Hey everyone! I promised you all that I would be updating soon to apologize for my lack of updates these past couple of weeks. Well here is the second installment I promised. I went a little overboard writing in this chapter because I had so many ideas for it. SO not only do you get a second chapter for the week but you also get an extra long chapter. I hope you all enjoy it and again please read, review, and follow for more installments of I Do- I Do Not. I have a lot of ideas for where this story can go but if you have any ideas of your own that you would like to share please feel free to comment or DM me. Finally I do not own Girl Meets World. And now for our feature presentation Look How They Shine For You, Chapter 5 of I Do- I Do Not!
Riley's POV
Everything's starting to get more and more hectic. I guess that's what happens though when you try to plan a wedding of two completely different people who hardly know each other in three months. On top of that, I have to big catering events in the next week, Mom's asking me all of these questions about the wedding, and I'm trying to plan a date for Lucas and me. I know I said that I would plan this date but right now I'm really starting to eat my words.
It's funny now that I'm on the topic of Lucas it seems as if I see him everywhere. Every day I see someone looking in the window that looks an awful lot like Lucas, but it couldn't be. He wouldn't go out of his way just to see me. Would he? No, that doesn't seem like the Lucas I know. Besides if it were Lucas, why wouldn't he come inside and see me instead of standing outside the window? If it is him… boys are weird.
I put together the last few finger sandwiches on the plate and cover up the tray. Next to work on is the cupcakes.
"Hey Riles. How's it going?" Maya grabs a frosted cupcake off the counter and licks the frosting. Putting down my piping bag, I turn to look at her.
"Oh, nice of you to show up Maya. I haven't seen you in two days, where have you been?"
"I was with Josh. I told you, but you've been kind of forgetful since all of these things have been going on."
"I know, but you know that I just get a little… distracted sometimes. Wait you were with Josh? Where did you go? What did you do? Wait a minute… nope, he's my uncle I do not want to know what you did with him. I mean don't get me wrong, I love you and I love him, and I'm happy that you two are together and happy that you're happy but I don't want…."
"Jeez, Riles take a breath. And don't worry, I wouldn't tell you what we did anyways. Some things are just private. But if you really want to know, Shawn let us borrow his cabin in Upstate for a few days just to get away."
"Aww that was nice of him," I say while picking my piping bag back up to work on the remaining cupcakes.
"So, how's Huckleberry?"
"He's fine, I guess. I don't know it's like sometimes he'll let me see a side of him…"
"A GOOD side of him?" Maya raises her eyebrows insinuating her thoughts. I take one hand off the piping bag to hit her on the arm for her dirty thoughts.
"No! Nothing like that. What I meant was that he lets me into his thoughts for a second and then closes back down again. Almost reverts to the Lucas that is shown on the covers of magazines and tabloids. I just don't know Maya. I want to see something in him that's different than what everyone says, but he's not helping the cause."
"Maybe you need to show him who you really are first. Open up to him and maybe he will open up to you. You're always so guarded around him and maybe that's how he is trying to be around you. You said that you are planning a date with him tonight, right?" I nod my head while continuing to frost the cupcakes. "Well then, plan something that shows him who you are because once he knows who you are, he'll love you. I know I do."
An idea popped into my head. I set the piping bag back down on the counter and hug Maya.
"Thank you." Picking back up the piping bag. "Hey when did you get so lovey and hopeful?" Maya chuckles.
"Well the former occurred from being with Josh and the latter was because of you."
Finally. I finished all the food for the catering events and could start working on my date with Lucas. It was about one o'clock now, so I had about 3 hours to put everything together and get ready before he would be at my apartment to pick me up. I begin to prepare everything I need.
Two and a half hours later, I place everything in bags and head out of the bakery to go back to my apartment. Ever since I told my mom that I would be leaving work early to get ready for a date with Lucas she has not stopped bugging me. She was even at the bakery a whole hour earlier than I told her to be so that I could leave without having to close up. I give her a hug as I walk out the door.
One hour later, I'm standing in my kitchen making sure I have everything for tonight. Taking one last glance, I shut the basket I put everything in and went to sit on the couch to wait. And wait… and wait.
After twenty minutes, I began to wonder if Lucas was coming. For all I know he could have lost track of time. I did send him a text message about an hour ago telling him to dress in something warm that he wouldn't mind getting a little dirt on. Maybe he doesn't have any of those type of clothes and had to go buy some. My mind was taking a turn for the worst and I was about to just put everything away when a knock sounded at my door. I open the door to find Lucas holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
"Sorry I was late, but I didn't know what kind of flowers you liked. I know that you said not to bring anything, but I couldn't show up empty handed." I took the bouquet of multicolored daisies from him, sniffing them as I walked back to the kitchen to get a vase.
"When I was in the bakery last I saw that one of your cupcakes had a daisy on it, so I thought I would take a shot at that." I feel a grin grace my face. Those cupcakes he was talking about, I released in the bakery last week. Lucas hasn't been in the bakery for a week and a half.
"Well these aren't my favorite flowers, but they are beautiful. Thank you, Lucas."
"You're welcome." I finished arranging the flowers and I grabbed the basket containing our date. I look back at Lucas to find him looking around my apartment. Without the flowers in his hand I can fully see Lucas, wearing a blue button-down flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. Honestly, Lucas in a suit can never begin to compare with Lucas in a flannel shirt. Girls don't know what they are missing. "Are you ready to go?" I said. He nodded, and we walked outside to his car.
His wardrobe wasn't the only thing he changed for this date. Instead of the Porsche he brought a much more modest car. It was just your average car but personally I'd take this over the Porsche any day.
"I thought since you told me to dress casually today, my car probably should be something that I wouldn't mind getting a little beat up too. Since you know where we are going, do you want to drive?" Lucas held out the keys to me and I took them albeit a little shakily. I haven't driven in a while. Which is exactly what I'd had told Lucas as soon as we sat in the car.
We live in New York City. There isn't much of a need for driving. You can get anywhere by walking, taking the subway, or a taxi, but there isn't much room for extra cars ergo I've never wanted to buy one.
The drive up was a little shaky at first and I think Lucas may have feared for his life as well as regretted letting me drive, but after a little while I got the hang of it again. We were about ten minutes from our destination after around forty-five minutes of driving when Lucas spoke up.
"So, are you like taking me somewhere to kill me right now? We are quite far from the city." He says with a nervous chuckle.
"Trust me, if I wanted to kill you I would have done it by now."
"So then where are we going?"
"You'll see."
Fifteen minutes later, we were sitting on a blanket eating what I had packed for us in the picnic basket while looking out at the skyline of the city.
"I never knew this was here," said Lucas referring to the cliff we were sitting on.
"Neither did I for a while. My dad and I found this place when I was little."
"How?" Lucas turned to look at me.
"It was right after Auggie was born. I was pretty upset at having a little brother. I felt like my parents were forgetting about me. So, one day my dad decided to take me for a drive while my mom took care of baby Auggie. He took me out to get ice cream and we somehow found this place. We sat here just looking out and my dad told me that even though there was a new baby in the house they would never forget about me. Ever since that day, we've come here once a year until I went off to college. This is the first time I've been back here since then."
I turn to look at Lucas to see he's still looking at me. We both look away at the same time and continue to eat from the picnic basket.
"These are the best cupcakes I have ever had!" I giggle.
"But you've been to like hundreds of high class parties and eaten foods from elite chefs from all over the world. I'm sure you've had better cupcakes."
"Nope these are legitimately the best cupcakes I've ever tasted," Lucas says reaching for his second cupcake. "You're really talented Riley."
"Thank you. So, it's funny, even though it seems like the entire world knows everything about your life, I don't know what you actually do?" Lucas laughs.
"That's because people only like to know when someone has something to tell. They focus on the story and not the person, but eventually you start to believe what people are saying about you and decide instead of fighting it why not just become what they already think you are."
I hear Lucas' words and hear a broken soul crying out. What Lucas is saying, what if he actually means it? I may not be his biggest fan right now, but I can't help but think right now that Maya might have been right. That maybe there is more to Lucas than what we see. I think the best thing is to help Lucas right now. As a friend.
"But to answer your question, I work with my dad at the firm."
"Do you like it?"
"Well it can be interesting at times."
"But do you like it?"
"No. Not really."
"Then why do you stay there?"
"Well to be honest, I only stay there because I think that's what is expected of me. Ever since I was little, it was always 'Lucas is going to take over the family business'."
"What do you want to do?"
"I've never told anyone this before, but I've always dreamt of being a veterinarian. Back in Texas at Pappy Joe's farm, we had twenty horses." He said all of this while looking at me, the corners of his mouth curled in a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
"One day while Pappy Joe and my parents were gone, one of our mares was foaling."
"That means she was giving birth, right?"
"Correct, City Girl," he says giving me a smile which I returned. "Anyways I was by myself and the veterinarian couldn't get there in time, so he talked me through the whole process. I delivered a gorgeous palomino pony that day. Ever since then I've wanted to be a veterinarian."
"That was a beautiful story Lucas. And I say that if you want to be a veterinarian you should do it. What's stopping you?"
"I just know that my dad's plan for forever has been for me to take over the firm someday. I did double major in business and pre-vet while in college, but my parents don't know about the pre-vet part."
"I think you should tell them, Lucas. I'll even help convince them with you if you would like."
"Thanks, Riley. That means a lot, but I don't know. I just don't think they will go for it."
"You'll never know until you try." We laid down on the blanket side by side and looked at the stars that had come out while we were eating and talking.
"You can't see stars like these in the city," Lucas spoke softly. "That's one of the things I miss most about Texas. The sky."
"It really is beautiful. There really is a whole universe above the smog and the lights of the city."
We spent the next hour just looking at the sky in peaceful silence before we packed back up and headed back into the city. He pulled up to my apartment building and walked me to the door, same as all the other times.
"I glad you planned this date Riley. I haven't been able to just get away like that in a while."
"I'm glad too, Lucas. I'm glad there was no paparazzi following us this time. Although I'm sure they wouldn't have pegged you to drive that car."
"You're probably right," Lucas said with a laugh. "Well anyways, thank you." I unlock the door and open it.
"Goodnight Lucas."
"Goodnight Riley." He turns away and starts walking back down the hallway to the stairs. I walk inside my apartment and close the door behind me.
This was the first time I got to see the true Lucas. I was hopeful that I could see more of this side of him. Maybe he's just playing me. Or maybe what the world and I've seen isn't the true Lucas.
1 month and 3 weeks till the wedding.