A Dirty Game - Chapter Twenty Two

Ruby watched each step she made carefully, each indention in the rain similar to the last. When her mind turned against her, she turned to simple things such as this in order to clear her thoughts. The hatred was flaring inside her, the flames licking at her rib cage, mocking the space where her black heart was. She always became dramatic and poetic when depression kicked in. She was on her way to Braiden's, hoping they were back by the time she'd get there. Drops slid down the umbrella, she tried to count them, nearly running into a couple holding hands. Like she did as a little girl, she walked deliberately through them, forcing them to break their hold on each other, smiling grimly to herself as they went on their way. She peeked over her shoulder, tilting her umbrella, and saw that they'd just recaptured hands as soon as she'd left their presence. Time slowed and blurred and bent around her head as an idea hit her.

Braiden wouldn't care about one little kiss. He knew how different she was used to living, just how twisted her old morals had been. He wouldn't abandon her. In fact she knew he wouldn't, and a weight drifted off her shoulders. She felt so much better suddenly. The one thing that haunted her the most was the thought of losing the best goddamn thing she'd ever had. Braiden had saved her from a continued life of bitchery and hatred, complete materialism and loneliness. She knew it was coming, but she'd rather pretend he'd never leave her. As good a person that he was, he wasn't made for someone so bitter and sick. He would soon tire of her, the snide comments that sometimes slid out accidentally, the amount of money she spent on clothes and life in general, the past that dragged behind her. She was simply too bad for him.

She put more speed into her walk, wanting to prove her own point right. He would understand. He would. And if he couldn't accept her... she would tell him. She would reveal to him the one thing only her family knew about. The thing that Lauryn had stumbled across accidentally and swore never to tell anyone. Then she would truly be naked to him, ALL flaws rich for picking.
----------------------------------------------------------

Her timing couldn't have been better. She reached his door as the family car pulled up and the rain stopped.
She watched as James slid out easily, his long legs going first. He smiled at her, reaching behind her and unlocking the door.
"I'll leave you two alone, you look very anxious Ruby, are you okay?"
"Fine thanks, just ready to go home and conk out." She laughed, the lie coming easily. He chuckled with her, understanding, or at least thinking he did.
"Ruby." Braiden grinned, shutting the car door before pulling off his faded black shirt, discarding it on the car hood and confusing her. He then grabbed her up into a bare chested, warm and familiar hug. She held on to him, breathing in his scent, burying her nose deep into his tanned neck.

"Hmmm you smell different." She murmured, tempted to lick his skin.
His laugh vibrated through her body.
"That's why I took off my shirt. We've been helping to fix some stuff at the perfume shop in the center, I didn't want you to eat me." He joked. She darted out of his grasp and snatched up his shirt between her talons, bringing it to her nose.
"Oh my GOD!" She breathed again, closing her eyes briefly. "You're not getting this shirt back." She told him seriously, not caring that he found this is all hilarious, bent over and howling his eyes out. She tucked it into her back pocket and turned her gaze onto his well-defined body. Never failed to please her.

But she had things to do. People to disappoint.

"This is why I love you; so predictable," he said as he straightened up. The words elicited no response from her, which was what told him something was amiss.
"Braiden, I made a mistake today." She said quietly. He didn't reply, just took her fingers in his, making it harder for her.
"I met Lauryn's twin, and we got on very well you could say."
"That's great, but I don't see." He frowned.
"Carlson. That's his name. Very confident. In fact, he uh, he kissed me," she was uncomfortable now. She wouldn't meet his eyes but she felt him freeze.

"And I kissed him back."

Boom.

The fatal words.

He let go of her hands.

Her eyes flew to his as they widened.

His eyebrows furrowed in the middle.

He struggled to get words out, to understand.

"You - you kissed him?"

His voice was strained, anger laced his words. She felt even more of a bitch for bringing anger into his life again. She nodded.

He turned away from her, sitting down heavily on the doorstep. Trying to sort his thoughts. It was coming. She could feel it. The end. A dark cloud hovered over her head, swarming, buzzing. It would only take a sentence to decide whether it settled or left.

"Why would you do that?" He asked, finally in control of his emotions. She knelt in front of him, searching in his confused green eyes.
She took a deep breath, letting out all her inhibitions. He lowered his head, as if he didn't want to hear bullshit. That hurt deep, but she didn't let it deter her.

"I've had depression ever since I was 13." Braiden's head shot up.
"I've been popping pills for four years. I don't even remember a time when I didn't have to. Sometimes, my mind doesn't like me, and I do stupid things and regret them later. I know it doesn't excuse what I've done, for how cold I act, but that's all I know how to do. Letting people get close means letting them know the real me. The real me with the fucked up psyche, the broken family, the lies, the image. Even though I love you, and I do Braiden," she cupped his cheek "I still rebel against that. I find it hard to handle."

He didn't even think. He pulled her down and wrapped his arms around her. He hugged her for every word she'd said, for every tear she'd ever shed. And she shook in his embrace. He accepted her despite everything. He really loved her.
The sound of gravel underfoot distracted them, and Lauryn halted, out of breath from running. Her frantic eyes flickered over Braiden and Ruby, taking in the embrace.
"Oh thank God!" She wheezed. She chucked a small tube at Ruby, who snatched it out of the air.
"Thank you." She smiled, about to slip it into her jeans.

"Can I see?" Braiden blurted. She handed it to him, and he read what it said.
"It's there, in black and white. I found it hard to believe too" Lauryn gestured.
"Wow."
Ruby laughed a little, the black cloud no longer hovering.
"Oh by the way Rube-" Lauryn began to say as a car skidded to a halt in the middle of the driveway. The last person Ruby expected to see bolt from the car was Taylor.
"Yeah, that."
He flew up the path, his hair mussed up and his face red.
"What the HELL?! I get a call from a panicking mum telling me that you're on one, only to find you here, PERFECTLY fine!"

Lauryn coughed guiltily, looking down whilst Ruby watched Taylor regain his calm.

"I was on a DATE! You're FINE!" He punctuated these words with a clap.

"Thanks Taylor, we get it, I'm fine. I was 'on one' thank you very much but Braiden brought me out of it. Okay?"

Taylor glared at me, than Lauryn before softening his gaze for Braiden, the hero.
"Thank you for that. I take it you know?" He asked.
"Yep." Braiden nodded.
Taylor glanced at Ruby curiously, probably because he knew how protective she was over her 'illness'.
"Well. I'll be going then, but I'm not done with you Rube. Hopefully she hasn't gotten very far, but I promise, if I don't get laid tonight, heads are gonna roll," he fumed, turning on his heel and going back to the car.

They all burst out laughing, mostly at his choice of words.

"I promise!" Ruby mimicked.
"If I don't get laid tonight!" Lauryn continued.
"Heads are gonna roll, fwafwafwafwa." Braiden ended.

Ruby felt safe. She'd never told anyone about her depression. No one was ever allowed that close. Watching her father have constant affairs, her mother pretending she didn't know, her brother retaliating by bringing countless girls to the house at night, all proved to send her round the bend. Her parents put her into a public school to give her normal experiences until she could decide whether she wanted public or private. Girls sucked up to her at school because she was rich, and the boys didn't like her for that exact reason. She had a confusing childhood, and often spent her time alone in order to avoid all of that. Soon she spiraled into a deep abyss where no one could reach her. And then her Grandma died. No one could've ever predicted her reaction. Mostly because no one knew that her Grandma was the only person who she really loved. When Lacey and Phillip were arguing, she'd get her dad's chauffeur to drive her over there. She'd be welcomed with wide arms, the familiar lavender settling in her nose, her Grandma's wiry gray hair tickling her ear.

Then she died, the funeral was extravagant as expected, but it was the end of her world . Ruby sat down in the cemetery, her hand on Agnes' tombstone, her eyes closed. And she didn't move for two days. She didn't cry, she didn't blink one tear. People worried about her, they shook her, they called her, they tapped her, they tried to move her. She was resilient. Her family took shifts watching her, because there was nothing they could do, she wouldn't eat or drink. Taylor found it hilarious, kicking back with magazines in the dusty cemetery, whilst her mum cried to herself and her dad tapped away on his Blackberry. Finally Lacey gave up hoping it would sort itself and called a doctor. The next day, she was diagnosed with depression, the word strong enough to drag her out of her 'sleep', tears finally spilling over her sunken cheekbones.

And now she could finally tell not one, but two people, two of the closest people she would ever wish for. And they didn't pity nor judge her. They took it in their stride.

The front door opened behind them and Mary Jane popped up.
"Hello love." She scooped Ruby into a bear hug that reminded Ruby of her grandma. She shook of the memory and introduced Lauryn.
"Mary Jane, this is my best friend Lauryn. Lauryn, this is Braiden's mum Mary Jane."
Mary Jane, not one for handshakes, gave Lauryn a jolly hug.
"Pleased to meet you but please, call me MJ."
"Okay, MJ." Lauryn smiled.

"I just came out to see if the rain had stopped properly." MJ peered at the sky. Braiden saw right through his mother.
"Sure mum, of course it has nothing to do with your nosiness." He chuckled.
She raised an eyebrow "I don't know what you mean my boy."
She wandered away, leaving the door open.

"Always has been a nosy parker." He retorted.
"I heard that!" MJ called.
They all laughed, and then settled into a comfortable silence.
Lauryn broke it.
"I'm so sorry about Carlson. He does this all the time. He likes to kiss girls too much, I think he might be trying to reach a goal." She sighed.
Ruby grunted.
"It's fine, Braiden isn't taking it to heart and that's all I care about."

Lauryn watched as he took Ruby's hand in his and kissed her fingers. An amused but adoring look adorned Ruby's face. They were so in love, and it made her wish for Gray. He was away doing an expedition with Cadets and wouldn't be back till the end of the week. Lauryn suddenly wanted to call him and hear his voice, she didn't even know if he had his phone. She told them she had to be going, wiped the dirt off the seat of her jeans and walked off, deep in thought.

They watched her go, grateful for the alone time.
"Don't lose her, Ruby, don't."
"I've changed now, YOU took care of that. I no longer want to push people away, no longer scared of them getting close" Ruby murmured into Braiden's bare chest. It was cold outside, a small breeze whipping her hair into a frenzy. She noticed goosebumps on his arms and the fine hair on his torso were at a stand.
"How did you stay out here for so long topless? You're freezing!" She exclaimed, feeling his skin. He shrugged.
"I'm just a man." He joked, making a mock sexy face at her.
"Hmmm, my man." She clarified, settling between his legs and wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her nose instead of saying anything.

"My cold man."
"Now you're just teasing. Are you planning on warming up my cold but cultivated body?" He raised an eyebrow.
Ruby let a hand slide down his well formed chest, over his abdominal and rest at the waistband of his jeans. His eyes sparkled, and she wanted them to stay that way forever. With the trees along the driveway swaying, and the ground beneath them wet, she could feel goosebumps not from the weather, but from passion. It bubbled under the surface of her skin, and his too, though he tried to hide it. He wanted to show her that what they had was more than physical attraction. They connected on other planes, on other levels, in other worlds. It didn't stop her from wanting though...

He caught her lips with his, and gripped her waist, already lost in her scent, her hair, her skin. Her hand stayed hooked into his boxers, fingers trailing along sensitive skin...
--------------------------------------------------------

Cliffhanger! Now, tell me that picture isn't perfect for Ruby?! Even she can make taking pills glamorous right ;) If her condition is a shock to you, let me know! If it isn't, let me know why you're so inquisitive huh :D Ciao my loves xx.