Just a heads up. I intend to keep this fic short so things may be going a little too fast. Also, even though this fic is angst, I'm still not entirely sure how I want to end things. It could go either way, just bare with me! I know everyone's still a little shook with the cancelation news. I'm completely okay with the cancelation, but it'd be great if Netflix picked it up! Thanks for the reviews as always!

Chapter Three

Sienna was on the way to Topanga's for her shift when her phone rang in her pocket. She reached for it and answered the call as she crossed the street.

"Oh, hey Lucas," she greeted on the phone, delighted to hear his voice on the other end.

"I need to talk to you," Lucas immediately said. He didn't wait for Sienna to reply, "Riley and I had this date over video chat last night. It all went great, obviously, but I don't think it ended too well. There was a change in her demeanor and I'm not sure what it means."

"Well, what happened?" Sienna asked.

"Basically she said she had to cut me in," Lucas replied. "Well, those weren't her exact words but it sure felt that way. She stayed at the bakery past midnight to do stuff. Am I getting in the way of her work?"

"Really, Lucas?" Sienna sighed.

"What?" Lucas said.

"That's what you're so concerned about?" Sienna inquired.

"Yes!" Lucas snapped. "I mean I planned the date to make it up to her since we haven't talked in so long, but now I feel bad for getting in the way."

"Don't be so insecure," Sienna scoffed. "We both know she loves you. You're both stressed. You usually don't read into things like this unless you're stressed. And being stressed is not a good look on you, Luke."

"Hey! I'm very secure," Lucas countered. "They don't call me a secure western hero for nothing."

"Who calls you that?" Sienna laughed.

"Riley," Lucas replied, matter-of-factly.

"Riley thinks the world of you," Sienna reminded him.

"Okay, well... Josh calls me that too," added Lucas.

"Who's Josh?" Sienna asked as she walked into the bakery.

"Riley's uncle," Lucas said.

"Oh, Uncle Boing?" Sienna said. "Maya's told me about him. They're dating now, you know."

"Well, I'm not surprised," Lucas said.

"Hey, Sienna," Evan greeted from the counter. Sienna walked over to him, her phone still pressed to her ear. She smiled at Evan.

"I'm at work now," Sienna informed her cousin. "We'll talk soon. Don't worry about her. She loves you. With all the things she knows about you she should've been long gone by now. But she's not."

"Wow, thanks, Sienna," Lucas said sarcastically. "No, really, though. Thanks for being there with me."

"Happy to help," Sienna beamed, then turned off her phone and shoved it into her pocket. She turned her attention to Evan.

"Who were you on the phone with?" Evan asked.

"Oh, just my cousin Lucas," Sienna waved him off. "He was telling me about his girl problems."

"Girl problems?" Evan titled his head. "Didn't you tell me he was dating Riley?"

Sienna nodded, "Not really problems, per se, he's just overreacting. The distance has been really getting to them, I think."

"Well, I'm sure they'll be able to get through it," Evan shrugged. He was aware of Riley and Lucas's relationship, as Riley liked to talk about her boyfriend a lot.

"Boy, I sure hope so," Sienna agreed. "They love each other too much to let anything get in the way. I mean, I'm sure they know how they work by now. It's just their first summer apart, guess it's the separation anxiety that's getting to them."

"Riley's a trooper though," Evan commented. "I haven't known her for long but I can tell that the workload is getting to her, yet she still has that lovely smile plastered on her face."

"Haven't known her for long either," Sienna said, "but I know for a fact that that's just how she is. She's very optimistic and hopeful. One of the things my cousin loves about her."

"Well, what a lucky guy your cousin is," Evan said.

"He is, isn't he?" Sienna nodded. "Well, I'm gonna go get ready for my shift."

"Alright, see ya," Evan waved as Sienna walked to the break room to settle in for her shift. She furrowed her brows, analyzing the conversation she just had with Evan. She raised her brows when she saw Maya sitting at the table and decided to sit down beside the blonde.

"Hey, Maya, I can tell you anything, right?" Sienna asked.

"I'd like to think so," Maya nodded. "I mean you told me that your cousin was scared of me, which I don't think you were supposed to tell me."

Sienna laughed, "Yeah, I wasn't supposed to tell you that but it's hilarious."

"It is!" Maya returned. "So what is it you need to tell me?"

"Well, I was just talking to Evan and we ended up on the topic of Riley," Sienna began. "And I don't know… The way he talked about her… Couldn't help but think that maybe he has some kind of crush on her?"

"I mean, they've been spending a lot of time together," Maya nodded. "But I don't think he likes her. Doesn't he know she's in a serious relationship?"

"He does," Sienna confirmed. "Now I'm not saying that's he's going to try anything; I just wanted to bring it to your attention. You know, in case something does happen."

"Riley's a smart girl," Maya said. "Very loyal, too. I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"I hope so," Sienna pursed her lips. "I love Lucas, and I obviously really care about him. And Riley's awesome. I don't want anything to happen between them."

"Neither do I," Maya agreed.

Riley was in the office doing paperwork when she called Evan in to help her with some of the financial stuff. Maya was supervising the bakery while the two were in the office.

"I am really glad I hired you," Riley said. "You've made things so much easier on me. Didn't realize how hard it was to manage a business. I don't know how my mom does it while being a lawyer."

"Hey, that's new," Evan disregarded Riley and pointed at a picture frame on the desk. It was a photo of Riley and Lucas from their high school graduation, one of Riley's favorite photos of them together. She decided to put that photo there to remind her that if they could get through high school together, they'd be able to get through the summer even with very limited communication. Besides, since she basically owned the office for a couple of months, she figured she'd make the place more personal and added to the photos of her family that her mother had around the office.

"Yeah," Riley said. Her gaze fell onto the photo as well, and she absentmindedly began to play with the ring on her left ring finger. It was a promise ring Lucas had given her for her birthday last year. It was yet another reminder of how strong their relationship was.

"So that's your boyfriend. He looks a lot like Sienna," Evan said. Riley nodded. He jokingly added, "He's cute."

"He is," Riley laughed.

"Why haven't I seen him around?" Evan asked.

"He's in Texas for the summer," Riley replied. "He's interning for a well-known veterinarian. He wants to become one someday."

"That sounds cool," Evan nodded. "Working with animals. That's an interesting profession."

"Yeah," Riley responded. "He's very passionate about it. He grew up on a ranch."

Evan admired how in love Riley seemed when she talked about her boyfriend. He felt a pang of jealousy as he had wished that she was talking about him in that manner. He never told anyone, especially anyone on the staff, but he had feelings for Riley. He spent pretty much every day with her these past couple of weeks, and he felt that he really got to know her. He was informed of her relationship status by Sienna, who told Evan that Riley was dating her cousin Lucas. So Evan left his feelings alone.

"I'm really proud of him," Riley added, when she realized Evan took too long to answer.

"I'm sure he's proud of you too," Evan snapped out of his thoughts of Riley.

"He is," Riley nodded and looked down at her hands.

"Must be tough though, being away from him," Evan said.

"It is, but we're stronger than that," Riley informed him. A smile played on her lips. "Actually, a couple of days ago we had a date through video chat. I know it sounds cheesy but I just felt like he was here with me. It was the first time in a while where we actually had a real conversation and not one that lasted less than twenty minutes. I know we're still young but I see myself spending the rest of my life with him… Sorry I'm rambling."

"Don't be sorry," Evan said. He smiled, "I like listening to you talk."

Riley gave him a sheepish smile. She tensed up. She had this sudden feeling that Evan might like her—more than a friend and co-worker should.

It had been a week since Lucas's video chat date with Riley, and he had been receiving less text messages from her than usual. He knew he shouldn't be worried, but he couldn't help himself. Their phone calls were non-existent at this point, and he desperately missed the sound of her cheerful voice. He felt wrong that he was doubting her, but he knew it was perfectly fine to feel that way. He had anticipated the separation anxiety he would feel as soon as he left New York, but he didn't realize how bad it felt. He hated the feeling.

"You seem more upset than usual," a voice came from behind Lucas. Lucas was sitting on a picnic table out behind the clinic. It was his lunch and he needed some fresh air. Lucas didn't need to turn around to recognize the voice. It was Dylan, one of his oldest friends in Texas besides Zay. However, Lucas had lost touch with Dylan when he got accustomed to New York, Riley, and his newfound friends. They reunited again on Lucas's first day of the internship. He had no idea Dylan also wanted to be a veterinarian and was also given an internship at the same clinic. The two quickly jumped right back into their friendship and it felt like there was no gap in between at all.

"Yeah," was all Lucas could say. He kept his gaze on his feet that were resting on the bench. Dylan jumped up onto the table and sat beside the green-eyed boy.

"Is it Riley?" Dylan questioned. When Lucas had first moved to New York, he talked to Dylan frequently. He had made sure to tell him of his encounter with the pretty brunette that quickly turned into a full blown crush.

Lucas pursed his lips and nodded.

"What'd she do?"

"It's more like what she didn't do," Lucas scoffed. He sounded bitter, but could anyone blame him? The boy was overwhelmed with his internship and all he wanted was to hear the sound of his girlfriend's voice to calm him down. Was that so much to ask for?

"Care to elaborate?" Dylan asked.

Lucas grunted, "Last time I heard from her was a couple days after our video chat date. I'm starting to worry."

"Have you tried getting in contact with her?"

"Well, no. I'm scared she won't pick up, that she's too busy for me," Lucas confessed. "I don't want to get in the way of her dreams."

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to get in the way of yours either," Dylan pointed out. "Maybe she's feeling the same way you are. She doesn't want to call you because she thinks you're too busy for her."

"For a couple who bases their relationship off of communication, we're doing a bang up job of it, aren't we?" Lucas released a dry laugh.

"Hey, don't say that," Dylan said, patting Lucas's back. "When you first moved to New York, you used to talk about Riley all the time. I hadn't seen you so happy since before you moved. Then you would tell me how she liked you too. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah, I do," Lucas chuckled. He mentally cringed at the memory. God, he sounded like a teenage girl, the way he used to gush about her. But hey, he was a thirteen-year-old boy who had his first crush. How else was he supposed to act?

"And then I believe it was after you and Riley became a couple, you and I stopped talking," Dylan continued. "I was sad about it at first, because I missed you. But then I was happy for you, because you were finally happy, especially since you never wanted to leave Texas in the first place. Now, I don't know Riley personally, but with what you've told me about her, she seems pretty amazing. And totally into you. With the personality she has and the history you two have, I don't think you should be doubting her feelings. She loves you."

Lucas looked up at Dylan. He was right. In all the years that he was with Riley, he had never doubted her feelings for him.

"It's just the distance," Dylan said. "I can't imagine how hard it is for you, being two thousand miles away from the person you love."

"It's tough," Lucas nodded. He looked around. The clinic was in an undeveloped area, so there weren't too many buildings around. "I really missed Texas. But… New York. New York is my home now."

"Home is where the heart is," Dylan said.

"Riles, I promise we'll do something to get your mind off the bakery," Maya said with a hand on Riley's shoulder. Riley had her faced buried in her hands as she sat at her desk. The stress was starting to really get to her, and with Lucas so far away, all her feelings just hit her like a truck. She hadn't heard from Lucas in almost two weeks now, and it added to her stress. To be fair, she hadn't been messaging him either. She was way too busy with running the bakery.

Riley didn't answer, instead she let out a long groan.

"I can stay with you until you finish, if you'd like," Maya offered. Maya experienced Riley's anxiety firsthand, and completely empathized with the brunette. It killed her that she couldn't do anything to make her feel better. She knew the only person who could do that in this situation was Lucas. And Lucas couldn't be reached. Maya had promised herself to give Lucas a talking to as soon as anyone heard from him.

Riley sighed and lifted her head up to look at her best friend. She said, "No, Maya. It's okay. I got this."

"Riley," Maya said firmly. "Are you sure? You know I have no problem with staying here with you."

"No, no," Riley waved her off. Truthfully, she wanted Maya to stay. But she couldn't ask Maya to, especially with all she'd done for the bakery already. She knew Maya needed rest as much as she did. "No need. I'll be fine, Maya."

Maya didn't like the fact that Riley hadn't been herself for quite a while. She knew Riley was able to handle everything, but she didn't think Riley herself knew it. Maya knew the biggest factor to this was Lucas's absence. If Lucas were here, Maya knew that Riley would be able to handle managing the bakery with very few problems.

"Riley, I swear," Maya said. "Just let me help you."

Riley was on the verge of tears. She swallowed the lump in her throat and said, "Maya, you know I love you. But I think I need to be alone for a bit." She hated that she had to push her best friend away, but she really did want to be alone. She knew she was going to have a breakdown soon, and she didn't want Maya there to see her so vulnerable, not when Maya knew how strong Riley was.

Maya raised her hands in the air, "That's it. That's all you had to say, honey. I understand. Just text me if you need anything."

Riley hugged the blonde and softened her voice, "Thank you for understanding. Bye, Peaches."

"Bye, sweetie," Maya returned as she walked out of the bakery.

For a while, Riley stayed seated at her desk. She looked around the room, and the framed photo on her desk caught her eye.

"It'd be so much easier if you were here," Riley said to herself softly. She reached for her phone that rested on her desk and dialed his number. She wanted so badly for him to pick up, so she could rant to him about her day. But when he didn't pick up, Riley couldn't help but to sob. She knew it was a long shot, but she figured she would try to call.

She shook her head to shake the negative thoughts out of her head. She got up and composed herself. She took a deep breath and went out to the front of the bakery. She went behind the counter to the cash register. She pressed a couple of buttons on it and counted the money. All the while, her thoughts came flooding back. She couldn't help but let a few tears roll down her cheeks. She was getting to her breaking point, and she didn't like it.

Suddenly, the front door opened, resulting in Riley to quickly shift her attention to the door. Her heart began to race but then immediately relaxed when she recognized the figure as Evan and not an intruder.

"Hey, Evan, what are you doing here?" Riley sniffled as she placed the money in an envelope.

"I forgot my phone," he confessed. "Sorry for startling you, I didn't know you were still here."

"That's okay," Riley said, wiping her eyes. She scanned the room until her gaze landed on Evan's phone on one of the tables. She pointed to it, "Your phone's over there."

"Thanks," Evan replied and walked across the room to retrieve his phone. He shoved his phone into his jacket pocket. He turned back to Riley and noticed her tear stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. "Are you okay?"

Riley nodded and sniffled, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Well, you don't look fine," Evan pointed out, not trying to offend her.

"I'm just stressed," Riley whispered. She looked down at her feet. "And I don't know what to do. I hate this feeling."

Evan walked over behind the counter so that he was standing beside Riley. Evan lifted Riley's chin so that he was staring into her chocolate brown eyes. He thought that eyes that beautiful didn't deserve to draw tears. She gulped as she stared into his eyes. Her mind drew to a blank, as if her brain had temporarily escaped her body.

"Hey, don't say that," Evan said softly. "You're doing a great job with the bakery. Everyone's so proud of you. It's okay to feel a little overwhelmed."

In the midst of the moment, as they were staring into each other's eyes, Evan leaned forward. When he noticed Riley didn't react, he figured that he should keep going. He closed his eyes and moved closer to Riley's face until their lips touched. Without thinking, Riley closed her eyes and kissed him back.

As they kissed, Sienna stood in front of the entrance to the bakery and was taken aback with what she saw. She felt her heart start racing and tears welling in her eyes. She really liked Riley, but how could she do this to Lucas? Sienna felt irritated which quickly turned to anger and immediately left before she did something stupid like burst into the bakery and confront the traitor and her accomplice. She had lost respect for both Riley and Evan right at that moment. And to think, Maya had texted Sienna to tell her that Riley was still at the bakery because she was feeling overwhelmed and figured that she was the closest thing to Lucas and would be able to calm Riley down.

Riley was the first to pull apart when she realized what was happening. Did she really just kiss Evan? She felt sudden guilt rush over her as the thought of Lucas came to mind. She couldn't believe what she did. He'd never forgive her if he found out. New tears began to form in her eyes. She panicked and her breathing got uneven.

"This was a mistake," Riley muttered, looking at the floor, "I have a boyfriend."

Riley grabbed her purse and rushed out of the bakery, allowing her tears to fall freely.