A/N: Hello, to all my awesome readers and new followers. Thanks again for your continued interest in the story and for your kind words. They continue to motivate and inspire me. So again, I appreciate the support. I apologize for taking awhile to update, again (I know I'm terrible). But this chapter in particular was a difficult one to write considering I had different versions of how I wanted it to turn out (lol). With that said, I do hope the wait will be worth it. Enjoy.

Chapter 10

He quickly shot up in bed, his heart thundering in his chest. His heavy breaths began to slowly subside as he ran an unsteady hand through his disheveled hair away from his damped forehead. The back of his neck was also damped, but instantly cooled, sending chills to run down his spine. He looked around his bedroom and felt a rush of relief. It was one of those peculiar dreams again of Riley as it started the moment he returned to New York. Everything about the nightmare was dark. She had black hair, a strand of it hanging on the left side of her face in a tight braid. Her chocolate brown eyes were dark and droopy with sadness as tears fell down her pale cheeks. She murmured to him the same words many times in his dreams over and over again.

"You did this to me."

"I hate you, Lucas."

"I wish you never came back."

He would try to reach for her then, to comfort and reassure her somehow…only to collide into what appeared to be a glass barrier that stood between them. He would scream out her name and bang his fist against the thick glass, trying to break free from it, but couldn't. His fearful eyes grew larger as she disappeared among the thick black cloud and was gone.

He would wake up in that very moment, each time terrified and broken. It felt so real to him; he could almost taste the black smoke. He rubbed his temples in a circular motion, his hands trembling slightly as he gripped harshly at the bed sheets just to stop himself from shaking. The thought of ever losing her crushed him as he felt a deep pain in his chest just thinking about it. His eyes scanned the room, the morning sunlight streaming through the curtains and providing the room its only source of light. He glanced at his nightstand; the clock read 7:35AM. He cursed, realizing he was going to be late for his externship. He forced himself into a sitting position on the edge of his bed and noticed the empty space next to him.

He reluctantly got out of bed and motioned across the room to open the door. He heard a popping sound of something cooking from the kitchen. He smiled as the smell of eggs and bacon wafted through the house.

He stepped out from the bedroom and made his way to the kitchen. She was in the middle of putting food on the table when she saw him walk in. "Oh hey. Good morning." Her auburn hair was wrapped in a messy ponytail, a few strands having fallen to hang over the skillet she was looking into. She looked focused, slightly tired from her late flight last night as he noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes. He made sure to move into her peripheral vision before coming up behind her and planting a small kiss on her cheek. "I hope you're hungry." She said, biting off a piece of buttered toast before turning around to kiss him on the lips.

"I'm starving." He proceeded to the cupboard, grabbing two plates and a set of utensils before settling on the stool. She joined him just moments later as she sat down across from him, bringing over a plate of pancakes, eggs and bacon to the center of the island table. "This looks great, babe. Thanks."

She grinned at him. "You're very welcome."

They ate in comfortable silence for a while. Lucas' eyes were roaming around the plate of food in deep contemplation as he tried to avoid the topic that has been weighing heavily on his shoulders. Minutes have gone by and he could feel her intent gaze on him. With his mind racing and his emotions running rampant, he knew she was trying to read him as it made him nervous. He wanted more than anything to tell her about the kiss. But now that he had the opportunity to do so, he didn't know how to bring it up.

"I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk last night." She began, tired of the silence and decided it was time to say something. "I know it was late, and I should have called, but after getting off the phone with you, I realized how much I miss you and want to be with you." She was rambling on and she knew it, shyly averting from his worried gaze as she continued on with a sigh. "I know it's only been a week—"

"It's okay, Belle." He said, reassuring her with a soft smile. "I'm glad you're here." He reached across the table and held her delicate hand in his. "I missed you."

A weak smile fell on her lips as their fingers became entwined. "I missed you too." There was a tense silence that descended upon them. She tilted her head to the side, wondering what was going through his head. "Are you okay, Lucas?" His eyes met hers, and she looked almost apologetic. "You didn't sound like yourself on the phone yesterday."

His calm demeanor was momentarily broken as he stared at Belle, her hazel eyes shining with nothing but sincere concern. At first he couldn't make himself speak, not when she was right in front of him, about to break her heart. The words he'd been burning to say since it all happened seemed impossible to form now.

"Lucas?"

Unable to look her, he lowered his gaze and cleared his throat, bracing himself for the blow that was sure to come. "S-something happened." Lucas stammered nervously, his stomach twisting into a tight knot as he thought about everything he was going to say. "But before I tell you, I need you to know that I love you, and I never meant to hurt you."

Belle frowned and blinked in what looked like confusion. Hearing him sound so conflicted and uncertain was mind-boggling. He was always so confident, and to see this rare, vulnerable side of him worried her. "Lucas, you're scaring me…"

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "I kissed someone else."

He felt himself tense up as their eyes locked. Everything seemed suspended in time. For a second, there was that calm, unreadable expression on her face. She had no thoughts or voice for several moments that Lucas found himself wishing she didn't keep her guard up quite so much. But as her brain began to process what had transpired, her stomach lurched as a spasm of hurt and shock flashed in her eyes.

"W-what?" She queried, her voice cracking as his words made her throat run dry. He could see the pool of unshed tears form in the corner of her eyes and it ripped through him like a bullet.

"Belle, it happened one time and it meant nothing." His pained voice fell flat, unsure if he was trying to convince Belle or himself. She looked down at the table, gently wiping her eyes and hoping to calm her emotions so she could speak calmly. "I'm so sorry." Lucas half expected her to yell and curse at him, but she didn't. She just sat there staring at him; her mouth fell slightly open, no doubt trying to figure out what to do next.

She shook her head and looked around the kitchen before focusing her eyes sharply back on him. "Who was it?" She asked steadily, hesitating for a moment as if she was afraid to know the answer herself. "A stranger? A friend? An ex-girlfriend?" She emphasized every syllable that came out of her mouth, causing him to grimace at the hurt expression on her face. She sighed, her breath shaking as she fought to keep her voice steady. "Who was it, Lucas?"

There was a deep silence between the two of them as his hardened gaze settled on the half-empty plate in front of him. He lost his appetite then and felt sick to his stomach. "Does it even matter?" He looked at her questioningly, shaking his head in defeat. "Isn't it enough that I'm guilty? That I betrayed you?" He waited for her reaction, tense and breathless.

"Was it Riley?" She managed to ask, her voice strained as she spoke.

His body stiffened and his face paled slightly at the mention of her name. When he didn't say anything, her eyes closed and he saw there was pain engraved in her expression. "H-how did you know?" He asked weakly, his rough voice filled with emotion. He wished she could see how utterly broken, devastated and terrible he felt.

"Last night when you were sleeping," she answered, a hint of jealousy and sadness appearing on her face as she went back to the moment it happened, "you whispered her name."

Lucas shook his head and opened his mouth to protest, but promptly shut it as he thought about the dream. It was all too much for any one person to bear. His lingering feelings for Riley, the entanglement with Belle and the devastating look on her face like he had wounded her deeply and unexpectedly…it was all too overwhelming. He wanted to hide and escape the nightmare he was living.

The silence took over once again. Neither of them spoke for a couple of moments. Belle frowned, turning away from him as she absently piled up the dishes, seemingly at a loss for words. "I'm going to clean up here." She nearly whispered, her voice now void of all the emotions her eyes were trying to hide. "You should get ready. You'll be late for your externship."

His eyebrows flew upward at her sudden change in demeanor. "Belle, we should talk about this."

"Talk about what?" She asked calmly, her lips pressed into a thin line. "While I was in Maine planning our wedding you're here kissing someone else?" The emotionless tone hit him straight in the gut. She kept her chin up and didn't let him see how much his confession hurt her.

"It was just one time." He repeated desperately, putting weight behind every word. "And I'm so, so sorry."

"I know you're sorry, Lucas." She steeled herself. "But I'm afraid if we talk about this right now, I'll be saying a lot of things that I will regret later on, and I don't want that to happen. I just…" she stopped in mid-sentence and whispered sternly, "I need some time to think this through. And I promise when you get back home, we can talk about it."

Lucas said nothing as he simply nodded in understanding. He reluctantly got up from the stool and began heading towards his bedroom to get ready, only to stop halfway from leaving the kitchen. He turned around and glanced over his shoulder, a somber expression gracing his features as he looked at her. "I love you, Belle."

She gave a weak, small smile in return, one that fell quickly, as he turned around and left the room.

It was a pleasantly warm Sunday afternoon as the noon hour brought in a stream of business to Topanga's. Luckily for Riley, she arrived as soon as the lunch rush ended, graciously volunteering on her last day of Spring break to not only take pictures of new items on the menu to post on the bakery's website but to help Katy Hart with a last minute consultation. She went to the back of the shop and entered the office space where her mother was at her desk preparing to leave for the day. She was told there was new evidence that may shed some light on a case she was working on, one that she needed to discuss with her team of lawyers before the upcoming trial.

"Thanks for coming in, Riley. I'm sorry it was last minute."

"Sure, Mom." She smiled, "Whatever I can do to help."

"Call me if you need anything. Bye, sweetie." Topanga gave her a quick hug and kiss on the forehead before grabbing her briefcase from the desk and leaving the room. Knowing that the new client would be arriving shortly, Riley checked the appointment book to gather the details. She was scheduled to meet with John and Anna to discuss a cake design for a baby shower party.

She stepped out from the office and returned to the front of the bakery. The flow of customers coming in and out was steady as she situated herself in the back of the room in a more secluded area, usually designated for consultations.

As she went over the pre-consultation sheet that was filled up prior to the appointment, she decided to get herself a drink, making her way towards the counter to fix one up. Riley was in the middle of making an ice vanilla latte when she heard the bell, indicating that a customer walked in.

Out of the corner of eye, she saw a tall female approach the cupcake display and greet one of the young male staff. He briefly excused himself to assist another customer he was helping first, and suggested that perhaps Riley would be able to take care of the order as he gave her a pointed look from across the room. She took the hint and nodded, hoping the customer does not hold her up too long. She would hate to run late for her appointments.

"Hi." Riley greeted the customer cheerfully as she approached her from behind. "How can I help you?"

The female turned away from the cupcakes and glanced upward at her direction. Riley's eyes flew open and zeroed in on the familiar face. Her lips were parted and her palms began to sweat, struggling to ignore the growing guilt and shame that swept over her. "Belle?" She blinked in surprise, her heart racing uncontrollably as she flashed back to the day she and Lucas shared a kiss.

"Riley?" She muttered, equally surprise to see her as she was. "Hey…"

"Hi..." Riley gave her an awkward wave as a faint smile crossed her lips. "W-what are you doing here?" She asked curiously.

"I um…remember you telling me about this place," she explained, "and I happened to be around the area, so I…decided to take my chances, hoping to run into you actually." There was a hint of uncertainty in her tone of voice, causing Riley to furrow her eyebrows in bewilderment. She could sense something was weighing down on her, as Belle stood there distracted and nervous before her. "Can we talk?" Belle asked hopefully. Just hearing those words made Riley panic. She didn't know what to make of any of this as she looked up at the wall clock and bit her bottom lip.

"I have an appointment in 10 minutes."

"Just five minutes of your time." Belle urged softly. "Please."

Riley simply nodded and smiled. "Yea. Okay, sure." She led her to an empty table nearby as Belle followed and sat down on a vacant chair across from her. The tension in the air was tangible as they sat quietly for a few moments before either one of them spoke first.

"I know why you decided not to do our engagement photos." Belle began carefully, breaking the awkward silence that seemed to drag on forever. Riley flinched at her statement, but did not respond. She had the troubling feeling, an awful premonition about where this conversation was headed. "And I know what happened between you and Lucas."

Riley could feel herself shaking as she tightly gripped the hem of her skirt in an effort to stop the movement. Her expression slowly crumpled, and with it, tears began to pool in her eyes. The guilt and shame Belle saw on her face was all the confirmation she needed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen. We were arguing a-and," she trailed off hopelessly, struggling with each word she spoke. "It was just a spur of the moment—it didn't mean anything." Noticing her physical and emotional reaction, Belle automatically reached out to touch her, gently placing her hand on top of hers. Riley reacted instinctively, shrinking back in her chair.

"I don't need you to explain, Riley." Belle cut her off and shook her head as though to wave off the apology. "I'm not here to argue with you or cause any trouble. I just need you to help me understand something. And please, be honest with me." Her voice grew softer as Riley shifted in her seat nervously.

"Do you still love Lucas?"

The inside of her stomach twisted and turned as she could feel the goosebumps rising on her skin. It was a question Riley had been afraid to ask herself as she averted her eyes to the floor, her cheeks burning with renewed shame. Belle could see the turmoil boiling in her conflicted eyes and she knew in that very moment she was not over him.

"Yes." Riley answered in a voice barely above a whisper. "Of course I do. He was my first love, a part of me will always love him." She clasped her hands together on the table, trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words. "But…we grew apart. Things change. And I'm not the same girl he fell in love with all those years ago." Riley put on her brave face and looked her in the eyes, surprised to see them filled with genuine sympathy. She smiled then as a sudden look of realization crossed Belle's face. "He loves you, Belle. He wouldn't ask you to marry him if he didn't." A familiar pang filled her chest as the words escaped her lips. No matter how much it hurt her to say it out loud, Riley told herself she was going to get through this. "So please…don't let the one kiss get in the way of your happy ending with Lucas." Her composure slipped briefly as she took a deep breath to calm her aching heart. Her lips twitched slightly, but with effort she held her smile at bay.

"I'm his past, and you are his future."

Work couldn't end soon enough. It has been only five hours into the shift, but it felt much longer. Normally work went by pretty quickly. After all, it was a job he loved and one that he had fun doing whenever he gets the chance to work with animals. But with everything that has been going on, all he could think of was being with Belle.

So when 5 o'clock rolled around the corner, Lucas immediately rushed out the door, signaling for a taxicab the moment he stepped outside the animal hospital. He sat in the back of the yellow vehicle, his fingers anxiously tapping the side door. He looked out the window in deep contemplation and watched as the sun was starting to set and cast a beautiful orange hue in the sky.

Despite the light traffic, he arrived at the house faster than he expected as he paid the cab driver and immediately ran up the steps to the front porch. He entered his home and kicked the door closed as he dropped his keys on the foyer table. For several moments he stood by the door, just gazing at the empty space of his home. It wasn't really empty, but it felt empty the moment he walked in.

Shaking his head, he moved further into his home and stood in the livingroom where he found Belle sitting on the couch with her head buried in her hands. He walked over to her slowly, taking the seat closest to her. He was about to reach for her then when he noticed her suitcase and duffel bag was on the floor beside her; packed and ready.

"What's all this?" He asked, causing her to look up and acknowledge his presence. She blinked and drew in a deep, shaky breath.

"Hi, Lucas."

There was something in her voice that made him fill with dread. He gazed into her eyes and realized she had been crying. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

She quickly wiped at her tears and gave a sad smile. "I'm uh...going back to Texas to get the rest of my stuff. I'll be staying with a girlfriend for awhile."

He furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "What? Why?" He stared at her incredulously. He could feel her slowly pulling away from him as she lowered her gaze and fresh tears began to fill her already reddened and swollen eyes. Something then clicked in his head, a horrific realization. "Are you—breaking up with me?" Belle's gaze slowly traveled up to meet his and saw the war of emotions fighting behind his intense green eyes. For a long time they were silent, each meeting the other's gazes.

"I'm sorry, Lucas." She said brokenly, her voice wavering as she placed the cold diamond ring in the middle of his palm and folded his fingers over it. "But I can't marry you." Lucas stood frozen for a moment and felt his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach.

"Why are you doing this?" He whispered, his heart constricting painfully with tears stinging his eyes. Belle could feel her whole body shaking, her tears clouding her vision as she mustered all her strength to blink them all back.

"You still have feelings for Riley." She frowned, swallowing hard as the words escaped her trembling lips. "And as long as I'm with you, you'll always be thinking of her."

They stared at each other, both of them fighting back the tears. "But I love you, Belle. Please..." he begged of her, "don't do this."

She was silent for a moment and Lucas watched as she closed the gap between them and kissed him softly on the lips for one last time. She pulled back, gently resting her forehead against his before looking up at him with a pained smile on her face.

"Goodbye, Lucas."

She turned her back on him then, her heart shattering painfully. She knew she made the right decision even though she might regret it someday. She sighed softly as she took her belongings and walked out the door, not looking back as she let her own tears fall.

A/N: To be continued! Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys think! Stay tuned...