Victim

like my mother did...

Ruby's POV

Joshua and I are curled up in bed together. He's stroking my hair, blowing soft kisses into it while we watch TV. But my mind is elsewhere-entirely on Kylie. I'm worried about her. Not just because it's 9 p.m. and she still isn't back from her coffee date with Malia, but because she's been shutting me out. First, she completely dodged our conversation about her needing to dial it back with the flirting, and now she's keeping secrets? Something isn't right. She's closing herself off from me, and she never does that. She keeps her guard up around everyone else, but never with me.

Josh, clearly noticing I'm not paying attention to the TV, gently squeezes my arm. "Love, where's your head at?"

I sit up, and he immediately senses it's serious, pausing the TV. "I'm worried about Kylie," I admit quietly, my voice catching a little. "She's acting off. I think I'm losing her... if I haven't already." To my surprise, a tear slips down my cheek.

Joshua pulls me into a hug, holding me close as if he's my safety blanket. "Baby, maybe yesterday just wasn't her day," he says softly, trying to comfort me.

I take a shaky breath, trying to keep more tears at bay. This feeling has been weighing on me for a long time, but I didn't realize just how heavy it was until now. "No, Josh, I've been feeling this way ever since summer vacation started. It just feels like... we're coexisting. I don't know how to reach her anymore."

Just then, we hear the front door open, and Kylie's voice echoes through the apartment. "I'M HOME!"

Josh gives me an encouraging look. "Go talk to her."

I hesitate, pouting as I glance at him. It's not that I don't want to talk to her-I want to, more than anything-but I'm scared I'll push her further away. Josh gives me a gentle nudge, almost pushing me out of bed. Reluctantly, I head to find her.

"How was coffee with Malia?" I ask, trying to keep my tone casual.

A grin lights up her face, and for a split second, I see the old Kylie. "Yeah, it was nice," she says casually, but I can sense her excitement.

"And how are we?" I press, trying to gauge her mood.

She pauses, looking at me thoughtfully. "Good... unless you're still mad at me about last night."

"No, gosh, no, Kylie," I say quickly. "I was just worried... well, I am worried."

"Worried? Why?" she asks, looking genuinely puzzled. "I kept my location on, didn't I? You could've called if you needed to."

She moves over to the bay window, sitting down and gesturing for me to join her.

"It's not that, Kylie. You've been doing better with all that, and I appreciate it," I say as I sit beside her. "It's just... I feel like you're shutting me out and letting everyone else in. Literally in."

She narrows her eyes at me, a bit defensive. "What does 'literally in' mean?" she asks, her tone sharper than before.

I hesitate, but I know I can't hold back anymore. "Well... and please don't hate me for saying it like this, but you've been... opening yourself up to a lot of people lately. Physically, I mean."

The moment the words are out, I realize how harsh they sound. Kylie's face darkens, and a fire ignites in her eyes. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"Kylie, please don't get mad," I say, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but she shrugs me off, her expression steely. I feel a pang of fear. I've only seen her this angry once before-when she was fighting with her mother.

"So, what you're really implying is that I'm some kind of slut who just fucks around, breaking everyone's hearts. Is that it?" Her words are venomous, her voice low and intense.