Hello, hello lovely readers. Thank you again for the reviews and comments, as always it's greatly appreciated. We're at chapter 7 already which means the story is almost done. I know, I know...why? Don't worry RUCAS fans I already have another story lined up. Like I always say, I love to balance things out. Too many Maya/Lucas stories out there and just doesn't seem right not to write more for this cutesy couple. But since I've written over ten stories I'm starting to run out of ides so please throw some my way. C'mon RUCAS lovers out there whatcha got?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 7

Lucas met up with Zay at the church and quickly brought him up to speed. "You have to tell Maya the truth," Lucas said. "And promise her it won't happen again."

Zay looked at Lucas. "Are you my best man or worst enemy? 'Cause I have to tell you, I don't recognize you right now. Besides, what happened to your old mantra, 'So many women, so little time'?"

The mantra had been a joke, designed to keep any female who was serious away from him. "You know I was never really like that," Lucas said.

"Yeah, I know. But, I have to tell you bro I've snagged some pretty fantastic—"

Lucas didn't know what happened; he hasn't decked anyone in a long time. One minute he was just standing there. The next he had the famous athlete flat on his behind, sliding across the vestibule floor. Lucas grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to his feet. "I swear to all that's holy. You hurt Maya or anyone she cares about again and you will answer to me." Lucas let go and stepped back.

Zay dusted himself off and glared at Lucas like the self–involved stranger he had become. "What the hell man! If you weren't my best friend in the entire world I would deck you back." Zay growled.

"And if you weren't mine you would have gotten more," Lucas shot back. "What the hell is wrong with you? I've seen the changes in you, but this? This is a whole new level of bull shit even for you. You finally found a woman who wants to spend the rest of her life with you and you choose this time to screw around?

"You wouldn't understand…" Zay muttered. "Not everyone is as lucky as you Lucas. Not everyman finds the perfect woman for them"

Zay's dark eyes glittered and Lucas nodded for him to proceed.

"Maya doesn't love me. Not really. Sure we have fun together but that's not enough is it?"

Lucas' eyes narrowed as if he couldn't understand what his friend was telling him. "Do you love Maya?"

"You're not supposed to be in here!" Maya chided Lucas short minutes later.

Lucas shrugged off the chiding and made his way to his wife. It was clear Riley hadn't said a thing. Maya and every other female in the wedding party looked ecstatic. Riley looked as if she were trying to feign wild happiness while secretly miserable.

"But maybe you can cheer her up," Maya hoped aloud.

Riley enveloped Lucas in a hug. Standing on tiptoe, she whispered in his ear, "I didn't and you can't."

"I know," Lucas whispered back. "That's something Maya has to discover on her own."

Riley nodded, still looking upset.

Lucas set a phone down on the closest table.

No sooner had he done so, than it went off again. Thanks to Lucas, the ringer had been set to loud. The obnoxious ring tone filled the room.

Maya frowned. "What's Zay's phone doing in here?" She rushed to pick it up. Then paled as she read the text aloud, "'I want to…'" Maya looked around. "Is this some sort of a joke?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Give me that." Riley dived for the phone.

Maya held tight and kept scrolling. "I want everyone to leave except Riley and Lucas."

"Honey," Katy Hart implored.

"I mean it, Mom! Take all the bridesmaids and Zay's mom and just go."

The women filtered out of the room.

Maya stared at Lucas, a fairy princess about to explode. "Is this for real?" she repeated again.

Lucas ignored the shock and ambivalence in Riley's expression. "It's his phone."

"The messages," Maya stipulated.

Lucas ignored Riley's pleading glance. He looked into her friend's eyes. "As far as I know, yes."

"Okay," Maya said to Lucas, pointing to the door. "You need to get out, too."

Riley caught Lucas' sleeve as he passed. Once again her eyes were filled with tears of relief and fury. "I can't believe you just did that," she hissed.

"You'll both thank me later," Lucas predicted, and prayed that was the case.

Maya collapsed on the nearest chair, no longer caring what the action might do to her silk skirt and train. As she looked Riley in the eye, what little remained of the months of estrangement disappeared. Once again they were best friends, sisters, in heart and soul. "Obviously," Maya deduced, "you knew."

Riley swallowed, aware the only thing she could do now was tell the truth—and let the chips fall where they may as Maya made what was arguably the most important decision of her life.

"Only since last night," Riley admitted quietly, realizing belatedly that Lucas had been right to do what he had. Neither of them could have lived with themselves had they covered for Zay and kept the truth from Maya.

Maya passed a weary hand over her eyes. "You saw his texts?"

"I saw him with his hand on another woman's butt." Briefly, Riley explained.

"And didn't tell me," Maya accused, betrayed.

"I wanted to…but…you had already accused me once of trying to ruin your wedding…and I didn't have any proof. Not like that." Riley pointed to the phone.

Maya leaped up and began to pace. "So you chickened out."

"Yes," Riley admitted, ashamed. She struggled not to cry.

Maya swung around, heavy skirts swishing. "So now what am I supposed to do?"

Maya fingered the elaborate bouquet in her hands. Outside, they could hear the music starting. She studied her gigantic diamond ring.

Maya's mom popped her head in.

Maya held up a hand.

Her mom popped right back out.

Maya looked at Riley. "Tell me what you think," she insisted quietly, for once—maybe for the first time in months—looking as if she really needed her best friend's advice.

"Maya, why are you so calm? I expected you'd be storming out of here and screaming to speak to Zay."

"I don't know. Maybe it hasn't really sink in?" Maya replied.

Riley knew a lot was resting on her answer so she gathered her courage and spoke from the heart. "I think you deserve better. We both do. A week ago I might not have known this, but I do now. True love is worth waiting for."

Maya looked sad for herself, happy for Riley. "Are you saying…?"

"Yes. I'm in love with Lucas." So in love, in fact, Riley was willing to stay married to him even if he didn't ever love her back. "You know why you're taking this whole cheating calmly?"

"Tell me why," Maya ordered with a bump in the sarcasm and a raised brow.

"Because you don't really love Zay." Riley bit her bottom lip.

"Of course I do!"

"No you don't. Not the way you should be anyways. I know you Maya. When you're with Zay you act differently. If you truly love him, you would be showing him the real Maya. The Maya that's funny, tough, beautiful and caring. I can't tell you what to do. I could but I won't. I love you and whatever you decide on I will be here for you."

"We can't let everything go to waste!" Katy said, after Maya had told her fiancé it was over, marched into the chapel, made the announcement and marched right back out. "The flowers, the food, the dinner, the band, the limo—everything has been paid for!"

"It doesn't have to go unused," Maya said, looking more serene than she had in months, now that the decision had been made. "Lucas and Riley can take our place!"

Riley gasped. This was the wedding of a lifetime. "I couldn't," she protested, hand to her heart.

With the generosity and love she'd shown Riley when they were kids, Maya said, "Sure you can. We just need to get you a dress. I'll swap dresses with you if I could." Maya grinned.

Looking surprised, but nonetheless cooperative, Lucas shrugged. "I'm willing," he announced.

"Well, I'm not!" Riley folded her arms in front of her.

Jaws dropped. Riley's mom looked like she might faint. Cory looked annoyed beyond words.

"Give us a moment," Lucas said to everyone.

In relief, everyone filtered out of the anteroom.

Lucas held out his hands to Riley. "You deserve the wedding of your dreams."

Riley couldn't argue that. Still… She looked at Lucas, determined to be as honest with him as she had just been with Maya. "This was Maya's dream. Besides, it's in a church, before God and all that, and I don't think I—it's not—in this case," Riley stammered, "a civil ceremony would be better."

Lucas looked at Riley, as always seeing so much more of what she was feeling than she would have wished. "Mind telling me why?" he asked finally.

Total honesty, it seemed, was the guiding principle of the day. Riley inhaled deeply, marshaled all her courage and looked Lucas straight in the eye. "Because you don't love me," she said quietly, "and I don't want you pretending that you do."