A/N: Not a lot of you guys will be satisfied with this chapter. I had originally had a different ending and outcome, but I couldn't seem to let it go. So I went back and changed the ending and made it into something I could live with, and something I could understand - because all I did was antagonize a character to make the ending easier. Hopefully you guys understand this and not choose to hate me for what you are about to read. As always, let me know what you think - I can take it.
amymayy2003: Beau, wait till the next chapters, you'll be jumping high. Love your reviews. :)
ArabellaRoseD: Maya wants Riley to be mad at Lucas so she could break him sooner than later. She wants her to be angry at him, so he could look guilty. About Lucas talking to his dad...very, very soon. Riley and Lucas will always shine through, but not in the way you guys will expect. And thank you so, so, so much. But you have approximately...seven weeks to live.
And please, I don't mind your rambling...in fact I love it.
JJ: No, the last chapter has yet to come. I might go on a two week hiatus which will postpone the final chapter release date, so...brace yourselves. When I made Lucas have a complicated life and a not so great father, I knew there would be a moment where they would talk and finally meet - so soooooon. A lot of people won't like me for the way the Rilaya friendship will go. I guess I'll have to see.
naelacy: Lucas is one of my favorite characters on the show. I think he's my second favorite, Riley being the first. Lucas wants to start meeting people in Riley's family or people close to her, this is a hint for later chapters. And yeah, if they were to hang out, Maya would start to suspect that Lucas is a little too comfortable with her. And let's not forget Maya dated Lucas before Riley did. So he might recognize her.
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Riley was on cloud nine the entire walk home. She was genuinely happy because now she could talk to Lucas and just be with him in general. The weeks she was away from him migrated so slowly she felt like they were angry for centuries. As she closed the door to Maya's house and sauntered towards her room, how dare you mode had been activated. Maya had helped Missy in the scheme they pulled off and Riley was nowhere near happy.
"When did you plan on telling me?" she questioned the blonde.
Maya furrowed her brows and stared at her. She set her pencil down on the paper and stood up, "Plan on telling you what?"
"I know you did it, Maya. I know you helped Missy."
She smirked.
"I'm sorry, is this amusing to you?" she questioned.
"I never said it was."
Riley's blood boiled. She was angry and so disappointed in Maya. "Why?"
"Why?" Maya questioned. "Because someone needed to get things done. You said you wanted to break Lucas, what happened?"
"I'm still working on it," Riley defended. Had she? She didn't know. The reasons she's with Lucas don't even come into mind anymore. She forgets all about it when she's with him or around him.
"Well...no offense, darling...but you aren't doing your job."
"I work at my own pace."
"Then your pace isn't good enough. I'm surprised he hasn't even tried to sleep with someone else."
"So that's why you did it? He wouldn't cheat on me so you wanted to make it look like he did?"
Maya walked out her room and into the kitchen.
"I can't believe you."
"I can't believe you," Maya retaliates. "You've been with Lucas for over a month. And all you've been doing is falling for him this whole damn time."
She shakes her head no. Riley didn't want Maya's words to be true, she didn't want Maya to know.
Maya scoffs. "You're starting to like him."
"Am not."
"Are too," she responds. "And after all this time..." a tear rolls down her cheek, "You know I saw you as my sister. I thought that maybe if you broke his heart it would make our bond stronger, I was wrong."
Riley didn't say anything.
"If you don't like him like you say you do, then start breaking him. It's been a long time, how long does it take Lucas Friar to fall in love?" Maya walked passed Riley and nudged her along the way.
Riley didn't know if she was ready to finally put an end to Lucas. And to be honest with him about the reasons she was with him all this time. Could she do it?
She didn't know.
But instead of asking if she could do it...she should be asking if she would do it.
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Hours passed and Lucas found himself lying in bed, asleep.
He sat upright once he heard noise coming from downstairs. He didn't know what it was at first, it could've just been his head messing with him, but once he heard his mother's voice, Lucas didn't budge to rip the covers off his bed and stand up. Lucas figured he didn't have time to put on a shirt, nor did he have time to call someone. So picking up a bat and slightly opening the door, Lucas peeked his head through. His mom didn't sound like she was talking to anybody, she sounded like she was scared of somebody. So if someone was in his house, harassing his mom, then they are looking for a beat down.
Cautiously walking passed his mom's room and making sure she was in there, Lucas jumped to a conclusion. The woman downstairs was, in fact, his mother. It didn't add up though. His mother installed a five-star security system for two reasons. 1, to keep the burglars away, and 2, the most important one, his dad. He made his way down the stairs and into his mother's office. Once he approached the door, Lucas heard his mom. She wasn't scared nor was she talking to someone, she was arguing with someone.
"He doesn't want to talk you. I don't care if you've changed, I don't care if the woman you've knocked up wants you to do this, you will not talk to my son!"
"No. You have no right. Once you laid a hand on me, you lost more than just my love for you." Katherine barked.
Lucas gripped the bat tighter than before, he never expected Peter to talk to her.
Katherine scoffed, "He's been ignoring you? Yeah, well maybe that's because he realized how big of a waste of time you are. Call me one more time and I'm calling the police!"
Lucas thought that once he opened the door, his mom would notice, but he was wrong.
"Lucas" she said in shock. "How much of that did you hear?"
"Not enough. It was him, wasn't it?" Lucas found it stupid to ask this but he needed to know. He wanted to see her nod, he wanted to be angry at Peter.
She quickly wiped her eyes and set the phone down, "Go back to bed."
He shook his head no and walked over towards her, "How many times did he call?"
Katherine nestled herself in her son's embrace and sighed. "Seventeen times."
"Next time he calls, hand me the phone. If I'm-"
"No. Lucas-"
"Mom," he said in a firm manner. "It's my turn to protect us."
She nodded.
"If I'm not here, don't answer the phone to him. Got it?"
Katherine managed to let out a sigh of relief. She kissed her son's shoulder and hugged him again.
A man doesn't leave his family, he stays even when the times get rough.
A man such as Peter doesn't leave only to want back in, it never, and has never worked that way.
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Dangerous Woman
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Time.
That's what Lucas counted.
He counted the minutes, the hours, the days, the months, the year...and then he gave up. It was never going to happen and nine years later it did. He remembered being scared and confused, he remembered loving and hating his dad at the same time all the while he hoped his mom would love him the same. Lucas feared that one day his mom would look at him and fear for his future, she'd cry and shut him about because he'd look exactly like his father.
Lucas would someday look like the man that placed the heaviest burden on his mom.
So he waited here, in the farthest booth from the entrance to the diner. He intentionally chose the booth that was isolated from the others, he knew how this conversation would turn out; and if it did, he didn't want anyone near listening to their talk.
He originally thought the oldest chapter in his life was over. He thought he could finally burn the pages and rip them out so he would never have to go back and read them, but the chapter only existed so he could go back. So he could go back and find out why.
A minute later not only was the same guy that brought so many memories in front of him, but so was the fear. The fear that Lucas carried just for him. '
Emerald eyes mirrored his own.
Peter whispered, "Hi."
Lucas wished he could've said something, but it was as if he was paralyzed and drawn from the ability to speak.
When Lucas answered his call, Peter had nearly gasped aloud. He never in a million years expected this. "I'm glad you answered the phone. I-I never expected you to."
"I never expected you to want us again," Lucas voiced. "But..."
Peter nodded. He understood his son's reason to be angry. "I know you're wondering how I found you. And I...I wouldn't have been able to if it wasn't for Zay."
Lucas hung his head in disappointment.
"You don't need to be angry at him. Zay had his heart in the right place, don't hold him for that."
Lucas sipped from his mug, the coffee stung which helped throw back the crazy emotions he was feeling.
"All I ever wanted for you and your brother was to be happy. I loved your mother, Lucas. But when I couldn't handle..."
"Thomas' death," Lucas continued for him. Years ago uttering the words would've caused him endless hours of tears. He'd remember hating himself for forgetting he had a twin and he'd ignore anyone and everyone in his life. But as the words came out his mouth, he didn't feel any pain. It felt normal.
Peter nodded, "I'm still not completely over it."
"Mom isn't either," Lucas answered.
That made him feel better in some way. "How is she by the way?"
"Fine," he answered, firmer than ever.
Peter understood his reasons for being subtle once again. "As I was saying...it was just too much for me to handle. And because of that, I turned to the first thing I could think of."
Lucas already knew the answer to that. Before he could say anything the waitress stopped at their table with a pencil and notebook in hand. "All right, what can I get for you guys?"
"I'll take a coffee. The uh, bacon and eggs would be fine." Peter responded as he turned to his son.
Lucas reached for his wallet and pulled out his ID, he stared at Peter before his eyes turned to the waitress. "Schnapps, please."
The waitress stared at the ID and nodded, she turned on her heels and walked away.
"Lucas-"
"You have until the waitress comes back with your food to convince me your worthy of being in our lives. She'll be back with your coffee and my... choice of drink before she brings you your food. That gives you plenty of time. And I suggest you talk as fast and as clear as you can with as much reason as possible. That is if you want to be in my life."
Peter stared at his son in disbelief.
"Never said it would be easy."
"Son-"
"Don't," Lucas growled. "You don't get to do that."
Peter nodded. Part of wanting to see Lucas again meant that he had a shot, but with the way things were going Peter could only hope for the worst. "I don't want what you think of me to last forever. I've changed. And I'm just asking for a second chance. I want you in my life Lucas, I want to be in your life. The only way that's going to happen is if you accept me for what I've done. And I'm not expecting you to forgive me right away, I know it will take time. But please, please forgive me."
"It's been nine years. You've been trying to contact me for eight months. I don't know what you were doing in that time." Lucas drew a shaky breath. "The only way I could possibly see the good in you is if you tell me what you did in those eight years."
"I can't filter what you perceive of me, Lucas. So I won't. After your mother and you left Texas I did some other things I'm not proud of. It wasn't just alcohol anymore."
Pounds of bricks slammed into Lucas the minute he understood what Peter was saying.
"I stopped," he advised. "I stopped." He repeated himself because he didn't want Lucas to assume he was an addict.
"I got help and I went away for five months. I've been sober, Lucas. And I still am."
"Rehab?"
Peter nodded. "That only happened seven months after you left. For the past years, I focused on myself. When I figured it was time I start seeking for your forgiveness, I had people track you down. Your mom must've been smart enough to prevent that from happening, so when I found Zay, he helped me find you."
"Did you pay him?"
"What?"
"Did you pay him?" he repeated.
"No, I did not. Lucas, I haven't done anything illegal to him."
The waitress placed both his and Peters drink on the table.
Lucas didn't touch his drink but Peter immediately drank from his coffee.
"While you were in Texas, getting high and drunk, I was having nightmares. The same one over and over again," he took a deep breath. "I was sleeping and I'd wake up and walk to the kitchen, your room was next to mine so I'd pass it every time. The door was always open and mom was lying on the floor, a pool of blood beside her. You were standing there, watching her with a beer in your hand. It took me a whole lot of time and really good friends to forget about the things you've done. And...I-I never told mom about them because you were involved, I hated you. But now, after nine years, I don't think I care anymore."
He watched him carefully, "I thought I was turning into you for a while. I would get so angry and all I wanted to do was hit something. Anything. I guess the destruction that would come out of it was somehow pleasing to me."
"Did it stop?"
His finger drew circles on the table, "I've been working on it."
Peter stared at his fingers before his eyes went to his drink again. "I know it will."
There was a silence between them. A very awkward silence. "You're a good looking guy, Peter. You'll have more children."
He raised a brow.
"I'm not an idiot," he stated. Lucas' voice was filled with disappointment. As he stared at a very confused Peter, Lucas couldn't help but pour his feelings out. "You said you've been sober, but this drink has only been sitting in front of you for two short minutes and you've already stared at it more than fifteen times. It's not even alcohol...it's apple juice. The waitress has known me for years now, she knows the ID is fake."
Lucas knew it was wrong to test Peter this way. He knew that his decision would come by what he felt at the moment, but Peter was an amazing liar. Lucas had to know the truth. "I don't hate you, Peter. I don't think I have that much energy in me anymore." he stared at him, "...but I know that what you told me was true. I know you're capable of feeling regret, I know that you want to be in my life, I know that you feel guilty for what you've done, but don't let alcohol and drugs compromise your judgments. You're addicted to it. And for that, I don't think I can ever forgive you."
Peter couldn't say anything, he could just stare at Lucas.
"I don't hate you, but don't mistaken that for your forgiveness." He took out his wallet and left 20 dollars on the table. "I'm glad I talked to you. I'm glad I don't feel guilt for what you've done, I'm not angry. But...what you said wasn't enough for me to forgive you."
He stood up and left the diner. Part of leaving meant he'd never see him again, but Lucas hadn't seen him for nine years. He could do it again, again, and again for a lifetime. Peter is the past, his life is the future.
He couldn't spend the rest of his life being pulled back by the man he doesn't hate.
He couldn't spend the rest of his life being pulled back by the man that beat his mother.
He couldn't spend the rest of his life being pulled back by the man who chose alcohol over his son and over his wife.
He wasn't being pulled back anymore. The past was Peter. The future was his happiness.
His happiness was Riley.
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He went home that day with a mind full of thoughts. Lucas had never been so sure of a decision in his entire life.
When he opened the door to his room, Lucas was surprised to find Riley. Her hair was down, stopping at just the top of her shoulders, curled. She looked beautiful in his shirt. She spread her hands and Lucas hugged her. He kissed her forehead and leaned his own against hers.
Riley's eyes were on him. She was expecting an answer and when he shook his head, she found that answer. But she wasn't mad. She just hugged him.
Lucas sighed and breathed in Riley's scent.
"I couldn't do it," he told her.
"It's okay, Lucas. You didn't have to."
"I forgave myself, instead," he said.
Riley raised a brow.
"I forgive myself for hating him. Even though I had every right to, I realized I could live a life without forgiving someone, but I can't live a life hating someone."
Riley hugged him once again.
Lucas nestled himself in their embrace. Within every second, he found himself loving Riley more and more. She had been with him for better and for worst, just like a relationship should be. And that's what they were. But the more and more he branded his feelings for her as 'like' the more he realized 'like' doesn't fall anywhere near the spectrum. He didn't 'like' her.
He loved her.
He stared into her eyes and smiled. His feelings were genuine.
His love for her was genuine.
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A/N: I know a lot of you won't like the way Lucas and Peter worked out. But the message I was trying to tell you guys all this time was about knowing it's possible to live a life without forgiving someone, but it's impossible to live a life hating someone. I very much believe in that. Many people will have different opinions, I guess you'll just have to respect the outcome.
As for Rucas, they are imperfect. They were never meant to be perfect and they know that. I wrote earlier in the chapter that happiness was Lucas' future and that happiness was Riley. That should answer how the story is going to end. They are going to get their own happily ever after. Now we know Lucas loves Riley. Will we find out if Riley loves Lucas?