Half the world away

Chapter 13

Sammy

The next few days went by faster than I could even comprehend, and with each day Ruby comes more and more out of herself. It's funny to think I'd spoken to this girl for years and there was still so much I didn't know about her. And learning it, learning her was amazing. There were no more nerves it was like that evening on the water drowned them out of her.

It was early evening and Ruby was sat outside on one of the deck chairs, her legs tucked up to her chest wearing one of my t-shirts that hung baggily off of her small frame while she sipped a coffee. She looked peace right now as the sun beamed down on her.
It dawned on me then that she'd been here for a little over 2 weeks now, and I know I still have a while with her but it wasn't enough. Selfishly I don't want her to go. Sighing I pushed the thought from my mind and went out to join her.

"What you daydreaming about?" I asked sitting next to her.

She turned her head to me with a lazy smile and took a large sip of her coffee.
"Nothing really just how much Beans would've loved to chase the butterflies." She said looking at the 2 butterflies floating in the breeze.

Her voice was softer than normal as she mentioned Beans, I knew he meant a lot to her. But before I could press it she spoke again.

"Anyway, what's up." She asked changing the subject off of him and back to me.

But before I could answer my back gate swung open and Jesse strolled in with a casual smile on his face. While me and Ruby just looked at him confused. As he sat on a deck chair making himself at home.

"Something we can help you with Jess?" I asked with a confused laugh. Wondering why he'd just appeared in our garden.

Jesse looked at both of us for a second.
"What's the point in either of you having phones if you never check them?" He sounded like a pissed off mum. Making Ruby laugh.

I went inside and grabbed my phone off of the counter seeing a few missed texts from him about a bbq.

"So where's the bbq then?" I asked him with a smile as I sat down again.

"Mine, come on I came to get you guys." He said jumping up.

"Let me get changed first okay." Ruby said slipping inside the house.

Jesse looked at me for a moment before he spoke.
"So what was that?" He asked with a smirk.

"What was what?" I said confused by what he meant.

He just laughed.
"That look you gave her, don't deny it. It was there plain as day."

Damn.

"I kissed her, well she kissed me on the cheek first but I-" Jesse cut me off.

"I knew it!" He yelled with a laugh.

"Dude shut up." I laughed throwing  a tennis ball at him.

"So what's going on between you guys?" He asked me sitting down in the chair next to me.

"I dunno man, she's my best friend but there's just something that I can't get over ya know?" I said with a sigh.

She really is my best friend and don't want to mess that up.

"Rock an a hard place that. But isn't she leaving in a few weeks?"  He asked sounding the most serious I've ever heard him.

I'd pushed the thought of her going home to the back of my mind, because I genuinely couldn't deal with the thought of her not being here now.

"Yeah she is, and I dunno what to do." I said running my hand through my hair sighing a day.

I could feel jesses eyes on my but before he could say anything Ruby reappeared wearing a yellow sundress, and it took my breath away seeing her stood there.

"Damn Rubes yellow looks good on you." Jesse said with a friendly smile on his face.

I'd never seen her in a dress before, since telling me and the others about her accident she doesn't try to hide the scar on her leg or the one on the back of her neck. Somehow it boosted her self confidence and it showed through in the way she carried herself now.

"Thanks Jess." She smiled as we walked out and got into Jesse's car.

The drive down to Clovelly didn't take long and before I knew it we'd pulled up outside Jesse and Danny's house. The sound of laughter and low music could be heard from the drive as we walked down the side path into the yard. Stevie was sat with her feet in the pool watching Roodie's daughter Beth playing in the water with Gina and Reco. Danny was cooking on the bbq with West and Roodie was standing with his wife Sita and Westers wife Cleo. I smiled at them all and put my arm around Ruby.

"Uncle Sammy!!" Beth squeaked happily as the 5 year old jumped out of the pool and ran to me hopping up in my arms. Making everyone laugh.

"Hey there shorty. How's it going." I said holding the small smiling girl in my arms.

"I'm good! I can hold my breath underwear for 30 seconds now. Daddy said I can start nippers soon" She beamed proudly.

"Hey that's awesome, little lifeguard." I smiled at her.

"She's pretty! Who's that?" She said pointing at Ruby with a smile.

Ruby laughed he at the little girls sporadic energy.

"I'm Ruby, and actually I think you're very pretty. And that bathing suit is great." Ruby smiled at the little girl in a purple swimsuit.

"I like her." Beth said making us all laugh again before hopping down and bombing into the pool, for a tiny person she made a huge splash soaking Stevie who just laughed and got into the pool.

"Come on let me introduce you to West and Roodie's wives." I said putting my arm around her grabbing two beers as we got closer to them.

"Hey you two. Ruby I gotta say you really know how to surf that was impressive the other day." Roodie said smiling at her.

Ruby just smiled and thanked him.

"Rubes this is Cleo Wests wife and Sita Roodie's wife aka the adoptive mothers of everyone here." I said making the 2 of them laugh.

"Some has to lookout for you lot." Sita laughed with Cleo.

I left Ruby talking with them and went to see Danny over by the bbq with Jesse.

"Hey lover boy." Jesse laughed. Making Danny raise an eyebrow at me.

Note to self; stop telling Jess secrets.

"Really Jess?" I half laughed taking a long drink from my bottle.

"Sorry." He said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Wanna fill me in, cos twin telepathy doesn't exist." Danny said pulling his sunglasses off his eyes and onto his head.

"Stuff with Ruby, I dunno what to do." I sighed sitting on the low wall.

"What kinda stuff?" Danny asked sitting next to me while Jesse busied himself with the bbq pretending not to listen to us.

"Everything. It's no secret that she's an amazing person. But we kissed the other day and since then I've seen her differently and I can't shake it off. She's my best friend and I don't wanna ruin that, not to mention she's going back to London in a few weeks." I sighed pushing my hair back and drained the rest of my bottle.

Danny let out a low whistle.
"She is amazing and if I wasn't gay I'd probably like her too." He laughed making me and Jesse laugh with him.
"But really man you should tell her, save ya self all this stress." He said clapping me on the shoulder and went back to the bbq.

He was right I knew he was but some things are easier said than done. I looked over to the pool where Ruby was sat with Beth on her lap as she braided the little girls curly hair.

What do I do now.