𝐫𝐮𝐛𝐲 & 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 ✩ 𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐝𝗼𝐧

🆃🅷🅸🆁🆃🅴🅴🅽

𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈: 𝒈𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒍𝒚, 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔

✩✩✩

Ruby slipped out of Tate's bed, slipping on her shirt and zipper hoodie.

She crept over to where her school bag lay, and sat down next to it, putting on her shoes and doing up the laces.

She stood up quietly, walking over to Tate and kissing him on the head.

He sleepily grabbed her wrist as she tried to slip away.

"Don't leave..." he whispered.

"I've got to, I'll see you tomorrow." Ruby reassured him.

"But tomorrow's the weekend?" Tate yawned.

"Yeah, I'll come over, dummy," she replied, smiling.

He let go of her wrist and watched as she left.

✩✩✩

Sirens wailed and fire trucks flew by her as she turned onto her street.

No.

Ruby's shoes smacked off the pavement as she raced towards the burning house, her heart racing faster and faster with every second.

Police, the fire brigade and the ambulance service were all there.

Ruby tried to push past but she was stopped.

"What do you think you're doing, kid?"

"That's my house! I live there! My dad- my dad was—!" Ruby caught sight of a stretcher with a body laid out on it, medics surrounding it.

Her heart stopped.

She collapsed to her knees, her breathing ragged.

An officer knelt down by her, trying to soothe her in vain.

"No, no, no, no, no, no—!" Ruby wheezed, burying her head in her hands, tears spilling.

"What's your name? Can you tell me your name?" The officer, a woman with blonde hair asked.

"R-Ruby, Ruby Donovan. I live here, I live here- my dad was in the house! He was in there- is he okay?!" She said, clinging onto the woman.

"Your father is being taken into hospital as we speak, Ruby. I need you to come with me, my names Kathy, I'll keep you safe- okay?" The woman soothed, helping Ruby to her feet.

"Is my dad going to be okay? Will he be okay? Is he alive?" Questions tumbled from her mouth in hysteria, and the woman felt great pity for the distraught and confused girl splayed in her arms.

"Everything's going to be figured out, Ruby, don't worry, we're just going to take you to the station and then the hospital- okay?" Kathy helped her in the passenger seat of her car, putting on her seat belt and wiping away the relentless waves of tears.

Ruby shook with anger, fear, and despair. She should've stayed at Tate's, and have been broken the news in the afternoon- not three in the morning.