Love Bites

D is for divulging

9.

Ruby clutched Fox's leather jacket around her shoulders, pulling it across her chest again as she stared out the window in utter silence. Almost annoyed at how warm and comfy it was.

He'd insisted on giving it to her after he'd seen her shivering outside in her backless dress. She'd initially snorted at him, ignoring the jacket and stomping over to his car. But then he took his time searching for his keys, fumbling with the lock shooting her an amused glance when she started shuffling on the spot to keep warm.

'Fine give me your jacket, you ass,' she had said through gritted teeth. Immediately shucking it on when he passed it over the roof of the car. Miraculously managing to open the car door right after.

'Listen, Ruby...' He began almost hesitantly as they neared the house.

'No Fox I don't want to hear it,' she snapped turning to look at him in disbelief.

'Yeah well you're going to listen to me,' he frowned. 'What I said to you this evening about your parents must have been a huge shock, and I understand why you wanted to blow off a little steam with your friends. But you cannot just disappear without telling anyone where you are going.'

'You've got to be kidding me.'

'I'm not much of a joker,' he said wryly.

'No shit,' she groaned in frustration as they pulled into the driveway. 'I don't have to tell you, or anyone in your family where I am, I'm nearly eighteen and I can tell you one thing Fox.' She narrowed her eyes. 'As soon as I turn eighteen I am getting the heck out of here away from you!'

She climbed out of the car storming in through the front door nearly knocking head first into Gideon.

'Woah,' he reached out steadying her by her shoulders.

Ruby looked up at him horrified to realize her eyes were tearing up again, actual tears of frustration.

'Ruby, honey what happened?' Annette appeared in the doorway next to Gideon looking strickened.

'She's upset because I ruined her night,' Fox said dead pan from his spot in the doorway.

Ruby let out a strangled cry of frustration. 'He is a complete control freak!' She exclaimed. She turned to Annette pleadingly, trying to make her understand how crazy her son was. 'He used his mind tricks to track where I was, then forced all my friends to go home and leave me there alone!'

Gideon's eyes darted over to Fox, the surprise on his face evident.

'Well when you put it that way...' Fox chuckled.

'Any way you put it, you don't come out well!'

'Ok everyone needs to calm down,' Annette frowned at her son. One of those looks only a mother can give you, a 'we'll talk about this later' kind of look. 'Ruby I'm sure Fox thought he was acting in your best interests, we've been brought up to speed on your conversation in his study. It must have been hard to hear our theories on where your parents are, you probably felt betrayed and upset.' She stepped forward wrapping Ruby into a warm hug. 'It isn't safe for you to be out alone at the moment sweetheart, Fox was only trying to do the right thing.'

'And next time, he'll do it a little less forcefully,' Gideon added in shooting his brother a look of disdain.

Fox made some sort of non-committal sound in his throat before disappearing off back out the front door.

Ruby contemplated bringing up going to live with Tilly, but what Annette had just said struck a chord with her. Was she in danger being out with her friends? The idea of it sounded absurd to her ears but the image of that purple eyed man in her bedroom flashed across her mind and she swallowed her question.