Game On, Pretty Boy. ♕ RUCAS

♕ Chapter ThirtyFive ♕ - A mosaic of shattered pieces

How am I supposed to believe that the boy that had been here a few hours ago, that sat with me in my bay window and told me he loved me and told me about the one thing that constantly haunts him, would do this to me? The same boy that I had spent hours talking to, dancing with on a parking lot, presented to the dearest friends and family in my life.

I don't want to believe it. I can't. He wouldn't hurt me, he wouldn't deceive me like this, trick me, make a fool out of me.

"Look," Charlies' voice broke my trail of thoughts, "ask him."

___

In the stillness of a winter night, I found myself standing outside Lucas' house, my breath misting in the freezing air. The world around me is quiet, blanketed in snow, but inside my mind, a storm rages. Moments earlier, Charlie had revealed a devastating truth—a cruel bet, made months ago, with me as its unwitting prize. The warmth that once filled my heart has been replaced by a cold, numbing ache. As I stared at the darkened windows of Lucas' home, I battled the whirlwind of betrayal and heartbreak, wondering how the boy I loved, who I thought loved me, could have been so callous.

Before arriving, I had sent a brief message to Lucas: We need to talk. Now, I stood there, waiting for him to step out into the cold night, my phone clutched tightly in my hand. Every second felt like an eternity, the silence amplifying the pounding of my heart. The snow crunched beneath my boots as I shifted anxiously, trying to hold myself together. I didn't know what I was going to say when Lucas finally appeared, but I knew I couldn't leave without confronting him. The truth was out, and nothing would ever be the same.

A while ago, Lucas had replied to my message, saying he'd be at my place in ten minutes. But I couldn't wait that long, the weight of Charlie's revelation too heavy to bear. Without a second thought, I texted back, I'm outside your house. Come out. Now, I stood there, the cold biting through my coat, my breath coming in shallow puffs. The anticipation twisted my insides as I stared at the front door, waiting for Lucas to emerge. I wasn't sure how he'd react, but I knew that this conversation was inevitable. I had to face him, even if it shattered my heart in the process.

As I waited in the cold, a sliver of hope flickered in my chest. Maybe Lucas would step outside and tell me it wasn't true, that Missy had lied to Charlie just to cause trouble. Perhaps the conversation Charlie had overheard in the hallway had been misinterpreted—twisted into something it wasn't. I clung to the possibility that Lucas hadn't used me, hadn't tricked me into falling in love just to win a cruel bet. I wanted to believe there was some other explanation, something that would make sense of the mess swirling in my mind. As I waited, my heart battled between hope and dread, praying for the truth I so desperately wanted to hear.

When Lucas finally stepped outside, his expression was a mix of confusion and concern. He wrapped his arms around himself against the cold, his breath visible in the frosty air as he looked at me with worried eyes.

"Riley, what's going on? Why are you here so late? What's so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" he asked, his voice soft, but tinged with unease.

I could see the genuine worry on his face, and for a moment, it made me hesitate. His confusion seemed real, and the concern in his eyes almost made me believe that he wasn't the person Charlie had described. But the hurt inside me was too deep to ignore, and I had to know the truth. I took a deep breath, steadying myself for the conversation that would either bring them closer or break them apart.

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding as she locked eyes with Lucas. "Charlie came to see me tonight," I began, my voice steady, though my emotions were anything but. I stopped there, holding back the rest, wanting to see how Lucas would react.