A/N: I know I said this chapter should be up on the 23rd but I changed my mind. I need this break more than you know. But I promised an ending to this story and you guys are getting it so you guys will get an update. Songs used in this chapter (in the order): Fallin' Alicia Keys, Inocente Romeo Santos, and Love On the Brain Rihanna. As always let me know what you think.
amymayy2003: She came so close to telling him. But…will she tell him when she gets the chance?
naelacy: The long chapters will continue to come. This is the longest chapter in the story so far. I'm still deciding to add on to what I already have written. And yes, Maya will get in the way of Riley and Lucas. She needs to talk to him and get a clear mind. I just love how Rucas is comfortable with each other.
Softball: All I've asked for since the very beginning in patience. Most of my loyal readers understand that by now, and you should know that telling me to update will make me want to do the exact opposite. I am so grateful you re read this story and you should always know I tell you when the updates are coming. Which are every Fridays. I will always tell you if you're not getting an update from me the following week.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Riley woke up that night drenched in sweat. She sat upright and looked all around her. When she realized she was in Maya's bedroom, on her bed, she sighed.
It was just a dream.
Everything she did to try and go back to sleep did not work. She just couldn't close her eyes without seeing Lucas. It was beyond the scariest thing she's ever dreamed of.
The only way she drew morning to a close was by going out for a run. She ran the same course Lucas ran every morning. It was quite exhausting but Lucas was far from her mind.
As she almost reached her destination, Riley was dressed in adrenaline and sweat. She was tired and exhausted.
Except only when she turned around she found Lucas. He didn't have a shirt which only made possible impossible. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
He went in to kiss Riley but she stepped back. "I just needed to get away."
"Away from what?"
She smiled and giggled nervously. "Don't have time. I gotta go."
He extended his hand and stopped her. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her but Riley jerked her away from his lips and dogged his kiss. It's not that she didn't want to kiss him. She really did. In fact, ever since they've been together Riley couldn't help but not want to kiss him.
It was remembering the kiss that would keep reminding her of Lucas.
He raised a brow and stepped back.
"Is something wrong?"
"Of course not."
He stared at Riley for a good four seconds before he stepped back and let her pass. "Go on."
She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek before she continued to walk.
Something was definitely wrong.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Dangerous Woman
Just as Riley arrived at Lucas's house she reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. Once the screen faced her, she turned it on and smiled. A message from Lucas had popped up.
Lucas: Just walk inside. The rest of us are out back.
She slid her phone back into her pocket and opened the door to his house. When she walked past the foyer and into the drawing room a girl who looked slightly older than she did stopped and approached her.
"Riley?" she questioned.
"Shelly?" Riley asked. Shelly looked slightly different from the last time Riley saw her. Her hair had drastically changed since then. It was braided and longer than it was before.
"What are you doing here?" she asked Riley.
"What are you doing here?"
"A…uh pageant. You?"
"Same here."
She looked passed her as if she was expecting someone to walk in, "Where's Maya-?"
"Shh," she placed her finger on Shelly's lips, "Don't bring her up, okay?"
"Why not?"
"Because she doesn't know I'm doing this. I told her I was going out for a walk. And Lucas doesn't know we're friends. So please, keep quiet."
"But awhile ago Maya said you guys were talking."
"I told her Lucas and I ended what he had," she lied. She didn't want her to know why she was here and why she was with Lucas.
"Oh."
"Promise me you won't tell her?"
"Look, girl, this is on you. If Maya asks, I never knew about this."
Riley nodded.
"But know that not everything passes Maya. You gotta be careful."
She watched as Shelly walked away. "Hopefully she doesn't."
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
When Lucas asked Riley to be Miss WaterLake Riley never expected to see all of Maya's friends here too. As she stood in front of Lucas, Riley found herself not only staring at Shelly but at Mia, Vicky and another girl who looked fairly familiar.
Her gaze fell back on Lucas and he winked at her in lust. Next to him were his friends, Tyler, Farkle, Brandon, and Zay. She smiled back at Lucas and gestured for him to stop, even though she loved the feeling it gave her.
"Honor your partner," Katherine, Lucas mom, advised them.
Riley curtsied as Lucas bowed.
"First hand around," she guided as Lucas and Riley did so. "Remember to flirt with your eyes. You want the crowd to see how focused and attracted you are to each other," she walked around them and nodded.
"I'm attracted," Lucas whispered into Riley's ear.
"Left hand around."
As they rotated Lucas did the best he could to make Riley laugh.
"You're so ridiculous," she giggled.
"You're just mad because you don't know how to do this."
"Can you blame me? I've never done a pageant before. Do you know how to do this?"
"Both hands." They heard Katherine say.
"Of course I do. This is my second time."
"I don't believe you."
"Then how would I be able to do this," he pulled Riley close to him, twirled her and dipped her.
"Lucas," called Katherine. "Focus."
"Sorry, mom."
They continued with the dance for fifteen more minutes. Once Katherine took note that everyone had gotten the hang of it, she drew their practice to a close. "That's it for today. We'll pick this up again tomorrow. You guys will go on to do your separate dances, and before the pageant begins we will meet here. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," Tyler answered.
"Good. I'll be inside if any of you need me."
The group of friends resumed their daily activities in a matter of seconds when they reached for their phones and isolated themselves from others.
"You know all this dancing doesn't seem as hard as it looks," Shelly informed. "Last year it looked like you were following a confusing pattern."
"That's because you were talking with Dan the whole time," Lucas answered. "You only turned to see the dance when everyone was clapping."
"That is very, very true," Tyler laughed as he sat down on the table near them. "All you guys did was kiss all the time."
"That would be because he has kissable lips."
"Which is why you found him kissing someone else..." Lucas finished for her.
"Friar," she warned.
He raised his hands in surrender before he broke into laughter.
"Be a shame if you found me kissing Riley," Shelly retaliated.
"It'd be sexy," he answered.
Riley smiled throughout their banter. She liked how Lucas acted around her. As she looked at them, she couldn't help but notice Farkle and the girl she couldn't recognize, staring at each other.
It looked like something was going on between them, something they didn't want anyone else to know.
A figure approached the girl and kissed her on the head. Once this happened Farkle turned to look the other way. And the girl didn't look as amused as she did before.
Her eyes went up to get a clear view of the figure and her eyes widened when she realized it was Zay. Then her eyes widened even more as the realization hit her. She remembered walking in on Farkle once, a few weeks back. He was standing next to a girl and it looked as if they had finished one of their "extra-curricular" activities.
Then the following day when Farkle was leaving, she heard him on the phone.
"We'll see. Look, I don't know. We're doing this behind his back and this is the first time I've done something like this, let alone sleep with the same girl my friend is dating."
"All right. Can we talk about this later? Zay is waiting for me in the car...Okay. Late."
It made sense now.
Farkle had been sleeping with Zay's girlfriend.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
"Riley, are you coming with?" Mia asked her as the group of girls gathered in the foyer.
Riley turned and her chestnut hair followed. She was in the middle of a conversation with Lucas when they called her name. "Coming where?"
"The mall. A dress store. We figured we'd get this out of the way before the pageant gets close. You coming?"
"Ahh," she looked at Lucas.
"You know you don't need to go," he said. "My mom knows a fashion designer. I can pull a few strings-"
"You already got me a dress, Lucas. I'll buy my own this time."
He nodded and smiled at her. "I can't wait to see you in it."
"I'll be outside in just a minute," she told them.
The girls walked out the door and Riley grabbed her purse. "We'll work on our dance tomorrow. I already know what we're gonna do."
"First thing tomorrow morning?"
"I'll be here."
Tyler walked into the foyer from behind Lucas and was there just in time to see Lucas kiss Riley. "Call me when you get home?"
"I will."
As she walked out the door Lucas turned around and found a very confused Tyler.
"I didn't know you two were - "
"That would be because you never bothered to ask," he said bitterly as he walked passed him.
"Since when did it start?"
"Since a while," his answers were vague.
"You're not gonna...you know...do anything to her, are you?"
"Of course not."
Tyler nodded before he walked away. Lucas couldn't help but raise a brow and watch him go. He decided not to question it.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Riley closed the door to Maya's house and went straight to the kitchen. Once she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a Yoplait, she turned around only to release a gasp. "Oh my God, Maya. You almost drained the life out of me."
"Where were you? I've been calling you all day."
"I've been around," Riley answered as she walked towards their room.
"Around as in with Lucas."
Riley stopped in her tracks and turned to Maya, "Don't be ridiculous. You told me to keep my distance, and I am."
"Honey, you're gonna need to try harder," Maya stretched out her hand and showed Riley a picture of what happened to be her hand in hand with Lucas.
"How'd you get this?" she questioned. She didn't like the fact that someone was taking pictures of them.
"You promised me."
"I didn't promise you anything, Maya."
There was a silence between them. Maya's gaze was hard on Riley, she was angry and felt betrayed. "The pageant is coming up. Are you doing that too or-?"
"You want the truth or do you want me to say what you want to hear?"
"I can't believe you. You are so blinded you're almost delusional. Can't you see? Riley, this is what he does! This is why everyone falls for him. He uses charm, he plays nice - that's his form of deception. He's known for using the pageant as a magnet. He attracts girls and I bet you anything, anything, if he feels the same way you feel for him, he's gonna do whatever Lucas Friar can do to get underneath that dress of yours."
"Maya he's nothing you say he is-"
"I don't wanna hear it. You can't really be defending him because if you are ... you're pointless and pathetic."
"Can you stop?!" Riley yelled. "Just because he broke up with you and practically left you out in the cold, doesn't mean he's gonna do the same to me."
Maya scoffed, she couldn't believe what Riley was saying. "Do I seriously need to slap you right now?"
Riley ignored her and walked away. She wished it could end there, she wished it did end there. But Maya continued to attack her.
"If you don't go through with this Riley, you will never be welcomed here again. I don't care if we've been best friends since we were seven, I will never want to see you again."
Riley turned to Maya and sighed. She didn't like what Maya was saying. But she couldn't break Lucas' heart.
"If you think our friendship is more important than him, you have to prove it. Tomorrow, at the pageant you're going to end whatever type of relationship you guys have. The pageant is your alibi. When you win Miss WaterLake, you are going to tell him everything. Every single lie, every kiss...it'll all be hidden behind the truth. Think about it. You're gonna be the queen of the night! You'll feel unstoppable and then you'll use that to break poor Lucas Friar's heart."
Riley froze at Maya's plan. It seemed so perfect. If she won Miss WaterLake she'd have a title for herself. She wouldn't just be Lucas' girlfriend, she'd be Riley Matthews.
She blinked and stared at Maya, before flashing a smirk of her own.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
"Easy there," Riley told Lucas once she found his hand trailing down to her lower back. Their temples were pressing against the others as they danced to the fast paced music.
"You know it'd help if I actually understood what the guy was saying."
"You were supposed to take two years of a foreign language in school," Riley informed. "Have you?"
"Yes. I have. But this Spanish is just...it's too fluent."
She chuckled. "Just keep up. Follow my steps."
He did as told and got the hang of it. They had practiced their dance for hours and hours until one of them finally got it right. If one of them messed up, they'd have to start all over. Which they did, many, many times before. But not as often anymore.
Lucas dipped Riley and smiled at her. The song ended on cue.
"You're getting better, you know."
"Only because I have a great teacher to learn from," he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her five inches off the ground. Riley slid down kissing his lips.
"Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go use your guy's bathroom."
"Don't take long."
Riley chuckled. "Just practice the dance, will you?"
"I'll try not to miss you while you're gone."
As Riley sauntered up the stairs and into Lucas' room, Riley stopped at the sound of muttering coming from the other door parallel to Lucas' door. She placed her ear on the door and raised a brow.
"I just can't keep doing this to Zay," the voice sounded like Farkle.
"We've been doing this for months," the girl he was talking to didn't sound happy. "You're just now feeling guilty?"
"Emily, I'm sorry. If you're going to continue to be his girlfriend...you can't continue being mine."
"This was your fault in the first place. You kissed me-"
"Which is why I'm ending it. It was great while it lasted, hell, the sex was amazing, but...Zay is more important to both of us than what we have going."
The silence lasted for a few seconds. Riley stepped back from the closed door and walked into Lucas' room, pretending she didn't hear a word from them.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Riley stared out the window and down to the guests in the back yard. She resumed her activities as she curled her hair and listened to the faint music in the back. Emily entered the room and walked straight to the mirror beside Riley. She smiled at her and fixed some pieces of her hair and dress.
"I'm Riley, by the way," she introduced herself.
Emily smiled, "Emily."
"This is my first time doing something like this. How unsettling does it get out there?"
"I wouldn't know," she chuckled. "This is my first time."
They laughed.
"You look beautiful. Lucas is a very lucky guy."
A few seconds later, Emily packed up her things and walked out the room. She waved at Riley before closing the door.
When Riley finished curling her hair and doing her makeup, she stared at herself in the mirror. She had her hair in a soft braided updo with strands falling out to frame her face. Her face was graced and lightened with makeup, all she needed to do was take off her robe and get into the dress behind her.
As she approached the dress Riley couldn't help but smile. She really wanted to look beautiful tonight.
She placed the dress on the rack and began to slip out of her robe. But before she could slide it off, Lucas opened the door and walked in.
"Lucas," she quickly covered herself. "You're not supposed to be in here."
He wore a smile from ear to ear, "No, you didn't have to stop." He referred to the rope.
"Why are you in here?"
"Oh, right. I was wondering if you'd like to go on a trip with me? Just a little vacation."
"A vacation?"
"Yeah. Just the two of us. What do you say?"
"I don't know, Lucas. I-"
The door opened once more and Katherine walked in. "Lucas, you're not supposed to be in here. Riley, honey, we need you to pick up the pace."
"Yeah. I'll...I just need to get into my dress."
Lucas stared at Riley, "Talk after?"
She nodded and watched as Lucas walked away. Katherine closed the door behind him and gave Riley a faint smile.
When Riley turned to face the mirror, she couldn't help but think about what Maya said.
She said something about Lucas using the pageant as a magnet and that he sleeps with girls afterward. She swallowed the lump in her throat and got into the dress.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
"Ms. Riley Matthews," a man introduced to the crowd. "Escorted by Lucas Friar."
Riley ambled down the stairs in a long, applique floral white lace dress. She placed her hand on the railing and smiled at the crowd's reaction. Others clapped while some stared at the dress in astonishment. Her eyes skimmed the crowd before her eyes landed on Lucas, he was waiting at the end of the stairs - smiling back at her.
Lucas was breathless when it came to Riley. He was astonished by her beauty, her ability to make him smile for no apparent reason. Normally he has no problem with talking to girls... but with her, it was extremely different. As his eyes meet hers, emerald to brown, he can't help his temptation. He slowly found himself scanning her body and excitement soon took over. He lends her his hand and helps her down the remaining stairs.
"You look gorgeous," he said into her ear.
They made their way to the backyard and Riley's jaw nearly dropped at the number of people in Lucas' backyard. Once he heard Riley's breathing increase, he reassured her and told her that everything was okay.
Riley heard many catcalls coming from what seemed to be athletes and just any teenage boy. She mainly kept her focus on the steps she was supposed to take. Lucas stopped walking once they reached the dance floor and the music started.
Riley stood in front of Lucas, their eyes on each other.
Sometimes I feel good
At times I feel used
Lovin' you darlin'
Makes me so confused
I keep on fallin'
In and out of love with you
I never loved someone
The way that I love you
"You never gave me an answer," Lucas muttered.
"That's because we weren't supposed to be talking. Just like we aren't supposed to be talking right now."
Their ears met and so did their hands, "What if I told you there was something we could do afterward?"
"Like?"
He chuckled, "Let's get out of town for a few days. Just the two of us."
I keep on fallin'
In and out of love with you
I never loved someone
The way that I love you
"I don't know, Lucas."
There was a silence between them that lasted for a few seconds. In that time Lucas twirled Riley.
"You're okay, right?" he questioned. He noticed she wasn't being herself lately.
"I'm fine. Can we just stick to the dance, please?"
He didn't know what to do at first. Something was definitely wrong with her, but she was in no mood to talk about it. Instead, he nodded and decided to do what she had asked for.
I'm fallin'
In and out of love with you
I never loved someone
The way that I love you
I'm fallin'
In and out of love with you
I never loved someone
The way that I love you
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Riley held onto Lucas' arm as they walked around the backyard. He introduced her to a numerous amount of people and managed to carry a discussion with a few of them. It was as if he knew everybody there. As their discussion ended with an elderly couple about antisemitism, Riley and Lucas proceeded to walk. The brunette stopped and Lucas turned to her.
"I'm going to get something to drink. I'll catch up with you."
He slowly walked up to her, "Are you sure there isn't something you need to tell me?"
"I just need a drink."
Lucas nodded and stepped back from her. He then continued to talk to the people behind him.
"A water please," Riley told the man that stood behind the bar. Once she received her water in a nice shaped glass, Riley proceeded to walk towards Lucas. While doing so, she felt a hand tug at her and suddenly she was in another location.
The garden.
The garden was beautiful and peaceful, but the man in front of her wasn't. Her eyes widened before she could hardly muster any words, "Sorrell?"
She couldn't believe who she was seeing.
"How?" she questioned. "How are you here?"
"Hello, gorgeous."
She began to step back from him and while doing so she bumped into someone. Turning around, Riley was so grateful that someone was revealed to be Lucas.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah," when she turned around she was happy Sorrell was nowhere to be seen. "Yeah, I'm fine."
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Minutes passed and Riley had not seen Sorell anywhere. She was beginning to think that she was just hallucinating. Her thoughts about him dispersed as she watched Shelly's ballet performance.
Riley walked back inside Lucas' house and went up the stairs that lead her to her dressing room. She changed into her second dress and right when she walked out the door she bumped into someone. When her eyes met the figure, Riley knew for sure she wasn't hallucinating. "How are you here?"
"I have a friend," he said in return. He went to touch her but she didn't let him.
"If you touch me, I'll scream."
Sorrell chuckled. "It's all you know how to do."
"What do you want?" Riley spat as she stepped back.
"Come on," he scoffed. "You know exactly what I want."
"Don't get close to me," she told him.
He didn't listen, "Just wanna know why you're with him. C'mon, we both know each other perfectly. You're incapable of seeing someone like Lucas."
"Yea, well Lucas is a saint compared to you."
"Ouch," he chuckled. There was a short silence between them, "We'll talk some other time."
He moved to the left and let her walk away. Sorrell found his gaze trail down from her head and to her lower back, he chuckled.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Riley tried to ignore the stares they received once her and Lucas stepped onto the platform. She and Lucas took their places on the opposite ends of the platform and waited for the song to start.
Señor Juez no soy un niño,
Su señoria no soy cobarde,
Lloro solo porque soy humano
Y mi inocencia peligra entre sus manos.
Atención todo el jurado,
Nunca he jurado en vano,
Por mi madrecita alguien
Fabricó mentiras intentando hacerme daño.
Riley and Lucas approached each other from the opposite ends. Each step corresponded to the sway of the music, when the song sped up, so did their steps. Soon enough, Riley was embraced by Lucas' arms. Her hips moved along his as they stepped forward together.
[Pero yo no he hecho nada.
Aquí hay pruebas contundentes de que usted
Si ha sido infiel.
OMG, he is guilty, he is guilty.
Hey her silencio, orden en la corte.]
Once he let her go, Riley and Lucas circled each other, their gaze fixated on the other. He placed his hand on her back while Riley's hand went to his shoulder. Together, they danced to the music, their feet in perfect sync.
Sábado salí en la noche,
Me pase con par de tragos,
Pero no se como diablos
Hay fragancia en mi camisa
Y una mancha de pintalabios.
As Riley twirled so did her long, Meadow Crocheted red wine maxi dress. She looked intensely seductive as her hair was no longer together. She had let her curls run gracefully as well as her hips. While Lucas held Riley and watched as she stretched out her foot - her ankle now reaching the end of Lucas' head - he couldn't help but chuckle. His movements were agile in the Pique Bib Front he wore with suspenders and trousers, he had previously taken off the blazer because Riley told him to.
Juro decir solamente la verdad
Nada mas que la verdad, no miento.
Yo no soy culpable de lo que me acusan,
No quiero perder su amor
The song progressed as well as their dance. Lucas ignored the whistling and the audience's reactions even though he could tell they were enjoying it. He was more focused on Riley. He allowed a small smile to form on his lips and once Riley saw it too, she let a light chuckle escape.
Their legs intertwined with one another, as well as Lucas' right hand on Riley's left hand.
Inocente, en un juicio impotente,
A punto de perder a la mujer que yo mas quiero
Por infamia de la gente.
Me declaro inocente,
Un ingenuo decente,
Que ha sentido tentaciones
Pero nunca la he engañado
Yo la amo ciegamente,
Me declaro inocente.
His forehead rested on her collarbone for that portion of the dance. He smiled when he heard her heartbeat. She smelled of red roses. He wanted nothing more than to pick her up and take someplace private. Her body language said it all, but he knew he had to wait. And he did.
Inocente, en un juicio impotente,
A punto de perder a la mujer que yo mas quiero
Por infamia de la gente.
Me declaro inocente,
Un ingenuo decente,
Que ha sentido tentaciones
Pero nunca la he engañado
Yo la amo ciegamente,
Me declaro inocente.
Their dance was perfect; everything from their breathing to how their feet moved and stayed in sync. If by the end of this dance Riley's breath was taken away, she would know why.
Lucas guided Riley across the dance floor while their feet intertwined. His gaze was on her, every moment, every touch felt like Riley was meeting him for the first time. As if what she's known about him had disappeared, his movements were different. Nothing felt forced; she found herself staring into his eyes.
"Lucas" she whispered.
He squeezed her hand slightly and smiled.
They circled each other once more as the music grew heavy. Riley lightly stomped her feet on the floor with each step she took, creating a sound that corresponded to the music. She jumped inches off the ground and while she was on the air, Lucas was able to catch her. She fell into his arms bridal style, their eyes fixated as if they'd never seen each other before.
Inocente, en un juicio impotente,
A punto de perder a la mujer que yo mas quiero
Por infamia de la gente.
Señor juez inocente,
Un ingenuo decente,
Que ha sentido tentaciones
Pero nunca la he engañado
Yo la amo ciegamente,
Me declaro inocente.
With that, Riley knew. He let go of their embrace as the audience began to applaud. His hand went for her's as he led her off the dance floor. They reached the inside of the house and that's when Lucas stopped walking and turned to her. "Babe, you were-"
He stopped talking once he found Riley leaning in. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. "You're beautiful in every way."
She could only smile.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
About an hour and a half later, Riley alongside the other girls who participated in the pageant was called up on stage. She watched as everyone's eyes were on them, skimming their dresses, staring at them and smiling. She looked at the girls next to her and realized Shelly was standing next to her.
"I really liked your ballet dance. It was beautiful," Riley informed her.
"Not as beautiful as your dance. If all goes well tonight, you won."
"Before I crown the winner," Katherine began, "We would like to thank these young ladies for their participation. It takes a lot of courage." As the people began to applaud, Riley skimmed to the crowd to find Lucas. When her eyes found him it was like a sudden spark ignited between them. He smiled and she smiled back. "Without further adieu, this year's Miss WaterLake is Riley Matthews."
The brunette never expected to hear her name. She would've thought that someone else would have won. Someone else but her. Her eyes went to Katherine who waved at her to walk up towards the podium; then she looked at Lucas who stared at her in complete affection.
They placed a slash over her and a small golden tiara to compliment her dress.
"Umm..." Riley began as she stood in front of the podium. "It's not an everyday thing where I win or get to participate in something such as this. I'd want to thank anyone who voted for me or was just moved by the dance...this is an honor. Thank you."
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
"There she is," Lucas said as he wrapped his hands around her waist. He kissed her temple and congratulated her on her win. Once he spun her around so their eyes could meet, Riley kissed his lips.
"Thank you, Lucas. I enjoyed tonight."
"Well," he grabbed her hands and smiled ever so widely. "Tonight's not over yet."
She furrowed her eyebrows at her boyfriend's cuteness.
"C'mon, I have a surprise for you." They walked up the stairs and through a hallway Riley had never seen before. Lucas opened the door and let her go in first. When she stepped through the door she felt a gentle gust of the wind that sent a relaxing mood. She was greeted with a picturesque view of the night sky and a nice candle lit dinner set on a round table with an ever so genuine person standing behind all of this. Her eyes turned to Lucas who was already starring at her.
"Did you do this?" she asked him.
"I did. I take it that you haven't eaten, right?"
"Yes," she laughed. "Yes, I haven't."
"Well," he grabbed her hand one more time. "Would you like to sit?"
He gestured for her to sit on the chair and once she did Lucas walked over to his chair.
"About what you said, Lucas," Riley began. The thought of Lucas wanting to get out of town had been eating at her all day. Even if what Maya had said could be true, she didn't want to leave town. Especially since she only had a few more weeks left before she went back to New York. "About wanting to leave town-"
"I know, Riley," he said. "It's fine. You don't want to and I am okay with that."
She smiled at him. Something Riley really loved about Lucas was that he understood. He was capable of understanding and being able to see someone's perspectives and learn from them. "Thank you."
Fifteen minutes passed and Riley was finished with her plate. She wasn't really that hungry, to begin with but she now reached a point where if she ate anymore she would spend most of her night in the bathroom.
"Should we go downstairs now?" Riley asked.
"Wait," Lucas said as he stood up. He walked towards where she was sitting and grabbed her hand. Riley's eyes leveled his as she waited for him to speak. "The first day I saw you, you sang for Tyler..."
Riley smiled at the memory. A month ago if someone were to ask her if she and Lucas Friar were dating, she would have scoffed. But now...now she would have reacted differently.
"Yes. I remember."
"...why don't you sing to me?"
"You want me to sing to you?" she asked as she stared into his beautiful emerald eyes.
"Why not? You sang for Tyler when he was a complete stranger...why won't you sing to me if I'm your boyfriend?"
"Good point," she drawled.
He cheered. "Do you have a song in mind?"
"There is one that reminds me of you."
"Great."
"Hold on a minute," Riley told him. She brought out her phone and walked towards the stone railing at the end of the balcony. She pressed play and set the phone down before she returned to him. Lucas smiled as the song began to play, he stared at Riley as he placed his hand on her back. Her hand intertwined with him as they danced to the song.
And you got me like, "Oh, what you want from me?"
(What you want from me?)
And I tried to buy your pretty heart, the price too high
Baby, you got me like "Oh"
You love when I fall apart
(fall apart)
So you can put me together and throw me against the wall
Riley rested her head on his chest. She listened to the song as she silently muttered them to him. She couldn't help but remember how long ago it was since she sang to Tyler. Back then she wanted to break Lucas Friar, she made it her mission to twist her way into his heart, but ever since then...she's fallen in love with him.
Baby you got me like i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii, woo i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii
Don't you stop loving me
(loving me)
Don't quit loving me
(loving me)
Just start loving me
(loving me)
Owwwwww
She placed her hands on his cheeks and stared at him as she sang the next part:
And babe I'm fist-fighting with fire
Just to get close to you
Can we burn something babe
And I run for miles just to get a taste
Must be love on the brain
That's got me feeling this way
It beats me black and blue but it fucks me so good
And I can't get enough
Must be love on the brain yeah
And it keeps cursing my name
No matter what I do
I'm no good without you
And I can't get enough
Must be love on the... brain
Lucas stared at Riley in a way he's never stared at anyone before. He smiled as Riley's voice was soothing and relaxing, so angelic and clear he couldn't help but want to kiss her.
Baby keep loving me
Just love me
Yeah, just love me
All you need to do is love me, yeah
Got me like, ah-ha-ha-owww
I'm tired of being played like a violin
What do I gotta do to get in your motherfuckin' heart?
Baby like i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii, woo i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii
Don't you stop loving me
(loving me)
Don't quit loving me
(loving me)
Just start loving me
(loving me)
Ooooooohhh
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
The night had finally struck twelve and Riley decided it was time to head home. She had an amazing time. For the first time in a long time, Riley had felt like a true princess. She talked with people and had conversations she'd never think she'd be talking about. Once she was crowned Miss WaterLake it was as if everyone wanted to talk to her.
When Riley and Lucas spent their time together on the balcony, alone and in private, she couldn't help but remember how romantic he was. He looked extremely handsome as well.
As she slipped out of her dress and put on a nice black sheer top and comfortable overalls, Riley heard a small creak coming from the door behind her. She turned around and once again faced Sorrell.
"You have got to be kidding me?" she tells him. "Sorrell, you need to go."
"Congratulations..." he said. "On your win." He walked towards her and sat down on the white leather couch. "You know the old you would've said no to this. 'It's just some contest that critiques woman, it polarizes them and gives men an idea of what woman are worth.' Some feminist," he scoffed.
"What is it that you want?"
"What I want is the truth, Riley."
"Please - "
"Why are you with Lucas?" he questioned.
"Is that why you're here?" Riley stepped closer to him. He's been finding ways to baffle her and now it was working. "Is that why you traveled nearly 2,000 miles? Because you want to know why I moved on from a guy that abused me to a guy that actually likes me?"
He scoffed, "That was an accident...okay? And you know damn well it only happened once."
"The funny thing was that you laid a hand on me after I took too long in the bathroom. You are so - "
Sorrell stepped back and rounded the couch. "You know your relationship with Lucas is not gonna last. School is about to start again and it's not like you moved here."
Riley didn't think of it, summer was coming to an end and soon enough she would have to go back home...in New York.
"And I'm curious to find out how Riley Matthews will break it off."
With that, he walked away. Riley was tempted to grab her high heel and throw it at him, but instead, she just watched him go. Two minutes passed and she grabbed her dress and walked down the stairs.
As she made it to the foyer a wave of anger washed over her when she saw Lucas talking with Missy. She decided to approach them in a calming manner.
"Oh," Missy said once she noticed Riley. She stood just behind Lucas with her hand on his shoulder. "So I meet your downgrade once again."
"That's enough," Lucas cut in. "You can go now."
"I'm never going to forget last year," she said. "When you escorted Molly Whitmore. It was the first time we hooked up in the back seat of your truck-"
Riley stared at Lucas for a millisecond before she turned to Missy, "You know it's funny how you always bring back the past, what's with the present? Do you not have anyone to bend over for?"
Missy was taken aback by what Riley said, but that only last for a second. "Tell me, Riley. Does he still do the whole groaning and grunting in bed? Or better yet, does he give you that one look when he's cumin-?"
"That's enough, Missy," Lucas snarled.
"Why?" she questioned. She turned to Riley, "Has he told you what he did to Maya Hart? Or how he practically sleeps with every girl at our school? But now look at who's so damn loyal."
Missy started to get a few people's attention and Riley wished this talk could have happened so place else. Missy, why don't you take your butt pads and walk away? With some respect, if you have any."
"Don't say I didn't warn you. If he's done it once...he'll do it again."
Riley sighed softly, seeming more resigned.
"Still feel like he's yours?"
Riley clenched her jaw and Lucas released a loud sigh. He didn't know what to expect from Riley, but she didn't seem like the type of girl who'd think with her fists. Grabbing Missy's purse, Riley threw it towards the front door. "Fetch."
Missy's mocking smile twisted like she had tasted something repugnant. She walked towards her purse as Lucas stood in front of Riley.
"What she said, can you just forget about it? I know that she can get - "
"Lucas I'm gonna head home. I'm getting pretty tired and it's already late."
"Just spend the night here. I mean this isn't over until at least another hour but the rooms upstairs - "
"It's best if I go home. I'll call you tomorrow."
Lucas nodded and kissed her on the lips.
Riley stepped out into the cold air and walked down the stone driveway. She was angry that Sorrell had gotten into her head and managed to make her think about something she would now face. And Missy coming into the situation only made things worse. As she felt her phone vibrate, Riley turned to the direction she heard a twig snap. Soon enough the noise got louder.
When her mind could barely comprehend what was happening, Riley was able to see Emily. She approached her but stopped when she saw that Zay and Farkle were arguing. Before she could take another step, Zay had already thrown a punch at Farkle.
She sped up and tried to stop the fight but before she could get close to Farkle, she had lost her balance and slipped.
"Hey," a familiar voice yelled.
It took her a few seconds to realize that the familiar voice belonged to Lucas.
He pushed Zay away from Farkle but Zay didn't want to stop. He kept making efforts to want to hit Farkle, "I should kill you," he shouted. "You're fucking dead to me."
"What the hell?!" Lucas shouted at the two once he was able to control Zay.
"Did you know about this?" Zay questioned as he pushed Lucas. "Did you know?"
"Know what? What happened?"
"Farkle over here has been going behind my back and sleeping with Emily...did you know?"
Lucas looked at Farkle then back at Zay, "You both should go home," he looked at Emily, "All of you." It wasn't until then when he noticed Riley.
He helped her up from where she had slipped and when their eyes met Lucas saw that the side of her forehead had a cut and blood was running down from it. "Oh, Riley. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not. C'mon, let's get you inside."
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
"Feel better?" Lucas asked as he watched Riley. She stared at herself in the mirror, her eyes specifically on the band aid on her temple.
"Do you think it will leave a scar?" She turned around and walked towards him.
"It was just a scratch," he placed his hands on her waist. "Does your head hurt?"
"A little," she answered. "How did you know Zay and Farkle were fighting?"
"I didn't. I followed after you because I realized you were walking home. As I was walking, I heard them argue and then..." He left it for her to piece the pieces together. After a few seconds of silence, Lucas rested his forehead on Riley. "Why don't you spend the night?"
"I don't know, Lucas."
"C'mon? Please?" he made it so that she was staring at him. "For me?"
Riley couldn't say no to the cute face he was making. "Fine..." she caved in. "I'll stay...but I'm leaving early in the morning."
"That's fine," he said as he leaned in to kiss her.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
A/N: This chapter is perhaps the longest chapter I have ever written. It took me about three weeks to write. And it isn't just because it's a long chapter, but because life got in the way as well. This is sort of what you can expect for the ball - that chapter will be written soon. I finished the chapter on the 2nd of May. As always, long reviews are welcome as well as your thoughts and opinions. I hope you guys caught onto the transition with the songs Riley has sung. First to Tyler and then to Lucas. From Dangerous Woman to Love On the Brain. Who will compare them? If you are interested in seeing Riley's dresses, you will be able to on my profile. Just copy and past it onto a different tab. Guest's you know what to do.