Chapter 29

Riley and Lucas were still sitting at the dock, in complete silence. The brunette stared out onto the lake, her safe haven. She didn't even try to hide the tears anymore, Lucas quit hiding them a long time ago. They had agreed to be friends, but he couldn't let her hands go. He slowly brought them to his lips and after he gently kissed them she spoke. "This is a dream right? I'm going to wake up in a few minutes and you'll be waiting at my locker with a flower in your hand." Lucas' chin trembled and a tear fell from his face. He held onto her hands, he felt like that was all he had left of her. Seeing her this way and knowing he caused it made him feel like he took a bullet to his heart. "You want to know what I was going to tell you this morning?" He raised his eyes and locked them on her.

"Please."

"That I loved you." He felt like he took a punch to the gut, and dropped his head again.

"I love you too Riley. Very much."

"I said loved."

"I know what you said. But, I know how you feel." Riley hated it when he was right, so she chose not to acknowledge it. The brunette looked back out at the lake, the sun had started to set. When she wasn't staring into his gorgeous eyes, it made things a little easier.

"I should go." She stood up and he followed.

"Riley, i'm not going to leave you alone." The brown eyed girl kept her back to him.

"I hoped you wouldn't say that." His mouth opened and he walked in front of her, placing his hands on her face.

"You tell me you love me and expect me not to fight for you? I know what I did was a deal breaker for you, I know you put your walls back up, I know how angry you are at yourself for allowing yourself to feel this way, and I know how angry you are at me." He inched closer to her and put his forehead against hers, one of her favorite things. One of his tears landed on her flushed cheeks. "I know you love me, and I know you want to forgive me and every bit of you wants to besides your brain."

"Lucas, I do forgive you. Which, is a big thing coming from me, that's why I want to still be close to you, I want to be your friend."

He raised his head up and clenched his jaw. "I can't just be your friend Riley, you know that." He laid her head on his chest, the running back wore the cologne she loved. "This just, this can't be happening. I can't be losing you, you're mine." Riley pulled away and locked eyes with him, her chest moved up and down slowly. He saw her trembling chin and the tears steadily falling out of her eyes.

Lucas grabbed her chin and kissed her, Riley didn't stop it. Her heart felt like it was on fire, it was a nice relief from the icy feeling she'd had all day. The brunette backed off, and walked to her car. "I really hope you don't stop being my friend."

"I'll be with you again." His voice was so convincing, even though it was shaky. A part of her wanted to believe it.

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"RILES!" The brunette snapped out of her daze and was brought back to her unfortunate reality.

"Sorry, D. I'm distracted." Missy held a mischevious grin all morning and it made Riley sick. She hadn't eaten since the banana yesterday morning.

"No it's fine, I was just asking if you can do an evening practice on Wednesday? We won't be here for practice on Thursday because of the parade."

"Um, yeah. I can, i'll call in or find someone to cover my shift."

"Wonderful. Varsity, dismissed." The team walked away but Darby held her friend back. "Talk to me." The cheerleader swallowed a lump in her throat and hugged her friend. Riley's hair was in a messy bun and her eyes were swollen. "I'm so sorry honey. I heard." She leaned back and stared into the captain's eyes.

"From who?" D cocked her head to the side. "Figures, she makes me sick."

"Ditto. Unfortunately, she's mentioned that she's favorite to win the election, even though Smackle says otherwise."

"I could care less about the homecoming thing."

"Lucas is favorite to win." Riley closed her eyes.

"I figured, he's a great guy." Darby put her arm through Riley's and they walked back to the locker room.

"You aren't mad?"

"I'm furious! Not with him, i'm hurt by him. I'm mad at myself, I let this happen. I went against every better judgement of mine and fell for him.

"Riley, he did you a lot of good. The good outweighed the bad, and you know that." They walked into the locker room and luckily Missy was gone. The brunette put on some sweatpants over her spandex and a t-shirt. She pulled out her phone and of course there was a message from him.

You didn't think these were going to stop did you? I've been a walking heart ache i've made a mess of me, the person that i've been lately ain't who I wanna be but, you stay here right beside me and watch as the storm blows through and I need you. God gave me you for the ups and downs, God gave me you for the days of doubt and for when I think I lost my way there are no words here left to say it's true, God gave me you.

The tears fell onto her phone, she literally thought she couldn't cry anymore. Riley dropped her phone in her pocket and walked to her locker. "Hey Riley."

"Go away." The brunette drug her feet through the halls. "I don't care where, as long as you go."

"I heard, i'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"No you aren't Charlie. You probably were in on this whole thing. Besides, you don't resemble a therapist, so no there isn't anything you can do." She sauntered up the stairs with Charlie on her heels.

"I am, I don't like seeing you upset."

"As you so amply demonstrated during our relationship." Normally Riley would start walking faster to get to her locker but she knew who'd be waiting there. Her anger was boiling to the surface, between Charlie and Missy she wasn't sure what was going to happen with her temper today.

"I'm different, i've changed."

"And hell is just a sauna." She turned the corner.

"Please stop, and look at me." The brunette rolled her eyes and even though she was only a few feet away from her locker she turned, only to delay seeing him. "I really am sorry, i'm not here asking to get back together with you."

"Good because we aren't. Let me rephrase that, we aren't getting back together ever."

"Hear me out. I want to be friends."

"I've got plenty of friends." Riley turned around and her heart stopped when she saw him standing at her locker with a single flower in his hands.

"Riley-" Charlie stopped talking once he saw him. Lucas and Riley stared into eachother, they saw all the pain and sadness surface. "Look, I just want you to know i'm here if you need me." The cheerleader clenched her jaw and turned around, she knew she was about to pour out all of her anger onto him.

"WHERE THE HELL WAS THAT SENTIMENT WHEN WE WERE DATING?" She took a deep breath to calm down. "Just because Lucas and I aren't together anymore doesn't mean you can do this to me. I have enough friends." Lucas was leaning against the lockers, his eyelids fluttered hearing all the pain in her voice. "I sure as hell don't need an abusiv-"

"Riley." Lucas' hand was on her shoulder. "Calm down." Charlie glanced at Lucas and his eyes almost said thank you. The brunette looked at the ground actually regretting what she started to say.

"Charlie, can you please go?" Her hands were shaking. "Thank you for trying to help me, but i'm fine." He agreed and walked away. Riley turned to her locker and opened it in silence.

"I brought you this." He passed her a bubblegum flower and the brown eyed girl tucked her lips in.

"Thank you." It wasn't hard to see that this was awkward for both of them. "Ugh, I hate this." He turned his head to the side when she hit the locker. "I hate that just yesterday morning we were best friends and couldn't stop talking and now we're, here. Afraid to even utter a word." Lucas grazed her cheek with his hand, Riley turned her face towards his hand, she loved it when he did that.

"It's going to take some getting used to. When we get back together that will take some getting used to again also." Riley glanced at him, he was speaking his truth. The brunette heard heels from around the corner and closed her eyes.

"Lucas, I forgot to give this back to you." Missy took his jacket off and handed it to him. The cheerleader looked into Lucas' eyes and with anger written on her face turned to her frenemy. He knew that this wasn't going to be good.

"Haven't you done enough?" Missy was about to respond. "And don't you dare answer with an idiotic statement that makes me want to pull your hair out!" Riley snapped.

"I was returning what was rightfully his." Missy stood with her legs wide apart, and hands on her hips. The brunette clenched her jaw and slammed her locker shut.

"Well, aren't you a bloody ray of sunshine!" Riley's chest was moving up and down from heavy breathing and took a few steps closer to her teammate. "Do yourself a favor and stay away from me." Missy looked scared, Lucas gently touched her arm, hoping to cool her off. "Don't touch me Lucas." The brown eyed girl continued to stare Missy down, and she felt Lucas' strong hand leave her arm. "I know you have a hard time understanding the severity of situations, so let me break this down for you, as clearly as I can. And even then you may have some problems, but let's give it a whirl! You WILL leave me and my life the hell alone. And, if for whatever reason you choose to ignore my warning, then i'll shove my size 8 boots where the sun don't shine. You got me?" Lucas had never seen her this way, her words and demeanor were so intense. Every word carried venom and it cut to Lucas' core, it wasn't even directed towards him. Her glare was filled with fire and her jaw was clenched. Missy just stood there with shock written across her face. Riley backed away and took one last glance at Lucas then back at Missy. "You two have fun." She stormed off to her class and Lucas followed her.

"Riley, are you okay?"

The brunette didn't turn around her face was in her hands. "I am so sick of that question." He hugged her from behind.

"This is a friendly hug."

"No, it's not."

"You're right, it's not." The cheerleader giggled for the first time.

"We can't do this can we?" She turned around and faced him.

"Do what?" His brows were furrowed.

"Be friends. We have no idea how." He was about to speak when she interrupted him. "I mean, even when we weren't dating we still constantly flirted with each other."

"I will never see you as just my friend Riley." He pulled a note out from his back pocket and put it in Riley's hand. "In my eyes i'm still taken."

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"How are you?" Maya was sitting at her desk holding Josh's hand.

"I'm so tired of that question. Are you okay? How are you? Bleh, bleh it all!"

"You still look great!" The brunette placed her face in her hands.

"You're an awful liar." Josh cleared his throat and she glanced towards him.

"You give me the word Riles, and I will handle it." Riley didn't want to tell him that Lucas could kick his ass with one hand tied behind his back, though he wouldn't. No offense to Josh, but Lucas was just much bigger and more muscular.

"No, don't. Don't be mad at him either, he needs a friend."

"How could I not be mad at him? Look at what he did to you." Josh looked her over and scrunched his nose. Maya slapped his arm.

"Thanks, for that. He didn't mean to hurt me, I know that. Just, be there for him since I can't be." Maya rolled her eyes. "What Maya?"

"Why? Why are you doing this to yourself? You want to be with him, so be with him!" Riley remained calm and gazed upon her beautiful friend.

"I don't trust him. I'm not an expert on relationships but I feel as if trust is a key component. I do want to be with him though." She pictured his face, his eyes and his lips, his arms wrapped around her. "It's going to take time to fall out of love with someone. Right?" Neither one of her friends answered. "Yep, that's right Riles." She had another reason, but didn't want to talk about it.

"Past experience has shown he won't let you."

"Maybe, maybe not."

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"Hey Josh." Her uncle huffed and turned around.

"Hey man. How are you?" Lucas was surprised by his response and he didn't know how to respond.

"Not good." He sat on the bench and put his head in his hand. "I just, I can't explain it." The running back slammed his locker.

"Lucas, i'm pretty pissed at you for what happened."

"Yeah, I know. I'm pissed at myself."

"Let me tell you who isn't pissed. Riley, she told me to be there for you because she can't be. She's not mad at you, at all." The running back didn't look up, he didn't want Josh to see the tears. The uncle threw his bag in his locker and slammed it shut. "I don't understand what my niece does half the time but I understand now. She loves you!" Josh snapped. "She loved you man! Why the hell-" The green eyed man stood up.

"I don't have a good response. I don't know, I was drunk and Missy was asking about our relationship and I thought of her. I just-" He turned around and punched a locker, leaving a dent. "I LOVE HER!"

Josh placed his hand on his shoulder."I'm pissed at you but, out of respect for my niece i'm going to be your friend. And as your friend, i'll warn you that she's trying to fall out of love with you." Lucas flipped his head to look at his friend.

"I won't let her."

"Well, that could be taken 1 of 2 ways. She could think it's sweet that you keep trying or she could be angry. Because, she said she's not dropping her guard so if you don't let her fall out of love with you than she's going to hurt."

Chase walked out of the shower area. "Hey man." Lucas glared holding a vacant expression and stared at him, knowing he had everything to do with what happened Saturday. "Whoa, what's wrong?"

"Like you don't already know." Josh snapped.

"Oh, the whole break up thing. Yeah, I heard about that. I'm sorry bro, let me know if there's anything I can do to help." He smirked. "And, I will obviously offer Riley the same condolences." Lucas started running towards him but Josh beat him to it and punched Chase twice in the jaw.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER YOU FREAKING PRICK!" The running back easily lifted Josh off of Chase.

"WHAT THE HELL JOSH!?" Chase adjusted his chin. "Freaking blindsided me."

"Do yourself a favor Chase, stay away from my girlfriend." Josh and Lucas exited the locker room when Chase squealed again.

"Ex girlfriend."

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