A/N: Hello, again to all my fellow readers. Thanks for the kind reviews, new adds and alerts! Sorry for the late update…again (lol). Believe me, I am doing the best I can to make sure I get these chapters up. With that said, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

Chapter 9

Lucas rubbed the bridge of his nose. His hand was busy shifting through the insurmountable number of papers and charts that lay on his desk. His mind drifted aimlessly, unable to focus on the task at hand. He looked up at the clock. He had two hours left till his shift ended, as time seemed to drag on longer than usual. Things were moving rather slowly at the hospital with only a few clients and their animals that dropped in.

He leaned back against the swivel desk chair and turned his gaze over to the small window. He found solace in the silence of being alone in the office as he absently watched the sun set behind the tall building across the street, flooding the sky with blue and orange. He released a deep sigh, trying in vain to push away thoughts of Riley. Looking at the sun, it reminded him so much of her—warm, bright and radiant as she drew him in the moment they locked eyes in the subway and guided him with her light during his darkest moments. It has been a few days since he last saw her and everything he had found out. He was doing his best to not think about it, but nothing has improved, as his mind seemed to drift back to her.

Then there was the kiss as it made his head spin and stomach turn. He couldn't comprehend what happened that day. All he wanted was to stop thinking about it to spare himself the stress and agony that would inevitably come with reliving the memory, but he couldn't. It was something he just could not forget.

Suddenly his phone buzzed next to him and he quickly picked it from the desk next to the computer, thankful for the temporary distraction. He glanced down at the small screen and felt his stomach drop as soon as her name and picture flashed before his eyes. He swallowed nervously and took a deep breath before answering.

"Belle?"

"Hey, babe." His fiancé replied cheerfully on the other end of the line. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

He shut his eyelids closed, shielding himself from a reality he was too afraid to face; a reality in which he betrayed his fiancé, his future wife and partner. He felt a rush of self-hatred take hold of him as his face twisted in agony. "No, you didn't. Your timing is perfect." He said, tying to keep his voice even despite the turbulent of emotions he was feeling. "It's slow at the hospital. I was just…sorting out paperwork." He stammered nervously. There was a brief pause as he took another breath. "What are you up to?"

"Well we just got back to Dad's after a day of trying out dresses with the girls."

He smiled, realizing how much he missed her just by hearing her voice. It sounded so much like when they were together as he envisioned her standing in the quiet kitchen, holding the phone to her ear. "How did that go?" He asked curiously.

"It was fun. A bit tiresome trying to find the perfect dress for the girls, but I think we found the one that everyone can agree on."

"That's great."

Silence passed over them as Lucas raced to find his thoughts. There were so many emotions clouded together and he was finding it difficult to control every single one of them.

"You okay?" She asked worriedly, noting the discomfort in his tone of voice and the lingering silence that stretched between them. The sweet, concerned whisper that now emerged snapped him back into reality. For a moment he had forgotten her existence on the other line, more lost in his tentative and troubled thoughts than ever before with the image of Riley and their kiss still fresh in his mind. "You sound…distracted."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just—" He felt the words get caught in his throat. He could almost feel them roll off the tip of his tongue, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out. He took a moment to gather his thoughts together with the guilt and shame flooding through him. "Belle…" he murmured with slight hesitation. "There's something I need to tell you."

Lucas could feel his composure breaking down; his tough outer shell cracking. How could he even begin to tell the woman he plans to marry that he kissed someone else who was also his first love?

"S-something happened," He swallowed painfully, causing a muscle in his jaw to twitch. "I—" He whispered into the phone and stiffened immediately. He bit down his lower lip, cursing himself for not being able to get the words out. He realized then, he didn't want to have this discussion with her on the phone. He wanted to see her and talk face to face.

He owed her that.

"Lucas, what is it?"

Before he could respond, a sudden knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts, forcing him to look up in the direction of the only door in the office. He ran his fingers through his hair in a distressed motion and sighed. "I'm sorry, Belle but I got to go. Duty calls."

"Okay…" Her voice was tinged with worry as it made his stomach clench. The thought of keeping something from her was driving him over the edge. "Call me later?"

"Yea, of course."

"I love you."

He shut his eyes, taking a moment to calm himself. "I love you too."

He ended the phone call with a quick swipe of his thumb, idly tossing his cellphone to the side with the rest of the paperwork. Propping both elbows on the desk, Lucas absently rubbed his temples in slow circles. He was desperately trying to push unwanted thoughts of Riley, the kiss and how he was going to break the news to his fiancé into the darkest parts of his mind. It was all too much as the realization of the damage and hurt he had caused to both women swept over him.

Another knock sounded and he sat up abruptly, forgetting about the person behind the door. Lucas cleared his throat before answering. "Come on in."

He watched the door slowly crack open. A young redhead, who he recognized as the receptionist, peeped her head inside, smiling. "Hi, Mr. Friar?" She greeted shyly.

"Hi, Aurora. And please, just call me Lucas." He smiled back. "What can I help you with?"

"Someone is here to see you." She answered.

His brows flew upward in surprise, not expecting to be seen by anyone late in the hour. "Great, let them in." Aurora stepped out and someone else entered in her place. Lucas looked up and watched as a familiar blonde stepped inside the office. His eyes widened slightly and he smiled.

"Maya?" He blinked, taking a moment to recognize her soft features, a round face, accompanied by piercing blue eyes and medium-length straight hair. She wore a pale yellow-laced dress with a long sleeved black blazer. She sure had grown up in the last four years they had been apart. The pretty young blonde he grew up with had evolved into a gorgeous young woman.

"Huckleberry." She smiled in greeting as he stood up from his chair and gave her a warm hug. "It's been awhile."

"It sure has." He grinned, pulling back from their embrace as he motioned for her to sit down on the empty seat in front of him.

They sat in silence for a few moments before either one of them said anything. Lucas watched as her eyes wandered aimlessly, observing their surroundings until her gaze fell upon his. He knew her well enough to know that she was trying to read him.

"So…she's pretty cute." Maya began, gesturing to the door where the receptionist stood not too long ago. "Has she hit on you yet?" She teased as Lucas shook his head in amusement. Leave it to Maya who sure knows how to break the ice. "Because I could have sworn when I asked about you, her face literally just lit up."

Lucas groaned as he could feel his face turn a darker shade of red. "Believe it or not, Maya but not everyone tries to hit on me." He informed her with slight irritation and embarrassment. Despite four years of no contact, it amazes him how easily it was for them to get right back into as though it was only yesterday since they last said anything to each other.

She rolled her eyes. "Yea, okay. Maybe not everyone, but most of them do. That includes men too." She added with a wink.

Lucas glared at her. "Anyway…" he groaned, trying to brush off his discomfort and move on to a different topic. He averted from her gaze then and noticed the shiny princess cut shaped diamond white gold band on her ring finger. He looked back at her, a surprised and genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Wow…Congratulations, Maya." He said excitedly, pointing to the ring as she turned to meet his gaze. There was tenderness, love, trust and even protectiveness behind her bright eyes as it warmed his heart to see how truly happy she is. It was what he always wanted for her, to be happy. "I'm assuming the lucky guy is Josh."

She blushed before answering. "Well of course! Who else would it be?"

Lucas absently shrugged his shoulders. "Farkle." He replied with a playful smirk.

Maya's eyes narrowed on his, knowing that he was trying to get one over her. It felt like they were back in middle school, going back and forth with their quirky banters as it comes naturally to them. If she was to be completely honest with herself, she missed it. She missed having him around and talking to him. Just sitting with him at that very moment made her feel like the fallout of their friendship within the last four years was a thing of the past. "What?" He grinned. "He did propose first."

"That did not count." She protested. "We were in middle school. And I said yes to the ring."

Lucas laughed lightheartedly. "I'm kidding, Maya. You and Josh are great together. I'm happy for you." He replied genuinely as his expression turned serious for a brief second with all jokes aside. "You'll make a beautiful bride."

Her gaze softened. "Thanks. And congratulations to you too, Lucas." She smiled. "Riley told me you were engaged."

She immediately noticed the flicker of emotion that crossed his face as he forced a smile; feeling like Maya was about to corner him with questions he knew was coming. "Thanks."

Something about his expression and the tone of his voice told her the conversation had shifted. With everything she had found out, his reaction and sudden discomfort didn't come as a surprise to her. They were back to the awkward silence as Lucas averted from her gaze, afraid to even look at her. He was fully aware that she already knew.

"So…I'm curious." Maya said after a stretch of silence that had gotten uncomfortably long. "Does your fiancé know about Riley?"

The smile faded and she was surprised to see how lost, conflicted and hopeless he looked. The initial purpose of her visit was to give him a piece of her mind, to tell him to stay away from Riley and to protect her best friend at all cost. But that plan backfired as Maya found herself in a situation where she wanted to protect them both.

Lucas sighed heavily, feeling the turmoil swell over him. "No," was his response as a look of disbelief crossed Maya's features. They went quiet after that. The only thing that graced their ears was their soft breathing.

"Do you still love Riley?"

Lucas knew he was holding his breath, but he couldn't command his body to breathe. He paused for what seemed like an eternity before answering. "Does anyone truly grow out of loving another?" He asked uneasily, his expression growing somber by the second. Maya gave a sincere smile.

"I suppose when you truly care for someone you never really stop."

They locked eyes, a look of understanding shared between them.

"Anyway, I don't want to keep Riley waiting on our girls night out. Finally." Maya added with an exaggerated groan. Lucas smiled as he could picture the two running around the city causing all sorts of trouble. "I just came here to see how you were doing."

He furrowed his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

Maya looked at Lucas's fallen face with shock. She didn't expect for him to actually think she stopped caring. "I like to believe that we are still friends."

"Even after everything?"

She smiled. "Yes, Huckleberry. Even after everything. None of what happened matters anymore. It's all in the past. And...I still care about you." She admitted softly. "Well…sort of. But don't get used to it and don't you dare tell anyone I said that."

He chuckled. "Thanks. That means a lot to me, Maya. And I still care about you too. Always have and always will."

Following what she has just heard, Maya reached over across the desk, placing a comforting hand on top of his. She gave his hand a little squeeze and smiled.

"Good."

Lucas returned home late that night, much later than he expected, as he stopped by at a nearby sports bar for a few beers and allowed himself to get lost in the memories plaguing his mind. But the alcohol did little to nothing in providing him any comfort to his problems as he returned to his home disappointed.

He lied down in silence for the longest time, staring at his bedroom ceiling and trying to get some sleep. But sleep felt miles away and every time he closed his eyes, the image of Riley re-entered his thoughts. He was staring at the ceiling so intently, he was hoping that if he stared long and hard enough, it could somehow give him a sign that would answer all of the million questions swirling around wildly in his mind. But of course, the ceiling provided nothing and Lucas was left glaring upwards for what felt like ages.

As the minutes ticked by, the heaviness of sleep fell over him when suddenly the sound of the doorbell resonated throughout the house. He groaned, rolling over to his side and looking up at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was past 2AM as he furrowed his eyebrows, wondering who it could be.

Then there was silence as Lucas remained still, thinking it could have been teenagers pulling a silly prank in the middle of the night. But the doorbell rang the second time as he reluctantly sat up on his bed and quickly put on a white shirt. He rolled out of bed, groggily padding across his bedroom and towards the front door. Rubbing his fatigue eyes, he opened it, too tired and lazy to check and see who it was through the peephole.

"Hello, Lucas."

Upon recognizing the voice, his eyes widened as he opened the door and felt his heart stop.

He swallowed hard. "Belle?"

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please share your thoughts. A few more chapters left to the story, so stay tuned!