Writer's Note: This is the chapter before everything changes. Important details are revealed so play close attention.
Maya and Lucas prepared for bed. He lighted a few candles and wrapped his hands around her slender waist, kissing her forehead in the process.
"Come to think of it, this will be the first time we've actually slept in a bed together," he informed. "You know, without doing the dirty."
"Well who initiates 'the dirty'?" Maya asked, knowing all too well who it was.
"Guilty," the Texan muttured.
Maya turned to him and caressed his cheek, his green eyes fixated on her, captivating every passionate moment between them. "Why did you argue with Riley?"
He scoffed, "Maya, it...it just happened. I was angry for some reason - "
"You don't get angry for 'just some reason', I know you know why you did it."
He tried to avoid answering the question, but Maya continued to bring it back.
"Why does it interest you so much?" Lucas asked.
"Because, it looked like you didn't want Riley near Farkle."
"Now that's just absurd."
The blonde didn't say anything in return, signaling that she didn't believe him.
"A month ago Riley and I talked," he admitted.
"What?"
"She was crying and she called me..."
"Well?" Maya instructed, wanting him to continue.
"Kieran was just dating Riley for the sex," he told her. "When she told him that they should take things slow, he snapped, dumped her, and left her to walk home."
"That asshole," the blonde muttered.
"I know. I told her i'd take care of it for her."
"What did she say?"
"She said she'd handle it herself..."
"Did she?"
"She's happy, isn't she?"
"How does that tie back to what happened between you two?"
"Kieran somehow got the idea that we were seeing each other and Riley didn't deny it. It was as if she wanted me to take the blame for their break up."
Maya shook her head. "How am I barely finding out about this now?"
"That doesn't matter. What matters is that we are together," he kissed her forehead.
"I love you," Maya told him.
Their eyes met as he brought her in for a peck on the lips. "You know what the best part about dating you is?"
"What is it?"
"Is that I know you'll be with me for a really long time."
Maya went sleep knowing many things that night.
But what she knew for sure, was that he never said he loved her back.
Riley woke to a creak in the guest house. She had buried herself in a blanket she found on the couch and cooled down by the fire.
"Hello?" she spoke out.
Nothing answered her as an eerie sense of silence dawned on her.
The brunette shrugged it off and nestled herself into the blanket.
Creak!
"Hello? Is anybody in here?" Riley asked. She stood up and picked up the lantern to help guide her way. "Anybody?"
The brunette sauntered to the kitchen and then made a left. A dark hallway faced her with two doors on each wall, she felt a strong gust of wind from behind her but when she turned around nothing was there.
Another creak was heard as she called out, "Farkle is that you?"
Nothing.
"Guys, this isn't funny!" She placed the lantern on top of a drawer and went inside the closest room to the living room.
"Lucas if this is you - I swear..." she threatened.
She heard another creak, but this time it seemed to come from another room.
"I have a baseball bat in my hands," she informed picking the bat up. "So whoever this is...they'll get beat."
Riley searched every room and saw no one, she found no traces of rats or any other possibility to have caused the noise that woke her up.
It wasn't until she dismissed it and lied down on the brown couch, that a strong pair of hands wrapped her mouth.
With the flashlight in his hands, Farkle and Zay roamed the undiscovered area. They passed through webs, hallways, family portraits and storage boxes, but found nothing that seemed vital.
It seemed like minutes to them because of the silence they shared.
Zay wanted to talk to Farkle, they didn't have a strong friendship as him and Lucas, but they had some sort of bond. It was the type of bond in which you'd talk at school and playfully tease each other but completely ignore each other after school.
"Did you not know about this place?" Zay asked Farkle as he picked up a book.
"My dad was secretive when it came to his work. He hardly spoke to us about Minkus International…"
Farkle stared at a painting of him as a kid running through grass. He scoffed and walked away.
"Can I ask you something?" Zay asked.
"What is it?"
Zay felt like an asshole for asking this but he had to know, "How does it feel to not have a dad?"
"For me," he began. "It feels the same. It's like he never died. My dad was never around that much, he prioritized business over family."
"Oh, I didn't know. I shouldn't have asked…"
"Zay, it's been a year since he's gone missing, or since his death, whatever it doesn't matter. To me he's just a sperm donor. That's it."
He nodded.
"C'mon," Farkle told Zay as they entered a room. "Maybe he was hiding something."
Riley screamed as the pair of hands covered her mouth.
The pair of hands retracted from her mouth as she heard his laugh.
"Lucas!" she breathed. "What the hell? You could've given me a heart attack!"
He continued to laugh as Riley punched his shoulder, "I'm sorry. I just," he breathed. "I just had to. I'm sorry, babe."
The Texan pulled Riley closer to him and kissed her. His hands wrapped around her waist as Riley's hands landed on the back of his neck.
"Was this a bad idea?" the brunette asked, once their lips separated.
"I'd be rude of us not to. Farkle invited us because he wanted to be around us."
"Yet we're here," she gestured to the guest house. "Alone."
Lucas caressed her cheek, "It might be selfish of us but we have to make every moment count. Farkle, Smackle, Zay and Maya are asleep. We're not, we're together, I have a condom…"
She laughed. "I really like you Lucas. I like how you take care of me, I like how you are smart and diligent..."
"Is this a breakup?"
"Of course not," Riley responded. "I just feel guilty. That's all." She sat back down on the couch, "You're cheating on Maya, Lucas."
Lucas nodded knowing all to well how Riley felt about that.
"If I could break things off with her, I would. I'd do just that, but you know what everyone thinks of us."
"It wouldn't matter if you loved me," she muttered.
"I do love you, Riley," Lucas acclaimed.
"Then you sure as hell have a nice way of showing it."
The Texan caressed Riley's right cheek so their eyes can meet. Just then he brought her in for a hug, "Knowing you feel that way breaks my heart every time. I love you. Just you, I promise."
Their lips met and Lucas didn't hesitate to pick her up and lay her down on the couch. He kissed her neck as he placed himself on top, she lightly moaned as she felt his waist land on hers. His member poking fun at her.
Right when Lucas was about to unzip his pants, they heard a window break.
Riley turned to the front door and found a hand fiddling to open the door, "Oh my God. Lucas," she pulled him forward but he wouldn't seem to move.
Just then, he picked up the rifle and led Riley out the guest house.
"There's a faster way to the cabin," he grabbed her hand and guided her through a trail that led downhill.
Zay and Farkle searched the undiscovered area. The more they looked the less interested they felt. While Zay read Stuart's journal, Farkle rummaged through an old box he found under a bookshelf.
"I don't get it," Farkle informed. "Why hide a secret room behind your office if nothing important is in it?"
Zay put the book down and turned to his friend, "Maybe when the investigation occurred, the detectives found this place and took what they found important for the case."
Farkle shook his head no, "They would've told us about this place." He looked around the room with an unpleasant face expression.
"Should we call it a night?" Zay suggested.
"Nah man. Not until we see what's down that hall," he pointed. "You coming?"
...
"Hey, Farkle?"
"Yeah?"
"Come check this out," Zay told him as he held a couple of papers in his hands. "Look read this."
Farkle grabbed the papers and read the part where Zay pointed.
Pedophilia is termed as pedophilic disorder; and the manual defines it as paraphilia involving recurrent sexual urges towards and fantasies about prepubescent children that have either been acted upon or which cause the person -
"Why are you showing me this?" he questioned.
"I just thought - "
"That my dad could be a pedophilic?"
"What? No. Of course not. I just that this was important."
Farkle walked over to a mattress that was placed just at the corner of the room, "Why is this here?"
Zay crouched down and picked up a letter while Farkle picked up a picture.
One day you'll be mine, it read.
"Farkle," Zay gulped. "What if this is the place your father's killer has been hiding in?"
His eyes wouldn't meet his, "Farkle?"
The genius sighed as a tear rolled down his eye, "Hey. Farkle, what's wrong?"
He handed the picture to Zay. He couldn't describe the fear that surfaced once Farkle shed the tear, it was unexplainable.
Once Zay faced the picture; he abruptly stood on his two feet.
"That's...that's impossible!"
Farkle sat down and ran a hand through his hair. "Then how the hell is she in the picture?"
"I don't fucking know!" he answered impatiently. "I don't fucking know!"
Zay stared at the picture one more time, "How?" he asked. "What the hell is a picture of Riley doing here?"
"I...I don't know. It's not mine."
"Lucas'?" Zay asked.
"They didn't know each other then," Farkle answered as he stood up.
Zay froze the minute he stood up. He whispered, "Don't turn around."
"What?"
"Don't turn around!" his voice was hoarse, yet firm.
"What is it?"
"Someone," he mouthed the words. "Someone's behind you."
The silence in the room was overwhelming, Farkle's pulse rapidly increased as sweat began to form.
Farkle couldn't handle the fear so he began to run straight for the exit. Zay did the same.
"FARKLE! RUN FASTER!" Zay demanded, fear evident in his tone of voice.
They reached the bookshelf and slid it to the left so it can close.
...
"What the hell?" Maya questioned once the two made it to the living room. "Why were you guys screaming?"
They were both out of breath, Smackle then joined the three, "Zay? What was that all about? Farkle what happened?"
They continued to gasp for air. "Where's Lucas?" Maya then asked. "Guys! Where's Lucas?"
As if on cue, Lucas opened the door to the lodge and Riley ran in.
The well built Texan locked the door and closed the blinds.
"Can someone please tell me what the fuck is happening?"
"Shh," Riley hissed as she looked through the blinds. "Someone's chasing us."
Writer's Note: OOHHH! Did y'all like that mini twist I added? Lucaya shippers, I am so sorry, but that particular scene influences most of the conflicts between Riley, Lucas, Farkle, Maya, Zay and even Smackle. Next chapter is where everything goes wrong. Secrets will be revealed, tears will be shed, and one will be dead. Can ya'll guess who?
Who ever guesses will get a shout out in the next chapter?
Eloi22: What did you think of this chapter? And how do you feel about Farkle and Zay's discovery. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
jaleftwich02: Well your answers were reaveled in this chapter! Thank you again for reviewing and what did you think of my twist? Have a good day!
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