AN: Thank you to everybody who has stuck with me though this story! I think we are almost done, maybe a chapter or two more and I'm thinking about a sequel. Let me know what you think.

Also, to those of you wondering how Riley and Dylan met, that will be answered in the next chapter!

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"Riley!" Lucas exclaimed as he ran toward her and grabbed her wrist before she could reach the front desk. "Riley, wait!"

He pointed to the TV screen which still displayed Dylan's mugshot. "Is that Dylan?"

"Yes," Riley said simply. Lucas was a bit surprised that she didn't seem to show any compassion or love when she said his name. That was a good sign for him.

"Oh, my god." Lucas chuckled. It really was quite funny. He had put his crush's boyfriend in jail! He wondered how many people had wished for that to happen. He might have felt bad if he didn't know that Dylan was an abusive boyfriend to Riley.

"What's so funny?" Riley asked, confused and angry. Was now really a time to be laughing? Her boyfriend is in jail! There has to be something she can do to get him out.

Lucas caught his breath and looked up at Riley who was completely perplexed.

"Dylan was busted for drug dealing but he was brought in for fighting. With me!" Lucas continued laughing. To him this was the most hilarious thing that had ever happened. Not to say Lucas was going to revert back to his old self, but he had always been so worried about getting in a fight again and now the circumstances could not be any more hilarious. Plus, unlike last time, he didn't start the fight and he wasn't in any trouble.

"You?" Riley asked, their expressions being polar opposite. "Dylan got in a fight with you? Dylan's going to jail because of you?!"

Lucas caught a flash of pure rage in Riley's eyes and figured now might be a good time to stop laughing.

"Riley, Dylan got himself thrown in jail." Lucas tried to explain. "I didn't ask him to fight; I was just passing through the neighborhood. And you know I sure as hell didn't give him the drugs. He did this to himself. I just happened to be there."

"Dylan is not the type of person to fight without being egged on." Riley said.

"Oh, really?" Lucas asked. "Then what the hell do you do to piss him off?"

Riley looked surprised at Lucas' point. It seemed unfair but she thought she would be the bigger person and dignify him with an answer. The problem was, she couldn't think of a good one. This felt just like sophomore year of high school when her friends would ask about her then boyfriend, Charlie's motives. She knew she didn't do a great job explaining it then but she was older and smarter now so she should be able to come up with something. However, nothing came to her mind.

"I…" Riley started. Lucas looked at her, eager for an answer. "I got in his way when he tried to deal with his business."

"His drug business?" Lucas asked, skeptically.

"I didn't know he had a drug business." Riley said. "But I guess, yes that was probably what it was."

Lucas could sense that she was lying to him. That's what happens when you are best friends with somebody for seven years. He sensed she was telling the truth about not knowing about Dylan's drug business but she was lying about getting in his way.

"Riley, all I did was look at him down an alleyway and he started pummeling me." Lucas stated.

"That's probably because he doesn't know who you are." Riley said.

"Yeah, he did say something about not liking strangers." Lucas said.

There was a moment of silence before Lucas spoke up and asked a question that he thought was very risky and could result in Riley yelling at him or slapping him. He had to risk it though.

"What do you see in that guy, anyway?" Lucas asked.

"Well," Riley started choosing her words carefully. "He didn't always used to be like that. He was really nice when I first met him and I held on because I felt like deep down he was still that guy."

"Riley," Lucas sighed. "I've always admired your ability to see the best in the worst of people but sometimes, people are just bad."

"Yeah, murderers and robbers are bad." Riley stated. "Conning is bad. Drug dealing, depending on the drug, is hardly anything to worry about."

"Yeah, well murderers don't start with murdering. They start with smaller crimes like drug dealing or fighting." Lucas stated.

"Yes, some of them do turn out that way but some of them turn their lives around and I believe that with me around, Dylan will be a victim of the latter."

"Riley! He abuses you! His own girlfriend! I don't see how you get him to listen to you. Not unless you asked to be beaten up on."

"Of course I don't!" Riley yelled. She didn't care if she was in a public place or not. She was beyond angry and Lucas was going to get it. "But just because he doesn't always listen to me now, doesn't mean that he's not going to listen to me in the future!"

"But the only guy who's worth your time is a guy who will listen to you all the time, not just when he's supposed to." Lucas fired back.

"Where the hell am I supposed to find a guy like that?" Riley spat.

"Right here!" Lucas said gesturing to himself.

The atmosphere in the room changed drastically. Riley was completely and utterly shocked. Were all her dreams since the day she fell on Lucas' lap on the subway coming true? Did he have feelings for her?

"What did you say?" Riley asked much more quiet than before.

"I… uh…" What should Lucas say? He got caught up in the moment with Riley and revealed one of his biggest secrets to her. Should he take it back? Should he tell her everything? Something in between? To hell with it, she might as well know now.

"I said I think I can make you happier than Dylan." Lucas said. "I-I'm not saying I'm to one for you, that's kind of hard to know since these feelings didn't come up until a few days ago but I would never, ever treat you like he did."

A surge of courage he never knew he could have had ran through Lucas and he walked up to Riley and placed his hands on her arms.

"I really like you, Riley." Lucas said. "But I understand if you don't want anything to do with me. It's been seven years. We all make mistakes."

"It's been seven years." Was all Riley was able to say. It has been seven years and this moment had been seven years in the waiting. Riley wanted more time to think about this decision but she knew she had to think fast. Lucas Friar had feelings for her. How did she feel about that? She decided very quickly: tough cookies because seven years was way too long to wait.

"You're right," Riley said. "We all make mistakes. Including Dylan. I have to see if he's all right."

Riley turned her back on Lucas and closed the distance between herself and the front counter.

Lucas was heartbroken. Now he knew how Riley felt all those years. No wonder she didn't want to go out with him. He wouldn't want to go out with somebody who just left you feeling as low as you possibly could. Lucas really wanted to leave and just go to Farkle's and beg for a place to sleep but he stayed put because his heart was so shattered, he could only breathe and listen to Riley's conversation with the female police officer at the desk.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked with a monotone voice.

"Yes, I'm here to see Dylan Moschetti." Riley said.

The woman typed something into the computer in front of her then answered Riley.

"Mr. Moschetti and his lawyer have opted for only a select list of people to visit him. Can I see your ID?"

Riley handed the woman her driver's license and stated, "I should be on there. I'm his girlfriend."

The police officer nodded as she took Riley's license and changed her point of view from Riley's ID to the computer.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Matthews," the officer said. "I appears you aren't on the list."

"What?!" Riley exclaimed. "That's impossible-"

"Oh, my god." Riley was interrupted by a woman running into the police station. She had big, curly blonde hair and at least fifty pounds of makeup on her face, most of which had run off her face as if she had been crying. She was wearing a bright blue shirt that barely concealed her heavy chest and a skin tight and short gold pencil skirt. Her heels were so high neither Lucas nor Riley knew how she could stand in them, much less walk. Just by the three words she had said, they could tell she had a very heavy Long Island accent.

The woman pushed past Riley to get to the lady police officer at the first desk.

"I'm here to see Dylan Moschetti." The lady said. "I'm his girlfriend."

Riley's jaw hit the ground as the last part of her sentence came out. Dylan had another girlfriend? He promised he was faithful to Riley. Well, he never promised but it was always implied. How could he?

The police officer looked at the ID the woman had handed her and back up at the computer like she had done previously for Riley. Instead of handing the license back and telling her she wasn't on the list she stood up and opened a door that let the woman into the back.

"Come with me, Ms. Vivenzio." the police officer said as this Ms. Vivenzio went back with the police officer as fast as she could.

Riley was heartbroken. Not only had Dylan cheated on her, he didn't even allow her back with him. However, this other girlfriend was allowed in the back. At least when Charlie cheated on her in high school, she was still his number one girlfriend. She didn't understand this one bit.

Lucas could see that Riley was in pain even though she wasn't facing him. He would be very upset too if he were in the same situation. He felt very bad for her. No guy should ever treat a girl the way Dylan treated Riley. He didn't need to be in a relationship with her and knew that's probably not what she wants at the moment anyway. But he did know she needed somebody to be there for her and he planned on being that guy. He might enjoy a night of happy conversations with Riley's family more but he knew she needed him right now and he wanted to be there for her. In sickness and in health, right?

Lucas took a few paces so he was now standing in front of Riley. She looked absolutely crushed and he hated it. Riley wasn't supposed to be sad. She was supposed to be happy, thinking of rainbows and unicorns. Her happiness was infectious but unfortunately, so was her sadness.

"Riles-" Lucas tried to say before she softly cut him off.

"Can we go home, please?" She asked.

Lucas just nodded as he put his arm around her shoulder and lead her out of the police station and to the subway. They would be home soon and hopefully they could eventually forget about everything that happened tonight.