What Are We Now?

(22) Unbelieveable

Lucas couldn't believe he was climbing through Riley's window. He had finally worked up the courage to tell Riley he'd fight for her. She needed to know how important she was to him. As he pulled himself inside her empty room, his valor dwindled. He decided he needed to distracted himself, so he grabbed a book from her desk and settled on her bed to wait.

"Lucas what are you doing here?" Riley asks Lucas. Lucas looks up and smiles. He closes the book and sets it gently on the bed besides him. He looks at her and laces his fingers together, fidgeting.
"I wanted to talk to you." He says, slowly getting up from the bed.
"Oh?"
"Yeah I wanted to talk to you about us." Lucas says quietly. He takes a slow step towards her, and Riley takes an instinctive step back.
"Lucas, I'm with Charlie now."
"Okay."
"Okay?" Riley raises up her eyebrows, confused.
"Okay." Lucas says, his jaw tenses. He was losing his nerve. But he knew what he had to do.
"Good."
"But-"
"-Unbelievable!" Riley said turning around annoyed.
"Riley... I want you to know that I'm going to fight for you. Because I like you... Because it's you. It's always been you. Since day one." Lucas sighs. Riley turns back around and stares at Lucas speechless.
"I'm with Charlie now." She blurts out again.
"You know, you say that but I haven't heard you say that you like him, not even once." Lucas smiles and raises an eyebrow at Riley.
"I don't have to prove anything to you Lucas. Please don't fight for me, I really like Charlie... I might even be falling in love with him. He has my heart... Why can't you get that?" Riley said looking up from the floor, tears in her eyes.
"Because you don't look happy Riley. You just don't...maybe if you looked happy I would let you go but I can't."
"Lucas please, just be my friend. Be my brother, and support me."
"That again? Is your desperation to prove that you like him that great that you're trying to tell me how I feel...again? I'm not doing that Riley. I can't do that. You know I can't. I can't just be your friend, much less your brother. And I certainly can't support you. I can't because you're giving into Charlie because he's easy to be around."
"How is that bad Lucas? I like spending time with him. I like talking to him." Riley said. That stung, but Lucas was determined to not be convinced. He wouldn't let her make him think she had feelings for someone else, when she didn't.
"So what? You like talking to a boy who says the right things, that lets you do whatever you want, but just doesn't challenge you? You know he doesn't challenge you, Riley." Lucas whispers as he takes another slow step towards her. Riley stands there frozen for a second as she stares at Lucas.
"He doesn't need to." Riley says, wide eyed and serious.
"Yes he does, but you don't care because you don't love him."
"Yes I do. Don't make me say it Lucas... Now, will you please leave. I need to be alone."
"Alone...or with Charlie?" Lucas says blankly.
"Alone, Lucas, alone!" Riley says seriously. Then she hears footsteps in the hallway outside her room.
"Rileeeey! Mom says that your boyfriend is here, and to come out." Auggie says through her door. Riley looks at Lucas, and her eyes widen as he smirks at her.
"Get out!" Riley says hushed and urgent.
"I'm not leaving Riley. Charlie is just going to have to find me here."
"Lucas, Come on! Just hang out in the fire escape, please!"
"Nope, don't wanna." Lucas says folding his arms, as Riley uses both her hands to push him. He doesn't budge.
"Fine! Get in the closet!" Riley whispers loudly.
"Oooh so your hiding me now? I wonder why? Would Charlie really be that upset that I'm here...in your room, alone, like this?" Lucas said a grin plastered on his lips and his eyebrows high on his forehead. Riley squints her eyes at him. That confidence, where did it come from? Her eyes soften and her heart flutters. Does Lucas know she still loves him? The thought almost stops her from shutting the closet door in his face. Almost.
"Yes he'd be upset and I don't need him thinking of you as a threat, when we are just friends." She said shutting the closet door and leaning on it. Riley was losing her nerve, if Lucas kept this up, she'd end up breaking it off with Charlie by the end of the week. Why was he still fighting for her anyway? She knew he'd seen her pretend kiss with Charlie. She had his jacket to prove it. His jacket! Which was hanging in her closet. Oh no Lucas! Riley thought alarmed. It's just going to give him hope. It was too late now to do anything about it. She had to go see Charlie. She hears a knock on her door, before  her door slowly opens.
"Hey."
"Charlie." Riley smiles.
"Your parents let me in. When you didn't come out, they said I should come look for you. I hope that's ok."
"It's perfectly fine." Riley says as she settles herself on her bay window and Charlie follows suit.
"How is my beautiful girlfriend doing today?" Charlie says.
"I'm ok. Just a little tired." Riley smiled half-heartedly and winced a little when she noticed that her closet door wasn't completely shut. It was open, just a crack. Riley wondered if in her haste she didn't close it right or if there was a curious boy in there being way too nosey.
"Surprising since you didn't bowl much." Charlie smiled. He was joking of course, Riley could tell.
"Yeah I know right. I just couldn't sleep much last night."
"I couldn't either." Charlie moved closer to her and tucked some of Riley's hair behind her ear.
"Really?" Riley said nervously.
"I think I'm falling for you Riley. You're just so beautiful and kind."
"Thank you Charlie." Riley tilted her head and smiled. Hoping to God he didn't notice she hadn't said anything back. She takes his hand in hers.
"I really like you too."
Charlie stared steadily at Riley and his head moved slightly closer to hers. Riley froze visibly and in the closet Lucas held his breath. Not again. Please not again. Lucas thought, his heart was clenching and he knew if he saw Charlie kiss Riley again, he wouldn't be able to contain himself.
Charlie kisses her cheek. A quick and sweet kiss. And Lucas wasn't sure if that was worse than at the bowling alley the day before. It was so innocent and yet...it wasn't. It screamed something to Lucas, something he didn't like. And then it hit him like a truck. That innocent kiss wrote it out in the thick tension. Charlie didn't need to kiss Riley on the lips. He'd have plenty of opportunities for that, because, after all, he was her boyfriend. Lucas felt numb all over again. When something familiar caught his eye. His jacket. Riley had taken it home. Why didn't she just give it to him at the bowling alley? She knew it was his.... maybe Riley did still like him like Farkle said.
And just like that Lucas's confidence was back. Whatever Riley was doing, her actions towards Lucas, spoke louder than her words.
"I'll see you later okay? Maybe we can go to the movies next weekend or something." Charlie said.
"Yeah but no more scary movies. I think I almost broke off your arm last time." Riley said guiltily.
"Maybe. But being with you was worth it." Charlie said with a grin as he gives Riley a hug.
"Bye Charlie"
"See you Riley."
The door closes and Riley stares at it for a moment. When she felt a presence. Lucas!
"Yuck." Lucas said. He was leaning against her closet door a look of disgust plastered on his face. His jacket resting in his arms.
"What?" Riley made a face. Why is he acting so arrogant lately? She thought.
"I'm falling for you Riley. Break my arm off at the movies. Do whatever you want to me because I'm your loyal puppy, woof woof!" Lucas said mimicking the way Charlie spoke. He finished with a strange bow.
"Lucas!" Riley tried to be serious but a smile threatened to spill across her face.
"Come on Riley, you aren't seriously falling for that?" Lucas says.
"There's nothing to fall for Lucas, it's not a trick." Riley sighed.
"You're right. It's not Charlie who's playing games, it's you." Lucas says, his face was contorted in anger but it quickly changed to sadness, when he realized that what he was saying was true.
"What?" Riley said in shock.
"Riley, just admit it. You didn't believe in me. And you settled for Charlie."
"Lucas, I-"
"-You always believed in me Riley. But somehow you couldn't believe that I wanted you. How could you not see that Maya and me could only ever be friends?"
"It was never like that Lucas. Maya stepped back for me and when you love your best friend, you have to do the same for them. So I stepped back to see what would happen." Riley actually steps away from Lucas even though he's still standing by her closet door.
"But you know she didn't actually step back! We know that now, so why are you still with him?"
"Lucas-"
"-Riley... Did you like him when we on our unofficial thing? Were you thinking of him in that way since then?"
"Lucas stop! Stop before you say something you'll regret."
"No Riley, I need to know if you are trying to spare my feelings. Are you trying to protect me from how you really feel, Riley?"
"It's not like that Lucas, I wouldn't-"
"-You wouldn't what? Do that to me? Then why are you with him? You liked me, Riley. And it's like you just forgot. I just don't understand how you went from always believing in me, to not believing that I wanted you. That Maya and I could only ever be friends because I cared about you. That I would never, could never, see Maya that way. Why couldn't you trust that I'd choose you?" Lucas yelled.
"You held Maya's face, My best friend. You had to really care about my best friend to risk my friendship like that. You held her face... that's a good move Lucas." Riley said, looking at the floor, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"You should know." Lucas's gaze softens, and Riley couldn't tell if Lucas was hinting at when she held his face or Charlie's or both.
"I'm sorry Riley. I know I have to work on my anger." He says softly. He steps towards her again and this time Riley doesn't move. He gets close to her and reaches up to hold her face with one hand, wiping away at her tears.
"Lucas. I know this isn't what you want to hear...but I like Charlie. Please let me go." She says in a whisper that's almost inaudible, staring into his eyes . Lucas drops his hand and his face is wiped clean of emotion.
"I don't care Riley. You may actually like him, but I don't care because I know you love me. So this won't stop me. I know your trying to hurt me Riley, but your also hurting yourself. Please stop." Lucas smiles sweetly.
"I-"
"-Prepare yourself Riley, because I don't think you have it in you to fight against what you're feeling." Lucas interrupted. He got really close to her again. And took the hair that Charlie had tucked behind her ear and pulled it out.
"Lucas...please." Riley breathed.
"That's better." He gave a half smile and admired her for a second and then stepped out of her bay window.
"Unbelievable." Riley whispered.

How was that!?😄😄😄[comment if ya get it;) lol] I am so sorry I haven't updated in a million years. I hope this was worth it. I wanted it to be just right. I'm not sure if I like it too much myself but hey it's up there😅 As always thank you so much for reading and having patience with me💜🙏🏽
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Oh and btw how predictable is my writing? Don't include what's cliché, I know that's me all the way lol, comment away! Be nice😁 thank you 🤗