My neighbour Rúben

Chapter 15

"Another party?"

"Another party" Lucy said while closing the door behind her, the pizzas that had just been delivered on her hands. "That greasy friend of his was coming out of the lift with a girl on each arm."

"Greasy?"

"Yes, that one who doesn't know what an encyclopedia is."

"Oh, you mean Grealish" I laughed.

"Same thing. He has greasy hair, so" she shrugged.

Rúben was throwing a party. Again. Like after every game at home they had had lately. It had become his new favourite thing to do once his parents and Ivan had left for Portugal to continue with his recovery there.

Most of them lasted until pretty late, but the walls were thick and neither Julia, nor her mum or I, were hearing things we didn't want to hear. Though most mornings we would cross paths with a different girl leaving his apartment, and it was all because of me.

The moment I came back from London I went to speak with him, to tell him everything that had happened with Aaron. And he hadn't taken it very well.

"I knew something like this would happen after you hung up. I just knew it!"

"Rúben..."

"No! He took advantage of you, you know? You said it yourself, you have little to no experience with men. He noticed and took advantage of it."

"He didn't, Rúben. Like I told you already, I said yes to it, I did it willingly."

"As if that made it any better" he snorted.

"Rúben..."

"I need to be alone" he said, storming out the door, those words being the last we shared.

"Anyway" Lucy said, bringing me back to the present. "What Chris Evans' movie are we watching today?"

"The Red Sea Diving Resort."

While Rúben was partying and doing God knows why, this was what I had chosen to do to cope with what had happened between us: watch Chris Evans' filmography while it was just Lucy and I at home. It probably was the worst decision ever because he kept reminding me of Rúben and because Chris is a bit... special picking roles. But the time we were spending together was priceless.

"It sounds... interesting."

"People say it is boring, but I've seen gifs online and he looks so hot."

"Then it'll be worth it" Lucy said, handing me a beer. "To Chris Evans' boobs."

"And America's ass" I laughed.

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"Yes, grandma. I'll go."

"This may be it, you know?"

"I know. That's why I'm going. See you next week, ok?"

"Ok. Love you, sweetie."

"Love you too" I said, hanging up and walking into the lift. The moment it started moving, it made some weird noises, and when I was almost on my floor, it stopped. "Oh, no. No, no, no. Please move."

But it didn't. The lift had stopped.

I pressed my floor's button again, but nothing was happening. Well, not really. The lights were flickering.

"No, no, no, no!" I screamed, pressing the emergency button, hoping someone would answer or come see what was going on. But it wasn't working. Julia had pressed it more than once and it usually made a ring noise. Not today.