dark places. ⇒ rucas

0.1

WARNING: CUTTING

Riley woke up to knocking.

She sat straight up in her bed, her heart pounding. She looked around wildly, her dark brown locks tangled due to her previous sleeping state, her chocolate orbs wide with fear as she tried to figure out who was interested in waking her at such an unearthly hour.

After a few seconds, Riley glanced at her bay window, her heart slowing down to an almost normal pace when she spotted her boyfriend, Lucas Friar, standing on the fire escape. She frowned slightly, it was not uncommon for him to come visit her, but it was almost 3 in the morning. She slid out of bed and onto the cool floor, shivering slightly as she made her way over to the bay window, unlocking it, and scooting over to let him in.

Lucas had been spending more and more time at the Matthews residence every since his mother spent more time at the bar than at home. Lucas had always had trouble seeing people he loved do things to where he couldn't protect him, and Riley couldn't see how he could protect his mother from an addiction.

Riley was also used to Lucas showing up at her bay window at 10 or 11 o'clock at night whenever his mother still hadn't come home from work. They used to sit out on he fire escape if the weather was nice enough and talk for hours, until Mr. Matthews would poke his head out and tell Lucas that he should go home. Things were going so badly at home for him that Cory had even stopped chasing Lucas out of his daughters room.

Lucas slid onto the bay window next to Riley carefully, being sure to quietly shut the bay window behind him. He didn't want to wake Riley's parents and have them come running in, despite Cory not being as upset with the time he spent with his daughter, he would be very angry if he found out he was in her daughter's bedroom at 3:00 am.

Riley watched Lucas frown at her, glancing at the window before looking back at her. Riley was wearing a sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants, mostly to hid scars and recent cuts from her parents and Maya, for whenever she would decide to show up the next morning. Despite knowing the scars were hidden, she nestled into her sweatshirt a little more, desperate for a little bit of comfort.

"Riley, why have you locked your bay window?" Lucas asked her softly, and although he did not sound annoyed, Riley could tell that he was confused. Riley's bay window was never locked.

Trying to come up with an excuse with a half awake foggy mind, she muttered something unintelligent like "So no one could come in and shoot me."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, looking at her more intensely. Riley could understand where he was coming from, she had never locked her bay window before. She had such an amazing faith in people, she had never been afraid of some unknown stranger coming into her room via her bay window before. But she changed.

Lucas didn't press it, which Riley was forever grateful for. She wasn't quite ready to explain herself for her new behavior and clothing.

"Anyways, Lucas, why are you here? It's 3 in the morning." Riley asked, trying to change the subject.

Lucas deflated, his green eyes fluttering shut for a moment before he reached across and grabbed Riley's hand. She flinched away, thinking he was going for her wrists, before she settled down and took his hand.

Lucas's eyes opened for this, staring at her in confusion. Riley avoided looking at him, instead looking at their intertwined hands. His thumb rubbed circles on her hand softly, and despite usually being locked inside her mind, she was grateful for the reassurance that she wasn't alone.