they're just blowing smoke,
i'll say what they won't,
i know everything they don't.
𝗜𝗡 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗛,
ruby miller can always sniff out when things are too good to be true. her stepfather, ward cameron, is one of them.
𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥...
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Season I. Chapter II.
a loveless daughter always knows.
TW: mature language.
୨୧
"Why the hell are we at a dead man's house?" ruby asks with a tone of suspicion. she had heard through whispers of gossip about scooter grubbs' tragic drowning in the hurricane. she hadn't ever met the man, but found it quite idiotic that he had been out sailing when the storm hit. surely he knew better than to be on open water during a hurricane.
"just wait here." is john bs only response as the two boys hop out of the van, slowly creeping to the side of the house.
"like hell." ruby mutters to herself. she rolls her eyes, unbuckling her seatbelt and climbing from the van. she scurries over to the boys, pressing up against the side of the house. "gonna ask again—what are we doing here?"
"jesus!" jj jumps, startled at her sudden reappearance beside him. "i've got a better question; what are you doing here?" he still couldn't believe john b had allowed a kook to join them, let alone a cameron.
"shh!" john b hisses, urgently pointing to the front of the house. ruby and jj follow his gaze, watching as two men angrily storm into the home. seconds later, shouts are heard along with cries from ms lana as the building shudders, paint flaking from the sides.
suddenly ruby is seven years old again, hiding on the staircase while her parents shout at one another and rose throws crystal glasses at the wall but matt does not flinch. ruby does, just like she flinches now. once a broken child, always a broken child.
she is intrigued to notice jj flinching at the sounds as well. "maybe we should come back. it's a little too soon—"
john b presses a finger against the boys chest. "no, no—shut up. shut up, jj." he shushes his friend, inching closer to the home. he urges for the two to follow, "come on. shut up, come on!"
a man's deep voice roars from inside and ruby is harshly brought right back to the top of the camerons stairs, listening as ward and her step-brother shout at one another. ruby never thought a man could yell as loud as ward and rafe cameron could combined. she misses her father, who never once raised his voice unless shouting at the tv during sunday night football; not even at his ex-wife, who's favorite hobby was instigating.
pressed against the siding of lana grubbs house, jj notices rubys clenched eyelids. "don't listen."
"tell yourself that." rues eyes snap open and she brushes sudden white flakes from her hair. "is that paint?"
