Blood

nineteen

Chapter 19

5 MONTHS LATER...

Ruby

I lay under the warm sun with my hands on my stomach. Lynn was sitting on the beach chair with her shades on and under the tree's shade. She was drinking a cold soda and wore her swimsuit along with me. Max was grilling hamburgers and laughing with Bella. Lauren and Eli were inside the pool, throwing water at each other. It was a peaceful day for all of us.

"Look at the sky, Lynn. It's change from how it looked years ago." I point at the sky while looking at Lynn. She looks at the sky and smiles brightly, "It's beautiful. The world is changing, Ruby. Pretty soon, we'll have mythical creatures as our neighbors." She jokes. I put my arms down, but I didn't laugh at the joke.

"If that happens, I'll certainly date a hot werewolf." I giggle. Lynn smiles, but it seemed like if it wasn't a happy one.

"I forgot, you've been single for five months." She deadpans. I giggly smiles fades away once she says that.

It has been five months since I broke up with Elliot. There's not a day where I do not remember him. Max was his best friend, so sometimes when I would be working he would be here at the house. Max would tell me when he was here. He often asked Bella and Max questions about me. I wouldn't blame him, I would be too. Elliot had multiple of girlfriends to go out with now, so he probably doesn't love me anymore like I do.

Max treated me differently. He was meaner and harsh to me. Sometimes he would yell at me, but I would smile at the end and walk away from him. Caleb's girlfriend-Scarlett-was now a good friend of mine. We would hang out a lot with Lynn, Lauren, and Bella. Also Bella had moved in the house a few weeks after the broke up. Another roommate to talk to.

"Dude, you know that she's here right?" Max begins to talk on the phone with his best friend, Elliot.

"She's my sister. I can't kick her out of the gathering!!" Max exclaims. I laugh at his last statement.

"OK, fine you can come. Just don't bring that girlfriend of yours, you know what, come ALONE." Max hangs up the call. If I stayed here, I would get the chance to see Elliot for the first time in five months. I would have to suffer the consequences and see that attractive face of his. I would have the chance to hear all this affairs with girls which be very painful. I stand up and quickly dash to Max who was grilling.

"Max, I just remembered that I have a shift today at the book store." I pretended to act worried. Max looks dumbfounded at me, "Really? I went yesterday to check if you did and you didn't." My heart begins to pump loud and my red blushes.

Max smirks to me, "Caught you red-handed, Ruby Nicole Summers."

I frown, "I heard you talking to Elliot, that's why." I confess the truth. Max's smirks fades away and puts his arm around me, "You don't wanna see him huh?" He asks.

"Yeah." I nod. He makes a thinking face while grilling.

"You can drop you off at the mall. It's just thirty minutes away from town." He suggests. I huff with a challenging smile and walk away from him. I hear him chuckle, knowing he had won.

"Goddamn, Max." I cuss. I lay back on the grass and find Lynn with a smile. Minutes later, I was inside the house grabbing cups for the drinks. I was on my tippy toes reaching for the cups with my hand stretched out. Suddenly, a hand appears next to mine and grabs the cups easily. I turn around and find Elliot holding the cups. We both were glaring at each other. My heart was pumping loud and I felt like if my knees were turning into jelly. His dark blue eyes were now dull and empty, almost void like.

He clears his throat, "Hi Ruby,"

I was so happy to him in such a long time. He didn't know how much I missed him. He didn't know that I would cry sometimes at night whenever I would see him with another girl at places. He didn't know how such I was suffering without. All he saw was my fake smile that I would put on as lie. He didn't know anything.

"Hi Elliot," I greet him back.

"How's it been?" He asks me awkwardly.

Terrible.

I smile at him, "Oh, I've been fine!" I lie to him. He slightly nods at my fake response and walks away with the cups. He leaves me there standing alone with a broken heart. I wish I had kissed him just one more time. I gulp and walk upstairs in my room. I jump on my bed and begin to cry loud. A soft knock happens to ring from the other side of the door.

"Leave me alone!" I sob.

"Ruby, open the door. It's me and Max." Lauren tells me from the other side of the door. I sniff my nose and wipe my tears away as I let both of them in. They walk to me and sit beside me. I look down to my hands with a frown.

"Why are you crying?" Max softly asks me. I look up to the white wall, "I miss him so much." I sniff my nose. Lauren begins to rub my back with her hand.

"I know," Max nods.

I wipe my tears with my hands, "I'm okay guys." I smile.

"No, you're not." Lauren shakes her head. I remember when it was just the three of us like this. Lauren, Max and I, all sitting down on the couch watching TV. Sometimes they would argue over what channel to put on. Sometimes we would all laugh together.

Max stands up in front of us, "First of all, you shouldn't cry over a guy. It's pathetic, Ruby. Second, there's a lot of guys in the world. Third, crying is for the weak." He grabs my wrist and gives me a tough look. He didn't understand how weak I was. He didn't know how scared I was.

"Blood hates weak people." His eyes narrow at me. I begin to shake my head repeatedly, my hands begin to shake. Lauren looks at him terrified and also angry, "You didn't have to tell her that, Max!" She defends me with her arms wrapped around me.

"He's going to kill me?!" I sob.

"I'm just saying. Don't be weak, Ruby. You've got to be strong." Max ignores Lauren statement. I cover my face with my hands and cry harder. I didn't want to die at this young age. I still had to live and do my life goals.

"He's going to break in the house one night that you're alone. He's going to find you sleeping in your bed peacefully. Blood is going to smirk to himself and take out his shiny knife. He's going to rip the blanket away from you and stab you repeatedly. He's going to w-"

"Stop it, Max! You're just making it worse for her!!" Lauren cuts him off shouting at him. I was already at the verge of going insane with my ears covered tightly by my hands.

"He will not kill me...He will not kill me..." I kept assuring myself. Both Max and Lauren were looking at me with different expressions. One had a victory face and the other a pity one. My heart was beating loud for my liking. I was scared. Max exits out of the room without saying anything and Lauren hugs me. She assured me that everything was going to be okay. How did I know that was not a lie? Can you please tell me that? That day, I ate nothing and went straight to sleep with my dried tears.