Rain

Chapter Two

***AUTHORS NOTE: Hi, I made some updates and changes to the story. A couple names have been changed and I'm working on adding more detail to everything. Thank you for reading!!***

A few days have passed since the concert and Ruby was starting to feel a little more at ease. Nes had been pulling out all the stops to help Ruby forget what happened that night. They went on a BFF date night, and took a wine and painting class. She was grateful to have a friend like her, she would be lost without her and knows she'll never be able to find the words to tell her how much it all means to her.

Autumn was really starting to settle into the area, the leaves were changing from greens to fiery reds and golds and signs for haunted hay-rides were starting to pop up. She loves the fall, it's her favorite time of year. She was always a huge Halloween girl. She loved dressing up and seeing all the other costumes as she walked around. She was decorating her book shop with fake cobwebs, plastic spiders and little bats when the bell on the door chimed. She didn't take her eyes off of her task as she welcomed the new shopper in "Hi! Welcome to Leather and Oak, let me know if you need help finding anything." Ruby could hear heavy footsteps slowly pacing around the shop, she was in a more set back corner of the shop so she couldn't readily see the new shopper.

The weight of the steps caused her to slink behind one of the shelves and peek through the books to see who was in the shop. She feared that today was the day Dylan decided to break the restraining order and find her. Her breath caught in her chest as she moved quietly around the shelves. She was just starting to peer around the side of one of the stacks when she heard the heavy footstep land right behind her, she jumped and spun around only to come face to face with a solid wall of black cloth. Ruby found herself in awe of the living fantasy that was standing before her. He was tall, very tall...his skin pale like milk. He had a strong jawline but his features were softer and rounded, his wide eyes were as gray as storm clouds. He had broader shoulders but he wasn't overly muscular, he was more toned with a little meat on his bones. His long medium brown hair looked like he had just come from the beach. He was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, his boots looked well worn. As she looked up the scent of musk and burning wood filled her senses, it was intoxicating. She had to take a step back to fully look up at him "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" she blushed. He loomed over her for a moment, his gray eyes searching hers as he stepped back "No, no... no need to be sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, miss" his voice was smooth and deep but gentle, he seemed almost nervous. "I had questions about this book..." he held up a cookbook boasting about "Simple and Easy Meals'.

Ruby caught her breath, a smile softly crossing her face as she took the book from him. "To be honest, I wouldn't buy this book, I read it and didn't find anything I wanted to eat in it." She started to walk to the other side of the shop, the mysterious man followed behind her trying to keep up. She looked at the shelves for a moment before pulling a book from the shelf, quickly turning back to him with a warm smile on her face. She started to talk about cooking and how most cookbooks use a lot of the same flavor profiles which she finds boring. As she talked he watched the excitement build in her eyes, it made his chest feel warm, comforted.

He followed her around the bookshop as she ducked into other rows, pulling books from random shelves. When she finally stopped, she had 3 books in her hands, they're her favorite cookbooks. "If you really want to learn how to cook, I would recommend these." a bright smile on her face. He felt himself snap back from the trance he fell into following her around the store, studying the curves of her body and wondering what her favorite food was "Oh! Yeah, that would be great, thank you." he felt nervous in her presence. As they made their way to the checkout Asher had to keep stopping himself from touching her, he wanted to hold her and tell her how sorry he was for what happened and scaring her if he did. "Have you worked here long?" he asked, feeling a little silly for such a mundane question. "Oh I don't just work here, this is my shop. I'm Ruby" her smile bright "oh cool" he felt the internal facepalm as the words left his lip "how long have you had your shop?" her cheeks lightly flushed as she looked up at him "3 years, almost 4, this shop is my baby" her proud smile lit her face. Asher paid for his books and as he walked out he turned back to Ruby "...um, thank you" he held up his bag awkwardly before leaving.

Ruby thought about the mysterious man over the next few days, his scent lingering with her.

That night while the police were interviewing everyone, Asher had their manager sit in and get Ruby's information. They used the ruse that the band wanted to send flowers. He decided to stay behind when the rest of the band headed back to Portland. He wanted to meet her, see if she was ok. He was confused when the address brought him to a bookstore, her job? When he walked in he was intrigued by how charming and welcoming it was. There were soft, overstuffed armchairs partnered with small end tables and Baroque art on the walls. The decor had a darker color pallet but still felt homey.

As he slowly wandered around taking in what secrets the shop had to offer he noticed a smaller shadow quickly move out of the corner of his eye. He turned and tried to step as softly as he could, looking for the source of the movement. As he turned the corner he saw her. He couldn't fully appreciate just how beautiful she was that night, he's always semi-blinded by the stage lights and the mask in his cloak. He took in the curves of her fuller figure. Her skin reminded him of pale moonlight which was complemented by her wavy raven hair and the beautiful grayscale tattoos on her arms. He chuckled to himself that she looks like she could almost fit in his pocket. But for him most people come off that way, it's not easy being 6'5". As he moved closer he was enveloped by the sweet scent of her vanilla perfume. It stirred something in him he didn't understand.

He was just about to say something when she spun around, he didn't mean to startle her...again. He had picked up a book during his exploration, he didn't care what the book was since it was only going to be an icebreaker for him. He didn't know how to approach the subject of why he was there and who he was so he hoped to use the book as a starting point. He was dumbfounded at how perfect his book choice was, she glowed as she talked about cooking and hurried around the store to find better books for him. She felt familiar to him, like home. He tried to think of things to say but all he could do was study the details of her face. Like how her doll-like eyes were perfectly framed by her long, curved lashes or how her full almost pouty lips were the most beautiful shade of blood red. He didn't even want to think about the curve of her neck. Ruby... it fit her. He awkwardly made it through the short conversation before leaving the shop. Once back in his car, he sat there for a minute feeling like an idiot and thinking about everything he wanted to say.

He could still smell her, so sweet and delicious.