Sixty One

Ruby

"So..." With his eyes squinted with seriousness, my father got rid of his black suit, loosened the tie around the neck of his sky-blue shirt and traced the mark on my neck after. "This Bryan guy came into our house last night?"

I nodded, my mind wondering what will happen now that I have told him all about Bryan. How he murdered Maddison and about his weird psycho attitude around me. I didn't fail to mention Bryan's threats and how serious they were every time he made them.

But there was one thing I left out.

The fact that Bryan hated seeing me and Adonis together.

I felt strongly that that would give my Dad a chance to further disapprove of Adonis.

"I have so many questions," his thick voice whispered, his head ducking slightly as more lines of worry appeared on his face.  "But how could I have not noticed that something was wrong? The camera in your room has been working fine and-"

"Say what now?" My eyes bulged slightly, I locked eyes with my Dad as the thought that he has probably seen a lot of feminine things about me.

"I don't look at the footage, Ruby. Your father is not like that," he instantly put up an argument.

"Really? You just asked yourself how you didn't notice something was wrong."

How could I not know that there was a camera in my room? What if Bryan finds the footage and uses that to threaten me further?

"Ruby, I travelled yesterday. I check the footage every hour when I travel."

I nodded understandably even though my head was still asking so many questions as to how dangerous it could be to have a camera in my room when someone like Bryan Lockwood is in my life.

"I installed a camera to enhance security. Don't worry, there's one in every other room. Your father is just trying to protect you. And thankfully," his hands spread mid-air after detangling them from the firm folding he had earlier subjected them to, "you just survived an attack. Thanks to that camera, we'll get to see how things turned out. It can even be evidence to nab that guy."

"Okay, that's true. But-"

His brows lifted slightly as my lingering statement roused his curiosity. "Don't be surprised if you see Adonis in the clip, he saved me from Bryan."

"How did he know you were in trouble?" My father sharply asked and I frowned.

"Are you suggesting something, Dad?"

He sighed. "I am suggesting many things. I don't know this Adonis guy that well. The things I know about him so far are not so great, so do you expect me to believe that he entered at that very moment to save you? Did you text him while Bryan attacked you?"

"No, but-"

"Don't trust him too much, Ruby. It will be better for you that way."

I closed my eyes because it was not my intention to argue with my father at that moment.

"Okay..." My thick lashes danced gently while I reached a conclusion regarding my reaction to my Dad's words. "I will not trust him fully. But, you know," I scoffed, "I don't trust myself either, so how do you expect that I'll completely trust Adonis? I can't. I feel something great for him, true, but the doubts in my heart..." The palm of my right hand rested gently on the proposed position of the heart."... those doubts make me wary of any bad thing that might happen while I am with him."

"Then leave him," my Dad eagerly suggested, his swooning eyes begging me. "Don't do this to yourself, Ruby. This man will destroy you."

"I..." I closed my eyes once again as I felt some heaviness drop on my chest. This burden caused the corner of my eyes to sting with tears. Inhaling deeply after a few seconds to get myself together, I attempted to say something but nothing came.

"Ruby, talk to your father."

The suggestion my father made was like poison to my happy world. My happy world was nothing much.

Each time I close my eyes, I see that world that is filled with the most beautiful flowers. In the midst of that flowery world is Adonis. Every time I close my eyes and see Adonis in that world. a pleasant smile lands on my face and my heart feel warm just as it does whenever our lips meet.

But my father's bulldozing idea wants to ruin that world.

"I can't." My shoulders slumped as I opened my eyes. "The mere thought of it tortures me, Dad. I can't end things with him. I..."

My father's firm and huge arms enveloped me instantly and as his fingers raced through my hair, I was reminded of Adonis and I had the urge to let out my tears.

They were silent... The tears.

But my heart wasn't.

It throbbed as it pounded.

And that makes me wonder how in love with Adonis I am. I always thought I knew but it seemed there were some things I was yet to realise.

"Hey..." My father planted a kiss on my forehead. "Just be careful. I know I can't force you to stop liking this guy, and I know adding pressure to the issue will certainly break you. I had a similar experience once. Just-" He broke the hug, held my shoulders firmly, threw me a smile and continued with his comment, "Just be careful, Ruby. I'll watch out for you. If that guy tries nonsense, I won't listen to your heart, I'll get rid of him without hesitation."

I gasped in a comical way. That was my attempt to lighten the saddening mood.

"You'll kill him?"

"I wish. How dare he make my daughter's heart this confused?"

"Dad... He is not making me confused."

"Ruby, everyone in love is always confused, trust me."

"I hear you, Dad," I said as I threw my hands up in surrender. "But I promise you, Dad. I promise to take care of myself."

He smiled. "Anyway, since I am still not approving of this guy, I'll keep many eyes on him. Once he makes a wrong move, he's out of your life. So, you had better notify him."

'Oh, I am sure he can hear you', I thought, my head swinging to the side a bit as I prayed something doesn't go wrong with Adonis's hiding.

"So, this Bryan guy, I'll speak to Dave and we'll see what we can do about that."

"Did Mom tell you about the text I sent her?" I asked as soon as I recalled something important that needed to be done as early as possible to aid the many issues on ground.

"What text?"

With sudden energy, I jumped and knelt on the softness of the bed, my eyes wearing a certain plea that hoped my father wouldn't refuse what I was about to say.

I reached for his hands, stared into his eyes and said, "Okay, first, I need your friend's help."

"Which friend?" he asked, his lips forming a weird shape as he attempted to figure out where my sudden outburst of energy was going to lead.

"Mr. Dave. I need his help."

"Why?"

"I want to-" I had to pause. I was about to mention Bryan's name and that would be one solid reason to refuse my request. So, with small balls of laughter erupting from my mouth, I reasoned my statement.

"I want to help someone get justice and I need Dave's help with it."

"Who is this person?"

"Unfortunately, she is dead. But I must do this regardless. Her death can't be in vain, I don't want it to be in vain," I ended my rushed statement on a very sad note as the scene where Maddison breathed her last replayed in my head.

That death was too brutal and she didn't deserve it no matter the circumstance.

"Wait, calm down." The way my father held my shoulders firmly shot my mind out of the gory scene it kept playing.  "You haven't answered my question. Who is this person?"

"Maddison," I simply said.

"Okay. Who murdered her?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, hoping that it wasn't evident on my face that I was lying.

"That's what I want your friend Dave to find out. I want him to take over the investigation of her death, we need to find the killer and-"

"Okay, okay, catch a breath."

I inhaled and exhaled at his command.

"Yes, there you go," he said as he coordinated my breathing rate.  "That's good. Stay calm. I will speak to Dave about this but-"

"But?"

"I can't promise his cooperation. Things work differently in the law and order system and trust me, my dear daughter," he pushed back some strands of hair that were dangling, "it can be an ugly world over there too. But I will still talk to him and we'll see if something can be done."

"Thank you so much, Dad." I wore a huge smile as I celebrated taking a step forward in my plan.

"Ruby?"

"Yes, Dad?"

The stool he was seated on made a noise as it kissed the tile aggressively while he moved closer. The increased proximity between us made it possible for him to gently pull my head into his chest for a quick hug.

As I listened to his heartbeat with a smile on my face, he said, "Before Grace came into our lives, you know it was just you and I."

"And Fiona," I added.

He chuckled. "Yes. Before Grace, I was a terrible father to you. But now, I have learnt so much and seen so much, that it scares me whenever I see you grow more and more. I don't want to lose you, Ruby. So please, help me out and stay out of trouble. Please."

Why did his words break my heart? Perhaps, is it because I have never heard my father speak with such a sad tone?

"I will stay out of trouble, Dad, I promise."  Yes, that's the most I can do and I had better try to keep that promise.

"Your Mom would be so worried if I tell her about your panic attack," my father said after taking a look at the time strapped to his wrist.

I sat up, my lips now wearing a little smile. "I told her about Adonis."

"Seriously?"

"I had to. We shouldn't keep things from her, it is not right."

"So, do you want to tell her about this Bryan guy?"

I sighed. "Maybe we should wait a bit this time."

Dad gave a curt nod as he got up. "You should take care, Ruby. I will see you at home."

"Bye, Dad. Have fun at work," I greeted back, my right hand delightfully waving at him.

Watching his back as he left brought me great relief. Thankfully Adonis didn't make a sound till my father left and that made me so glad.

"Adonis..." I whispered as I approached his bed. "He's gone."

"I know," he replied with a rather grumpy voice. The curtain that divided us disappeared the next second and once our eyes connected, I knew he was upset about something.

"What?" I asked, my face wearing a frown. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

'Could it be that he doesn't like the fact that I said I didn't fully trust him?' I thought.

Adonis got off the bed while I kept trying to figure it out in my head. By the time I gave up, he was in front of me, his upset face giving me more concern.

"Why?" he simply asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you trying to find Bryan's trouble?"

Oh, that's what it was about?

My arms folded instantly. "He killed Maddison, this is an opportunity to get rid of him."

"Do you really think the police can get rid of him? He is more powerful than you know, Ruby. Even Maximus couldn't bring him down."

"Well, someone has to do it," I said with a shrug.

"And, that person is you?" I squared my chin as I felt a surge of gustiness in my veins.  "Why do you keep doing this? Why do you keep trying to play hero? Why can't you just fucking crave a normal life?"

"What? You think my life is not normal?" The manner in which he asked the last question pricked my heart in a painful way I can't explain.

"How is anything normal? Huh?" he returned.

"Sure." I nodded slowly while  I tried to keep my pain hidden. "Fine. My life is not normal. Being with you is not normal. Falling in love with you is not normal either. For god's sake, because of you," I hit his chest slightly, and a fraction of the pain in my soul managed to show on my face, "I am a target of some silly gang. Because you came into my life, nothing is ever normal."

"Ruby..."

"But I still choose to stay with you. Sure, that is not normal. But trying to help a friend,  is normal to me. That might be the only proper thing I get to do with my life. So, Mr. Klaus, know that and know peace."

"You weren't even friends with her, Ruby," Adonis pointed out. "You hardly knew her."

"And so freaking what?" I screamed into his face as my hands gesticulated violently. "I saw her die in front of me! She fell from the top of the freaking building and she died in a pool of blood and broken glass! I didn't know her? At least I know her killer and I should be doing something about that!"

I felt so worked up, so angry. I wished to go on with my rant. It suddenly felt like a good thing; screaming into his face, breathing recklessly the next second, feeling nothing but all the anger I have been suppressing.

"Ruby..." The calm look on his face made my anger rise. I suddenly felt like hitting his chest some more. "Listen to me." He held my face with both hands and my anger was instantly caged in a way that made me query things. "Please, leave Bryan to me. I will deal with him and-"

"Ruby," A weak voice called from a corner, metal-meeting-tile sounds filling the room with great intensity as a thing or two fell. After one of the curtains was dragged forcefully, scattered footsteps approached us among that chaos, one might even think the person was drunk.

"Abby?" It was her no doubt and that made me frown. I was about to jokingly ask if she had been drinking when I saw her body.

Traces of severe beatings were scattered here and there. Some were positioned in unthinkable places. Her face was swollen, and her eyes were welled with tears that she wouldn't shed.

My eyes scanned the blue hospital gown she had on and it occurred to me that my friend had a rough night and the thought broke my heart. I rushed to her and held her hands dearly.

"Ruby..." Her voice was like a loud rumble, she could hardly move her lips. "I need to... be with... you."

It pained me so much to see her that way and the fact that I could easily guess the person responsible for it made me sadder.  "Please..." her voice finally carried the pain in her unshed tears. "Take... me with you."

"We can go to my house, it is safer there," Adonis quickly offered and after a quick plan to take a more secluded path to the car park to avoid unnecessary eyes, we all left the sick bay, some stolen medical items in our grasp.