Collide Prt. 11
Part [1] Part [2] Part [3] Part [4] Part [5] Part [6] Part [7] Part [8] Part [9] Part [10] Prompt: Riley Matthews is a struggling writer who works as a bartender to pay off her student loans. Lucas Friar is a rich kid from Texas who’s lost his way. One night fate brings them together causing their two different worlds to collide. A/N: Last chapter of Collide! Picks up right after the last chapter and then features the epilogue which takes place two years into the future. But seriously thank you guys for reading this, it’s one of my faves and your kind words have meant the world to me. xoxoxo Word Count: 3,082
Final Chapter - “You and me?”
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
Spending the weekend tangled up in the sheets with the person you love sounds ideal doesn’t it? There’s something about reuniting in such an intimate way that can render you speechless even if just for a moment. Something Lucas Friar was good at.
I shifted in my spot, rolling over to come face to face with him. I watched the rise and fall of his chest as he peacefully slept beside me. He was on his back, left arm draped over his face while the other one was tucked underneath my arm. My white sheets covered his bottom half and I mindlessly traced circles around his bare chest where the morning sun was shining on.
Truth be told I could’ve stayed there for hours. But like most good things in my life, it came to a blinding halt.
Lost in a daze, my eyes glance up and see Lucas already staring down at me, a slight smirk on his face. He brushes the hair out of my face and playfully pulls me in for a tight hug, wrapping his arms around me in the process.
Just as our lips are about to meet for the umpteenth time we hear a loud knock on my door. The two of us jump out of bed, Lucas pulls on his boxers, I slide on his t-shirt and we head for the entrance. I wasn’t expecting anyone, I had the weekend off to deal with the publisher so it wasn’t anyone from the bar knocking with such urgency. I was silently praying it wasn’t any of my family. This was not how I wanted to introduce them to Lucas.
He holds his arm out to gesture to me to stay back as he looks through the peephole. I hear him mutter “unbelievable” under his breath before he reluctantly opens the door. It was his sister, Liz.
“What are you doing here?” He huffs as she lets herself in. “How did you know where to find me?”
“Don’t be silly Luke, I know you better than you think.” She rolls her eyes at her little brother before turning to me, a cheeky grin on her face. “Riley!” She reaches out and hugs me, squeezing tight as I try to pull away.
A bit baffled by her enthusiasm, considering I was under the impression his entire family hated me, I try not to think too much about it.
“Seriously Liz, how did you even know where Riley lives?” He persists, not willing to forget about the intrusion.
“You forget you’re still sharing your location with me on your phone?” She shakes her head, making herself comfortable on the grey fabric loveseat by the window.
“Well? What do you want?” He asks in frustration, making a mental note to end their sharing stream later on after she left.
“Long story short, Mom’s pissed.” The older blonde sighs, now moving her way around the tiny apartment. “She’s insisting you come to lunch today. Riley’s welcome to come as well.”
I feel a spark of panic flush over me at the idea. The only time I was in a room with his family I was completely heartbroken and left in a hurry. The last thing I wanted to do was face those people again. But the look on Lucas’ face pulled on my heart strings, I could see the internal battle he was having with himself. We both knew he’d never ask me to join him, but he was right about something. If we were going to work I had to be open to the idea of being a part of his world, not for them but for him.
“I’d love to.” I lie, politely smiling at his intrusive older sister. Lucas snaps his head back at me, eyes widen in shock that I would offer to tag along.
“Perfect!” She beams, grabbing her purse off the coffee table. “Then it’s settled. Lunch is at 2, upstate at Friar Manor, don’t be late.”
I wait for her to leave before I let myself fall back onto the sofa, sighing heavily. Lucas sits across from me on the table, waiting for me to sit up. “You didn’t have to do that.” He says first, a worried look etched on his perfectly chiseled face.
I reach out and grab his hand in mine, “And you don’t have to do this alone.”
“Yeah but I would never ask you to --.”
“Lucas.” I interrupt him. “You don’t have to ask, I want to be there for you.”
He smiles sweetly, joining me on the couch and pulling me into a warm embrace. “How’d I get so lucky?”
--
Feeling a sense of déjà vu as I stare over my appearance in the mirror. I couldn’t shake the feeling that no matter what I wore, or where I lived I would never be good enough for them. I shake the negative thoughts out of my head as I adjust my skirt.
Springtime in New York was always a tricky thing to dress for. Usually it was warm enough for just a light sweater but lately all they had been getting was rain so she wasn’t entirely sure what attire was appropriate. She opted for a high waisted mauve colored skirt that hit just above her knee and a cream off the shoulder sweater than she tucked in.
Afraid the humidity would ruin her hair if she let it loose, she pulled it up into a ponytail, leaving strands of curls out to frame her face and make the hairstyle look softer and not so sleek.
“You ready?” Lucas asks, resting his head on my shoulder as I’m still staring into the body length mirror. I nod my head nervously and he lets out a small chuckle before wrapping his arms around me and kissing me on the cheek. “You look beautiful. Thank you again for coming with me.”
“You owe me Friar.” I say flirtatiously as I bite down on my lip and turn myself around to face him.
He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and kisses me and before I know it we’re off.
--
The drive upstate is shorter than I had hoped. Since this was my first time hearing about let alone seeing Friar Manor I wasn’t too sure what to expect. Lucas drives slowly up the long windy driveway until we reach the house.
As we stepped from the black car, I had to stop myself from gaping at the large mansion, towering over us as if attempting to intimidate me. The cream coating of the paint shined as the sun beat down on it, causing me to have to squint. Uniquely twisted fencing kept the house enclosed, although it sat on a rather large chunk of land I couldn’t help but notice the neatly trimmed hedges surrounding the house.
The roof was peaked, slanting down at an angle and the windows had pearl colored curtains hanging on the other side of them, drawn so that the sunlight could stream through.
As we stepped onto the walkway to make our way to the front entrance, I noticed a marble fountain sitting towards the right side of the lawn. An angel holding a flower was perched on top, looking up towards the sky. Water spurted from its other hand, which lay gently out in front of it, as if waiting for someone to take it in return. The water fell gently towards the crystal blue pool beneath it, causing ripples to form and wave out until they were no more.
I feel Lucas squeeze my hand, not realizing that he had been holding it the entire time. My mind was too busy trying to take everything in. As we’re standing there before the doorbell he turns to me, hesitant, “It’s not too late to turn back.”
I considered it for a moment much to his amusement but before either of us had a chance to act, the door slowly slides open.
Liz smiles mischievously at the two of us, pulling us inside so we’re standing in the foyer. The beige and white marbled floor of the entrance glowed, obviously having been cleaned before we came. Stairs lay across the room, climbing toward the ceiling. An archway was on either side, one admitting you into the kitchen, the other into the living room. The walls were a dark blue with silver brush swipes crossing over it, creating a shimmer effect.
“Mother and Father are outside on the terrace.” She gives us another encouraging nudge as she walks ahead, leaving Lucas and I in her dust.
I watched as the fierce blonde, strolls out onto the deck, pouring herself a drink before she lounges across a sun bed that was off to the side. My eyes scan the backyard and right in the middle I see his parents.
“Oh look, it’s Conrad and Victoria.” I say sarcastically under my breath.
“Is that another reference I won’t understand?” Lucas asks, an endearing smile on his face.
I nod my head playfully and he grabs hold of my hand again as we head for the back.
Mr. and Mrs. Friar don’t seem too surprised to see me, although they didn’t look very enthusiastic either. Thankfully there’s not enough time for small talk as lunch is served almost immediately.
For the first 20 minutes or so everyone is silent. The only sound that can be heard is the shuffling of forks and knives against the ceramic plates and the muffling tune of chewing.
“So Rory, what do you do?” Mr. Friar asks, finally breaking the silence.
“It’s Rory.” Liz corrects him, giving me a wink to let me know she had my back.
“She’s a soon to be published writer.” Lucas answers for me, glaring at his father while his mother scoffs, completely unimpressed.
“And until you’re published?” Mrs. Friar persists, raising her overly drawn on eyebrows at me.
“I’m a bartender, actually.”
I watch as his parents exchange a look, a look I knew all too well. It was the same look my mother had when she found out I was bartending after graduating from school. Disappointment.
“So that’s how you two met?” Mrs. Friar continues, “At a bar?”
“Sure is.” Lucas replies through gritted teeth.
The conversation momentarily shifts to Liz and her circle of friends and for a second I feel a bit more at ease, hoping the storm had passed. But of course, the worst was yet to come.
“Oh that reminds me Luke, I wanted to introduce to Caroline Reeves daughter, Priscilla.” Mrs. Friar cuts off Liz mid-sentence, focusing all her attention on Lucas. “She just graduated from Brown and was looking for an escort to show her around the city. So I volunteered your time.”
“Don’t you think you should’ve asked him first, mother?” Liz snaps, a look of complete bewilderment on her face.
“You don’t mind do you darling?” His mother asks, smiling expectantly at her son.
“Of course he minds, he has a girlfriend and you’re trying to pimp him off.” Liz continues, motioning in my direction.
“I’m sure Roxy will understand. Won’t you?”
“For the last time her name is Riley.” Lucas steps in, raising his voice slightly. “And yes, I do mind.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’m with Riley, mother.” He answers as if it was obvious.
The bottle blonde huffs in disgust to show her displeasure, “Don’t be ridiculous Lucas. What you have with this girl isn’t forever, it’s merely a phase.”
“Excuse me?” His voice is much louder now. His father sighs softly, completely unbothered by what was happening, as if he was used to his wife’s shenanigans by now.
“This is not the type of woman you settle down with Lucas, she’s a bartender for crying out loud!” She shakes her head in disapproval. “She doesn’t belong here.”
Everything goes quiet. Lucas stands up from his chair, aggressively throwing his cloth napkin at the table. “You know what, mother? The only reason I’m here right now is because Riley wanted me to make up with you guys. She doesn’t deserve this.”
“I’ve been nothing but hospitable to that girl. This is the second time I’ve opened up one of my homes to her. She should be grateful she’s here at all.”
“That girl?” He glares at her, “That girl is the most amazing, compassionate, hard working person I have ever met. That girl is more than just a bartender, she graduated from Columbia University Suma Cum Laude, she comes from a good family with good morals and work ethic, she is what I aspire to be. That girl has shown me an infinite amount of kindness, which is more than I can say for you. That girl means everything to me…and I love her.”
“You do?” I hear the sound of my own voice crack as I finally open my mouth to speak for the first time in 30 minutes. I blink away the tears that formed in my eyes and concentrate on the man standing before me. He reaches out his hand for me to take and swiftly pulls me to my feet.
“I love you Riley.” He continues, not breaking his gaze. “And I hope that you feel the same too.”
I cup my hand to his cheek, as my heart pounds in my chest. “I’ve never loved anyone or anything as much as I love you, Lucas Friar.”
He flashes me a goofy smile before pulling me in to plant a sweet kiss on my lips. As we pull away, I can see a smile on Mr. Friar’s face. If I hadn’t known any better I’d swear he looked proud.
Without saying any last parting words, he grabs my hand and leads me out the door.
“You and me?” He asks as we jump into the car.
“You and Me.”
-------- Two Years Later -------
Today was the big day. I sat anxiously in the backroom, popping mint after mint to try and calm the nauseous feeling in my stomach. I watched as the hands on the clock ticked away each minute and each minute that went by I felt more and more panicked.
I did my best to stop the negative thoughts from creeping up in my head but somehow they always ended up back there. I start to chew on my nail as I think about all the things that could go wrong but all of that vanishes when Eli pokes his head in.
He smiles and opens the door wide enough for the two of us. “We’re ready for you.”
I take a deep breath and make my way down the aisle, I could hear the faint murmur of guests waiting for me to arrive as I round the corner of the nonfiction section of the bookstore.
When I come into view I immediately see some friendly familiar faces. I’m offered a round of applause before taking my seat at the table of my book signing.
The first two people in line are my parents and younger brother, they excitedly hand me their copy of my book ‘Collide’ and embarrassingly cheer me on as I scribble down my signature.
After my parents it’s my Aunt Morgan, holding a rather large pile of my books in her hands. She smiles fondly and reminds me several times that she’s proud of me, and that she knew I could do it all along.
Next in line is Maya and Josh who have reconciled over the last year. As it turns out, she and Zay were just friends and he was giving her a space to live while she cleared her head.
Speaking of Zay, he was right behind the happy couple, along with Farkle and Izzy. Zay let it be known that his favorite character in my novel was the guy named “Tay” though personally, I don’t see why.
Farkle said even though he doesn’t appreciate fiction he’d read mine anyway and Izzy just asked that I pen her a personal message which of course I did.
Even the gang from Bar Louie swung by to give their congratulations and wish me success.
After the sea of familiar faces, I get to meet actual people that read and loved my book and not just family members who were obligated to. Everyone is so unbelievably nice and as the signing comes to an end, I feel this bittersweet feeling wash over me.
For the past almost three years I worked endlessly on this book, trying to make it something that I loved and would be proud to share with the world. It’s filled with characters I love and have grown attached to, in a way it’s like an extension of who I am. Knowing that it’s out there for anyone to read is a scary thought but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
There’s about 10 people left waiting in line when I hear a familiar voice from the other side of the table, looking down upon me.
“So, Miss New York Times bestselling author, do you think maybe I can get those digits?” Lucas asks with a smirk, sliding over a brand new copy of my book.
“Ooo I would but unfortunately I’m engaged.” I pout playfully, flashing him the ring he put on my finger.
“Lucky man.” He smiles, leaning over the table.
He steals a kiss or two before I manage to push him away. He insisted on being a good fiancé and buying multiple copies of my novel whenever he saw it in store. But I’d much rather he left it there for someone else to buy. Nonetheless, he was much more determined to win this battle than I was.
“You get these for free, Lucas.” I laugh, prying the book away from him. “Now get outta my line.” I say, shooing him towards the door.
He shoots me a wink and gives my hand a squeeze as he turns on his feet. “I’ll see you at home.” He calls out, waving as he exits the bookstore, a bag thrown over his shoulder.
It isn’t until he’s out the door that I realized he discreetly placed something in the palm of my hand.
I unravel the paper and see that it’s a receipt for a purchase of 10 copies of my book. On the bottom he scribbled something in black sharpie. It read:
You should’ve believed me when I told you I was relentless.
I love you always. - Lucas