Days went by, Lucas hadn't left Zay's apartment. He stayed in the guest room, curled up on the bed just thinking. Josh, Farkle, and Maya came by but he wouldn't talk to them. He'd just sit on the bed as they begged for him to open the door.
Maya had gone to see Riley after Zay had told her that Lucas mentioned a fallout between them. Riley was a bright and sunshiney as ever. She was busy dealing with wedding stuff and would just brush off Maya whenever she tried to talk about Lucas.
It was harder to broach the subject when Charlie arrived back to New York. He had been hovering over Riley for the past days, whispering in her ear and giving her loving pecks on the cheek. He'd look at Maya with disdain when Riley wasn't looking.
Finally, Maya had gotten Riley by herself. They were looking at potential bridesmaids dresses in a fancy boutique. Riley was hoping to find a soft lilac gown for all her bridesmaids, while Maya was just trying to get her to talk.
"Riles?" Maya asked as she looked through the gowns.
"Yes, peaches?" Riley gave her a warm smile.
"What happened between you and Ranger Rick?"
Riley stopped abruptly, the gown she had slipping through her fingers. "Nothing. Nothing happened, Maya."
"Like I believe that," She muttered. "Zay says he's really upset. I've gone to see him and he won't leave his room."
Riley closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Maya," She said softly, as she slowly opened her eyes. "We had a fight. We said things to each other. I brought up Missy and he brought up Charlie. I think inviting him was mistake, Maya."
"Yeah inviting the love your life to your wedding is definitely a good idea."
"I don't love him," She hissed. "He certainly doesn't love me."
"Oh, sweet naive Riley," Maya shook her head. "Of course, Huckleberry still loves you!"
Riley had opened her mouth to respond when her phone dinged. Riley glanced at it to see it was a message from Charlie.
"Maya I'm going to have reschedule this," She told her as she gave her the lilac gown. "Can you tell the lady at the counter to put this one on my list of potential dresses? Please."
"Where are you going?"
"Charlie invited me to lunch," Riley told her as she made her way to the door. "He wants to talk and I think it's urgent."
Maya groaned at the mention of Cheese Souffle spoiling her plans but she let Riley go. She quickly called Josh to talk to him.
"I need you to go get Lucas out of his funk," Maya said. "Riley is one step closer to committing the biggest mistake in her life. I don't want her marrying the epitome of evil. Call Farkle and Zay, I've got a plan."
"Am I going to regret this?" Josh sighed through the other line.
"Will you regret helping Riley go towards her happiness?"
"No, of course not!" Josh exclaimed, then paused. "Maya, are we going to potentially end up in the police station again?"
"It happened one time, Matthews!" She hissed aggravated. "No. Maybe. Look just get the boys together at Zay's apartment. I'll be there soon."
"Gotcha Gorgeous," Josh hung up the phone.
Riley entered the small elegant restaurant and the waiter led her outdoors, where Charlie waited skimming through the menu. Riley sat down in the seat opposite of his and smiled.
"You took a while to get here," He said placing the menu on the table. "I don't like to be kept waiting, sweetie."
"I was on the other side of town," She said picking up her menu, trying to not to concentrate on Charlie's gaze fixed on her. "Maya and I were dress shopping."
"You sure you weren't with, Friar," Charlie said gauging her reaction. "You two always seem to have a habit of crawling back to each other. I wouldn't be surprised if you two…got friendly again."
"Are you implying I'd cheat?" Riley snapped, her eyes narrowing at Charlie.
Charlie threw his hands up. "I'm not implying anything," He leaned closer and rested his elbows on the table. "You brought it up, sweetie. I'm not saying you would do that, but I am a big time CEO, darling, potential candidate for mayor. It wouldn't look right if my future wife was throwing herself at some lowlife."
"Lowlife?" She couldn't believe what Charlie was saying. "Look, Charlie you more than anyone know what I went through when Lucas cheated on me with Missy. How could you even imply that I'd cheat on you?" She was genuinely hurt that he could even come up with such idea.
Charlie's face softened and he took her hand in his. "I know, sweetie. I just love you so much it'd hurt if you weren't mine," He traced small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. "I know that you would never cheat on me."
"Then why are you acting like this?"
"It's your fault," He stated simply, his eyes devoid of emotion. "If you wouldn't have ran off with Lucas Friar I wouldn't be this mad at you, sweetie. I love you, but I don't like that you're running off with him and I'd rather you not see him. What kind of a man can love someone who is still stupidly in love with someone who doesn't care about her?"
Riley flinched at his words but he continued mercilessly, "I've told you several times I love you, but sometimes I question it. You make me question it when you pull stunts like these."
"He found me!" Riley felt like exploding.
"You invited him!" He said. "Do you love me, Riley?"
"Yes."
"Then disinvite him." Charlie's eyes were hard and his face was set in a scowl.
"C-charlie I can't." She faltered, casting her eyes downward not wanting to see Charlie's furious expression.
"Why not? You still love him is that it?"
"O-of c-course not!" She insisted feebly, wringing her hands underneath the table. "Charlie he's my friend. Why can't you accept that?"
"I do," He said simply, his phone started buzzing. "I'm going to get this, I'll be right back." Seeing her so distraught he placed a tender kiss on her temple. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I guess I just felt jealous." With that he went to take the call.
Charlie wasn't always this way. He was once this sweet guy that wanted nothing more than to sweep her off her feet. Their firsts dates had been nice, it wasn't until she had mentioned Lucas once that he had gotten so furious he had started a shouting match with her and had accidentally broken her favorite vase. She sure made not to mention Lucas near him again and he repeatedly had blamed it all on a bad day. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when she had said that she had invited them to their wedding had he gotten so mad. She reassured him plenty of times, but with recent events she assumed Charlie felt threatened by Lucas.
Riley didn't think he should be threatened. There was nothing going on between Riley and Lucas. Riley will soon be married and Lucas would eventually find the right girl. That idea didn't settle well with her, but she couldn't keep dwelling on her feelings for Lucas. Feelings that had been dormant until she had seen Lucas after all these years.
Charlie stepped off into a corner, making sure Riley couldn't hear before answering.
"What do you want?" He hissed, cupping the speaker side with his hand. "You can't just call whenever you want especially right now, I was with Riley!"
"Right, I'm the mistress," A female voice said through gritted teeth from the other side. Her voice was like sin and Charlie nearly winced at the angry edge she had to it. "I'm not allowed to call. I'm sorry if I interrupted your lovey dovey time with the Ditzy Princess of Sunshine Land."
"Don't call her that Missy!" Charlie snarled, his eyes flashing. "What did you call me for?"
"I heard Lucas Friar was in town." He could tell she was smirking on the other end.
"Why is everyone so in love with that idiot?" Charlie snapped.
"I'm not," Missy stated briskly. "He dumped me. No one had ever dumped me before. I just thought that if Lucas is in town, it's only a matter of time before Riley eloped with him."
"That won't happen!"
"You sure about that Charlie?" Missy laughed bitterly. "You can't expect her to be with you with her around. She'll leave you at the alter. I have an idea."
"What are you proposing?" He perked up, a little intrigued about what she was suggesting.
"I think that history likes to repeat itself," She said her voice disgustingly sugary. "We broke them apart once, why not again?"
Charlie's lips quirked up into a devilish smirk. "I'm in."
Meanwhile, Josh and Zay had hauled Lucas out of the guest room and into the bathroom. He hadn't showered in days and Zay insisted he was stinking up the room. After Lucas had showered and had a large lunch, they all sat down in the living room hoping to discuss their plan fully now and hopefully succeed this time around.
"I'm sick and tired of all this," Lucas told them after a moment of prolonged silence. "She's marrying Charlie and I'm going home afterwards."
"New York is your home," Zay screeched. "I remember how many times you'd tell me you loved it here! All the opportunities, all your friends. You have so many good memories."
"Along with bad ones," Lucas said glancing down at his clasped hands on his lap. "Look, you guys I messed up my relationship with Riley a long time ago and something's can't be fixed.
"Tell them." Josh commanded, his voice assertive. "Lucas tell them or I will."
"What are you talking about?" Maya asked looking at Josh then her eyes snapped to Lucas. "What is he talking about?"
"Josh," Lucas warned, his eyes pleading him to stop.
"Lucas never cheated on Riley," Josh blurted. "Missy set him up, but Lucas thought that he wasn't good enough for Riley and he thought that Riley could be someone else. So he went along with it all. Other things were thrown into the mix and it was disastrous."
"What?" Maya blanched. "You mean Riley was hurting all this time and you never even did anything?"
"Look Maya it's so much more than that!" Lucas protested.
"Yeah it is!" Maya yelled angrily, she stood up and began pacing around the small living room. "We all thought Riley would be the one not to take your relationship further, because she was insecure. When it was really you? You guys were always so afraid of losing each other, but you let it happen! You broke her Lucas."
"I know," He sighed hanging his head low in shame.
"Fix her." Maya said with force. "Fix all of this Lucas. You need to tell her. She needs to know."
Lucas stood up, frustration radiating off him. "You think it'll change anything?" He bellowed, the vein on his neck protruding and his face flushed scarlet with rage."You think with me suddenly admitting to never cheating will fix everything like magic? If anything she'll be furious, Maya! I lied to her! How can you possibly not get that?"
He stepped closer to her, breathing rapidly as his nostrils flared. "She's marrying Charlie Gardner not me! She loves him not me!"
"Back off, Friar!" Josh yanked Lucas away from Maya. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Lucas glanced around the room to see Zay and Farkle looking at him with apprehensive expressions. Maya was wide eyed and her face pale, Josh stood hovering next to her his body tense and his jaw clenched.
Lucas backed away slowly, feeling remorse flood him.
"I'm sorry," He apologized. "I've had a random bouts of anger lately and I shouldn't have yelled at you Maya…again."
"It's okay, Ranger Rick," She said a small smile playing on her lips. "You can repay me by going to talk to Riley."
He did just that. Lucas was waiting for Riley by her door. He wanted to leave, but at the same time he wanted to clear the air with her. He didn't think she'd be coming any time soon. She's probably out with Charlie, he thought bitterly.
"This is stupid," He muttered. He was about to leave when a familiar voice drifted to his ears.
"Lucas?" He looked up to see Riley making his way towards him with a couple of bags.
Her eyes were slightly red and her skin blotchy, but she still managed to give him a glowing smile.
"Riley, hi," His lips felt dry and he licked them quickly, trying to find something else to say.
"Why don't we go in?" She said moving towards her door to unlock it.
Once inside, she dropped everything onto the couch and turned to face him. There was a look on her face he couldn't decipher. His eyes flickered around the room, he felt so nervous.
"He let out a gush of air. I'm sorry about everything."
"I'm sorry too," She ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
He stiffened under his touch at first, but soon melted in her arms. He wounded his arms around her and held her firmly against his body. He had missed her touch so much and she had missed the way she felt so secure in his arms. They stayed like that for a while, until Lucas felt a bit of wetness on his shirt. She was crying in his arms.
He pulled back, cradling her face in his hands gently. He tenderly wiped the tears away, but that only made her cry harder.
"Don't cry, Riley," He murmured.
"How did we end up like this?" She sobbed. "I never wanted to lose you, Lucas. Why does it feel like I lost you?"
"I'm still here," He said softly. "It's my fault it feels that way, Riley. I have something to tell you and you'll be upset and angry, but I need you to understand."
"What is it Lucas?" Her eyes were shimmering with tears and worry.
"I never cheated on you with Missy," He revealed. "I was scared. I was scared you'd eventually leave me when you realized that I wasn't good enough for me. She tried to break us apart and it worked. I thought I had cheated on you until she confessed to Josh and me she hadn't after we found evidence.
"I begged Josh to not tell you," He continued. "I hated seeing you so hurt, but I knew that if you stayed with me you'd be miserable. How can someone as wonderful as you ever love someone like me?"
He choked on his words as he felt a trickle of tears slip down his face. His eyes bored into her eyes and he felt himself drown in them.
"I know how you felt," She said through her tears. "I felt the same way, Lucas. I thought how can someone so amazing love a wide-eyed goofball."
"You're extraordinary, Riley," He said caressing her cheeks. "You're unique, beautiful, and one of a kind. Riley…I love you." His eyes went wide with his own confession.
"W-what?" Riley didn't think she heard him correctly.
Lucas decided to throw caution to the wind. "I love you, Riley Matthews."
Riley gasped, her eyes twinkling but before she can even say anything Lucas had pressed his lips onto hers. Lucas Friar was kissing Riley Matthews.
Another note: Charlie and Missy will start their own plan. Lucas and Riley kissing? What will happen next?