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Chapter 5: Macaroon
Riley's Point of View
Chapter Song: Here's to Us - Glee Cover
Chapter Quote: 'She realized then that she could have her cake and eat it too. She just needed to put on her apron and bake it.' -Unknown
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I could hear my heart thumping heavily.
Ever since he pulled me flush against his broad, gorgeous body that was the only thing that I could process. I just knew he could hear it, and if he couldn't, then Lucas could absolutely feel it. I wasn't trying to hide my labored breathing, it was obvious from the rapid rise and fall of my chest. But, I didn't care, my entire focus was on him. Every curve and crevice of his lips, and the way his eyes shifted in color every few moments. It was entirely intoxicating, and I wanted nothing more than to just clear everyone out of the bakery and let it be just us.
Better yet, we could leave.
In fact that thought was playing games in my mind whenever Maya came over and interrupted us. I'm not exactly sure what happened, I'd only ever been mad at Maya one time but at that moment I was practically furious. Of course neither Lucas or Maya could tell, it was a rare occurrence. However, I swallowed my anger and pushed her away. I knew at that moment I was going to apologize later, but I was with him right now and that's what mattered.
My heart and mind were protesting the thought of leaving him to sit in this booth without me. "I should go," I whisper. A strong hand runs up my spine once more, then down my neck to caress my collarbone. Swallowing the lump in my throat, a shaky breath escapes my parted lips when his thumb begins to trace my jawline.
"I'll be waiting for you, doll."
Doll.
That word again. My heart grew two sizes and my body shuddered in pure delight at the memory of my dream from the previous night. My tongue darts out to lick my dry lips, before nodding in agreement and getting the heck out of dodge. Maya was waiting on me and I needed to apologize. Bypassing a few customers, I tried to keep my mind focused on the pending conversation and not the eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. Giving my mom a smile, I sidestep her and push the swinging door to the kitchen open.
Maya is waiting for me, arms crossed and an expression on her face I can't quite place. My mouth falls into a frown, and with a tilt of the head my brows furrow. "Are you okay, Maya?"
"Riley, you know I love you. Right?" I murmur a small, 'yes' and wait for her to continue since I'm not sure where this is going. "You need to stay away from him." I feel like I need to throw up, my arms wrap around my stomach in an effort to console myself into feeling better. Why would she think that? "That is not the kind of guy you go for. He isn't even your type."
Wait a second, "so whose type is he?" Maya visibly stiffens, and right then I knew my assumption was correct. I have my moments where I am naïve and a little too trustworthy, but I've never been a complete idiot.
Her shoulders fall dramatically, "he turned me down."
"You hit on him?" My anger flares again. What's worse is that I have no idea where any of this is coming from. I've never been jealous, and never once has my anger been directed towards Maya. Even after I caught her kissing my prom date, long story short, they were drunk. "So, what you can date him but I can't?"
How is that fair? "That's not what I'm saying. But, if I'm interested in him than you know he's a bad guy."
Getting frustrated I slam my hands down on my sides - like a child, which makes me even more mad. I hate it when I get this way, "that's not true. You don't even know him." Her brow arches accusingly as if saying, 'you do'. "Don't give me that look. Fudge, Maya! I don't know him all that well either. But I can tell you two things. One, I'm giving him a chance. I'm going to get to know him and hopefully he is a good guy. And number two, I love the way I feel when he is around. Are you just jealous?"
From her flaring nostrils, rigid posture and crossed arms, I know I overstepped and immediately feel bad. Maya and I just sit in the tense silence for a few minutes as we begin to process over everything that we - well, I said mostly. The notion that I'm fighting over a man I just met with my best friend of fifteen years causes me to literally become sick to my stomach.
Rushing over to the sink, one hand braces myself over the chilled stainless steel while the other haphazardly reaches for the random strands of hair falling out of my pony tail. I can only think of all the health codes that I'm currently breaking by dry heaving into the sink. My best friend, being my best friend begins to rub soothing circles over my back. Aside from the small 'shushing' in an effort to calm me down, Maya doesn't say anything else.
Gathering myself together, I rinse the sink and my mouth out with water before trudging to the bathroom and vigorously brushing my teeth. After using mouthwash, I come back into the kitchen fully expecting to bleach out the sink and surrounding area. However, I'm extremely surprised to see Maya doing it for me. "Thank you, you didn't have to do that."
"I'm the reason you threw up in the first place." She waves it off but stops to look at me, giving me a small, sad grin.
I run my sweaty palms over my jeans and inhale deeply, preparing myself for what I'm about to say. "I'm sorry about the rude things I've said to you. I love you, and you know that." She nods, while tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "I don't want to argue with you, and I don't want to lose my best friend or my sister. But, I also don't want to let Lucas go without giving him a chance." Because deep down I know that no man will ever make me feel the way he does by a simple look.
I'm hoping for the best of both worlds. And with that hope I turn on my heels and get back to work.
Lucas ended up staying for the rest of the day. Which was only an hour, but still, the gesture warmed my heart more than words can say. Thirty minutes before we closed up shop, I sent my mom and Maya both home. Things were still somewhat awkward between myself and my best friend, which made me so incredibly sad to the point of tears. However, those disappeared as quick as they came when I felt Lucas watching me intently.
Aside from the fact his gaze was incredibly comforting, I also decided he could wait to find out I was an emotional wreck till later on in my life.
I knew once Maya left, that Lucas might have questions, especially since she kept stealing glances at him whenever she thought I wasn't paying attention and he caught her. Somehow my body was hyperaware when he was around. Anytime someone - women - approached him, or someone - a woman - was looking at him, I just knew.
But, he never stopped looking at me.
To my surprise, Lucas didn't ask questions. He simply got to work, yes work. That alone was distracting. His muscles moved with every chair he lifted or table he had to move. How could someone be so incredibly perfect on the outside and so far be just as perfect on the inside. "You ready?"
Clearing my throat, I nod and flip a few lights off before trudging towards the front door and locking it behind us both. There was a light breeze that took the edge off the August heat. One thing I did enjoy about the summer? The sun was still setting whenever I left the shop. Oranges, blues, pinks and purples were painted around the last few golden rays of sunshine. It was beautiful and absolutely breathtaking. "You're so breathtakingly gorgeous."
My head snaps to the right where Lucas is towering above me. His hand reaches for my cheek, his rough thumb brushes against my skin. Those familiar, overpowering tingles appear once again causing the invisible tether between us to tighten. My body gravitates towards his, silently beckoning him to hold me. As if he can read my mind, or maybe he wants to hold me just as much as I want him to, his free arm grips my hip before wrapping around my waist. "Thank you."
Warm breath fans across my cheek whenever he basically demands, "I'm taking you home." My body doesn't want to fight him, and quite frankly I want to spend more time with him so I'm nodding before I've even thought it through. In one swift motion, my feet are off the ground and he's wrapping my legs around his broad frame. "Come on, doll." Whenever my face is buried into his neck and I'm greedily inhaling the scent of cinnamon rolls, reality hits me.
"I can just walk, like I usually do." I breathe.
His fingers get tangled within my hair before pulling me out of his neck and staring deeply into my eyes. "I'm taking you home, doll. You are not walking. Understood?" My body shakes at the demanding tone, not in fear. For whatever reason I absolutely adore it. So, I push down my future embarrassment and sheepishly nod. Once the sound of a truck door opening registers in my mind, I'm being lifted into the passengers seat and buckled in. A small smile plays on my lips, and I almost want to laugh at the fact I'm being treated like a child. "Perfect," he whispers into my ear, with his nose tickiling my jaw line.
My heart pounds viciously against my chest when his eyes flitter to my lips. My wanton mind is silently begging him to kiss me. I want to be mad at myself, I hardly know anything about him. And let me be clear, this is not how I normally act, but I can't help it. The need for his lips on mine is entrancing. Unfortunately, he is showing more restraint than I can and basically shoves himself off the truck, shaking the metal frame slightly.
We're driving down the road with my hand in his before I can even blink. His thumb makes small circles on the top of my hand, while I'm giving out small instructions to get to my home.
As the nice business buildings, green shrubbery and expensive cars begin to dwindle in the rearview mirror my side of town becomes more visible. Broken fences and windows, we even passed by a few upstanding citizens doing drugs and I'm pretty sure a drug deal or two. Trying to avoid Lucas' gaze is hard, especially since he keeps sending me questioning glances and the grip he has on the steering wheel becomes white knuckle tight. "Are you sure this is the right way, doll?"
I try and resist the urge to snort seeing as that was a silly question. Of course I know where I live, but the shame outweighs the ability to laugh. Lowering my head even further, my mind begins to focus in on the brand new truck he's driving. "Right here," I point and realize that my apartment building is slightly nicer than the other homes surrounding it, so that gives me some form of reassurance.
A pointer and middle finger catch my chin, turning my head towards the man who quite literally sets my skin on fire - in the best way possible. Forest green eyes meet my boring brown and though his lips don't show it, he's smiling. Lucas is trying to comfort me, and for the millionth time today my heart swells. "Don't be ashamed. Don't think I'm judging you. Now," he takes his keys out of the ignition and opens his door. "Take me inside."
Lucas hasn't quit touching me.
After he carried me inside and stated he was getting me another lock for my door, he placed himself on my couch while I made myself comfortable in his lap - he wouldn't let me go anywhere else. The idea of this moving too quickly crossed my mind, especially since I didn't know how to classify 'this', but whenever the touching, chaste smiles and well everything felt so right, why should we stop it?
We've been in my apartment for an hour and aside from ordering pizza ten minutes ago, and flipping on the television that neither of us are watching, the only thing we've accomplished is our shoes being kicked off. His hand would continually run from the top of my head to my lower back in a soothing manner, I'm so comfortable in fact that, "I've never been this relaxed in my life," slips through my lips.
Lucas' chest rumbles, and it is odd don't get me wrong, but it feels so good. It makes me feel so incredibly elated that a wide smile spreads across my face. "You have no idea, doll."
"I think I do." Giggling, I push on his chest to put a small amount of distance. "Especially because the only thing I know about you," aside from his insanely good looks, "is that your name is Lucas and you drive a Dodge. And my best friend hit on you." I whisper self-consciously.
He hums in agreement before pushing me back onto his chest and coiling his muscular arms around me. My fingers grip the cotton of his tee shirt while he rolls his head back and flutters his eyes closed. "My name is Lucas Friar and I'm completely enthralled with a woman named Riley."
Well, fudge. "I'm pretty taken with you too." The heat rushes to my cheeks all at once. I've never been so forward with my feelings, let alone developed feelings within such a short amount of time. "My last name is Matthews, and my favorite color is green."
Lucas chuckles, and in that short moment all my oxygen escapes me. It's so perfect and so, him. That's not the best way to describe it, but the only way that I see possible. "Green, huh?" In my defense it has always been green, but up until recently it switched from a light green like a field to one with a deeper color. It just so happened to match his eyes. "Mine is brown." Liar.
But, I ignore it with a smile on my face and take the opportunity to defend my living status. "I'm the owner of 'Sweetie Pies' bakery and that's why I live on this side of town."
"What'd I tell you about not being ashamed? You have no reason to justify your living arrangements. I deal with stocks," he answers rather vaguely.
We go back and forth for roughly twenty minutes, learning about one another and enjoying one another's presence. If it wasn't obvious, Lucas loves working out and his favorite drink is water with bluberry lemonade flavoring. Which I found oddly specific but it's the little things.
A knock on the door interrupts our game of twenty questions. "That must be the pizza! I'm starved!" I'm jumping out of his lap and relishing in the sound of his laugh before he can stop me. At first, it was quiet. He's very introverted and I'm always shy at first, but even in the silent moments it was never awkward. Now, I'm as chilidsh as my mother claims me to be.
The door swings open, and my smile dwindles. "Mister Hudson." Glancing over my shoulder I'm not too shocked to see Lucas watching me intently. Deciding that this conversation doesn't need to have listening ears, I step out of the apartment and whisper, "what can I do for you?"
He sighs and scratches the back of his neck. "Riley, you are three months behind." I lick my lips and fixate my gaze on the floor, pastry school was expensive and my parents had to break into my savings during a hard point in their lives.
"I know. I will have it all by Friday. My shop has just been a little slow and-
He places his hand up and gives me a small smile. "Riley, you're a sweet girl but if I don't have all the rent for this month and the past three, then I'll have to ask you to leave."
I knew this was coming, I'm not that shocked but tears spring into my eyes. Nonetheless, I nod in understanding. "I appreciate you working with me." As soon as Mr. Hudson leaves, the pizza guy comes up the stairs. "Let me get my cash."
Please let there be money in my purse. "Pizza is here!" I announce and begin digging through my bag. I can feel his eyes on me which causes my hands to shake from utter embarrassment.
Nothing.
Dang it. "Thanks." Spinning around on my heels, Lucas is shutting my front door with the pizzas in his hand. I try to blink the tears out of my eyes, unsuccessfully. When a warm tear falls on my cheek, I drop my head and ring my hands together in front of my body.
I'm not going to be homeless. I could move in with my parents for awhile or even crash with Maya. I'm working things out, and will get back on track it just takes a bit for a business to gain a steady enough profit so myself, the owner, can have a regular salary. "Come here."
Lifting my head, Lucas has set the pizzas down and is opening his tattooed arms wide. The left side of his lip is curled, making him even more devastatingly handsome, while mine is beginning to poke out. "Come here to me."
Sniffling, I run into his arms and let my financial problems wash away, if even for just a moment.
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A/N:
I hope you enjoyed this unedited chapter of 'The Alpha's Done'.
What do you think? Is Maya just jealous or is she looking out for Riley?
I'm loving the response I'm getting from this book already! I'm so glad you are all loving it.
XOXO
-Taylor
Word Count: 3,091
Date Published: June 23, 2017