There have only been two times in Zay's life where he truly felt scared. The first his wedding day where he was so nervous and afraid he was making a mistake and almost bolted until he seen Vanessa walk towards him with a smile she still had years later. The second was the day she told him he was going to be a dad. He was terrified and almost bolted then again thinking he would be a horrible father.
It wasn't until he felt his little girl kick from the sound of his voice did he know things would be okay. Neither of those times can compete with the angry crazed look Lucas was giving him after he told him he had been in contact with Riley. He wasn't going to lie and technically he didn't. Lucas never asked and Zay didn't see the point of opening up old wounds.
Zay had two options plead insanity or run over to Riley saving himself for at least an hour. "Cotton candy face!" He shouts looking at Lucas who was shooting daggers at him. He chose option two. "Isaiah Hank is that you?" Riley laughed wiping her forehead on the towel she left on the porch.
He moved to hug her but she backed up saying she was sweaty. "Sugar I teach dance and all my little dancers hug me drowning in sweat. He tells her pulling her into a bone crushing hug. She smiled and then noticed Lucas on the porch watching their exchange. "Well I better shower before the twins wake up. How long you in town for? Did V and little Bianca come with?"
Lucas scratched his head he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His oldest and practically his brother knew all about Riley's life and didn't inform him about any of it. To say he felt betrayed was the understatement of the year. He walked away leaving Riley and Zay to share stories about their kids and how Vanessa was trying to get Zay to eat healthier.
"Dude wait up!" Zay yells tripping over rocks and little bushes as he chases after Lucas who was climbing the hill they used to go to overlooking the ranch. Zay stood a few feet from him he saw that look he had the day the school bully picked on a kid and Lucas stood up to him. "I'm sorry Luke."
Lucas laughed pacing back and forth trying to control his anger. Sure he really had no right to be angry with Zay it just killed him that he knew nothing of Riley's life and that he wasn't apart of it saving her from the demons that were apparently chasing her. "It's fine Zay." Lucas tells him sitting on the grass.
Zay sits next to him and looks at the ranch before yelling out when Lucas punches his arm. "Ow! What the hell I thought you were okay with it?" Zay shouts rubbing his arm. "Just because I say I am doesn't mean I am Marvin." Zay winced Lucas only calls him by his middle name when he is really mad at him or to tease him.
"Luke I'm sorry okay but look at it from my perspective. I only ran into Riley three years ago when Vanessa was having her issues with leaving Bianca with a nanny. I swear she watches to many lifetime movies and was convinced our nanny was trying to seduce me." Zay chuckles at the memory of the crazy argument they had about it.
"Running into Riley was strictly coincidence. I caught her coming out of the bakery wiping her eyes. I wasn't going to approach her but I did." He turns his head to look at Lucas. "I missed her Luke. Our little family pretty much got broken senior year." This time it was Lucas turn to wince.
"Sorry." Zay tells him putting his hand on his shoulder. "when I finally seen my little cotton candy face I took that as my chance to get a little bit of her back. I don't know much about her life okay but if you want I will tell you a semi good Riley story. After all I am Cupid." Zay tells him shooting an imaginary arrow at him making him laugh.
Lucas smiles looking back at the house he didn't have to have X-ray vision to see inside to know once Riley went inside she would have checked the kids and then hopped in the shower singing along to the radio and then made her way downstairs making a big breakfast since Zay arrived in town. He takes a deep breath and looks at Zay. "Okay tell me."
He didn't know much like he said but it did help Lucas a little. She was only in New York at the request of her father and that she stayed in California for school but was moving around because of her books. Which Zay told her he wanted a bigger part in her next series. She still talked to smackle, Farkle not so much since he's in Japan overseeing minkus international there.
"What about Maya are they still friends?" Lucas asks seeing the look Zay gives him at the mention of the blond beauty. "I don't know man I didn't bring her name up and neither did she. She didn't give much away to me and the only reason I knew about her kids because I couldn't contain my excitement to share Bianca's picture with her."
"Well thanks Zay." Lucas says patting him on the back. They sat in silence for awhile until Lucas turns to him again. "You said you knew she wasn't into girls but you didn't mention a boyfriend or anything."
Zay rubbed his neck much like Lucas did out of nervousness. But the way Zay was rubbing you think he was trying to start a fire. "I didn't?" Zay squeaked and then mumbled under his breath knowing he gave himself away. "Zay what aren't you telling me?" At that moment they hear the front door open and Riley and the twins walking out with Auggie saying their goodbyes.
"Hey he's leaving already?" Zay asks trying to change the subject. "Zay stop stalling and tell me?!" Lucas shouts getting angry. Zay sighs standing up knowing once he says it Lucas is going to confront her. "I know she isn't into girls because she was dating someone at the time."
Lucas stands up watching Riley and could feel her looking their way as they said goodbye to Auggie. "Oh well that isn't that bad I assumed she would date." Zay breathed a sigh of relief. "Good that's good and so what if it was Charlie I don't think they lasted anyway?" "What?!" Zay's eyes nearly popped out his head as he looked at Lucas. "Never said it was Gardner did I?"
Lucas doesn't respond instead he practically sprints down the hill with Zay following him telling him it was in the past and let it go. "Charlie Gardner really Riley?" She turns around and couldn't help smiling at the expression on his face. She sees Zay come running towards them and mouthing I'm so sorry to her.
She nods and looks at the twins who were watching Auggie drive away. "Look Charlie, Rosie its Zay." The twins see him and run towards him hugging him. They've only met him twice but both times he had them laughing and would show them new dance moves he learned. "Let's go inside I'm sure your mama Riley and Lucas need to talk."
Riley laughs as Zay picks them up running in the house. She turns back to Lucas and sees him still with the same expression. She starts to walks away when he grabs her hand. "When were you going to tell me about this? Is that why Charlie has the name Charlie?" Riley bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at Lucas ridiculousness.
The day Zay bumped into her was no coincidence. She saw him before he spotted her and she didn't want to have to talk to him since she just had an argument with her parents. What nobody knew was that she had kept in touch with Charlie when he became her confidant senior year when she isolated herself from the group.
She called him and he agreed to come rescue her but would be a few minutes. When he arrived Riley made it seem like he was her boyfriend. Charlie was reluctant at first since he was dating someone but when Riley told him Zay would probably tell Lucas he quickly agrees to it.
"Well are you going to say something?" Lucas asks still holding her wrist. Riley slipped her wrist from his grip and smiled. "Really Lucas that was like three years ago grow up." She laughed to herself when she seen him kick at the dirt. It was childish and she could have easily told him the truth but she wanted him to feel the same thing she had when he was with Maya.
Zay watched the front door ready with his apology the minute Riley walked in. But when he sees her smiling and humming as she heads for the kitchen he knew she said something to him. He may have poked the bear but Riley put it back in the cage just to taunt it from the outside. He waits for Lucas to come in when he hears Riley.
"Just go outside Zay I'm sure he's halfway to china with the hole he's digging." He makes his way to the front door and sees Lucas with his fist clenched kicking the dirt and he had a little hole already forming. "Okay how about we go get some breakfast in town or go visit my folks?"
Lucas shakes his head and continues kicking at the dirt ignoring Zay. "Dude come on that was in the past I highly doubt they got any further than kissing." Zay stepped back when Lucas looks at him with a look he has never seen before. "Okay let's go come on." He tells him putting his hand on his shoulder.
He shakes him off and sits on the front porch laying back covering his face with his arm. Zay sighs kicking at the dirt himself and mumbling under his breath. "Some Cupid I'm turning out to be." He takes a seat next to him and turns his head when he hears the front door open. "Luke are you okay?"
Lucas moves his arm and sees Rosie standing above him with a bottle of water. He smiles sitting up and pats the spot next to him for her to sit. Zay chuckles shaking his head he may not have to do anything to get them back together it seemed Rosie already likes Lucas and forming a bond with him.
Lucas felt his anger melt away when he took a sip of the water and Rosie leaned her head on him. She smiled up at him giggling when he taps her nose making a little honking noise as he does it. "How about we go inside and see what kind of breakfast mama Riley made huh?"
Rosie stands bouncing and holds out her hand for him to hold. They walk back in with Zay right behind them wanting to see the look on Riley's face when she sees Rosie holding Lucas hand. They make their way inside but only Cletus and Charlie were at the table.
"Hey detective Friar." Cletus snickers biting into his muffin as Lucas shook his head at him. "Oo cotton candy face made muffins sweet!" Zay yells grabbing one and smelling it before sitting down. "Why do you call mama Riley cotton candy face?" Charlie asks with syrup dripping off his face. "Because that's what I told him to call me when we were young and silly."
Riley tells him tickling his side and wiping his face with a napkin. She spots Rosie still holding Lucas hand and swinging between them. "Rose did you finish your breakfast?" She didn't want her getting attached to Lucas since all he did was disappoint you in the end. "Almost was gonna eat with Luke on the porch. Is that okay?"
She batted her little green eyes at Riley and she shakes her head smiling. She knew she couldn't help but agree. Lucas grabs a plate for the both of them and walked out to the porch. They start eating when he hears the front door open. "Can I eat with you guys? Mama Riley said it was okay."
Lucas nods his head smiling as Charlie grinned and ran back inside bringing out his plate. They sat eating in silence while Lucas chuckled watching them try to toss a piece of muffin in the air and catch it like him.
Zay could hear the laughter from the front porch and watch Riley as she cleaned up. "You know..." Zay starts to say but she cuts him off. "Don't even go there he's just doing that so he can be in my business and try to rescue me." He stares at her trying to read her as she rolled her eyes at her own statement.
The sound of her phone breaks their staredown and he sees the look she has when she sees who was calling. "You sure you don't need to be rescued?" She looks at the front porch and then back at Zay. "No I don't." He watched her as she retreats back upstairs and wondered if she did need to be rescued.