Game On, Pretty Boy. ♕ RUCAS

♕ Chapter ThirtyFive ♕ - A mosaic of shattered pieces

At the mention of Charlie's name, Lucas' expression darkened. "Charlie?" he repeated, his tone laced with annoyance. "What did he want? That guy's always causing trouble."

I noticed the edge in his voice, the disdain he barely concealed whenever Charlie came up. But I didn't let it sway me. I kept her gaze steady on his, searching for something—anything—that might reveal what Lucas was really feeling. "He said he needed to tell me something," I continued, my words hanging in the cold air between them, leaving out the specifics on purpose.

Lucas' frown deepened, and for a moment, he seemed genuinely perplexed. "What did he say?" he asked, his voice softer now, tinged with both curiosity and frustration.

I hesitated, still hoping Lucas' reaction might reveal the truth. I watched him closely, waiting to see if he would offer up an explanation, if there was anything in his response that might confirm or deny what Charlie had told me.

I took a step closer to Lucas, my breath visible in the cold night air. "Lucas," I began, my voice tinged with uncertainty, "how important is honesty to you?"

Lucas blinked, clearly taken aback by the sudden question. "Honesty? It's one of the most important things to me, you know that," he replied, his confusion evident as he studied my face. "Why are you asking me this, princess?"

I felt a lump form in my throat as I listened to his answer. His words sounded sincere, but the doubt inside me wouldn't settle. I searched his eyes, trying to read past the confusion and into his heart, wondering if he was as truthful as he claimed.

"Charlie came to see me tonight. He said he needed to tell me something." I left it at that, my eyes locked on Lucas, waiting for his reaction, hoping that his response would somehow give me the clarity I was desperately seeking.

I took a deep breath, my heart racing as I decided to finally confront him. "Charlie told me something tonight, something that I can't just ignore," I said, my voice trembling slightly. I watched Lucas carefully as I continued, "He said that months ago, you made a bet with your friends about making me fall in love with you."

The words hung in the air, heavy and cold. For a moment, Lucas just stared at me, his expression one of shock and disbelief. "What?" he finally said, shaking his head. "Riley, that's not true. I would never do something like that."

I searched his face, looking for any sign of deceit, but all I saw was confusion and hurt. "Charlie must have misunderstood, or maybe someone fed him a lie, Riles." Lucas insisted, his voice firm.

Despite the conviction in his voice, I felt a wave of uncertainty wash over me. I wanted to believe him, to trust that the boy standing in front of me wasn't capable of such a cruel game. But the seed of doubt had already been planted, and I wasn't sure if I could ignore it.

I listened to Lucas' heated explanation but remained unconvinced. "I still don't know," I said, shaking my head. "Charlie seemed pretty certain about what Missy told him."

Lucas' face darkened with frustration. "Of course, Missy would spread lies," he snapped. "She's bitter because I chose you over her. She's trying to cause trouble. And Charlie's probably just going along with it because he has feelings for you and hates me."

At the mention of Brandon, however, Lucas' face went pale. He fell silent, his eyes widening slightly as the reality of what I had said sank in. "Brandon?" he finally murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "He... he mentioned something to Missy?"

I nodded, watching his reaction closely.

Lucas stood frozen for a moment, his usual confidence draining away. He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the ground as he struggled to find the right words. "I didn't know Brandon had said anything," he said slowly, his voice trembling with a mix of embarrassment and anxiety. "Riley, what I feel for you is real. Missy and Charlie are just twisting things to make us doubt each other."