A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! Thanks for all the reviews, alerts and adding the story to your favs. Nice to see new readers. Sorry it took this long to get the latest chapter out. I got busy over the holidays and then caught a cold. But now that I feel better and the holidays are over, I hope to update more frequently. With that said, thanks for your continued interest in the story and for sharing your thoughts. I hope you enjoy reading.

Side note: If you haven't noticed by now, all the OC's are named after Disney characters, specifically princesses and princes just because...(lol).

Chapter 3

The general atmosphere in the room was one of intense misery. She remained completely still in her seat as the green eyes that she had thought she'd never see again were focused intently on her. And he looked gorgeous. Impeccable as always with his dirty blonde hair nicely styled the way he always had it. He wore dark blue jeans with a crisp navy blue button up shirt under a simple dark grey cardigan. She had not been prepared for this moment as her heart hammered uncontrollably against her chest and her palms grew slightly clammy. Seeing him again caused all of the feelings and memories she'd pushed aside for years come rushing to the forefront.

"Hi-hi," she said with uncertainty, running her hands down the front of her pants out of pure nervousness. She mentally berated herself for sounding like a fool.

"Hey," he replied again, his gaze never leaving hers as he stopped a few paces from her.

She swallowed thickly, forgetting for a brief moment about the woman sitting across from her who now held his heart. Riley shook her head and looked away from him, feeling slightly ashamed. Luckily, Belle was too distracted and excited by the presence of her fiancée to suspect anything from the awkward exchange between them.

"It's nice to meet you…both." Riley said uneasily, regaining her composure as she turned her gaze back to the beautiful auburn-haired female with a forced smile.

Silence reigned over them as she mentally prepared for an escape route, an excuse to leave. She was afraid of losing it, afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. She desperately wanted to remove herself from an impossible situation that has got her head spinning and heart racing.

"Anyway, I uh…got to go and meet with other clients." Riley breathed out silently, still trying to get over the initial shock of seeing him. "You can keep the portfolio to look over some more or...whatever. Keep it if you will. You have my contact information." She spoke in an instant rush, grabbing her satchel bag from the table. When she turned around, her eyes connected with his once again as she tried to keep her breathing pattern steady. "Congratulations, Lucas." She managed to say softly, a knot tightening in the pit of her stomach. She could feel his worried gaze against her flushed skin as she walked past him and left.

He leaned his forehead wearily against the dark wooden paneled door, his hand rubbing idly on the metal doorknob. He turned it slightly, just has he did a few times before that, hoping that this time she would have unlocked the door for him by now. But it remained securely locked as a defeated sigh escaped from his lips. "Riley, please…" he begged of her, his voice filled with emotions that were incomprehensible. He wasn't sure why she was behaving so strangely as it aggravated him some more. "Open the door."

"Go away, Lucas." She mumbled carefully.

"Why are you being like this?" He asked, sighing in frustration. Thoughts were flooding his mind, and all he could do was contemplate. They have made their relationship official, and after 1 month into the relationship, he couldn't shake the feeling that something went terribly wrong as the thought of Riley changing her mind about being with him surfaced. He shook his head slightly to clear his head of such negative thoughts and regained focus on the girl who has captured his heart in more ways than he could ever imagine. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked worriedly. There was only silence on the other side of the door as he groaned quietly, fighting with the emotions that threatened to appear. "Listen, Riley—"

Lucas was cut off mid-sentence as the door he was previously leaning against sprung open, causing him to stumble forward and enter Riley's bedroom. He recovered his balance and stood up in front of her. He looked at her, looked at the colors passing by as he fell into a trance with her. She had no idea the power she had over him as the sight of her temporarily melted away his worries. "Riley…" He breathed as she averted her gaze from him with trace of uncertainty clouding her features. He wanted to hug and comfort her, as she looked so hesitant and vulnerable before him. Not as angry as he expected her to be. She slowly turned around and moved across the room, taking a seat at the edge of the bed with her eyes fixed to the floor. Lucas took it as an invitation to join her as he occupied the empty space beside her.

Each waited for the other to start the conversation but neither knew where to begin. The silence stretched between them until it became unbearable for Lucas to wait out much longer.

"Riley, what's wrong?"

She shut her eyes and expelled a heavy breath she hadn't realize she's been holding. "I saw you talking with Missy." Her reply was instant, letting it be known that her advances towards him bothered her. Riley remembered the moment clearly. She was waiting for him on the bleachers during football practice after school that day and watched Missy approach him from the sidelines laughing at something he had said as she wiped off the dirt on his face with her hand. It was frustrating how oblivious Lucas can be when it came to girls throwing themselves at him.

He arched his brow in surprise. "She was only asking me about an assignment for Mrs. Burgess class."

"Yea." Riley scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure she was."

"Is that what you're upset about?" He exclaimed loudly.

She couldn't help it. She wasn't blind. She sees the looks he gets in the hallways from girls on the cheer team, the comments on his pictures on Instagram, the bold girls that flirt with him right in front of her during class and in the cafeteria. Of course Lucas never reciprocates anything, and Riley knows he'd never betray her, but it's still hard to watch girls blatantly lust after him.

"She likes you, Lucas. In fact, half the girls in the school like you."

"Missy is just a friend, Riley."

"It seems like she wants to be more than a friend." Riley responded, sounding harsher than she intended.

Lucas paused, bewildered by the hurt in Riley's tone. "Okay. If it makes you feel better I'll stop talking to her."

"That's not the point, Lucas. I don't care who you talk to or who you become friends with just as long as it doesn't change who you are."

"Then what is it?"

"You can be with any girl you want, Lucas. Even someone as pretty as Missy…and yet you chose me. Why?" Lucas regarded her carefully. He knew she had her insecurities, but he felt she had no reason to feel that way around him. He loved everything about her. He had to make her see that.

"Why?" He asked, moving closer to Riley and closing the small gap between them. He takes her hands in his and stared deeply into her eyes. "You make me want to be a better version of myself, Riley. You have never given up on me once even during my darkest moments. You continue to believe in me, push me when I was ready to give up and accept failure. You're loyal to those closest to you; you're genuine, kind, and a bit of a dork." He added with a smile. "But that's what I love about you, Riley. And above all, you're absolutely gorgeous inside and out. There's just no one else out there that can make me feel the way I feel about you. Not Missy or any other girl. It's you, Riley. It's always going to be you."

Riley's eyes began to fill up with tears as he spoke. She couldn't help, but feel guilty and embarrassed for how she handled the situation. She wanted to feel like she was worth it just as Lucas has proven to her that he was worth it. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was bothering you." He said, wiping at her tears. "I should be more mindful about all the unwanted attention."

"Well I supposed I don't blame them. I mean look at you." She grinned, drinking him all in. "You're perfect."

A smile curved his lips as he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. He pulled back and whispered. "No, you are."

Riley sat in front of the bay window of her living room apartment with eyes fixed to the brilliant night sky. But she wasn't lost in the dazzling beauty of the clear, star streaked canvas she knew Maya would have the knack to paint. She was lost in thought, trying to process all that she had found out.

He was engaged.

The realization didn't come as a surprise to her. Just thinking about it caused a chill to run down her spine. She knew he would find someone one day. How could he not? He was gorgeous, kind, smart and incredibly charming. He was everything to her and much more. Any woman would have easily fallen in love with him.

She hadn't thought she'd ever see him again. She wasn't prepared for it. It had been four years since Riley had last seen or heard from him. Four long years in which the first two she'd tried to bury her head in school and pretend he didn't exist. It was hard, especially when she missed him so much that at times it was hard to breathe. But life forced her to move forward as every step seemed to hurt less than the one before. It was during the last two years she learned to finally let go of the past and focus on her dreams she worked hard to achieve. If she couldn't fix what they used to have, at least she can make a living fixing the lives of others. At the end of the day, it made her happy and it worked. She went on with her life as if he had never been apart of it.

Seeing him again, however made her realized he still mattered to her. Although she would not admit it out loud or to herself, she missed their friendship. She missed having him around. She missed talking to him. There was so much history there, and it turned out some memories could not be forgotten. They may be buried, but there are still there, lurking just under the surface.

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself and sighed, her mind drifting aimlessly in the swirling cloud of emotions.

"Riley?"

She was so lost in thought, lost in her own little world, she failed to notice anyone walk in and approach her. As Riley glanced over her shoulder, Maya had her arms crossed with a serious and worried expression plastered on her face. Standing beside her was Josh with their half Chihuahua and half Pomeranian mix puppy cradled in his arms.

"Are you okay?" She could hear the concern in her roommate's voice as it cut deep into her thoughts. Riley gave a dismissive nod and turned her attention towards the white and light brown-haired furry creature.

"Aww, Lucifer!" She gushed in delight, erasing all thoughts from her mind as if they were never there to begin with. "Are you here to keep me company while Uncle Josh and Maya go on their weekend getaway?"

The couple exchanged odd looks as they watch Riley get giddy with excitement.

"Uh yeah…hello to you too, Riley." Josh greeted with an amused smirk.

"Hi, Uncle, Josh." She got up from the bay window seat and gave him a warm hug, taking the puppy from his arms just moments later. "And hello to you too, Lucifer."

"Riley…" She could feel Maya's studious gaze trained on her. She ignored it, repeatedly scratching the back of Lucifer's ear just as she knew he liked it. "Honey?" Maya cleared her throat as it drew Riley's attention back to the blonde.

"Yes, Maya?"

"You did not hear us come in." She pointed out worriedly. "Is everything okay? Anything you want to talk about?" She pressed, hoping to get something out of her.

There was a moment of silence as Josh stared back and forth between the two in mere curiosity. He noticed the discomfort and confusion on his niece's face, only confirming Maya's suspicions that something was off with Riley. He purposely cleared his throat and grabbed their attention. "Well, I take that as my cue to leave." Josh broke the silence, carefully taking Lucifer from Riley's arms. She frowned, as the temporary comfort she found in holding Lucifer was gone. "I'll be in the room, ladies if you need anything."

"Thanks, Josh." Maya muttered, taking a seat beside her best friend. Silence fell upon them once again as Riley returned her gaze to the window and sighed. She was unsure of where to begin the dreaded conversation. "Talk to me, Riles."

She groaned in exasperation, propping both elbows on her thighs as she absently rubbed her temples in slow circles. "Their ice caramel latte wasn't even that great." She started off slowly. "I was stuck in heavy traffic for almost an hour just to have really shitty latte." Riley frowned causing Maya to furrow her eyebrows in bewilderment. She had to press her lips together from laughing.

"I take it that the appointment didn't go so well?"

Riley started to chuckle awkwardly, a trail of certain bitterness in her tone. There was a sudden pause as she shut her eyes with the image of him flashing through her mind. She released a heavy breath, unsure of how to lay it out on her. She needed someone to talk to. Someone who could help her deal with residual feelings from the past that was drowning her, suffocating her. Feelings she fought long and hard to bury. She needed her best friend to know.

"I saw Lucas."

Maya blinked, her mouth shut in a straight line. She opened them slightly but couldn't find the words. "Huckleberry?" She trailed off, trying to wrap her head around the surprising news. "He's back?"

Riley huffed in frustration and nodded. "He's my client's fiancé."

Maya's eyes widened. "What?! He's getting married?!" She retorted, a disbelieving tone in her voice as Riley's silence gave away the answer. Maya immediately stood up from the bay window seat and began pacing back and forth in front of Riley. "And you're their photographer?!" She yelled. "Oh that is so fucked up! Where is he? I'm going to kick his Texan, country boy ass!"

"Relax, Maya. I'm not doing it." The blond sat back down beside Riley with a perplexed expression on her face. "I sent a lengthy email, made up some bullshit excuse and referred them to a colleague of mine who agreed to do their engagement photos at the last possible second only if I agree to go on a date with him. So they are all set for tomorrow, and as of right now I'm totally free. So it worked out perfectly."

Maya arched her brow. "Oh." They sat in silence for a moment as a playful grin suddenly crossed her features. "So you're going out with that hot photographer from NYU who's been pining for you since junior year?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "Don't push it, Maya."

"What?" She smirked. "He's hot."

Riley's eyes slid shut and she brought her fingers to the bridge of her nose, desperately trying to push unwelcome thoughts of Lucas back into the darkest parts of her mind. Maya frowned, gently placing her hand on top of hers.

"Are you okay?" She asked calmly, being mindful of the delicate situation as her voice gone softer.

"Yea, I'll be fine."

"Maybe I should stay."

"Maya…"

"If he's in town, I want to be there for you."

"He's not going to come looking for me, Maya. He's getting married for crying out loud. Besides, I can handle myself." She spoke firmly with a reassuring smile. "Please, just have a good time with Josh."

Maya placed her hand on Riley's shoulder and pulled her into a hug, comforting her with unspoken words. They stayed like that for a while before Maya pulled away from their embrace to look at Riley.

"Alright, but if anything happens—if you need someone to talk to, call me."

Riley nodded. "I promise."

Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of her phone vibrating against the nightstand beside her. She groaned as the morning sunlight seeped through the pane windows and slowly made its way across the room. She woke up feeling off, like something was going to happen. Not to mention she had a slight pain in her head and her stomach turned uncomfortably.

Riley reached over to grab the phone and noticed her mother's picture flashing on the screen. She furrowed her eyebrows before answering.

"Mom?"

"Hi, sweetie. I'm sorry to wake you."

Riley briefly looked up at the time on the wall clock. "It's 5:30 in the morning. Is everything ok?"

"Everything is okay, honey. I just need a favor from you." There was a brief pause. "Maya's mother called me and said she will be running late. I have to get to the office in about an hour to look over new leads on a case. Do you mind opening the bakery and taking over until she arrives?"

Riley rubbed her fatigue eyes and yawned. "Yea, sure, Mom. I'll get ready now."

"Thank you, sweetie."

Riley lazily got out of bed and went straight to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and got dressed, putting on a pair of maroon jeggings with a black floral top and a jean jacket to go over it. She quickly blow-dried her hair before putting it up in a messy bun. She then looked at herself in the mirror and applied a touch of make-up. Once she decided she looked decent enough to go out, Riley put on a pair of black ankle boots before grabbing her purse from her desk and leaving the apartment.

She got off the subway station and walked a few blocks until she arrived at Topanga's just in time to open. She spotted two staff members and a few dedicated customers she recognized standing outside the shop. She opened the door and stepped inside to officially open the bakery by flipping the "open" sign on the display window and switching the lights on. Her staff walked in and immediately went to work.

"Seriously, guys?" Riley stepped in front of her first two customers as they walked in hand in hand. "It's your first day of Spring Break and the first thing you do is come here?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest. "What happened to sleeping in?"

The young pair looked at each other and smiled. "I haven't slept yet, Ms. Matthews. I just finished playing Assassin's Creed." Riley arched her brow as she shifted her gaze over to the female teenager.

"And what about you, Jasmine?"

"I fell asleep binge watching Gossip Girl."

Riley lightly chuckled in response.

"Anyway, Ms. Matthews…it's Saturday which means Saturday Specials, which also means half-off on Saturday Specials and we couldn't miss it for the world."

She shook her head with an amused smirk. "Well, enjoy. I'll be in the back if you guys need anything."

Riley stayed in her mother's small office in the back of the shop for the past hour, making orders to their supplier and organizing shipment that arrived late last night. A sudden knock on the door caused her to look up from the computer screen as she watched Maya's mother walk in.

"Hey, Riley. Sorry I'm late. I had car trouble on the way and I had to call your Uncle Shawn to help me get the car started again."

Riley smiled in greeting. "Morning, Ms. Hart. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Thank you." There was a brief pause as the elder woman placed her hands on her hips, smiling. "I can take it from here, Riley. You go on home. I'm sure you have better things to do than hang around here."

Riley frowned. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked, hoping she can stay a little longer to do some work and get her mind off of things.

"We can manage, Riley. Thank you." Ms. Hart gave her a reassuring smile. "Go on. Have fun on your days off. Live a little."

Riley gave a forced smile. "Okay. But if you need anything, please call me."

"Will do, sweetie."

Riley stepped out from the small office and returned to the front of the bakery. She noticed more customers coming in and filling the empty tables. She briefly said her goodbyes to the staff while grabbing a hot caramel frap to go. She motioned towards the front door and waved to a few regular customers when suddenly she bumped into someone walking in, slightly losing balance as the contents of her drink spilled onto the taller figure's shirt.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry, I—" Riley looked up and realized who she was speaking to. He was close enough that she could see the laugh lines bracketing his eyes and smell the faint trace of his cologne he wore since high school. Her gaze traveled over the rest of his face as they landed on his tempting lips. Her heart constricted painfully as a small tremor worked its way through her body. "Lucas?" She conceded weakly as she dragged in a nervous breath and released it slowly. She was surprised to see him, as his presence was the last thing she was expecting to see.

He weakly smiled, ignoring the scorching hot coffee that seeped through his shirt and burned his skin.

"Hello again, Riley."

A/N: Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys think! I'll do my best to update asap.