The Waters Rising
Riley wasn't entirely sure she understood what had happened this evening, it started off with her engaged to Laurence, and now she was single.
The limo pulled up in front of the building and outside waiting for her were Maya and Farkle. Maya immediately hugged her as Farkle grabbed her bags and the led her into the building. Once they were in the apartment Maya looked at her best friend who stood staring out the window. "So what happened?"
Riley rubbed her arms before tugging the sleeves of her hoodie down, it was almost three in the morning she felt awful about waking them up, but she knew she couldn't go back to her parents' house. At least not tonight, and as much as she wished she could go to Lucas she knew he wouldn't want to see her. "I finally snapped out of this ridiculous fantasy world I was living in."
Maya brought her a glass of water, "Could you please explain to us as best you can what you've been thinking?"
Riley took a sip before looking to her friends, sitting next to each other on the couch, Farkle's arm around Maya as she curled up against him. "I um, I got scared. Lucas and I we were going to be together, it was finally going to be a reality, and I pushed him away."
"Riley, I know you've been keeping something from us. You don't have to we've been your friends all your life, we always will be." Farkle watched her, wishing she would open up to them.
She put the water glass down on the table and moved towards them, she took each of their hands, "When we were seventeen, Lucas and I decided we were ready to sleep together. I um, found out I had a miscarriage not that long afterwards."
Farkle squeezed her hand, watching his friend, how had he not known? How had Maya not known?
"After that, um my doctor told me it wasn't likely I would be able to get pregnant again. The only ones who knew were my parents and Lucas." She felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off her body, "Lucas has always been so wonderful, reminding me that we would have lots of options to become parents. That whatever I decided I was comfortable with, we would do, even if it meant not having children at all."
Maya watched as her friend wiped a set of tears from her eyes before handing her a tissue.
"You know I never even looked at another man all these years, and I go to Glendova and I get caught up in this modern day fairytale. Maya, I know you didn't mean to get in my head when you said you could see Lucas and me having little mixes of us. But I think that was when I realized just how real it was all becoming, and I want nothing more in this world than to be able to have that with Lucas and I know I can't."
Maya and Farkle pulled her into a hug, feeling her collapse into their embrace. She'd been holding onto this for far too long.
"Riley, he loves you he wants to be with you no matter what." Farkle hoped to God she believed him because he knew it was true.
Riley pulled away, wiping her puffy, red eyes with the tissue before blowing her nose, "He came to see Laurence this morning I think Duke filmed them on his phone." She pulled the flash drive from her pocket and handed it to Farkle.
He took it the TV and put it in, and played it.
They watched as their heartbroken friend gave up, Farkle turned it off after a minute, unable to watch any longer. "Riley, he loves you. Go to him tell him how you feel it's not too late."
"I think it is I think I broke him." Riley looked to her friends, "I gave him hope so many times only to push him away even just the other day at my house when all of you invaded. Just look at him, I've destroyed him."
"Then build him back up Riley." Maya looked at her best friend, "It's what you do best, go to Lucas in the morning, tell him you are an idiot, tell him you love him, tell him that you are his if he'll have you, and even if he won't, you will always be his."
Riley looked up at the screen, "I always have been, I always will, even if he won't have me."
Zay felt her lips crashing on his once again he could never believe it whenever she showed up it was as though she couldn't get enough of him. Only she would disappear for weeks at a time. He never knew if she would even return.
But here she was, her legs wrapped around him, kissing him as he sat in the chair in his backroom office at the bar.
His fingers twisted in her dark hair and he pulled away, "I can't do this."
"What's wrong?" She studied him as she pushed up her glasses.
"I don't want to be some booty call." Zay told her as he looked into her eyes, "If that's all I am to you Sarah, you should go."
Sarah bit her lip as she looked into his eyes, "You want like a real relationship?"
"Yeah, don't you?" He didn't even realize that his hands were on her thighs until she looked down.
She was silent for a moment, "I um, I should go."
"Yeah, I guess you should." Zay watched her walk out, he felt a pang of pain in his chest, and realized if he multiplied that by a million that was how Lucas was feeling, and why he felt he had to ride Monaco.
His phone buzzed and he saw a text from Lucas.
Flight is in two hours, already at the airport. Could you please do me a huge favor and cover my practices until I get back? We have the regionals next week I should be back in time for that.
Zay sighed as he typed a reply, knowing of course he would take over the practices, and that he would, sure the boys could basically coach themselves at this point.
As he was about to put his phone down he saw a message come in from Farkle.
Riley ended things with the Prince.
Shit.
Zay stared at the message before replying.
Good, too bad Lucas has given up and I mean he's lost his damn mind. She broke him.
He tossed the phone on the desk trying to finish up his paperwork before he left for the night.
Maya held Riley's hand as they stood outside the door of her parents apartment, "We can always go in the window and pretend this never happened honey."
Riley gave her a soft half smile, "I don't think that would work."
She took a deep breath and opened the door, her parents and Auggie were at the kitchen table eating dinners. Slowly she walked past them towards her room with Maya right behind her.
"Where you going, I thought you were staying at the plaza with the Prince?" Auggie's words dripped with contempt.
Riley put her bags down and sat on the bench with Maya next to her, her hands flat so they could see that she wasn't wearing the ring. "I realized that marrying Laurence would be a mistake, because the only man I have ever loved, really love, is Lucas."
"Too bad you chased him out of town." Auggie looked at his sister, "Lucas is gone Zay's our coach now, so thanks a lot Riley."
"Auggie, your sister I'm sure had her reasons for pushing Lucas away." Cory looked to his daughter, "Was it about, the um, family planning issue."
Riley nodded, "I got scared I tried to push him away because it terrifies me that he wants to still be with me, when I can't have children with him. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I wasn't."
Topanga came over and hugged her daughter, "I had a feeling that's what this was about. Are you okay though?"
"I'm okay, Laurence knew I still love Lucas, it was like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop." Riley sighed, "I've made a mess of everything. I broke Lucas he'll never speak to me again."
"Yes he will, he might need some time to come around," Cory took his daughters hand, "But he loves you. I've seen how much he loves you."
"He loved me enough to give up on me." Riley confessed. "I don't think he ever expects to see me again."
"I keep telling her to go see him, to talk to him, but she won't." Maya looked to her surrogate family.
"Won't matter Lucas left town." Auggie looked to the girls, "Maybe Zay knows where he went."
"I guess I need to go find Zay." Riley got up from the table and Maya grabbed her, "What Maya."
"Get changed first, you've been wearing this all night and day." Maya motioned towards her pajamas.
"Oh yeah good idea" She grabbed her bag and went to get changed.
When Zay looked up as the door flew open he knew trouble was coming his way.
"I need to find Lucas, where is he Zay?" Riley had stormed into the bar and right over to her longtime friend, "Where is he?"
Zay wiped down the bar, trying to decide if he should tell her or not, but he knew if he didn't tell her Farkle or Maya would. She'd break one of them, so she might as well break him. "He went back to Austin, for one final ride."
Riley shook her head, "He had his final ride already Zay, so don't lie to me where is Lucas?"
Zay poured a shot of tequila and put it in front of her with a slice of lemon, "He's going to ride Monaco."
She picked up the shot, downing it quickly and grabbed the slice of lemon. Fear surging through her body, "Monaco is even more volatile then Tombstone was."
"I know Sugar, I know." Zay took the shot glass and lemon rind, "A man has to do, what a man has to do to feel again."
"When does he ride?" She slammed her hands down on the bar.
Zay looked down, "Where did your gigantic ring go?"
"Back with the Prince where it belongs, probably sitting in a hotel safe while he's at a diplomatic dinner."
"Sugar, you better get your butt on a flight to Texas right now, or you might not have a Rodeo Star to put your arms around."
Riley felt a surge of purpose, "Thanks Zay"
"Let's not have to do this again Sugar!" He called out as she ran out of the bar.
Riley rushed into the apartment, "I need to book a flight to Texas, the next one leaving, and I need to pack. I've got to stop Lucas."
She stopped when she saw everyone waiting around, "What?"
"Plane ticket" Her father handed her the printout.
"Packed you a bag should be good for a couple of days." Maya handed her the suitcase, "Oh and I included some reading material for you."
"You guys knew he was in Texas didn't you?" She looked at her family still not sure she understood them.
Maya sighed, "Zay left us a message last night about Lucas going to Texas Farkle didn't get it until after you left to go see Zay."
Riley nodded, looking down at the ticket, "So I'm off to Texas, to get back the man I love, or at the very least keep him from riding the most dangerous bull."
Cory stopped his daughter, "I'm sorry for how we all acted, we love you Riley. Follow your heart, it knows what you need right now."
She threw her arms around her father and hugged him tightly, "Thank you Daddy, I will do my best. I promise."
"We love you we only want you to be happy." Topanga hugged her daughter for a moment.
Auggie looked at his sister, realizing he was almost as tall as her, "Bring Lucas back, and don't break him again."
"I'm going to do my best, I promise." She gave her brother a hug before going to the door, "I'm really doing this aren't I?"
"Yes, you are. Don't over think it, just see him, talk to him let him be angry if he has to be." Maya told her as she went with her to the door. "In the end you and Lucas will be together."
Riley nodded, she wished she could pinpoint what it was, but everything was making sense to her again. She could only hope it wasn't too late now.
