Ruby

Abby and I spent the entire night watching movies but it was evident that our minds were elsewhere. While I wasn't aware of what was on Abby's mind that made her wear a sad face at intervals, I spent most of the night thinking of what to do to help her without hurting her.

I almost went to my Mom to seek her advice but I saw how desperate Abby was to keep the issue a secret.

It bothered me greatly that she wanted things to be that way, but I had to respect her choices regardless.

I sighed deeply as I opened my eyes to the early afternoon light that had befallen my room. While I murmured words I didn't understand, I turned to face the other side but my satisfying stretching was cut short once I noticed that Abby was no longer beside me.

Immediately, I jumped up, my mind already in jeopardy. I had a feeling that she had left and considering the fact that Mr. Grassi was still walking about like an innocent man, anything could still happen to her.

Just as my feet came in contact with my slippers, my eyes shifted and caught Abby's figure stylishly opening the door to my room.

"Stop right there, young lady," I sternly said and she complied, thankfully.

I hurried toward her, grabbed her arms the best way I could, and even though it was not so easy, I made her turn to face me. My brows twitched as her emotionless face caught my attention.

"Where are you off to?" I asked.

"School," she simply said.

"Why?"

"I need to get something."

"That's what you said yesterday and what happened after..." My heart became suddenly heavy as I thought about the saddening issue. "... well, it was a crazy sight to behold."

"I'll be fine," she said with a forced smile. "I just need to get my works from the art class before he gets his hands on them."

"Do you mean Mr. Grassi?" She nodded and I found no reason to lash out at her. It was quite understandable what she intended to do. "Let me come with you then," I said after a few seconds of silence and she easily wore a frown on her face.

"Ruby, you don't have to."

I wanted to glare at her but it would have seemed too insensitive of me.

"Why are you trying to be unnecessarily strong? I was not there for you when that terrible thing happened. But I want to be there for you now and I want to make sure that man doesn't come near you."

"Stop trying to act like some hero, Ruby. You don't even understand what I'm going through." Her eyes narrowed with certain hatred. Who that hatred was meant for, was the question that came to my mind. "You can never understand since things have been easy for you. You can go to any college of your choice, and you can easily pay for it. Your parents don't treat you like trash, your life is so freaking happy. You hardly have issues, so what can you possibly understand? Nothing."

She spat the last word in my face and I felt pain inside my soul. On the other hand, my face looked like I wasn't affected by her words. She was hurting, she was blaming herself so much, so she needs someone or something to share that burden with.

So, I ignored the strong pinching in my chest and said, "I'm going to school with you. We will pick up your stuff and come back home."

My grip on her arms disappeared and I locked my door with its key that I hardly use and went into the bathroom to take a quick bath.

All these I did, while ignoring how pained Abby's earlier words made me feel.

~

Thanks to the bi-weekly practice of some of the functioning clubs in the school on Saturdays, we entered the school premises without issues.

Awkward silence between us, Abby and I walked towards the art workshop. As our paces advanced towards the room, my eyes occasionally glanced in her direction. I had questions for her but I couldn't ask them.

Not yet.

So, we continued the walk in silence.

Once at the entrance, Abby hurriedly walked into the room and after a deep sigh escaped me, I went in as well.

"There is no practice today, come back to..." My brows lifted at the presence of Adonis who was slouched over the mess created the previous day. "... morrow," he completed his sentence.

"Ado... Mr. Klaus, what are you doing here?" I asked as my feet advanced in his direction.

His lips formed into a fine smile. "I could ask you the same thing."

His gaze shifted towards Abby whose eyes were wandering the room while her left hand rubbed through her right arm. "Abby, how are you feeling?"

She shrugged and replied, "Not so bad. I'll excuse you two, I just want to get my work before he comes to destroy it."

Adonis looked in my direction and my shoulders slumped slightly before heaving another deep sigh.

Once Abby had three canvases in her grasp, she told me she would be waiting for me outside and the warm smile she sent my way made me want to instantly voice the questions in my mind.

"How is she doing?" Adonis asked.

I tore my eyes from the filled boxes on the ground.

"I am hoping that she gets better. What are you doing here?"

"Well," his deep voice filled my ears and I couldn't help a little smile, "since Abby doesn't want anyone to know about the incident, it is better to get rid of all the mess."

"Adonis?" He grabbed my hand in response to my calling. "Does it make me a terrible friend if I keep thinking that I should tell someone about what happened? I know she doesn't want me to say anything, but I desperately want to, I want someone with greater power to help her."

His warmth covered me strongly as his hold persisted. "Do you think it will be better to tell someone about it?"

"If the person will help, yes. I can't keep acting like she wasn't abused, it keeps hitting me that this situation will keep haunting her and I really want to do something to help."

"Hmm," he hummed.

And I raised my head to look into his eyes and while I bothered with that, his hand reached the arch of my back and he drew me into his chest with a gentle push.

I was startled, for a second.

The next second, I was smiling with relief at how relaxed his hug made me feel. As his other hand rested on the back of my head and secured my figure in his lovely hold, I immediately felt the urge to cry.

It was unexplainable- the thing going on within me.

All I knew was that I wasn't eager to leave his embrace.

"Do you know what I think?" Hearing Adonis's voice so close to me stirred my insides even more.

"Even though what you hope to do is right, respecting what your friend wants is a better option. Just stay by her side and aim at making memories that would push that bad situation away from her to some extent. Perhaps, one day, she will finally tell someone about it."

"But..." My fingers pulled at his shirt gently as my hands tried to form a fist. "I can't bear the thought of Mr. Grassi still walking about like he didn't do something wrong."

"Ruby, don't worry yourself so much, I am sure Mr. Grassi will get a taste of his medicine."

"Wait..." I frowned and I looked up at him. "Are you going to do something to him?"

Adonis gave a brief smile. "How have you been? You didn't look so good when you walked in earlier. Did you argue with Abby?"

I could swear, there was more to his smile. And the fact that he used to be a gangster makes me kind of scared for Mr. Grassi.

"Abby said some hurtful words, but I know that she didn't mean them, so I'm fine."

He brought my head up with a slight touch to my chin. Scrutinizing my face made him comment, "I know you are not fine. Did her words affect you that much?"

The side of my lips tugged slightly. My line of sight darted to the left as I tried to avoid that topic.

"I am fine, Adonis."

"If you say so. I have missed you so much," he suddenly dropped and my heart jumped excitedly.

But my face, which was becoming an expert at masking emotions, remained calm.

"But you saw me yesterday," I said.

"You sound like you didn't miss me. Should I correct this error in your system?" he asked with a teasing voice.

"How would you do that?" My lips were struggling so hard to not smile.

His alluring eyes toured the entire perimeter of my face. With a smile of determination on his lips, I just knew something was about to happen.

And something did happen.

Sparks flew inside me as his lips eagerly kissed mine. His hand around my waist raised me slightly, communicating his need for more contact and an almost equal response from me.

My arms around him which had stilled as my insides melted at the delightful contact got rid of their stiffness. And they held onto his fabric tightly while I tiptoed to give my angled head more advantage.

His soft lips captured mine again with a smile and I enjoyed the bliss of the moment. I delved deep into the journey of the joining of our lips and tongues. The constant contact made me crave more and more as time went by.

As Adonis's fingers raked through my hair, I suddenly recalled that I was keeping Abby waiting. Even if it was a good way to fuel me out of the sadness of the day, I shouldn't be kissing my boyfriend when my saddened and burdened friend was barely metres away.

So, I broke the kiss and with a softened voice, I said, "I have to go now. Abby needs me."

"Hmm..." His head rested on mine. "Yes, she does."

His actions contradicted his words because he held me even tighter.

My sight rested on the paintings hung on the wall, and I said, "You need to let me go, Adonis."

"Do you remember that dream of mine?" he suddenly asked.

"The one where you wake up to me by your side?"

"I had the same dream yesterday. But it was way better this time." Adonis finally let go of me.

"I really want it to come to pass. I am always cheerful around you. I hardly had the chance to smile or had a reason to smile in the past. So now that you are the reason I found my smile, I want to make you stay by my side for as long as possible."

Before I could blink, another kiss landed on my forehead.

"You should get going. I'll see you later."

"Oh..." His words from earlier were so heavy and bothering and it made me realise that, just like Abby, I was yet to know a lot about the man that keeps intruding into my heart.

"Bye." I waved at him with a smile.

But as I walked out of the room, I wore a more serious look. While I was glad that

I was a source of joy to the man I loved, it bothered me that I never paid attention to how weighed down people around me have been. I hardly know what's going on in the lives of people around me. I don't know how it's going with Mom and her pregnancy. Zion's life has become a foreign topic to me. Abby had something greatly bothering her and I never questioned my suspicions when I noticed strange things.

Even though Jake has his secret, it wouldn't have hurt me to check on him once in a while.

And Adonis apparently has a lot bothering him from the life he left behind.

"Hey, Ruby, are you fine?" Abby pushed me out of my thoughts.

"Uh... Yeah." I looked at the items in her hold. "Let me help you with one of that."

"Thank you," she said. It looked like she was calmer and that relieved me.

"I-"

"We-" Our words overlapped after several minutes of silence that trailed us to the main exit of the school.

We smiled at each other, then I urged her to speak.

"I didn't mean what I said earlier. I was just-"

"Abby?" I questioned her sudden silence.

"It is that man," she blurted out all of a sudden.

I turned in the direction of her sight and I realised I knew the man approaching us. It was the bald man that was watching Adonis and me the day we went to the restaurant.

He looked a bit different though. He looked cleaner in the blue suit he was in, he looked like a rich fellow.

"That man has always been watching you. At first, I thought I was imagining it but..." Abby's worried tone made me more concerned.

I remember that I also saw that man with the Xylem gang the day they raided Adonis's place and it made me wonder if it was that Maximus guy that sent him.

"Ruby." He stopped in front of me, his eyes wearing an incomprehensible look.

"What are you doing here?"

He smirked. With one hand on the neatness of his buttoned suit, the man reached for a strand of my hair but I dodged his attempt.

"You shouldn't act this way, Ruby."

"Did Maximus send you?" I asked cautiously while something inside me hoping that Adonis would just come out.

"No. I came of my own accord."

"Why?"

"Why not?" He shrugged, then smiled. "Can't I pay my daughter a visit?"

"What?" I felt like I heard him wrong.

"Ruby..." His voice became tender, he took two more steps towards me, and I moved backwards. "My name is Mark Lumber. And I am your real father."