Ruthie's POV
I woke up with probably the worst cramps I've ever had. I turn over to turn on my lamp but in the process I almost throw up from the pain. I find enough bravery to roll out of bed and almost lose my breath in the process. I didn't think my mood could get worse than waking up at three in the morning to starting your period and having the worst cramps of your life. I walk into the bathroom and find only one tampon. One. I literally just want to lay down on the ground and cry.
Right when I decide that would be the best thing to do, I hear my phone ring. I pull myself up and walk over to my night stand and check to see who is calling me right before my mental breakdown.
Luke? Why is he up? I bring the phone up to my ear but I don't even have a chance to get one word out before Luke is asking me what's wrong.
"Ruthie, are you ok? Why are up this late?" He sounds like a parent. I walk to my bedroom window and see him pacing in front of his window until I come into his view.
"Yes Luke I'm ok. I just woke up to terrible cramps." I can see his face through the window and he looks a little bit relieved.
I already see him grabbing a hoodie, my favorite of his I may add, and walking out of his room towards his front door I'm guessing.
"I'll be right over. You shouldn't be alone in the house. What if something else was wrong? What if your appendix burst, or someone broke in, or you had an asthma attack, or a panic attack again..."
"Luke," I interrupted him mid sentence, "I'm ok. You're right next door. You would hear if someone was breaking in, I'm sure you would hear me screaming like a banshee if my appendix burst, and I haven't had a panic attack since someone did try breaking a long time ago, and I haven't had an asthma attack since I was thirteen." I can see him walking across his lawn towards my window.
"Darling, I know but someone has to worry about you," now growing his concern again. He unlocks my front door and finds me in my room, walking over to bend down eye level while I'm curled up into a ball on my bed.
"Darling..." I scoff back at him and while he rolls his eyes at me. Luke knows how much I hate it when he calls me that.
The nickname gives me flashbacks from our family living class when we were paired up to take care of our fake baby which never stopped crying. He thought we would name the baby Luke Jr. and started calling me darling like an old married couple. It only stuck when he realized how much I hated it. He used it rarely but only when he was worried about something or could tell I was getting anxious about a situation to try to distract me I guess.
"You worry too much, you know," I say with a smirk.
"So I've heard."
"Luke, what were you doing still awake when you called?"
A guilty look appears on his face. "I was out back smoking," he sighs and rubs his face with both hands, "and yes, I know it's bad for me and that you hate it but we haven't gone out to a party in a while because everyone is busy getting ready to graduate, which as you know is stressful enough."
"I've told you, if you're stressed just come over here and paint with me. That's why my anxiety hasn't been bad recently and I haven't been overwhelmed with graduation. You're the one who told me to start but you won't even try it." I'm frustrated with him now because I don't want to see him hurting himself. "I just don't want anything happening to my best friend. It would kill me if something happened, Luke."
"But you're the artistic one. I'm not. The only thing I can do is sing. Your paintings are beautiful and so colorful and you can see the story it tells. I can't do that Ruthie." His excuses aren't enough to calm my fears of something happening to him. I almost cry just from the thought of anything happening.
Luke groans seeing the water pool in my eyes and sits down next to curled up body on the bed. "Ruthie, don't cry. You're too emotional right now and I'm too tired to deal with it. Here look what I brought you." He sets the bag on his lap and starts going through it.
"You're favorite hoodie that I just stole back from you last week," he says.
I chuckle knowing he won't get it back for at least another 3 months.
He continues his little haul. "Pain killers, pads and tampons, and a surprise!" He makes me close my eyes while pulling it out. "Look!"
I open my eyes and see a box with a brand new heated blanket. "Luke! I love you! Thank you!" I start to sit up to hug him but a stabbing pain stops me and I wince.
"Here, you need these," he hands me the box of tampons. "I'll go make you some tea to help you sleep."
I start walking towards the bathroom with the tampons and Luke's hoodie to change into. Before I shut the door I turn towards him.
"Hey Luke," I say catching his attention.
"Yea?" He turns to in the doorway.
"Thank you."
"You know I would die for you Ruthie. I'll always take care of you." He walks away leaving me to clean myself up.
When I'm finished I'm almost crying again from the pain. A few sniffles echo in the bathroom and I hear a knock on the door.
"Are you ok? Can I come in?"
"Yea, I'm just in a lot of pain. I'll be out in a minute." I lean my hands against the sink and try to breath through the stabbing pain. I hear the door knob turn and Luke enters with a glass of water and pills in his hand.
"Here, take these." He hands them to me and walks back into the room. When I follow soon after I see my new blanket on the bed and a mug full of tea on my night stand.
"Ugh what would I do without you." I grab the mug and start to lay down on the bed and feel the bed dip down next to me. "What are you doing?"
Luke is lifting the blankets so he can squeeze in on the other side next to me. "Well I'm not leaving you by yourself," he gives me a look like I'm dumb and reaches over me to turn off my lamp.
"You can stay under one condition," I smirk and he responds with a scared look.
"Oh no, what? I have to buy you coffee, I can't scare off the next douche bag that comes your way.."
"You promise to stop smoking."
He stares at me for a few seconds probably thinking of a response. "Ruthie..."
"I could have said to not sleep with any girls for a month."
"Fine. Ok, fine."
"You'll feel better knowing you're not putting that nasty shit into your body."
Luke turns to look at me, "your requests for me won't make me become a better man."
I roll my eyes and drift off to sleep knowing I'll be ok with him by my side tonight.
YOU ARE READING
Better Man|| L.H.
Fanfiction"All of my wrongs have lead me right to you." Ruthie Holland was a happy child with a happy childhood. She always did well in school, was a talented artist, and always had her best friend, Luke Hemmings, right next door. Ruthie and Luke were atta...
