Not Meant To Be?

Guilt - tell me the truth! (18+)

In the last chapter, Lucien finds out that Ryan is gay and married to Carter. Riley is their family. Now, he needs answers. What happened all those years ago? Why was Riley in bed with Ryan? This time, Riley would talk, even if he had to tie her down somewhere. Idiot! Will you let her talk this time?

Ryan's parents, left to go to their room and the atmosphere lightened. Grace wanted to turn it into something entertaining and Ryan that idiot, now that he was relieved from all the stress, suggested that Riley and Carter sing. He happily explained to Grace how good they were and especially when they did duets. Grace sometimes, was like a dog with a bone. She refused to let go of an idea once it was born. She nagged, she begged, she pleaded, she threatened, until Riley and Carter gave in. She even demanded her favorite songs. Feeling guilty about the whole Lucien issue and making a scene a while ago with Ryan's parents, Riley gave in.

They got onto the stage and everyone slowly took notice and turned their attention to the stage. Lucien who was miles away, came to his senses when he heard the sound of a voice that he had heard a million times, but not in a long time. As he listened, his mind went back to the girl, who sang to him whenever he couldn't sleep. It got to a point where he couldn't sleep until she sang. Since she left his life, he hadn't slept much. Now, he listened, and his heart filled with regret. Maybe he should have listened to her then. He could have investigated or checked if the photos were genuine. His heart shattered in that moment. He, himself, had been the reason for his heartbreak. Now, it was too late to fix it. He pushed all his feelings behind him and took the opportunity to store more memories that will have to keep him content in the years to come. That is, until, he heard the opening chords of a song, that he loved. A song, they had both sung. It broke him even more. She was singing it with another man. It didn't matter that he was gay.

Riley was aware of the significance, of the song she was singing but, Grace loved it so she sang it. It was hard to sing it with Carter, when she had always sung it with Lucien however, those days were gone. They entertained everyone for an hour then moved to their table. Riley, made sure to send food up for Ryan's parents. It didn't matter if they were horrible, they were still his parents. Riley didn't look at Lucien once but she felt his burning gaze. She just wanted this wedding to be over with, even though she loved Grace. She wanted to go back to being herself. Being on edge all the time, was exhausting. Roberto appeared at her table. "Hello Riley. You look stunning. Mind if I sit here with you?" Riley politely offered him a seat. Roberto started chatting. He included the boys as well and Riley couldn't help responding to his charm. He came across as refreshing and honest. He made her laugh at his jokes and praises of her singing. She forgot everything else in that moment and just enjoyed his company.

Elena watched them and pondered on how to use Roberto to her advantage. "She was fuming about Ryan being gay. This put a spoke in her wheels. Elena wondered how she had never seen that. They had been very close and she had no qualms about using Ryan to achieve her own ends. She had introduced Grace to her cousin in the hopes of tightening her net around Lucien but they had fallen in love at first sight. She knew, that, that avenue was closed to her. She had to do something now to ensure that Lucien never lost his focus on her. She had to do something that would put Riley in a bad light but she had to be honest with herself. Riley hadn't done anything to gain Lucien's attention, no, it was all Lucien. If she didn't do something soon, Lucien would escape her net."

Lucien was in his own world. A part of him was aware of his surroundings but his mind was somewhere. The day he let Riley leave. The day, he accused her of being a vile person. The day, he lost a part of himself. Bitterness is one thing but regrets are another thing, altogether. When you lose one you love, your heart hurts alot. You feel like all hope is lost. Anger and jealousy make you say and do horrible things. Right this moment, he was extremely upset. Every time, Riley laughed, he wanted to punch Roberto. The idiot was smiling so much. All his teeth were showing. Just how many teeth did he have? Surely, he had more than the normal amount.