The Cinderella Promise (Adult Rucas AU)

Chapter 14 - Denial

Lucas got home happy from his meeting with Mrs. Matthews, he didn't know that having people care about him mattered so much. He wanted to talk to Riley about staying with him, he only wanted her and nothing else. When he walked in through the doors he looked around and noticed that Riley wasn't home, it took him a minute to remember that she had a doctor's appointment, so he decided to surprise her by cooking dinner himself. It was a warm day so grilling up some steaks was the best idea he had. He knew he wasn't a great cook but he knew how to make meat, he grabbed a couple of potatoes and put them in the oven to roast like Riley taught him and pulled out some steaks she had brought the day before.

When she had gotten home an hour later he had set the table with candles and flowers, she looked at him and smiled at the gesture and gave him a quick kiss.

"I'm going to go change, I feel weird wearing what I had on at the doctor's office," she said before walking away.

Lucas walked over to the dock and put on some classical music to set the mood for what he wanted to talk about. When she came back down she was wearing her favorite purple cable knit sweater and a pair of skinny jeans. She looked perfect to him with her hair piled up on her head and a soft smile on her lips. But he could tell that something was wrong, he wondered if the doctor's appointment had gone bad and she didn't want to tell him.

Instead of pushing he pour them some wine and served the food, he knew she would tell him before the end of the night.

"Can I actually get some water, I don't feel like drinking tonight," she said and he tried his best not to look worried about her.

"Okay," he said walking to the kitchen and grabbing a glass pouring water from a pitcher they kept in the fridge, taking the pitcher with him to the table to see Riley staring out into the air.

"Thank you," she said taking the glass from him. "For everything."

"Riley what's wrong?" he asked not being able to stand the look she had on her face.

"Nothing, why do you think something is wrong?"

"Well your smile isn't reaching your eyes, almost like you're trying to hold something back. Did the doctor tell you something and you're trying to hold back because of me?"

She sighed in front of him, before she looked him in the eye, "I love you," she said. "Don't ever forget that."

"Riley, please just tell me," he said.

"I'm pregnant," she said and those words brought his happy mood down to nothing. The one thing he hadn't wanted, he wanted her only and nothing else, he couldn't be a father he saw how his own father had been. He hadn't ever had a good influence he would tear apart his own child just like his father had.

His mind went through every single thins his father had drilled into him, he needed to be the best at everything, failure wasn't an option for a Friar, the reminder of what his Uncle said about Lucas not being his father's child even though he had the same face as the man. The way his mother broke down over his father's affairs.

"I didn't want this Riley," he said looking at her. "I can't be a father."

"Lucas," she said to him but he couldn't deal with her without yelling.

"I knew this was going to happen, why didn't I listen to my instincts before, I can't do this Riley, I can't," he said turning around and walking out of the apartment. Their dinner on the table forgotten, as he took the elevator and got into his car and drove off without looking back.

Riley couldn't believe what had just happened, she knew he had issues with family but she only knew what Zay had told her. But she knew that his parents at one point in their marriage had truly loved each other. Yet the moment the words came out of her mouth she could feel him getting distant, pushing himself away from her. They had gotten close in the months that they had been together, six months together, falling in love and this one moment changed everything.