Ruthless

Chapter 37

Theo's Point of View

It's loud in here. Louder than I expected. I've never been a fan of people who throw parties after funerals. I don't understand it and I never have. It's like you've just buried someone you love a couple feet beneath the ground, and now you wanna get together with people and party?

All that ends up happening is people gossiping and talking about everything the deceased did wrong in their life.

Judging them.

That's what floats through my mind as I stand in the giant hall surrounded by people chatting loudly. A few even laugh. What the hell is wrong with people?

Ruth stands beside me, her eyes inspecting everything and everyone, looking them up and down.

I sigh loudly. "Can you please stop sticking out your stomach so far? You're four weeks not nine monnths!"

She doesn't bother looking at me when she responds. "Why are you being so difficult lately? What is wrong with you? It's like you have a stick up your ass or something."

"I just don't understand why I had to be here? What was the point?"

She looks me in the eyes this time. She's either grown or I've gotten shorter, because she looks taller. "We had to..out of respect."

"Respect for what?" I hiss. "Showing up here and saying 'Sorry we kinda killed your daughter and son in law, but here we are to pay our respects' ? Ruth thats crazy!"

"It's not crazy if we were invited! Now stop talking you're annoying me."

I'm done with everything. This just reminds me of the beginning, when I called Shai and told her I'd broken up with Ruth. Or actually more like she dumped me. She had fallen for some director guy working on "The Following" and she said she didn't want to be with me anymore.

Our fire burned out, she said.

"I want to go now. You said you'd let me go after the funeral. It's over now so I wanna go." I say.

"Not yet." Ruth hisses. Someone calls my name and I look up to see Lori, Shailene's mother, waving at me. She slowly makes her way across the hall to me and Ruth.

Ruth looks at me. "And stop saying that I'd let you. You're a big boy, you don't have to listen to me. It would just be nice if you did....oh god I can't deal with another mopey woman today! I need to pee anyways." She downs her drink quickly and runs off to the bathroom, just in time to avoid talking to Lori.

Lori comes over to me and smiles sadly. She pulls me into a hug and I hover over her seeing as I'm taller. She smells like Shai, and that just stirs up more emotions for me. She pulls back slowly.

"I was just leaving I wanted to say goodbye to you first." Lori says.

She's never looked her age. She never looked old enough to be Shai's mother. Sure, she had her at a young age but still...she never showed her age. Until now. Her expression is almost like a poker face, but sadder. The wrinkles that were tiny now seem more apparent and visible and the bags under her eyes suggest she hasn't slept in a while - something I can relate to.

"I didn't know you'd be here..I thought you'd be at the hospital with Shai." I keep holding one of her hands, I don't know why but it comforts me.

"I could say the same for you Theo..speaking of, why aren't you there? You know she'd want you by her side." Lori says.

I laugh. A sad little laugh. "Would she though? She wasn't so happy with me the last couple of weeks."

"Because you slept with her and went back to your missus?" I gasp. How the fuck does she know? She must read my expression because she answers me straight away. "She told me. She tells me everything....remember that for the future."

She runs her hands down her black dress smoothing it out. "Right, I'm going back to my baby girl. Do you want to come with me?"

I shake my head. Shai didn't want me in her life. She said so in her letter. I need to respect her decision.

"Theo come on just go."

I shake my head again. "No."

"For fuck sake Theo! Don't do this! As much as it hurts me to think it, there's a very good chance that both of us are going to be at the same even in a few weeks, only this time it'll be my turn to bury my baby! Get over yourself, I honestly think she doesn't have long left. So are you coming or not?"

I think it over, quickly. I want to go, I want to see her. Even though a part of me wants to remember her as the happy pre-accident Shai. I need to see her though. I follow Lori out the door.

I stop in the doorway remembering Ruth is in the bathroom. She'll be furious if I leave without telling her.

"Theo? Are you coming? Hurry up." Lori calls.

I already chose Ruth over Shai once, and it's one of my biggest regrets.

This time I'm smart in my decision making. I pick Shai.

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Ruth's Point of View

As I'm washing my hands at the sink, I hear Theo's phone ring in my handbag. I took it out of his jacket pocket when he wasn't looking.

I felt bad and I was going to put it back because I knew he'd never hurt me.

I opinion changes once I read the message. It's from a private number.

HOW COULD YOU SLEEP WITH SHAILENE AND JUST LEAVE HER? I'M GOING TO KILL YOU THEO!

That bastard! I knew there was something going on between them.

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Ta-dah! heres the chapter i hope you like it. i enjoyed writing it.

ALSO ive been wanting to create a youtube trailer for this story but i am clueless when it comes to making videos, so if any of you are good at it and would be interested in making one, let me know and we'll work something out.

Till next time xx as always PEACE OUT AND SHIP SHEO!