Roses Are Red (book 1)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9: What If

Ruby squeezed the steering wheel as she pulled out of the Nightingale estate. The muffled sounds of the party fading into the night behind her, her parents' party raged on, too loud and too indulgent to notice her slipping away.

As the car gained speed, headlights cut through the darkness. Ruby fought the urge to look back, forcing her foot harder on the gas instead.

Highway after highway, roads after roads—just the crunch of her tires on the dirt road and the whisper of trees blown in the night winds as if the night itself was breathing with her. The Nightingale estate was miles away from any city, and the long, wooded highways stretched ahead.

What would be the point? Ruby held the steering wheel, a contradicting voice called out loud in her brain.

Her parents would send out a search party soon enough, maybe even before sunrise. And Orion... he'd likely order a city-wide hunt just to drag her back into his world.

Ruby forced herself to push the image of her parents' reactions from her mind, but it was hard. What would they think when they noticed she was gone? What would Orion do when he realized she'd slipped through his fingers?

But Ruby didn't stop or slow down. She drove through the quiet, winding roads, the stars above glittering through the gaps in the trees, her mind wandered further than she intended. Maybe she could pretend—just for a moment—that no one knew who she was—that no one was coming for her.

Tonight was hers. She told herself.

The illusion of freedom—how tempting it was to imagine a different life, one where Ruby Nightingale didn't exist at all.

She let herself fall into the fantasy, grinning as she imagined stepping into a cozy, dimly lit coffee shop. The smell of freshly brewed espresso would wrap around her, warm like a soft blanket. She'd be dressed in something simple—just jeans and a sweater. She'd wait in line, probably scrolling through her phone. Maybe she'd be a regular there, the barista knowing her name.

And then, there'd be a boy. He'd be standing in front of her—he wouldn't be powerful. Just... a boy, who's waiting for his coffee too. He might smile at her, and she'd smile back, awkwardly. Maybe he'd spill his drink, or maybe she'd drop hers. Either way, they'd laugh about it.

She could almost hear their voices—his surprise, hers shy—and before she knew it, they'd exchange numbers. It wouldn't be a big deal. Just a boy and a girl, meeting by chance, like a million other people do every day.

In this dream, she wasn't Ruby Nightingale, She was just Ruby. A normal girl. Maybe a college student. She could see it clearly—bumping into him again in the crowded halls, both surprised and delighted by the coincidence. They'd laugh about how small the world was, grab coffee together after class, and eventually, one thing would lead to another.

We go to the same college, she thought, smiling softly to herself. How ordinary. She would study something she loved, not what was expected of her. He'd be kind, sweet. They'd talk about everything and nothing, never needing to impress each other. Slowly, they'd grow closer. Ruby pictured it so easily—dinners together, late-night study sessions, his jacket wrapped around her shoulders on cold evenings.

Then, they'd graduate. Get jobs—nothing that involves leading nations or controlling powerful states. Maybe they'd move in together, rent a small apartment with creaky floors and windows that never quite closed all the way. They'd argue about whose turn it was to take out the trash or who left the dishes in the sink. But it would be their home, filled with laughter.