House of Memories (Book 2)

Chapter 38- Love will prevail

"Bea, calm down. Everything is going to be fine."  Bloom said worriedly as she watched her sister drink her fifth glass of wine in just two gulps. The Winx and Pixies had just arrived at the art gallery where Ruby's paintings, along with many others by various artists, were being displayed for sale, and Ruby had been freaking out ever since she had given her artworks to a man to hang somewhere. Bloom and the others had been trying to calm her down for a while without much success. "Trust me, everyone is going to love your paintings."

"Will they?" Ruby asked, looking at her sister with panicked tears in her eyes. "Maybe they won't be good enough for those men and women. Maybe they'll excpect and demand more than what they give them. Maybe they'll treat them like trash and make them feel horrible about themselves. But what the hell can they excpect? That they answer to every single selfish need? I mean, they have their own personal life why should they feel obligated to give that up to answer to those people's demands?"

"I'm lost are we still talking about paintings?" Lockette asked, looking at the others confused.

"No we're not." Flora said, sighing as she approached her friend. She grabbed Ruby's face and made her look at her, heart breaking as she saw a few stray tears falling down her cheeks. "Ruby, I know your breakup with Ebony was harsh, but you shouldn't let her get in your head like that. You were enough she just didn't appreciate you like she should and for that reason she's not worth your tears. You have all of us and we appreciate you for who you are and what you give us. So, the only thing I demand from you is to be happy and not let someone as horrible as Ebony to get you down like this. Ok?"

"Yeah, I never liked her either." Stella said, smiling brightly at Ruby who gave her a weak smile in return.

"Excuse me? You were their number one fan." Layla accused. "You even called them Rubbony."

"That's a really bad name." Musa said chuckling.

"Well you try to join their names." Stella shouted making Musa laugh more. "Irregardless, you two are no more and it should stay that way. No one makes my girl cry like that, especially not infront of this many people."

Ruby looked around and noticed a few people looking at her with odd and pitiful stares which made her feel really embarrassed. She immediately wiped her tears and tried to compose herself as that was not the place to have a breakdown.

"Well, let us put all of this behind us, yeah?" Bloom suggested and no one wasted a second to agree with her. "You mentioned you had to speak with Cassandra Arison earlier this morning."

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Uhm, you girls, and Robin, look around the gallery and don't fucking let Kaylus out of your sight." Ruby said, glaring at her little prankster who was holding a permanent marker in her hands while looking at a portrait of a woman with a mischiveous smile. "Really, don't lose sight of her. Not tonight."

"Yes Captain, my Captain." Chatta said, saluting her like a soldier.

"Thanks." 

"Wait, don't go yet." Stella said running towards Ruby as well as her high heels allowed her. "Don't move I just have to do something." The blonde approached her friend, getting very much into her personal space, and ran her nail under Ruby's eyes.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Your makeup was smudged. It's all fixed now. You're welcome."

"Thank you, I guess. Never do that again, though."

Ruby grabbed another glass of red wine and walked away from her friends, who also dispersed to look around the gallery. While she looked for Cassandra Arison, Ruby admired the other incredible paintings and sculptures increasing her anxiety and insecurities. She took a sip of her wine and decided to focus her attention only on finding the woman.