
"Yes Princess that did happen I punched him and Maya laughed, and that was it. I brought you home and you tried to run around naked." Lucas smiled, "But you tripped onto the couch and I had to take you to bed."
"That sounds nice" Riley replied quietly her voice starting to once again filled with sleep
"It was Princess, is anything else bothering you before you go back to sleep you want to talk about?" Lucas asked, just hoping he could ease a little bit of her mental pain
"I just wish my mind wasn't so fuzzy. I like half have memories or like things are just covered in dust and I can't remove it. Like I know I have a special name for Maya I have memories of saying it to her and calling her it, but I can't remember it. And like all the memories I have of my parents and Maya are like not nice ones. Like I have the feelings of the other good memories but I don't have those memories. And like Luke I can't remember like the first time we had sex or like all the times we danced in the rain. I know its happened but I can't remember." Riley closed her eyes tightly and seemed to be trying to find the memories
"Well Princess, those moments we had were both magical. Because all the moments I have with you are magical" Lucas kissed her head, "Feel better?" he felt Riley nod against his chest, "Okay Princess, get some sleep"
The next morning Riley was sitting on their couch with her coffee and her cat Violet in her lap, well Lucas got all her meds in order. Riley had always hated taking medicine. So Lucas knew he'd have to coax her into it, when he came over and sat next to her with the pills. She glared at the pills and grabbed Violet's paws to shoo him away
"Lukey I don't want to take the pills, I hate medicine" Riley pouted at him hoping to convince him otherwise but Lucas just raised his eyebrows before sitting down next to her putting Violet on the ground
"Ri you have to take the pills. You had a head injury, two sets of stiches and I know you're going to be sore soon if you're not already." Lucas stated firmly starting at her
"What will you give me if I do take them" Riley asked still glaring at the pills with all the hate she could muster
"I'll give you a kiss," Lucas told her smirking at her as Riley bit her lip and nodded holding her hand out for the pills and water. Once she took her pills Lucas leaned in to kiss her and Riley gasped at the feeling of his lips against her. They felt too good; her memories of this were fuzzy but there. God if she knew kissing him would have felt like this she would have kissed him the moment she got home. Just as she tried to pull off his shirt Lucas pulled away trying to ignore how sexy her pout was
"Ri we can't, you just got out of the hospital." Riley was about to reply when Lucas' phone dinged, Riley looked hopefully as Lucas pulled it out
"Is it my parents or Maya?" Neither Riley nor Lucas had heard from them since Riley had wanted to go home with Lucas. Lucas didn't want to disappoint her so he avoided eye contact as he shook his head
"Sorry, but it's Zay his flight landed and he's on his way over. If that's okay with you?"
Riley nodded eagerly, "Of course, I've missed Zay, Riley looked down, "But that means I have to put pants on right?" Lucas nodded as Riley was only really wearing one of Lucas shirts, "Um I…don't remember…where my clothes are can you help me?" Riley asked still feeling embarrassed Lucas chuckled and pulled her up helping her to find her pants and getting her changed as her arms were still sore. Just as they had finished pulling her pants up there was a knock on the door. Lucas had turned his back and smirked at Riley over his shoulder squatting down so she could climb on his back.
Lucas was still a little freaked out by the prospect of loosing her; he wanted to keep her as close as possible. Any excuse to touch her was one he was going to take.
When he opened the door Zay the two of them a lop-sided grin as he went in to hug them
"Hey Riley I see you got a ride around the apartment." Zay chuckled as he sat down on the couch and Riley slid off Lucas back as he went to sit in the big chair with Riley quickly snuggling into his lap. Zay shook his head fondly, "So what's the damage?"
Riley started to play with Lucas fingers unsure of how to answer and was relived when Lucas spoke up
"The Princess here has two sets of stiches on her chest and arm, and a definite head injury with some fuzzy headed memories. But we're um…not sure what's really going on with that." Lucas answered trying to keep his tone serious as he held the love of his life to his chest
Zay nodded, "Well Cotton-Candy Face still remembers you, so that's good right?"
Riley gave Lucas a confused look, "Who's Cotton-Candy Face?" Zay's face fell slightly but he regained composure quickly
"Oh Riles, that's just a nickname you gave yourself when we were in high school and went to Texas. I'm um the only one who calls you that. I can stop if you don't like it." Zay answered sincerely
"Oh." Riley shook her head trying to clear the static, "No I like it…I just can't remember." Riley gulped and replied quietly, "I'd really like it if you still called me that even if I uh can't remember the origin."
Zay smirked as smiled as Lucas stroked Riley's arm, "Of course Cotton Candy Face." Zay continued to talk with the couple for a few hours with Lucas gently stroking her arm and kissing her head on occasion. And it wasn't long before her eyes closed and her breathing started to even out.
Lucas looked down smiling sadly at his girlfriend, "The medicine makes her drowsy, and she needs the sleep anyway. She had a nightmare about that one time in the bar with Maya and Riley's bra and that cute boy"
Zay laughed quietly, "Ah what a night. Speaking of the Blonde Beauty? She call you to yell at you today?"
Lucas scoffed, "No and we haven't heard anything from her parents either. Which just makes no sense to me."
"Well Maya called me this morning pissed Riley went home with you, which still makes no sense to me whys sh'es mad. Y'all live here with a cat, where did she think you were going?" Zay shook his head, "Anyway, she's mad because she thinks if Riley was at her parents she'd get to see her more."
Lucas tried to control the dumbfounded expression on his face, "Well that's bullshit. She has a key! I don't get her at all"
Zay shrugged, "I think she's just mad that she never got to live with Riley expect for those few years in college. You two shacked up right away, but like y'all have been basically married forever." Zay chuckled, "Really how is Riley doing with all of this?"
"She's a little sad and confused, which you know is expected, but it still hurts to see." Just around then Riley started to stir after a few moments of her waking up and Lucas and her starting into each others eyes Zay spoke up
"Hey Cotton Candy Face would you like to help me make cookies?" Riley nodded
"I know we usually do that…but um I can't rmemeber the recipe or where things are." Zay smiled gently
"Don't worry I know where things are. Okay?"
Riley nodded, "Okay as long as Lucas can sit in the kitchen with us, I don't want to loose him"
As Riley stood she pulled Lucas up with her, something in her dreams making her worry that if Lucas went out of her sight he'd be gone and if he was gone she wans't sure what she'd do