A/N: Sooo...last chapter was a wild ride. Our girl Riley finally confronted Lucas and learned everything only for her to take him back in the end. Sigh. I included the scene with Zay because she's trusts him with her problems, he's the only person she can go to because she knows how Isadora and Maya would react if she told them the truth. Zay is more collected which makes him a perfect person to go to for help. This is important because this plot gets bigger in the upcoming chapters. I also wanted to thank you guys for the reviews. When I first started this story I didn't know how people would react to it and seeing you guys interact with it makes me extremely happy. They mean a lot to me and we're almost at a hundred reviews, the support is unbelievable I don't know what I did to deserve so many.
Katy Kear: I know girl, I know. But hey, it's realistic and it happens in real life.
Frey: Hey, girl I see we got a new reviewer. And yes, that chapter was so important. I've never written such an intense break up scene before...like... I think I did sum lol. This story has up to 21 to 22 to 23 chapters. It's around there. Sorry I can't give an exact number because they're numbered differently on my drafts, but it falls around there. So we still got a few weeks. I'm working on the second to last chapter, but I'm kind of suffering from writers block so pray for me...lol.
Hey: I know, I know, I'm glad you guys are upset about all of this. I feel like I'm doing something right. Thanks so much for the support.
Also, I'm curious, how many of ya'll still want Lucas and Riley to end up together.
Chapter 17
Lose You to Love Me
ooo
Riley entered school the next day with Lucas at her side. Though she was grateful to have her boyfriend back, it wasn't quite the fantasy she'd spent several days imagining. Their initial reunion had filled the brunette with inexplicable bliss. However, the magic had quickly faded and been replaced with unease. The blonde's return hadn't exactly healed the wounds within their relationship as she had hoped. Instead, his presence shed light on the many cuts and bruises they each pretended didn't exist.
They could no longer deny the changes between them. Even she, the most optimistic of them all, could feel the difference. She didn't know how or when it had happened, but the guy standing next to her was not the same person that she had seen cry and open up to her. That Lucas would've never broken the trust in their relationship. He also would've known better than to think she wouldn't find out.
For the year they've been dating, Lucas has been both her friend and boyfriend. They were honest and trusted each other with anything and Riley felt that was something that made them inseparable; until she found out he cheated and it made her question everything.
Even though she knew that Lucas didn't always make the best decisions and behaved irrationally and overprotective at times, he was always there for her. He would never give up on her and she was certain of that.
She just wished she could open up to him about things she would normally tell Maya and Isadora.
She hadn't talked to them about her current problems because she knew what they were like, they'd never let Lucas breathe if they knew the things he did. And Riley still cared about him, she couldn't stand the thought of her best friends hating her boyfriend.
As a result, she couldn't confide her troubles in him. She couldn't tell him about her disastrous emotions because he had been the result of them. She couldn't talk to him about the consequences of his actions because he would never understand them. They would only argue if she pointed out his offenses, which is why he never learned from those mistakes and kept making them. Which is essentially the reason why Riley and Lucas had fallen back into their old habits so quickly.
Luckily, for the first time in their relationship, the best moments were starting to outweigh the bad ones.
When Lucas asked her out on a date, she wondered if they had reached the point in their relationship where they had outgrown that. They had done so much together and knew each other so well that she felt silly being asked out, but she thought the gesture was cute and his smile said it all.
Truth was, in the time Riley confronted him about cheating, Lucas realized how scared he was of losing her. He knew how much he loved her, he just didn't know how different his life would be if she wasn't in it, and it terrified him.
So he took her out on a date and he went a little over the top.
He told her to dress formal and she did. She modeled a blushing pink cocktail dress with long sleeves and light makeup. To complete the look, she dazzled in silver earrings and heels while styling her hair in a parted sleek and raised crown, her caramel highlights flaunting down to the end of her shoulders.
She just didn't expect to find herself in an elevator at the Times Square's Moxy Hotel. She didn't know what Lucas was planning, but whatever it was, it must've been huge. She glanced over to her right, where Lucas stood wearing a mischievous grin that made her rather nervous.
She knew he was unpredictable, but the simple thought of Lucas planning a date at an expensive hotel stunned her.
His gaze on her was coupled with such affection that Riley began to feel a fluttery warmth in her gut and she blushed slightly. Under the smoldering gaze of his eyes, she felt like a goddess.
Lucas didn't do too bad himself either. In a suit he looked sharp and stylish, the dark color making his tanned skin and bright emerald eyes light up even more. The crisp white shirt was buttoned up to his neck, starched collar close around his throat, and secured with a thin black silk tie in a Windsor knot. He looked smart and strong and powerful, ever the businessman. The suit was tailored, accentuating slim waist and broad shoulders perfectly. Handsome was too common a word to describe him. It had been the first time she'd ever seen him in one and he never looked better. When he sent a wink in her direction, Riley knew he was in one of those playful moods. It seemed like that's all he'd been feeling lately.
During their trip to the mall, Lucas abruptly told her to choose whatever she wanted. He said that he'd pay for everything and Riley knew what he was trying to do. He knew he was trying to make up for what he did by spoiling her and she refused to let him.
But in the end, he convinced her and she caved.
He paid for everything she wanted. Anything from clothes, jewelry, makeup, to even designer handbags. At the end of the day, the total summed up to $549.67.
She didn't even want to see the receipts. She felt guilty, of course, but a part of her didn't want to.
She thought of this as his punishment, even though it was his idea and he wanted to pay for it. Her hands went down to meet his and she kissed him.
"What's this for?"
She shook her head no, "Just wanted to kiss you."
"Then do it again," he said before pulling her closer to him. He was an amazing kisser, everything about him was sensual and romantic and she never realized how much she missed this side of him. He had his days where he acted irresponsibly and said some imprudent things, but the real him was sweet and tender.
His eyes locked on hers and he kissed her forehead. "I love you."
"Love you too," she confessed to him as he pulled back and leaned against the railing. Just then she realized that they had still been going up on the elevator. "L-Lucas, that says 50th floor?"
"Yes, ma'am," he answered, casually.
"That's super high, babe. Where are we going?"
"You'll see," he smirked, the taste of her still tingling on his lips. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, catching Riley's attention.
The last time he was with her, Riley told him to break it to prove he'd never cheat again. She didn't expect him to go through with it, but to her surprise, he threw his phone on her floor and stomped on it, until it was fully broken.
She felt bad for making him do it, but she should've known better. Lucas' parents were wealthy, it was only a matter of time before everything blew up on her face and worked towards his advantage.
"Nice phone," she complimented. Though she was expressing admiration her words were flat and bitter.
He let out a light grunt, placing his phone back in his pocket. He knew he had offended her with the simple gesture and he didn't want her to be mad at him the entire night.
The elevator doors opened and he extended his arm for Riley. When she stepped out her face brightened up and her jaw dropped in astonishment. "Lucas, there's no way you did this."
"I did," he grinned noticing her reaction.
Riley stared at an open lounge bar with a sexy urban-industrial vibe. The lounge had wire mesh panels riveted to the ceiling and walls beside it was an oversized topiary garden decorated in patio lights. She turned to her left and noticed the Empire State Building skyline view in the night and starry sky.
"Dinner on a rooftop? Seriously?" she asked, completely stunned.
"Yeah," he confirmed, the both of them standing in a gallery-like entrance hall with whimsical topiary animals in naughty positions. "I wanted to impress you."
"Lucas, this..." she turned around to take everything in. "This is beautiful. You didn't have to do this - "
"I did," he interjected, taking her arms. "You deserved it. You're special Riley and you deserve something special."
"This is unbelievable, babe! Thank you."
"You're very, very welcome..." he said with a waggle of his brows, "Now, give me a kiss."
She chuckled at his demand and pecked his lips, once, twice, endlessly.
Suddenly there was a distinct feminine "ahem" amongst them. They were so caught up in their world, exchanging kisses and getting lost in each other's eyes that they didn't realize they weren't alone. They pulled apart and turned to the young woman with an apologetic grin.
"Sorry," he apologized.
"You don't need to worry, we see it all the time. I'd be happy to check you in if you'd like," she offered with a dazzling white smile and perky tone that no doubt won her the position as opening hostess.
"Yes. That'd be great," Lucas stepped forward since the reservation was under his name. "It's under Friar."
She looked down at the computer between them and her fingers worked rapidly as she combed through the digital appointment book for the name in question. "Party of two?" she glanced up for a sign of confirmation, "All right. Follow me."
As the hostess led the way, Lucas turned back to take Riley's hand. She was still amazed by her surroundings and it made him laugh. "C'mon, babe."
She had to blink for a moment, but then she caught her breath and followed.
They walked passed the east side of the rooftop overlooking the Empire State Building and into the west wing which was more overtly carnivalesque, with one seating area rotating slowly like an antique carousel.
"This is your table," she informed, "Enjoy."
"Thank you."
Riley was still overwhelmed with astonishment. They were seated in a magical pink playground with a rotating carousel and retractable rooftop covered in twinkling and hanging lights. She had never been on a date before that left her completely speechless by its scenery. "Wow."
She took a seat opposite him and smiled, "I still can't believe you made this happen."
He watched her smile, a warm feeling blossoming in his chest. He hadn't expected Riley to be so pleased with it and made a mental note to plan dates like this again. "I did it for you."
"But how?" she asked curiously, moving her hair behind her shoulders. "Lucas, this is Magic Hour. This place...it's expensive and it's always busy, how'd you get us a reservation?"
"My dad's good friends with the owner. I got him to pull a few strings and he got it."
She smiled, proudly. Her gaze dropped down to the table, even that was nicely decorated. There were silk napkins and matching plates and a bottle of wine sat in an ice bucket next to a vase of dusky pink roses. The roses filling the room with their sweet smell. "What if they find out we're not 21?"
"They won't ID us," he clarified as he picked up the bottle and poured it on her glass cup. "Trust me. My dad came through."
She squealed once again and took in her surroundings. Everything about the restaurant was breathtaking and the skyline view only made it better. "I think you peaked," she began, "You'll never be able to top this. This has to be the best date I've ever been on. Not that I've been on a lot either, but this just blows everything out of the water."
Seeing her gush about something he planned and worked hard for made him happy. He loved Riley's appreciation and he loved that she always recognized the effort.
"I can't wait for Maya and Isadora to hear about this."
"You're gonna brag to them about this, aren't you?"
She nodded, "Of course I am.
Once Lucas had poured his share of wine onto his glass, he raised it high to the center of the table and smiled, "Cheers."
"Cheers," Riley responded, her glass touching his. When they took a sip, Riley looked at her surroundings. She felt like one of those women who met a guy at a fancy dinner and then hooked up with him later. The festive atmosphere was unlike anything she'd ever witnessed and she wondered if someday in the future she would get used to this.
"I forgot to mention, but my brother's coming to town," Lucas informed. "It's been a month since I've last seen him so... he'll be around for a few weeks before he goes back."
Riley's face brightened at the mention of his name, she withdrew the glass of wine from her lips and smiled, "Lucas, that's great! Really?"
"Yeah. It'll be fun. I mean we have a lot to talk about and you can finally meet him so that's what I'm most excited about."
"We'll go bowling down by Peter's arcade," she suggested. "The three of us. It'll be fun."
He took her hand from across the table. "Babe, he's gonna love you. He's chill and funny too, you'll see."
She thought about Lucas' family. Out of everybody related to Lucas, his brother Austin was the only one he enjoyed being around. They were close before he moved away for college, even distance couldn't break their bond.
"When does he get here?"
"Next weekend. Yeah, I'm picking him up at the airport, and then we're gonna get breakfast."
She smiled, "It's funny how Josh is leaving for college around the same time your brother is coming back from college. I'll probably be with Maya that morning, but text me, okay? I'm gonna want to know everything."
"Yes, ma'am."
"That reminds me. My mom's friend wants to meet with me for brunch to talk about NYU. She went there to study law and she works at my mom's law firm which is exactly what I want to do so she's gonna explain to me what she did and what it was like. I think I'm gonna ask if I can shadow her for a day, you know? I want to see what being a lawyer and one of the best law firms in New York is like?"
"Why don't you just ask your mom?" he queried.
"I have, believe me. I've tried everything. The thing is my mom doesn't like talking about her work with me. And even when she does she skims over which is why I've completely given up. Besides, she'll never let me be in the same room when she's working which is why she rejects me every time I ask if I could go to her work. So... that's when Mrs. Lexington comes to play."
"You little opportunist..."
"Hey, I'm just focusing on my future," she advised. "You should too if you want to become a veterinarian. Have you thought about volunteering at the vet?" His expression fell for a moment letting Riley know everything she needed to know. "Babe, this is serious. If we're both trying to get into NYU then you should try to bump up your resume and familiarize yourself with your major. It's like Common Sense 101. We can go tomorrow if you'd like?"
"I know... it's just... I still haven't told my parents I don't want to do professional football after high school. I don't talk to them about these kinds of things. It's awkward, I don't even know how they'll react."
She hadn't thought about that. "I mean it's not like they'd throw a tantrum, right? You're more likely to become a veterinarian than a football player."
"I am, it's just... my dad, he's... I don't know how to describe it. He won't get it."
Riley realized that Lucas had another problem on his hands. As their senior year was coming to an end and they were only months away from graduating, their plans for their future were coming into question. It was only a matter of time because his parents asked what he wanted to dedicate the rest of his life. Mark and Anne Elizabeth are expecting him to follow in his brother's footsteps, but Lucas isn't like that. He's the kind of guy to want to forge his own path, but since Lucas is scared of his parent's opinions he'd most likely wait till the last moment to drop the news on them.
"I'm sure he will. Dad's need a little more time than mom's, that's normal, but eventually, he'll come around. They have to."
"I don't think so," he interjected. Riley was an optimistic person and there was nothing that could break her hope. But if there was one thing that could, it was his dad's arrogance.
Lucas had once been filled with hope after a meaningful conversation with her, he garnered up the courage to confront his dad about his behavior and in return, his dad walked away from him.
That night Lucas lost hope in his relationship with his dad. There was no way they would be able to see each other eye to eye which is why they had grown colder and colder by the day. Which is why Lucas was scared to tell him he didn't want to play football anymore.
"He has to," Riley continued. She wanted to believe that Lucas' dad would come around.
"Riley, he'll refuse to pay for my tuition if he finds out," Lucas deadpanned. He didn't want to tell her, but he knew what his dad was capable of, which only added to his fear.
"He'd do that?" she asked.
Lucas nodded, "And my mom wouldn't say anything because she does whatever he does. I'm on my own right now. I'm gonna tell Austin when he's back. I'm sure he'll know what to do."
She gave him a faint smile. She couldn't believe Lucas' dad was capable of thwarting his son's dream of becoming a veterinarian if it wasn't what he wanted. Her eyes trailed up to meet him and she could tell he was worried. "I thought you guys were doing okay. I mean he got us this reservation, why would he do that if you guys aren't on good terms?"
"That's because lacrosse season is starting and I'm captain again. That's the only reason he did it. He was proud. It's what he does, babe. I play a sport and when I'm on the field he tries to be the best supportive dad in existence. Then the games are over and he goes back to ignoring me."
Riley scoffed, she wished she could talk more to him about the subject but she knew what he really wanted. He wanted to talk about anything else and she didn't want to spend the entire night dwelling on something sad, especially when they were on their date on a rooftop at the Moxy hotel. "We'll figure this out, okay?"
He smiled in return.
"Hello," a young blonde woman with green eyes and a petite build greeted them. She couldn't have been older than them by a few years and her hair was in a bun with a middle part. She handed them their menus before greeting them with a smile. "My name is Phoebe I'll be your waitress for tonight. These are your menus, enjoy."
"Thank you," Riley said before taking a look at the food listed on the menu. Her gaze shifted to Lucas who had turned to watch Phoebe walk away as if he was checking her out. Her brows furrowed at the gesture, but she didn't have time to question it.
"You're coming to my game, right? It's the first one of the season and it's on Wednesday."
"I wouldn't miss it."
"Great," he cheered. "That's great. It's at five by the way."
They opened their menus and decided on what they wanted to eat. It didn't take long before the same waitress stood by their table placing their order.
"I'll get the Mozzarella Carrozza?" Riley revealed as she stared at the description. Everything about it sounded good to her and she could practically taste it.
"I'm having trouble deciding," he began, his twinkling eyes on Phoebe. "What do you recommend?"
"Oh, I shouldn't. I try not to give my opinion on anything if the guest doesn't like the plate I recommend they'll be upset."
"You don't need to worry about that, I won't get upset. Right babe?"
She forced a smile.
"I want to know. Honestly. I'm sure someone like you has great taste."
Riley watched her boyfriend with cautious eyes. It was uncommon for him to randomly start a conversation with a waitress, he normally ordered his food and that was it, but there was something different this time. He was making eye contact with her and seemed to have the biggest smile on his face.
"In that case...the Bruschetta," she answered, "Hands down. It's one of our popular dishes."
His smile was unlike anything Riley had seen before. There was something about it, something different, that she couldn't quite put her finger on it. As she stared deeply into both of their gestures, the thought of him flirting with the waitress crossed her head.
And then she couldn't let it go.
"See, I called it. You do have good taste. That's exactly what I was eyeing earlier, but I want to try something new. Do you think the Fritto Misto is good?"
"Personally," she began shaking her head no, "Not my favorite. The zucchini is a little too salty. I do recommend the Taglioline with Peas & Ham if you're looking for something simple, but efficient. Trust me, it'll leave you feeling good."
"The Taglioline it is then. Thank you."
"Perfect. And the wine? Is everything fine?"
Lucas nodded, "Yes. Thank you."
"Perfect. Be back in a sec," she stated with a rather large white smile that let Riley know she was flirting.
It was funny how in a second moment, even with a single gesture, her entire mood could change. She went from feeling great and in love to feeling bitter and angry.
It took her some time to wrap her head around what she witnessed. She didn't want to believe it, but she saw it first hand. Lucas had flirted with a waitress on their birthday.
ooo
While Farkle and Cara roamed the streets of New York on their daily walk across the city, the couple decided to stop at Topangas for a vanilla latte.
As they walked inside and took their seats in a booth, Farkle couldn't seem to bring himself out of his trance.
He had spent the entire Saturday afternoon walk thinking about Isadora and his reestablished feelings for her. It was all he had been thinking about since their talk at Lucas' birthday party.
Every moment he spent with Cara even when he showed her around the city and how to use the subway, he'd occasionally remember some of the things he used to do while dating the brunette.
He was worried that the more he thought about her, the more likely he was to let her name slip at a moment he couldn't afford to say it.
He sat twirling the foam on his latte around with his straw before Cara caught onto his distant behavior. "Are you okay?"
"Huh?" He brought himself to look up at her.
She wore her hair in a braided crown with loose strands to frame her features. She was absolutely beautiful.
"You keep spacing out. It's like you're thinking about something."
"Oh. Sorry, I just... it's been a long day."
"Or more like a week," she corrected, before leaning back on his seat. "Somethings brokering you I know it is."
He wanted to deny it but he knew he wouldn't be able to. He was never a good liar and he never liked to do it, especially to people he cared about. "There's something I haven't told you about."
Her brows narrowed, "Well what is it?"
"You know Isadora, right? Riley and Maya's best friend?"
She nodded. She didn't know her well, but she knew the girl was extremely smart. Cara had also reached out to her for help in regards to her algebra homework. "I do."
Farkle took a deep breath. He was nervous about disclosing his past relationship with his current girlfriend, he didn't know how she would react to it and he hoped she would make a scene.
Even though Cara wasn't the one to do so, he was worried she would react in a worse way. He was worried she would cry.
"Well here's the thing, Isadora and I have always been good friends. We have ever since we met each other in our Sophomore year of high school. She was smart, I was smart, she loved comics, I loved comics... we were really close."
"Uhuh," she nodded, following.
"We knew each other so well that... we started dating. For a whole year. But then we broke up and then we met and became a couple."
She didn't know about his relationship with Isadora. She never would've imagined that they dated since there was never any awkwardness to pick up on - only the time she caught her staring at them. Even then there was nothing to it.
She was clueless about it.
Even though she was glad Farkle told her about this, the way his words were coming out his tongue led her to believe there was more to it. "Okay."
"But then Lucas party came around and you had to leave early and I was all alone."
She kept her gaze on him, "Farkle get to the point. You're making it seem like you guys hooked up."
He shook his head, "that didn't happen. Isadora sat next to me and we talked... for the first time since we broke up. It was a real conversation, just the two of us and I realized I still have feelings for her."
Cara was taken aback by his revelation. She never knew this had happened and finding out like this didn't make it mad. She was sad he still had feelings for his ex, but she couldn't help but wonder if she had a right to be upset. She felt like she had interfered with something great.
"Are you mad at me?" He asked merely to break the lengthened silence.
She thought she was at first but she wasn't. She realized that she hadn't fully fallen for Farkle enough to be heartbroken by it.
"I'm not. And I'm glad you told me. Not most guys would've had the courage."
He faintly smiled. "I'm really sorry I kept it from you this long."
"It's okay" she grabbed his hand and their gaze met, "so what are you gonna do? Are you gonna tell her?"
He shook his head, "Isadora has strict parents. They're committed Christians and they don't really like me. She'd never date me again."
Cara's heart dropped for her friend. "Hey. You're a great guy, Farkle and I'm sure talking to her wouldn't be so bad. If I'm entirely honest with you I think she might feel the same way about you too."
"Really?" He questioned.
Cara nodded, "It's a girl thing. I couldn't tell before because I didn't know you guys dated, but now that I do. It's kind of obvious,"
"So you think I should talk to her?"
"I think you should," she encouraged.
The genius teen smiled brightly. "You're amazing, you know that. Any girl would've been mad at me for doing this. But you... Any guy would be lucky enough to date you."
She smiled.
"I'm really sorry I'm not one of them."
"Well don't be. You're about to chase after the girl you truly love and I'm glad you told me... but you're still walking me home and you're still going to show me around the city... we'll just be friends this time."
He nodded, endlessly. "Great friends."
That day, he walked home thinking about how he was gonna win Isadora back. He knew what they had was special and he wasn't gonna let it go to waste. So he did what he was good at, he came up with a plan to win her back.
ooo
The music in the background seemed to tug at Riley's heartstring. Her favorite song by Khalid was playing and everything about it made their date that much better.
They finished the entire bottle of delicious wine before they even started on desert. In the center of the table was a simple brownie top with vanilla ice cream, a chocolate cake, and a buttery hot fudge sauce that they shared together. When they were done eating they talked about the normal things they would talk about. Anything from school's, the aftermath of Lucas' party and how everybody got drunk and started jumping in the pool.
Lucas, being the guy she knew and loved, ate more than she did, which was expected. He ended up feeding her spoonfuls of ice cream when he realized he wasn't eating as healthy as he should be, especially when lacrosse season is about to start.
He fed her a slice of the chocolate cake which inevitably had Riley closing her eyes and arching her head back in bliss. She loved the food it was unlike anything she's ever had. "You did something tonight. This is amazing!"
As Lucas stared at her from across the table, he couldn't help but notice how happy she looked. He loved that she had gotten over the obstacle they went through because a few days earlier they were in the middle of one of their biggest arguments ever. He was happy when he took her back and he had no intention of losing her.
"It was all for you," he reminded. It was true. Because of her, Lucas worked up the courage to ask his dad for a favor. He wasn't sure he would've done it for any other girl.
Riley couldn't help but admire her boyfriend's smile. He looked absolutely handsome in his tux and his slightly touseled yet combed hair only made him cuter. "I know that it's too soon to ask, but would you ever consider going on a double date with Maya and Josh?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I'd be down. We could do it in my backyard if you want?"
She had thought about it for a few days now. She liked the idea and wanted to try it, but she didn't know if it would work out. She made a mental note to tell Maya about the idea later. "It'll be fun."
"Should we go already?" he asked staring at his watch. It was a few minutes till twelve and he needed to take her home.
"Let's stay a bit," she suggested, "I'm having a lot of fun. It's like...it feels like one of those nights you never want to end. I feel like I can talk to you all night."
Lucas loved that. Riley was the only person in his life he could talk to for hours and never get tired of, they had so much to share, they've been through so much that they could never run out of things to say. Sometimes he wished he could forget everything he knew about it so he could re-learn from scratch. She was that special to him.
"Okay, sure, why not?"
"I have a better idea," she said the second the light bulb went off in her head. Instinctively, she removed her foot from her heel and touched his leg.
Lucas smirked, "What is it?"
"We get out of here and we go to your car..." Swallowing hard, he watched her lock eyes with him. Smirking softly, she inched her foot closer to his groin. "And then we drive somewhere private, you pull your seat back and we..."
He leaned in closer, feeling his heartbeat accelerate again. He wanted to hear her say the word, he wanted to know it was finally their time to have sex.
"Well, I guess we'll see when we're there."
"So does that mean that you're finally ready?'" he asked, her brown eyes were intense. The sexual tension between them was imminent and he wanted to kiss her.
Her facial expression dropped for a second, she wasn't sure she could do that yet, but the more and more they made out the more and more she allowed him to touch her in ways he couldn't before. "Not yet."
He didn't budge. He knew he couldn't be disappointed and he wasn't. Being by her side was a hundred times better than anything else. "Okay." The conversation was utterly sweet, but simultaneously—somehow—stimulating. Or maybe the stimulating part was the fact that Riley's foot was still trailing up his leg. He fell back into his seat and called for Phoebe. "Can we get our tab?"
"Of course. I'll be back shortly." It wasn't long before she set the tab on their table. The gesture was simple, but Riley caught onto something she never would've before.
Phoebe had slipped her number in for Lucas discretely. Her eyes wandered to his to see what he would do with the piece of paper, but he hardly reacted. Instead, he took the paper and hid it in between his hands as if he was saving it for later. She watched as he pulled out his debit card from his wallet, and that's when she decided she was done.
Truth was, Riley hadn't gotten over the fact that Lucas had started different relationships with other girls while dating her. She hadn't entirely forgiven him and there was no way she could ever forget what he did. She had intended to be difficult with him, she wasn't gonna let him off the hook easily and she planned on doing that by trying to break his heart many times, but as she watched him take the paper Riley knew that wouldn't be enough. Instead, she was going to take her anger out on where it would really hurt him...his money.
Unbeknownst to Riley, Lucas didn't keep the piece of paper. Instead, he crumbled it and left it on the table. He wasn't interested, he thought Phoebe was pretty, but his intentions were pure. Riley was the love of his life and losing her taught him how important she was to him. He wouldn't do anything to risk that again.
If only Riley knew.
ooo
Maya drove home from school, saddened by the fact that Josh would be leaving soon. Their days were numbered and there weren't many left before she drove him to the airport and said goodbye to him. She thought of different things they could do before he left, but they had done mostly all of them. She was tired of staying home and watching re-runs with him, she felt like precious time was passing them by. Sure, they were together and that was all that mattered, but the fact that they weren't doing anything was starting to bore her.
She wanted to be with him, yes, she just wanted to be doing something with him.
She parked her car in front of her apartment building and grabbed her things. She hurried inside and took the elevator to the top floor and suddenly stopped at the sight of the man standing in front of her apartment door; a picnic basket in his hand.
"Josh?" she asked, approaching him.
His arms closed around her tightly and he bent his head to kiss her. It had only been a few seconds and his brown eyes had already swept over her warmly. "Hey."
Sam smiled at him brightly, her blue eyes roaming over him. She loved that he was wearing the shirt she had bought him, it lit her up with pleasure. "What are you doing here?"
"I knew you would be home soon and I wanted to surprise you." He cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing her cheekbone. "So here I am."
The blonde kissed him again. "What's this?" she asked referring to the basket and the camera hanging from his neck.
Josh pulled away from her and snagged the picnic basket he left by the floor. "Come on." His hand trailed down to hers and she laced his finger with his, tugging her back down the corridor.
"Come on where?" Josh laughed. "I just got back from school." She allowed him to usher her back into her car and she acquiesced when he wangled the car keys from her. Realizing he wanted to drive, she settled into the passenger seat and let him drive her.
She didn't expect him to drive out of town and into the countryside. On the way there, she talked about her day at school and how she hated her math teacher. Josh couldn't believe that even after all those months he spent away, Maya's dislike for the subject had still taken its full effect. Eventually, he stopped at a secluded spot in the hills.
"When and how did you find this place?' Maya questioned as she helped him lay out a blanket on the grass. She knew Josh so well to know he never mentioned this place to her at all. She took a seat beside him and admired the great view of the bright sun and the city.
"It's my safe place," he informed. "I would come here when I needed to get away from my parents."
"Why didn't you ever tell me about it?"
He shrugged, "Never felt like I needed to. I guess I just came here when I wanted to be alone," he gestured for her to scoot closer in his direction. "I was up here a lot when I was wondering if I should break up with you or not."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. She knew it must've been difficult for him to think that Maya was certain Josh didn't want to break up with her, but he also didn't want her to commit herself to him when he wasn't going to be there for her physically. "I think it's beautiful." She commented quietly, honored he would bring her somewhere that obviously meant something special to him.
"It is," he smoothed a lock of her hair behind her ear and wrapped his arm around her. "Do you ever think that I messed up?" he asked.
She turned to him. The sudden change in his tone made her think he was dealing with something he hadn't talked to her before. "What? Messed up? On what?"
"Leaving," he answered. "Maya I really miss you. The second we hang up the call I end up feeling like something is missing in my life and it's you. I thought that..." he took a deep breath, "Through time things would get easier, but they haven't. And I know that we talk every day, but there are some days where I just want to be near you. We don't even need to talk I just want to hold you."
Maya had no idea this was something he had been going through. He spent the entire month with her happy as can be and now that it was time he went back, the feelings he had been suppressing just burst out. "Josh," she placed her hand on the back of his neck, "That's so sweet." He kissed her nose and she smiled, "Can I ask you one thing?"
He nodded.
"Do you love journalism?"
He nodded again.
"Then don't give up," she encouraged. "Don't do it, you'll regret it. And I know this isn't what you want to hear, but give it a few more weeks. Keep pushing, trust me. You won't be missing me for long."
He chuckled, "I think I'll always miss you, but you're right. I'll regret it if I leave."
She smiled and reached for his hands as they slid around her waist. She leaned back against him as they watched the scene in front of them in comfortable silence. He gently eased away and reached into the basket.
"Hungry?" he asked.
She nodded and grinned when he passed her a fruit salad. Even after all those months apart, he still knew that her favorite fruit combination was mangos and kiwi. "Don't you think it looks so pretty when clouds cover the sun?" she murmured.
"It does. Almost like they're glowing," he revealed. "What do you think that one looks like?" he pointed to a cluster of clouds off to their right.
"I'm not gonna lie to you...that's a teddy bear," she laughed, keeping her eyes on the cloud. "That's a whole ass teddy bear, babe."
He squinted his eyes and looked harder, "You know what, it lowkey does."
"Right."
They laughed for a short while and rested their backs on the blanket. "Here," Josh said, covering her with his jacket to protect her from the dropping temperature. "Better?"
Sam nodded, smelling his lingering scent on his jacket. "Better."
"Can I tell you something?" he asked softly.
"Always."
"If for some reason, and God forbid, we break up... I want you to be happy. Always."
She turned to him, her brows narrowed. "Why would you bring that up right now? I thought we were having fun."
"We are, but I'm leaving soon and I'm feeling a bit sad."
She pouted and took his hand, "I don't think we're ever going to break up," she assured. "I mean, think about it. We've been dating for a few years now and not once have we gotten into a big argument. We've never broken up or come close to it," she elaborated. "We've always been there for each other, and I don't think that'll ever stop."
"Yeah, but…" he tried to interrupt.
"And,' she continued insistently, "If we can survive half a year apart and keep Skyping and FaceTiming every day even with our busy schedules then we can make anything work."
She had a point. "You wanna know what I love about you?"
"Aside from everything," she motioned towards her chest.
"I love that you cure my anxiety. You always have."
Maya leaned forward and kissed his lips. "I love you," she said quietly.
He glanced at her curiously and smiled, kissing her softly, "I love you too."
Her fingers traced over his features, admiring everything about him. She was suddenly nervous again; butterflies fluttering in her stomach. His eyes darkened and he kissed her tenderly. She felt his hands on her skin and sighed; her own hands reached for him. The kisses shifted from tender to passionate; from lazy to urgent as they loved each other under the watching billowy clouds, and all of the distance between them disappeared.
They could never truly be apart after all.
ooo
The next day at school seemed to go by pretty quickly for the brunette. She attended her classes and followed her schedule like any other given day, it wasn't until school was out when she inevitably got into another argument with Lucas.
It started out simple. And if she was entirely honest, most of it was her fault.
They were standing by his locker when he told her that he wanted to be a contestant for their school's pageant show. It was an annual celebration their school hosted that was entirely based on guys and gave them the opportunity to show off their talent and primarily their looks.
She knew the pageant show was approaching and that Lucas did it every year, but this time around she didn't want him too.
There was something about the thought of Lucas receiving so much praise and admiration after he had just cheated on her did no sit well with her. It bugged her and she didn't like the idea of it.
"C'mon, please," he begged after she had told him no. "It'll be fun."
She shook her head no. "I don't want you too."
"Riley, that's not fair, I'm the one that's gonna be doing it."
She thought for a while, pretending as though she was really thinking about it. "The answer is still no."
He took a deep breath and rolled his eyes, "My God..." he scoffed. "It's just one night for an hour and a half. That's it. That's all there is to it."
Riley started nodded as though she was going to agree. Seeing his face light up made her smile, but then she started shaking her head no again. "You're not gonna do it. Period."
He started rubbing the back of his neck, clearly annoyed. "Well, you're not the boss of me so...I'm gonna do it anyway."
Riley turned to him, surprised. "What?"
"I said no."
"No?" she parroted as if saying it again would make sense to her. "You think this is a choice?"
He nodded, "Because it is."
"Okay. Then let me make it a choice for you," she slammed his locker shut even though he wasn't done with it. "If you go through with this stupid pageant show we're breaking up."
He took a step back, not being able to believe what she said. "Hold on, hold on. You're serious? You're being serious, right now?"
"Do you need me to repeat it for you?" she chastised.
"You'd break up with me? Over a stupid fucking pageant show?"
She nodded.
Lucas dropped his head, trying to control himself and his current anger directed at the brunette. "Alright, fuck it! Let's get out of here. I'm not doing it."
"That's what I thought," she scolded before following him out the school and into his truck. Knowing all too well she'd won that round.
ooo
Generally, when Isadora, Maya, and Riley hung out, they sat in Riley's room watching movies and eating pizza.
This time, however, they wanted to have an official girls night in. Self-care and fun at it's fullest.
The moment Riley opened the door for them, her hair was up in curlers and a face cream that spread like a mask over her features.
"Girl, you got ahead," Maya complained as she walked in, a fake pout on her lips. She set her things beside the bed and turned to the brunette, "What about us?"
"Sorry," she apologized, "I couldn't wait. I really needed to destress."
"You look funny," Isadora poked as she walked inside.
They talked for a while after and ate. The food was fantastic - Maya had insisted on cooking, creating some kind of pasta that she clearly had no idea how to make. After they ate the pasta, which to either of their surprise turned out to be good, they built a blanket fort in the living room, one more than large enough to encompass the three of them, the couch, and the television.
All that remained was the movie they agreed to watch.
"And you checked if it was on Netflix, right?" Isadora asked, wanting to make sure of everything in her life.
"I did," Riley confirmed, flipping through the movies and heading to the search engine. "It's called Miracle on Cell #7, and I heard it was really good."
"Is it a romance?"
"No, I think it's supposed to be sad. It's about a dad with a mental health disorder that gets accused of killing a little girl."
"Um…"
"Relax," Riley said, noticing the looks on their face as she explained to them what the movie was about. "He didn't do it. They accused him because he was there when she died and since he has a mental health disorder he couldn't really understand what was going on and he couldn't defend himself either."
"Okay. Interesting. Put it on."
"Josh watched it, he said he almost cried," Maya informed as she entered the fort, crawling across the pile of blankets she was currently sitting on. "I think it's also in Turkish so you're gonna need to add the English subtitles."
"How is he, by the way," Riley said, snuggling herself in between the two of them.
"He's good. We're gonna go back to our routine I guess. You know, talking almost every day at five on Skype? And we're constantly texting, I just...miss him. And I know that long-distance is better than breaking up and I should be happy, it's just that after a while, the excitement starts to fade away. He talks about visiting a lot, but it won't be for another few months before I can see him again."
Isadora put her hand on her friend's shoulder for support. "Hang on, you'll be happy you did."
She smiled. It was at that moment she started to feel the sadness in letting him go again. She loved him a lot and she missed him even though he barely left. "It's really hard to get emotional when your face is covered in a mask."
They laughed, "Seriously, guys, we look ridiculous."
"Middle-aged women wish they were us right now…"
It took a few minutes for the laughter to subside and unfortunately for Riley, their next discussion landed on her. "Hey, Riley?"
"Yeah," she asked turning to Maya.
"Lucas kept asking about you today, where'd you go?"
"Oh," She couldn't tell them the truth about where she really went. That would mean she would need to tell them about her argument with Lucas and she didn't want them to know that. "I forgot to tell him I was going home during lunch and I couldn't call him because my phone died."
"He looked a little angry…"
"He did?"
"Yes," Isadora nodded. "Did you guys argue or something?"
She shook her head no, almost instantly. "Not that I'm aware of," she tried to play it off, by turning away, but she could tell neither of them were ready to let it go.
"Why do you think he was mad then?"
"I have no idea."
"Did you guys talk after?"
"Yeah, we did. We talked before you guys got here, now, can we watch the movie? I don't want to miss it."
"Okay then," was all they said, as Riley got the movie set up and laid on the blanket pile beside them, her head resting on Maya's leg so she could still get at the popcorn.
"And let's not talk about boys anymore, it's a girl's night after all."
ooo
Lucas sat in his room debating whether he should text Riley or not. He knew she was having a girl's night and wouldn't want to talk to him, but they hadn't talked since she told him he couldn't be apart of the pageant show, and he was worried ignoring her would only make things worse.
He stared at the ceiling in his wall wondering why she was upset about it, but in a twisted way, he understood it. He'd put her through similar decisions before.
He turned his phone on and sighed when he realized she hadn't posted anything. If she was hanging out with her friends, it was almost expected that she would post something, but the fact that she hadn't yet made him wonder if she was even with them at all.
They weren't on good terms, she also wasn't posting on one of her favorite nights of the year. Girl's Night, which made it all too suspicious to him.
It was a good time for her to do anything she wanted to do without letting him now and it worried him. When Riley was mad at him she was extremely stubborn and did things he didn't like.
He just hoped tonight wasn't one of them.
After an hour of sitting on the thought, he was too angry to want to talk to her. He knew his anger had transpired out of something he wasn't certain of, but it was a logical thought and something he knew Riley was capable of.
So he decided to log onto her social media and go through her messages. He flipped through every single one of them and found nothing incriminating. There wasn't anything he could be angry at her for.
So he posted a picture on her Instagram account to find it.
The picture he posted was one of Riley wearing a black silk dress with her hair curled. She took the picture while out on a date with him and he posted it because she looked pretty it in. He was sure some guy he didn't know would comment under her picture.
And sure enough, after fifteen minutes, the dm's started finding their way. There were multiple. All ranking from emojis to selfies of the guys that wanted to date her.
He read through them all and every single one of them tested his anger.
u fine asf
damn
I want you
lemme get your number real quick baby girl
The thing that upset him the most was that some of the guys that dm'ed her, were his friends. Friends he thought he could trust, but he was wrong. He deleted the picture after he got enough and tried to control his anger, but he couldn't. He was far too angry.
And for some reason, he was willing to hold Riley accountable for it too.
She'd done the unthinkable when she threatened to break up with him when he wanted to compete in the pageant show, and he still wasn't entirely ready to get over it just yet.
oOoOoOoOo
A/N: So this was the newest installment what did ya'll think? Let me know in the review section, they always make my day. I also wanted to take this time to open a discussion with you guys. Let me know if you guys want to comment on anything important or some advice - might not be the best but I would love to help out in any way I can. Talk to me, I want to know my readers. Have a blessed day.
Stay safe.
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