☄. *. ⋆ LOST LIVING, J.W

TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
is home the place I belong?

WALKING AWAY FROM THE crowded hospital, Ruby walked down the side roads, the bright moon her only way to navigate.

She sighed, plugging in her headphones as Alex G blasted through her eardrums, surely causing a tint of deafness.

Her body felt like it was floating, the wind blowing her brown locks out of her face as the leaves whipped around her.

Then, her moment of glory came to a crashing point as she stopped in front of her old home. Only one light was on, the living room.

She unplugged the earbuds, slipping them into her back jean pocket along with her cell phone, she puffed out a breath of air before slowly twisting the knob open, surprisingly, her mother hadn't been passed out on the couch.

Ruby ventured deeper into her home as she shut the door behind her, she furrowed her brows as she stopped in front of the kitchen doorframe.

Her mother had her back turned to her as she cooked something at the stove, her little brother sat at the small wooden dining table playing with a stack of cheap blocks.

"Ruby!" The little boy shouted in excitement, nearly jumping out of the chair as he tackled her in a hug.

"Woah!" She laughed, wrapping her arms around him as she lifted him up, swinging him around as they shared laughter.

The woman at the stove turned to face her two children, a small smile on her face as her daughter set the brunette boy down.

"Glad you decided to join us, Ruby." She quipped, turning off the flame as she carried over a pot of spaghetti, using a fork to scrape the rest of it out onto a large bowl.

Ruby nodded awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ear as she sat.

She gathered three bowls, glancing at her son, "Rubin, do you mind grabbing me a water from the downstairs fridge?"

He complied, hurrying out of the kitchen with a large grin.

Ruby was expecting a scream from the woman, she avoided her eyes as she played with the chipped red nail polish.

"I've been sober for two weeks. I just thought you'd like to know. I'm trying to change, Ru, I really am. I know I'm not the best mother ever but I'm trying. You can't walk out on us like this anymore. We need you." Her mother confessed, her eyes welling with tears as she shook her head.

Ruby's own eyes became teary as she looked up, "I'm sorry, mom. Jake needed me and I completely abandoned you. That was wrong. I'm not going anywhere."

They hugged in the middle of the run down kitchen. Ruby knew that her mother had issues, lots of them. And now she realized that she couldn't pick up and leave anymore. As much as she loved Jake, she'd have to put her family first.

After a dinner, the three gathered into the living room. Rubin lying down while watching cartoons on the sofa and Ruby and her mother drinking ice tea and catching up.

"What's up with you and Jake? You guys like dating or something?" Anne wiggled her brows, watching the girls face scrunch up in disgust.

"No, mom. We're best friends. Plus he's got a boyfriend." Ruby smiled, bringing her knees to her chest as she rested her chin on the tops.

Anne tilted her head to the side, "I always thought he was gay. But what's that mean for you? Any love life? Boys? Girls? Both?"

Ruby giggled at her mothers questions, shaking her head slightly, "Junior Wheeler. Remember him?"

"Oh! The small boy with the cocky attitude." Anne furrowed her brows, "He's the one with the bitchy girlfriend who fucked you over, right?"

"Yes. Right on the spot." Ruby raised her can as her and mother clinked drinks.

Anne brought the straw to her mouth before speaking, "Whatever happened between you two anyways? You guys were like best friends."

Ruby rolled her lips into her mouth, reminiscing on the good times with her now enemy, "She was just like every other petty girl. I guess that's why me and Jake got so close. I really had no friends."

"Well I'm glad you've parted ways then." Anne cocked a brow, flashing a small smile, "Also, while you were staying with the Wheelers I found some old family photo-books. You wanna see them?"

"Sure why not." Ruby agreed, sitting up straight on the couch as she watched her mother scurry to get the large book underneath storage bins.

The book was thick, ratty looking with some teared out scraps hanging out of the sides. She placed it down on the girls lap as she sat back on the opposite couch.

Ruby gently opened the cover, skimming her fingers along the pages filled with dozens of childhood photos, each one have a memory behind it.

That was until she had gotten to the very few remaining pages...

Authors note

Sorry for the cliffhanger sorta??!!
Also I'm completely obsessed with outer banks
and thinking of making a Rafe fanfic?? Thoughts