2 chapters in one week, who am I?

Riley looked up from where she'd been eating a piece of apple pie, sitting between Cindy and her sister, with a dozing Claire resting on the sofa beside them. The barbecue had wrapped up, with only a few family members remaining behind. Lucas closed the sliding glass door behind him as he entered the living room.

"So listen Riles, Sheila caught me again on her way out. There's this bonfire happening if you'd like to go, it'll be a bunch of kids from my old high school. It's totally cool if you don't want to."

"Oh… I'd love to. I mean, if you want to?" She said. "After we help clean up of course." She was excited to see more of Lucas's life in Texas, especially over the last year.

"No no, you kids go. We can clean up. We'll get your dad and uncle to help us, they've been hiding on the deck for long enough" Cindy said quickly, and Sherry nodded beside her.

So Lucas went upstairs and grabbed his keys and wallet. At the last moment, he grabbed a hoodie as well. It was a pretty balmy night, but just in case Riley needed it.

They set off, leaving a pleased Cindy and Sherry behind. "You're right," Sherry said after the two had left, "She's lovely".

Lucas pulled up to the bonfire, where a sizable crowd had already gathered. He noticed Riley's eyes widen "These are…kind of a big deal around here. If it gets to be too much just say the word and we can get out of here okay?"

She nodded, reaching over to open her door.

"Wait Riles…" he said, and she recognized the nerves in his voice instantly. He wasn't looking at her, just staring straight ahead in the parking lot as she turned around to face him.

"There's going to be a lot of people that I used to hang out with before I moved to New York here. From when I was a dumb kid. And some of them, they haven't really changed and…"

"And you have. You're not that guy anymore" She said, touching his hand lightly. "I know that, Lucas. You have nothing to worry about."

He smiled, feeling instantly more at ease. She always seemed to recognize what was on his mind.

They walked down to where about two dozen of Lucas's old friends were sitting around a campfire, most of them sipping on beers. Georgie Chavez had brought his guitar, a surefire way for him to impress some of the girls.

"Lucas, Riley! I'm so glad you decided to come out!" Sheila got up from where she was sitting with a redheaded girl and bounded over to them. Her loud drawl ensured that everyone sitting around the fire turned to gaze at them, or more specifically at Riley, as they walked over.

Sheila lead them back to where the other girl was sitting. "Sarah, this is Lucas's Riley! And this is my best friend Sarah!" The girl smiled and gave a small wave. Riley felt the heat creep up into her cheeks. Lucas's Riley. She didn't know why Sheila chose to word it like that. She thought back to all those Facebook posts. Had she been right, was there something going on between Sheila and Lucas? Did she feel threatened by Riley being there? She had to know they were just friends.

"Lucas, do you mind if I have a quick word? Alone?" Sheila said to him suddenly.

"Oh…um Riley doesn't really know anyone here. I don't want to leave her alone like that." Lucas began, looking over to Riley.

"Nonsense! Sarah will keep her company, it'll only take a minute!" And before he knew it Sheila was leading him off to the side. Lucas followed her out of politeness, turning back to shoot Riley an apologetic smile, and she smiled back at him.

"So… got any stories about Lucas in New York?" Sarah smiled as Riley took the seat beside her.

"What's going on?" Lucas said, forcing himself to give his attention to Sheila.

"Lucas… I'm just shocked I guess. I mean you told us all you were going back to New York for the week and suddenly you're moving back there? When did that happen? What changed?"

"It… a part of me always wanted to go back, and there's this great opportunity for me at this vet office –" he broke off as he looked over to Riley and noticed the last person he'd ever want talking to her was now sitting down on the log right next to her, leaning in just a little too close as he said something and laughed.

Mark Bouggard was the reason he had moved to New York in the first place. Well, he was a big part of it. Lucas had avoided him as much as possible since moving back to Texas, but a lot of his old friends still ran in the same circle as Mark's crew, so they would end up getting together from time to time. Usually they ignored each other, except for maybe a glare or a backhanded comment from Mark's end, but the way he had gone right up to Riley couldn't have been a coincidence.

"…and I guess I just want to know if I was imagining it?" It was only when there was a noticeable pause in conversation that Lucas realized he hadn't heard a thing Sheila had said, his entire attention focused on Riley and Mark, who's laughter was carrying over to them.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Sheila sighed, "I mean…before you left. At Erica's birthday, I felt like there was something between us. Something I'd like to explore. And I know you're leaving for school but I wanted to know if you felt it too?"

Lucas was dumbfounded, his attention back on Sheila now. "Umm…I'm sorry Sheila. I really thought it was clear that I saw you as a friend." He had no idea what she was even referring to at Erica's birthday.

Lucas had caved around Christmas time last year, when he'd seen a picture of Riley and Charlie on a ski trip on her Facebook page, and agreed when Sheila had asked him on a date. But he'd been sure to tell her after that he didn't feel the same way. If there was anything he'd learned from the debacle with Riley and Maya in high school, it was that he had be honest when he didn't have feelings for someone, and not be so worried about hurting them.

"Oh…" Her face fell, and Lucas felt guilty instantly.

"I think you're awesome, really I do. And someone is going to be –"

"Save it. Just will you be honest with me?"

He nodded.

"What's going on between you and Riley?"

"What? Nothing." Was he that obvious with his feelings? "We're just friends, that's all"

Lucas turned to look over at Riley again, at the exact moment when Mark reached over and put his arm around her. He noticed the look of discomfort on Riley's face and it was as though something snapped. Forgetting about his conversation with Sheila, he walked back towards them, just as Riley was removing Mark's arm, not that he seemed bothered by that in the slightest.

Riley was so engrossed in telling Sarah about how Lucas's winning throw in their senior year football championship that she didn't notice the person that approached them until he was right in front of them. He was tall with huge biceps and black cropped hair.

"And who is this?" He said, a self-assured lopsided grin on his face. Without invitation, he sat down beside Riley on the log.

"Mark, this is Riley. She's Lucas's friend from New York." Sarah said, before getting up to get another beer.

"Well, any friend of Lucas's is a friend of mine." Mark smiled down at her. "So tell me more about Lucas is New York, Riley. I'm sure he got into a lot of trouble out there."

There was something about him that Riley couldn't put her finger on. Something that was just so…familiar. She pushed this thought aside – she had never been one to jump to conclusions about someone.

"That seems to be a popular question around here."

"Well he did just cut off contact as soon as he made it to the big city. But don't worry, I have some stories about Lucas that I can fill you in on too." He laughed, though Riley felt like she was missing the joke.

She looked over to Lucas, who was saying something to Sheila with a serious look on his face.

"Well what would you like to know?"

"Hmm" Mark said, swinging his arm over Riley's shoulder and sliding closer slightly. "What was Lucas like with the ladies? I bet he was super popular right?"

He was completely invading her personal space, and she decided jumping to conclusions be damned, she really didn't like him. She pointedly removed his arm from her shoulder and stood up, looking around at the people staring at her curiously. Normally, she wasn't one to cause a scene, and she would've just found someone else to go hang out with, but she knew no one else here so she spun around, hoping she wouldn't be interrupting anything too important by going to Lucas. Just as she turned around, though, she collided into Lucas himself. He pulled an arm out to steady her, and left it there for just a couple moments longer before whispering "you okay?"

She nodded, as Mark rose from the log as well.

"Well if it isn't Lucas Friar, gracing us with his presence!" Lucas was standing close enough that Riley could feel how tense he was as he stared at Mark. "I was just getting acquainted with Riley, here. She's a real nice girl, isn't she?"

And suddenly it hit Riley, what was so familiar about him. He reminded her of Charlie in many ways, although creepier. Charlie loved to make everyone in the room slightly uncomfortable, to slide in snide remarks, and to draw attention to himself by all means. It was something she was only realizing about him now that they had broken up. But she pushed those thoughts aside as she looked between Lucas and the person standing in front of them, the tension clear.

"Lay off Mark." Lucas said quietly.

"Oh come on! We were just getting to know each other!" Mark continued, raising his voice to ensure that everyone gathered around the bonfire was giving them their full attention.

"I mean it's not every day that we get to meet one of your friends from the big city. I just wanted to hear some stories."

Lucas didn't say anything.

"Alright well maybe I'll just tell Riley here a little story of my own," Mark said, shrugging his shoulders. "Let me tell you about the time I broke my nose in high school. Actually, I should be more specific. Let me tell you about the time Lucas here broke my nose in high school." He focused his eyes on Riley as he said this, ready to see her reaction.

He was disappointed when there wasn't much of one as she just stared back at him.

"Have you ever seen Lucas angry, Riley? Now that's a sight to see." He continued, this time turning towards Lucas for his reaction, and saw with satisfaction that his eyes were blazing.

Lucas could feel the anger bubbling up inside of him. He'd managed to avoid Mark for the most part in the time he'd been back in Texas, but he should've known that Mark couldn't resist creating a scene. He hadn't realized that he'd curled his hands into fists until he felt Riley reach down and unfurl one of them. She squeezed lightly and Lucas felt a lot of his anger seep away.

"Lucas isn't that guy anymore. Some people manage to grow up" she said coolly to Mark, before shifting her eyes to Lucas. "I'd like to leave now if that's okay?"

He nodded, looking down at her, so grateful for her. Wordlessly they turned around and walked away. Lucas could hear Mark saying something to the crowd around the fire, no doubt insulting him or trying to save face, but he couldn't care less.

"Yeah. Definitely nothing going on." Sheila said sarcastically as they walked past. If Riley had heard, she didn't let on.

"That guy is such a…jerk face!" Riley said as they got into the truck, she turned to find Lucas grinning at her.

"Why are you smiling?" she demanded, still buzzing from how much of an asshole that Mark guy had been.

"Jerk face?" Lucas said, grinning at her. "Riles, I hope you never change."

She blushed. Swearing had never been her strong suit, but she seethed with anger. "I understand why you were so hesitant to come here now. God, I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for? I should've expected something like that."

"I mean… your friends must hate me."

"Riley, stop. Those aren't my friends. My friends are back in New York, and tonight just reminded me of how dumb I was to stay away from them all this time." He looked at her intently.

"What about Sheila?" She couldn't help the question slipping out, thinking about the look on the blonde's face as they had walked past her.

"What about her?" Lucas looked confused. "Oh… look there's nothing going on with me and Sheila. We umm…we went on one date but I didn't have feelings for her. That's all."

"Oh." Riley tried to ignoree how this made her heart flutter just a bit.

"Hey Riles…" Lucas was staring ahead now, fiddling with the radio dial nervously, even though the truck was still off. "What Mark said… well it's the truth. I know you knew I got into a fight and that's why we moved to New York, but I never told you the full story. I did break his nose in high school. He had been bullying one of my friends for months and no one knew. Mark said some really nasty things to him…And then when that friend told me because I saw the messages by accident… I just… lost it. But you have to know I wasn't going to do anything tonight. I mean he gets under my skin but –"

Riley cut him off by putting her hand over his on the dial. "Lucas, stop. I know you, and I meant what I said. You're not that guy anymore. And even I wanted to deck him back there, that smug little…"

"Jerk Face?" Lucas offered and they both laughed. "But seriously…thank you Riles. It means a lot to me that you still have so much faith in me."

"Always."

They stared at each other for a moment, and he was once again thankful that she'd fallen into him on the subway before his first day at school, that she'd been in his history class, that she'd brought him into her friends group, people that he now couldn't imagine his life without. This girl…this girl that always believed in him, always thought he could be better, that had helped him grow from that angry, aimless kid into someone who could channel his anger and actually had goals.

Lucas felt an overpowering desire to lean in and kiss her, but that meant he risked losing this girl that meant so much to him. Which is why he forced himself to look away and start the truck instead.

"Why haven't I ever seen you wear this before?" Riley said, pulling out a yellow and green striped wool sweater from Lucas's closet. They had spent the better part of the afternoon organizing his stuff so that he could have some of it shipped back to New York.

Lucas groaned. "You know I'm really starting to regret asking for your help."

"Well?" she smiled at him, shaking the sweater in her hand.

"It was a gift from my great aunt," he shrugged, "it's getting tight now but I'll wear it sometimes when she comes around."

Riley smiled, putting it back in the closet. It was just like Lucas to do something like that to make someone else happy.

She took a seat on his bed as he sorted through some books. Lucas's room was as bare bones as it had been when she'd visited in high school. Other than a picture of him with his parents and Pappy Joe at his high school graduation, and one of him with all their friends back from New York, Lucas had no pictures in the room. There were no posters on the walls, unlike his room in the apartment he shared with Farkle and Zay.

"I just never figured I would stay here for that long," he had told her when he noticed her taking it all in.

"Right. I think I'm all done here," he said as she put the picture back on his bedside table. "Do you still want those milkshakes?"

"I don't think Zay would ever speak to me again if I came here and didn't try Rocko's" she laughed, getting up from his bed.

"Okay, Zay was right." Riley said, closing her eyes and relishing in the flavor of her chocolate shake, "this is the best damn shake I've ever had."

"Right?" Lucas laughed as they headed out of the busy diner. Riley had asked to see where Lucas had grown up, so he'd taken her on a mini tour of his hometown. He'd shown her his old schools, the park where he used to play football, the community pool where he'd fractured his wrist diving in the shallow end, and they were now driving out to the university to Lucas could pick up a copy of his transcripts and submit his final paperwork for the transfer back to NYU.

"So…what time are we heading to the bar?" she asked innocently when they were driving back towards town.

Lucas groaned dramatically. "I was hoping you'd forgotten about that."

"Oh, not a chance."

"I guess after dinner." He had instantly regretted agreeing to take her swing dancing when he'd asked her to come on the trip with him, but she'd been so excited that he found himself saying yes without realizing it.

Riley flew upstairs after dinner to change, while Lucas helped his mom dry the dishes. "You know I'll miss you Lucas," his mom said to him after a minute. Cindy gave him a squeeze on the shoulder, "but it's so nice to see you smiling again. I'm glad you decided to move back to New York."

"Thanks mom." He said, giving her a hug. "You know I'll visit as much as possible."

"Oh, you better." She laughed, "And feel free to bring Riley with you anytime you want."

Lucas heard Riley on the stairs at that moment, so he didn't have a chance to remind his mom that they were just friends. She had changed into a pair of cowboy boots, some faded ripped jeans, and a plaid shirt. And she looked absolutely adorable.

"I was wondering when you'd pull out the plaid" he said playfully as they headed for the front door.

The bar was packed by the time they got there, but Lucas led them over to a table. This wasn't one he frequented often, but it had the best dancing scene. He ordered them a couple drinks and by the time he'd gotten back to the table, Riley had struck up conversation with the older couple sitting at the table next to theirs.

"We come here every weekend" the man said, who looked to be about 60.

"Every Saturday night," the woman added.

"Wow," Riley said as Lucas approached the table. "This is Lucas. Lucas, this is Darryl and Pauline. Can you believe they've been coming here every week for 27 years?"

"You must be amazing dancers!" he said, reaching over to shake Darryl's hand.

Pauline laughed, "you'd think that wouldn't you? Darryl has two left feet, but somehow we make it work."

"All you need is the right partner" he winked at Lucas and Riley before giving his wife a peck on the lips.

"Speaking of which, Lucas what are we still doing keeping these beautiful women waiting?" He took Pauline's hand as a new song started and led her out onto the dance floor.

Lucas downed his drink and led Riley out as well.

He'd forgotten how much fun this could be. Lucas had never been much of a dancer, finding that his grace only extended as far as basketball or football, but maybe there was something to what Darryl said about having the right partner. Riley's cheeks were flushed as she moved to the music and she had a beautiful smile on her face. God she was gorgeous. He was grateful for when Darryl suggested they switch partners because he didn't think he could stop himself from kissing her.

They went back to the table, absolutely exhausted and watched Darryl and Pauline still at it. "God, how beautiful is their relationship? To think he still takes her dancing after all this time."

"Yeah. They remind me a lot of your parents, actually. I always used to admire how in love they were even after all that time."

Riley smiled. She had loved watching Cory and Topanga's love growing up, and had always dreamed of when she would find it on her own. Lucas noticed as her face fell slightly, lost in thought.

"What is it? Is it…Charlie?"

"No…yeah I guess that's part of it. This weekend was exactly what I needed, but I guess I'm just ready for the sting to go away, you know?"

He nodded.

"I just can't believe that we're already flying back tomorrow. It seems like this weekend just flew by. Thank you for bringing me here."

"Anytime, Riles. It's been so amazing having you here with me." He got up and held his hand out, "now dance with me, Riley Matthews."

Lucas tried to ignore the knock on his door, turning to face the wall instead. But when the person repeated it, he grumbled "come in."

"Lucas." Pappy Joe's voice was enough to make him wake up.

"Did I sleep in? Is it time to go to the airport already?" He asked, sitting up.

"No, you have time. Your mom's just putting breakfast on. I just wanted to talk to you" Pappy Joe eased the door shut and sat on the foot of Lucas's bed.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Or at least it will be now I think."

Lucas simply stared at his grandfather, confused.

"I think it's good you're making the move back to the city." He continued.

"What, have I annoyed you that much this year?" Lucas asked in a fake hurt voice, but mainly he was just confused.

"No of course not. I love having you here. But it was hard to see you moping around the house like that. You know I love you, but this isn't your home anymore."

"I wasn't moping." Lucas said, defensively.

"Oh yes you were," Pappy Joe's tone made it clear that there was no room for arguments, "which is why it was so nice seeing you more like your old self this weekend. Riley is wonderful for you."

"What?" Lucas stuttered out, "No. There's nothing going on between us. We're just friends."

Pappy Joe gave him a thoughtful look. "I've been around for a while, son. I've seen the way you look at her."

So he really was that obvious. "She sees me as a brother, you know that." He whispered.

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"But –"

"I've seen the way she looks at you, too."

This took the protest right out of Lucas's mouth. If anyone else had said these words, he would be inclined to disagree, but Pappy Joe was the wisest person Lucas knew, and he trusted his opinion more than anyone else. He felt a tiny sliver of hope open in his chest.

"I don't know what happened between you two. But I will say that it's the same look you gave each other the last time you came to Texas too. The fact that it hasn't gone away after all these years, well that's got to count for something."

That had been when Riley had called Lucas her brother… when things had gotten so complicated between them because he'd momentarily thought he might have feelings for Maya.

"She's just starting to trust me again. I really hurt her when I moved back here suddenly last year. And she just got out of a bad relationship." He was more thinking aloud at this point.

"So give her some time to heal. Just…don't take so long this time. She's a keeper." Pappy Joe patted Lucas's leg and left the room. Lucas slid back down onto his pillow, though he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep again.

Riley came down at the crack of dawn, unable to sleep. The house seemed empty, so she quietly slipped out onto the front porch. She couldn't believe that in a few short hours they would be heading back to New York. As much as she loved her life in the city, it had been so nice to step away from it for a bit, and Texas held a special place in her heart. She'd loved to see more of how Lucas had grown up, and to spend time with him again.

Although it had hurt when he cut himself off last year, Riley finally felt like she had one of her best friends back, and that was the best thing that had happened all summer.

Except… her feelings for Lucas, ones that she'd buried all those years ago in high school, and hidden from in a relationship with Charlie, it seemed that they intensified with every moment she spent with him.

Lucas had moved on from her years ago, even when him and Maya had quickly realized their feelings for each other were only platonic. But Riley hadn't been able to squash her own, no matter how hard she tried.

And there were moments when she felt like coming clean to Lucas. Even if he didn't feel the same, she was tired of hiding this huge secret.

But…the sting of Charlie hadn't quite subsided yet. His betrayal, the way it had felt to find out about him cheating…She didn't think she had it in her to face another heartbreak yet. Especially not from Lucas Friar. Because she knew, she had always known, that that love ran deeper.

Riley was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped when Pappy Joe walked up onto the porch, heading back from the direction of the stables. For his part, he didn't seem surprised to see her.

"You couldn't sleep either?" She asked as he came and sat down beside her.

He laughed, "No. Early mornings are just a part of the lifestyle. But what's ruining your sleep?"

"Oh nothing…" she began, but then she felt the truth pouring out, "I just can't believe the weekend is over. I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to real life just yet."

"And why's that?"

"Well… because it…just…"

Pappy Joe waited patiently until Riley was able to move on.

"It's like…I had all these visions for how my life would unfold, you know? And lately that's all been unraveling. And I don't know what to do about it. I mean maybe some of those dreams were silly, but I'm having a hard time letting go, or understanding why certain things have happened..."

Riley suddenly realized she was rambling and broke off, looking straight ahead. Pappy Joe was quiet for a while, which made Riley nervous. Maybe she'd said too much.

"Did Lucas ever tell you I was engaged to another woman before I met his grandmother?"

"What?!" She was genuinely shocked, and momentarily distracted from her own worries. Lucas had talked about how much his grandparents had always loved each other, but he'd never mentioned that.

Pappy Joe laughed, "I didn't think so. He doesn't like to think about it. Her name was Caroline Winters. We grew up down the street from each other. I courted her through high school and we planned to get married soon after I found a job."

"What happened?"

"Well…I found a job alright. As a farm hand on this very ranch." Pappy Joe nodded out towards the ranch.

"I'm not sure I'm following you…"

"Mr. Highland was a proud man. But he was getting along in years and he only had the one daughter to help him out with his animals and land. So, he took a chance on me, and Patricia and I worked together every day that summer."

"You mean…this was Lucas's grandmother's farm?" The pieces finally started to click together. She'd known Lucas grew up on the ranch, but she'd never thought much farther back into how his family had come to own it.

Pappy Joe nodded. "Patricia grew up here, just like we raised our kids here, and Lucas too."

"But…how?" Riley was intrigued. She had always admired Lucas's grandfather, and wished she had gotten the chance to meet his grandmother from how Lucas talked about her, but she felt like she was seeing Pappy Joe in another light.

"Well we started off not even liking each other" Pappy Joe laughed. "She didn't trust me, thought I would try to scam her father like some other man had done, and I thought she was stuck up, insisting that I do everything her way. But somehow that changed over the summer and we became friends. And then…well I didn't even realize when it grew to more than that."

"And what about Caroline?"

"Well I told her the truth as soon as I figured it out. I broke her heart, as much as I hate to say it. We'd talked about getting married for so long. But eventually she met a soldier and they still live in town. He makes her happier than I ever could have."

"Wow."

"There's a reason I'm telling you all of this, Riley."

She was at a loss for words so Pappy Joe went on.

"Even the best laid plans can fall apart, sweetheart. You can plan as much as you want, or try to avoid something as much as you want, but life happens. And as silly as it sounds, some things happen for a reason. Sometimes you need to let them."

"But…weren't you afraid of getting hurt? What if Patricia didn't feel the same way?"

"Oh she didn't at first…" he chuckled, "she was horrified that I'd broken up my engagement for her. It's a small town and people talked."

"But you did it anyways?"

"Well when you know, you know. I took the chance, and I didn't give up on us that easily. It was the best thing I ever did, but even if she turned me down, I wouldn't regret it."

"You wouldn't? Even if it broke your heart so much that you weren't sure you'd ever be whole again?"

He turned to her, so that she was looking into his eyes now.

"You can't let the fear of heartbreak, or of what other people might say, keep you from being true to your heart. Be brave, Riley. Take a chance."

The way he was looking at her so knowingly swept any doubt Riley had out of her mind that Pappy Joe didn't know how she truly felt about his grandson. It was terrifying, to know that her deepest secret was out there, but also liberating.

"I think… I think I ruined it back in high school, when I pushed him away."

Pappy Joe shook his head, "I know my grandson, and I'll tell you that I don't believe that for a second, darling. But it doesn't matter what I think anyways. You need to decide if you're willing to take that chance, if you're ready to be brave."

Pappy Joe gave her a quick pat on the shoulder as he got up and went into the house, but Riley sat there long after he left. She had held on to her feelings for Lucas for so long, not even letting Maya know out of fear that her friend might try to help. And it was all because she didn't want to risk Lucas's rejection, to risk losing Lucas himself. He was one of the most important people in her life. But…keeping it all in had made her miserable too. She didn't know if she could keep up the act anymore, or that she even wanted to.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated.