Rivals And Lovers

Chapter 39

Silence. That was all. For at least a minute long. Anthony stared at Riley with an exiting look, that faded slowly with every second Riley didn't answer. He expected her to fall into his arms and say yes a thousand times. Instead Riley looked very stiff and awkward.
After a couple of minutes Anthony cleared his threat. "Um Riley?" He asked. Riley pulled him up. "Let's talk somewhere private" she said. Anthony frowned and followed Riley into the kitchen.

"Riley what's the matter? Don't you want to marry me?" Anthony asked. Riley looked down and shook her head. "Anthony I...I....no" she answered. Anthony's face went pale white and his grip on the counter tightened. "Why not?" He asked sounding very mad. Riley saw that he was angry and tried to take a subtle step away. "I just....I can't do that to you. To me. Our marriage would exist out of lies and anything but love" she said shaking her head. "Oh you can do many things to me, but denying my proposal will be the stupidest thing you'll ever do." He said looking at her. His eyes were filled with anger. "You can't force me into this" Riley said confident. Anthony flinched and grabbed for Riley's wrists. "I can do whatever I want" he hissed. Riley widened her eyes and tried to pull herself away from his grip. "Let me go" she said. "Not untill you say I do" now Riley had enough. She was done with nice. She kneed him and he stumbled backwards grabbing his private place. "You think I don't know about you stupid plan? You're only trying to marry me so you can take over Matthews international. Well listen to this. I will not marry you. Not only because I don't love you, because I will not let someone like you take over my company" Riley said standing straight up and confident. "You don't love me? You lied?" He asked. "Oh if that's your biggest worry about this. You're out to money. That's all you want from me." Riley took the box and shoved it towards him. "So no, I don't want to marry you, now you've got your answer and I'd like you to leave now" Riley said. She turned on her heels and walked back to the living room.

Her family shot up from their seats when they saw her and looked at her in an asking way. "You think you'll survive without me?" Anthony yelled. Riley rolled her eyes and turned around to face Anthony who ran after her. "I think I'll be just fine" Riley crossed her eyes and felt the eyes of her family burn on the side of her head. She avoided their looks. "Just so you know, my father's company won't be funding Matthews international anymore" Riley had no answer. This is what she was scared off. This could be the end of Matthews international. "What?" He father screeched. "So it's your choice. Either way you marry me and save you company. Or you make a huge mistake by not marrying me and ruin your company" Anthony hissed. He opened the ring box and smirked. "So what'll be?" He asked with an evil smirk. Riley looked over to her family. Topanga looked at her daughter in horror. "Don't do it Riley" auggie encouraged her, "shut up auggie. Riley do what is right" Cory said pulling auggie back. Riley took a deep breath. "This company is ruining her" Riley heard her grandmother whisper to her father. Suddenly Riley had enough. "No!" She yelled. Anthony jumped up. Riley snatched the box out of his hand and threw it accros the room earning some gasps from her family. "I'm not gonna let you threaten me. So leave the company. I've got better things to do" Riley yelled angry. "Go Riley!" Auggie cheered.

Riley snatched her jacket from the chair next to her and made her way to the door. "You're going to see that jerk Friar?" Anthony yelled. Riley stopped her tracks and looked over her shoulder. Her father had a shocked look on his face and Topanga laid her hand on his shoulder. Her other family members didn't know how to react. Riley bit her lip and didn't look at Anthony. With her face facing the door she smirked. "Yes, I've got something to tell him" Riley said before running out of the house.

"This is the voicemail of Lucas Friar, please leave a message or call b-" the computer voice was adrubtly stopped by Riley presssing the end-call button. Riley she rushed over the sidewalk looking for the right apartment building. When she finally saw the right one, she speeded up and ran inside the hall. She ran her hand over the names until she saw the name 'friar' standing. She pressed the bell. But no response. She groaned and kept pressing it. "Come on Lucas" she whispered to herself. "Riley?" Riley snapped around when she heard her name.

"Farkle!" She said "what are you doing here?" Farkle asked confused. "I'm looking for Lucas?" Riley said pointing towards the line of names. "Is he not home or is he just ignoring me?" Riley asked. Farkle shook his shoulders. "I've bin looking for him all over the place." Riley frowned. "Where?" She asked. "His apartment, his parents house, his office, the roof" Riley looked down while thinking. And then it hit her. "I think I know where he is" Riley said with a smile. She brushed passed Farkle and ran outside again. "Hey! Where are you going?" Farkle yelled, but Riley ignored him and jumped back into her car.

Riley parked her car at the side of the road and looked over the water. The moonlight reflecting on it while the waves were very calm. Riley bit her lip while holding her steering wheel very tight. She was nerveus. She didn't know if he even wanted her back. Maybe it would be better to just turn around. She doesn't even know if he's really here. Riley shook her head and bumbed it a few times against her steering wheel. She felt so reckless two minutes ago and now she doens't even know if he's here. Her gut just told her to come here. Riley stared out over the road and fiddled with her ring. The memories from five years ago came flooding back in.

"I got into Yale" she said. Lucas looked down at her. "That's great" he tried to be exited but he knew what would happen if she'd decide to go there. "With a little help of my father of course, but I'm trying to think that thought away" Riley felt Lucas shift in his seat and getting nervous. "But I don't know if I should go" "why?" Lucas asked confused. Riley sighed and sat straight. "I just don't want to leave everything and everyone here" she confessed. Lucas sat up as well. "My family, my friends, my life, you" she said fiddling with her fingers. "You're not gonna pick me as a reason to stay away from Yale right?" Lucas asked putting a hand on the back of her back. Riley sighed and felt the tears sting in her eyes. "Of course not, but you're a big part of the reason!" Riley said. A small sob escaped her and she quickly wiped the tears away. Lucas looked at the sunset and back at his sunshine. "You should go, it's a dream of yours" he encouraged her. Riley looked over to her boyfriend. His green eyes where piercing into her brown ones. "How am I gonna be sure we're not gonna forget about each other?" She asked. Lucas digged in his pocket and took out a small box. "Because...I promise you" he opens them to show two rings. "That I will forever love you, no matter what happens to us. I promise to support you with every decision you make. And I will never ever forget about you" he took one of the rings out and slid them threw a necklace as a chain. He hung it around his neck and tucked it behind his shirt. Then he took out the other one and held it out. "Riley?" He asked. "Promise rings" she said smiling wide. Lucas nodded. Riley nodded. "I promise" Lucas smiled and slid the ring with the eternity sign on it around her finger. He wiped the last few tears away from her cheeks before pressing his lips on hers. "I love you" he muttered against her lips. "I love you too" riley said pressing their lips together again.

"I promised" Riley muttered to herself. She swung her door open and jumped out of her car. She practically ran towards the dock. The exiting feeling bubbling inside of her. She ran down the steps and turned around the corner.

But her smile faded when she saw an empty dock. He wasn't here. Riley felt the tears form in her eyes and she took slow steps towards the end of the dock. She really hoped he'd be standing at the end. It would be like in romantic movies where she'd run up to him and kiss him. But of course, romantic movies are fiction. For a second she acutally believed it would be like that. Riley's shoulders slumped and she slowly turned around to walk back to her car.

"Riley!" Her head snapped up at the sound of his voice calling her name. She looked around and suddenly saw him rushing down the steps. Riley smiled wide while she started walking towards him. "You're mom called what happend and I've bin looking all over the place for you" Lucas said. Riley speeded up her walk towards him. "I can't belive you actually-" Lucas was adrubtly cut off. Riley had sprinted towards him, jumped into his arms and pressed her lips against his. her legs were wrapped tight around his waist and her arms where holding tight around his neck. Lucas supported her back while he kissed her sweet lips. When they parted to take a breath, big smiles formed onto their lips. "I ended everything with Anthony. And i don't know what happens next...all i know is that i want to be with you. No matter in what position we are." Riley whispered. Lucas wiped the single tear away from Riley's cheek. "Gosh i love you so much" Lucas muttered looking into her eyes. Butterflies all around Riley's stomach. Just like the first time they said it. and she still had the same answer. "I love you too"

A/N: aaah! What do you think? So I have one more chapter left ☹️. It's a time jump of another two years. And if this chapter gets to 10 votes very soon I'll post the final chapter! I hope you're ready!