The Ru Effect

Chapter eighteen

I stood outside River’s apartment, the chill from the hallway creeping up my spine, but it wasn’t the cold that had me tense. It was Rachel. She stood before me, her arms crossed, eyes narrowed, her entire demeanor radiating hostility. I could feel her judgment, that simmering anger just waiting to boil over.

"I don’t know why you’re here," Rachel spat, her voice sharp and cutting. "But you don’t know River like I do."

I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breathing. Her words, her tone—it was like she was determined to push me away, as if she were the gatekeeper to River’s life, deciding who got to be close to him. It was infuriating.

"Leave him alone," she continued, her eyes practically daring me to defy her. "You’re only going to make things worse for him. You don’t belong here."

Something snapped inside me. The anger I’d been holding back surged forward, and before I could stop myself, the words spilled out.

"Who do you think you are, Rachel?" I shot back, stepping closer, my voice shaking with frustration. "You can’t tell me what to do. I’m not leaving River, no matter how much you try to push me away or how many times he tries to shut me out."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly recovered, her expression hardening even more. But I wasn’t done.

"I’m so tired of you acting like you’re the only one who can help him," I continued, my voice rising. "Like no one else has the right to care about him. I’m not backing down just because you think you have some special claim over him. I don’t care if you’ve known him your whole life. That doesn’t mean you get to fight every girl who walks into his life."

Rachel’s face twisted in anger, but I didn’t flinch. I was done playing nice, done letting her control the situation. This wasn’t about her, and it wasn’t just about me either. It was about River. And I wasn’t going to let her bully me out of being there for him.

"You don’t get to decide who stays or goes," I added, my voice firm. "And you sure as hell don’t get to decide for me."

The silence that followed was thick with tension, and for the first time since I've met her,  I didn’t feel small or insignificant under Rachel’s gaze. I was standing my ground. For River. For myself.

And I wasn’t going anywhere.

The silence hung between us like a thick, impenetrable fog. I watched Rachel, her face no longer twisted with anger but softened in a way that made me uneasy. The tension was still there, but something else had shifted. Then, in the stillness, she spoke, her voice quieter, almost resigned.

"He had a twin brother, Derrick," she said, her words careful, almost like she was testing how much to reveal. "He's late now."

I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

She didn’t look at me, her eyes fixed somewhere past me, like she couldn’t bring herself to meet my gaze. "Derrick. River’s twin. He... died in a car accident four years ago"

My breath hitched in my throat. The brother that River mentioned once in a blue moon is late??
Was that why he always got so distant when
his brother became an unintentional topic?

I couldn’t believe it.

Rachel’s eyes finally met mine, her hostility flickering back for a moment. "See? You didn’t even know. You think you can waltz into his life and fix him, but you don’t have a clue what he’s been through."

I wanted to respond, to defend myself, but the words caught in my throat. Rachel didn’t give me the chance anyway.

"You should really back off," she continued, her voice steady now, almost cold. "Because only I understand him. More than anyone ever could."

My chest tightened at her words, but before I could say anything, she added, "I’ll protect River at all costs. Even if that means being a bitch."

Rachel’s words hit me like a truck, and for a moment, I just stand there, my thoughts racing. A twin brother? Derrick… gone?

River mentioned him once or twice, in passing, like a fleeting memory he didn't want to touch too much. I never pressed. He always clammed up about personal things, but now… now it makes sense. The sadness that would slip through his quiet moments, the way he sometimes seemed so far away, even when he was right in front of me.

And Rachel, of course, she knew. Of course, she was there.

That ache, deep in my chest, grows sharper. Not because of Rachel’s words, but because I hadn’t even scratched the surface of who River really was, despite all this time. And now, she's using this—using Derrick—to push me away again. To stake her claim over him.

“You’re telling me I should back off?” I said, incredulous. “You think I’d even consider doing that after hearing this? River needs support, Rachel. He’s not some fragile thing you can keep locked away. You can’t just decide who’s allowed to care about him.”

Rachel crossed her arms, a defiant look in her eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know how it feels to lose someone like that. Derrick was everything to River. He was everything to me.You think you can just swoop in and play the hero? It doesn’t work that way.”

I clenched my fists, anger bubbling inside me. “You’re not the only one who can understand him. Just because you two were childhood friends doesn’t give you ownership over his feelings. You can’t just fight off anyone who tries to be there for him.”

Rachel’s gaze softened slightly, but it was still hard as stone. “You don’t get it. I’m the only one who truly knows him. I won’t let anyone else hurt him.”

I stepped closer, my heart racing. “Hurt him? You think pushing people away is protecting him? You’re just trying to keep him in this little box where only you fit. You’re suffocating him, Rachel. And he needs more than that.”

The weight of her words settled heavily between us. “You think you can fix him just by being there?” she challenged. “You think that because you want to be his friend, it means you can walk in and save him?”

“I’m not trying to save him!” I shot back, frustration spilling over. “I just want to show him that he’s not alone. He doesn’t have to bear all this pain by himself. You don’t own him, Rachel, and I won’t let you bully me into leaving him alone.”

The air crackled with tension, the unspoken truths hanging heavily in the silence. Rachel’s expression shifted, and for a fleeting moment, I saw a hint of vulnerability beneath her tough exterior.

“He needs time,” she finally said, her voice quiet. “Time to grieve. You don’t know what he’s going through and that stupid crush you have for him won't take you anywhere, trust me”

I don't respond because it's true.
I do like River but I'm not sure he even wants anything to do with me.

Rachel stared at me for what felt like an eternity before adding“I can’t let you hurt him. If you really care, you’ll back off.”

“Rachel—” I began, but she cut me off, her tone sharp again.

“Leave him alone, Kobiruo. He doesn’t need you right now.”

With that, Rachel turned on her heel and walked inside before closing the door on my face, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding in my chest. I felt like I had just fought a battle and lost, but deep down, I knew I couldn’t give up on River.

I looked up at his apartment door, my resolve hardening. I would find a way to reach him, no matter what it took. I wasn’t going to let Rachel or anyone else dictate how I supported him.

He needed me, and I was determined to show him that.