Welcome Back, Riley

Chapter 9

"Where are we going?" I ask once we start walking down the street.

"To my place."

We don't say anything to each other as we walk. I was expecting a worst reaction from him. I'm still trying to pull myself together, and Lucas almost seems unfazed by it. Maybe it hasn't completely sunk in yet.

As we get closer, I start to notice the street we are on. We keep walking and soon we are standing in front of the house I dreamt about living in with Lucas. The house that I thought would be perfect to live in when we decided to get married and start a family.

It's a light blue town house with a white door. It has a small patio that I would picture myself sitting with a warm drink watching the rain. I've never been inside, but I peeked through the windows. It had a brick fireplace and a garden seat that was by the front window, so even if it was too cold to sit on the patio I could sit there and watch the rain. It was perfect.

"Lucas, what are we doing here?"

"Th-this is my house."

"Why? Why would you do this? Why would you bring me here?"

"If I ever seen you again, I wanted you to know that I never gave up on you, on us." I blink a couple of time to push the tears back that were forming in my eyes. "Do you want to come in?" I look up at him and then look back down before I nod my head. "C'mon." He pulls me up the stairs leading to the front door.

He unlocks the door and walks inside, I hover by the front door a little longer before I follow him inside. I take a look around, and it's almost like I pictured everything would be. It has a very homey feeling to it. My first instinct is to look around, but I don't. I think he needs a chance to talk. It was mostly me telling him what happened, and I can feel a mixture of sadness and rage radiating off of Lucas.

I take a seat on the charcoal gray sectional. I expect him to take the spot next to me, but he doesn't. Instead, he paces in front of me. "Say whatever it is that you're thinking." I play with my hands. "I know you must hate me right now."

Lucas squats down in front of me. He takes my hand in his, "I could never hate you. It's the opposite of what I feel for you Riley," tears start to build in my eyes. "But I'm mad right now. I'm furious!" he lets go of my hands and stands up.

"You disappear for years. Years, Riley! I have no idea where you went, but you write letters to my best friend! I thought the worst thing was you leaving, but you turn to someone that isn't me. That's one thing we have always prided ourselves on, is that we were able to talk to each other!" He takes a deep breath, "Now you tell me I had a daughter. A daughter I'll never get to meet because you took that from me!" His tone sent a shiver down my spine. I look up and I see his eyes glossed over with tears. "We could have been a family."

I shake my head, "No we couldn't have been. She would have still gotten sick and she would have still died if I was here. I saved you from heart ache."

"You think you saved me from heartache?! Riley, my heart has hurt every single day you have been gone," he shouts.

"I'm sorry," I say so I'm barely heard.

"I know you are," he finally takes the seat next to me. "I want to be mad at you, Riley. I really do. I want to yell at you for keeping this from me. I want to yell at you for leaving," he has tears in eyes that I can barely see through mine, "but honestly I'm just so happy that you are here. Right in front of me."

He grabs my face in between his hands, "I can see you, and not in my dreams," his green eyes look into my soul.

"I can touch you," he wipes the tears with his thumbs and I do the same to him.