"Cross My Heart!"

Chapter 3

Hi! Sorry I haven't updated - finals are consuming me. Here's my favorite chapter so far (even though there are only three... whatever). The song lyrics are mine, so please don't steal them. Enjoy!

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~Ruby~

"So you know my family, huh?" I asked the second we hit the street. He turned to the left and I followed. "Yup. Actually, you seemed familiar, but I couldn't figure out why. Whatever the reason, I wanted to find out more about you and that's why I took you out. I knew there was something... different, you could say."

"You mean you don't just pick up random girls when you accidentally mess up their hard work?" I asked jokingly. But truthfully, I really was curious - it was extremely surprising that he had suddenly picked me up from work, taken me to lunch, shown me around (and offered to take me to the studio!), and then drive me home, sure, but did he do that with other girls too? I honestly didn't know, and curiosity was killing me. "Wow, did you really believe that I'm a manwhore?" he inquired, a crooked smile on his face as he turned to look at me.

"Hey, it's what the tabloids say. And everything you read is true!"

Josh laughed at that as he stepped on the back of my shoe. Bad idea. I brought my hands up to protect myself as I tripped and fell, skinning my hands and knees and hitting my head against the back of my hands. The burning sensation started immediately, and I didn't even try getting back up right away. My pain tolerance is extremely high, but that hurt like a bitch. I slowly removed my hands from the ground. No gravel was stuck in them, but I was bleeding, and it stung. Hard. "Fuck, Ruby! I'm so sorry!" Josh ran over to me, smiling, reaching for my hands before seeing the blood. His eyes widened and fear quickly replaced the playfulness in his face once he realized that he had hurt me. "Holy shit. You need to wash off and get a bandage right now. Holy shit. I'm so sorry. Shit." Acting quickly, he picked me up bridal style with ease and began speed walking. I had no idea where he was going - my eyes remained glued to my hands, which I had stuffed palms-up in my lap so as to not get blood all over Josh. I gradually shifted my eyes to my knees, seeing tiny pin pricks of blood that had seeped through my jeans. My heart started beating abnormally. I never did well with mass amounts of blood.

I felt Josh stop and awkwardly reach for something in his pocket, refusing to set me down, even if just for a second. It was actually.... cute. He knew I could stand, but he refused to let me go. Gentleman, I thought, for the third time that day. I heard keys jingle, snapping me out of my trance. I drew my eyes away from my hands to look at our surroundings. I was confused for a second, until I realized that Josh was unlocking the door to a house with metal numbers aligned in the order of "1712" next to the door. The Trencher in me began freaking out, but I was in too much pain to show it. I looked back down at my hands and the nausea hit me (when I say I don't do well with blood, I mean it), and I instantly felt lightheaded. I took a deep breath, desperately trying to calm down, before closing my eyes and rolling my head against Josh's chest in defeat. "Ruby?! Are you okay? Are you still there?" I gave a weak chuckle. "I skinned my hands and knees, and I only softly bumped my head. I'm not gonna die. I just don't do well with blood," I explained, feeling my body slowly be placed on a soft piece of furniture and lose an immense amount of warmth. I groaned lightly and opened my eyes to see Josh staring right back. "I'm getting you Advil and water and some bandages an-"

"Josh, no offense, but I'd appreciate it if you'd just get everything for me instead of listing it all off," I teased softly. His eyes widened again, and he seemed so scared and guilty that I just wanted to hug him and let him know that I'd be fine and maybe kiss him too, if I was being honest.. He stood up quickly, nodding halfmindedly, and almost tripped over his own feet as he ran away to retrieve the items. I smiled and sighed before something else registered: I was in 1712 Acadia Road. Holy. Shit. I might be lightheaded and nauseous, but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of realizing things - such as being in Josh Ramsay's childhood home.