False Reality | Book Three

Chapter IX

"Hey, move out of the way!" Ruby shouts at Beans as he strides across the television. Beans looks at her shortly before rolling his eyes and slapping his butt.

"I am the view."

Ruby and I start laughing as Beans stalks to the reclining chair, sighing in exhaustion. "Can you guys believe we have a week until graduation?" He asks after a moment. Suddenly, panic wells up in my veins. I had been so focused on everything other than graduation. I don't even have a job yet. Thank God my parents were smart and handed us over so much money I could bath in it thousands of times without running out. I should really start considering college. I've signed up for a few, but I didn't think I would truly go to college. I was happy here and I didn't want to leave.

Beans groans. He is silent before he suddenly muses, "You guys have to promise not to forget me." Ruby and I look at him like he grew a second head.

"You're hard to forget," I tell him softly. I can see warmth flood his eyes and he holds his arms out. I quickly scramble to get in his arms, digging my face in his shoulder as he hugs me. We end up staying there, even as Ruby falls asleep on the couch. I lay against him, soaking up his warmth. "Beans," I look at him quickly. His brown eyes flicker from the television and over to me in moments. I stare into his eyes before I suddenly feel the urge to kiss him. I picture yanking off his beanie and tossing it behind us as I run my fingers through his silky brown hair. The only thing that makes me pause is Ruby.

"Yeah, Cassie?" His breath scrapes across my ear, warming me to my core.

"I'm scared," I murmur. It's true. I really am scared. I wondered for a little bit if I was going insane, but then I really thought. What if everything I thought was fake and what I thought was real was truly fake? Somehow, the latter seems more welcoming and actually more likely. The question everyone asks is if paranormal activity is real. What if we were just asking the wrong one? What if demons truly do exist?

Does that mean angels exist as well?

Something about the word angel rubs me wrong. It feels like my spine was taken out and placed back in upside down. "What are you scared of?" I'm surprised when Beans suddenly kisses my neck. I almost jump away from him, but then lean into him as the comforting warmth from it floats through my body. It reminds me of the shirt still buried in my drawers. The shirt that somehow belongs to the black-eyed boy.

"Travis," I suddenly blirt, speaking of Ruby's new boyfriend. Beans is obviously shocked by this.

"Why?" His voice turns hard. "Did you hear something? Is he planning on hurting Ruby?"

"No," I shake my head. "Just Ruby really likes him."

Beans tilts his head in confusion. "Shouldn't you be happy for her?" I bite my lip at his question. It's such a confusing question for me to explain to him. How do I tell him Ruby hates growing close to people ever since her parents left?

Ruby hates talking about her parents, and I'm sure she would be angry at me if I told Beans what happened. Although she and Beans are close, Ruby is still closest to me. She trusts me more than anyone, and for that, I will do anything not to betray that trust.

"It's complicated," I respond. Beans can see I obviously don't feel talking about Ruby, especially as she sleeps soundly on the couch. I'm staring at Ruby when Beans kisses my neck gently.

"Please?" He pleas. I look down to see him staring at me, his brown eyes flickering with green sparks. I suddenly find myself speaking to him, as if in a trance.

"Her parents left her when she was five. They didn't want her anymore," I say softly. Beans' eyes widen before he sucks gently on his lip in silence. I turn to look back at Ruby. I cannot believe I said that. She made me promise to never tell anyone. But that's the truth, minus the horrible parts. The part where her father abused her mother and the part where the only way her father wouldn't leave them is if they lost 'the kid'. Ruby was so innocent and tiny at that time, that when she was dropped off at her grandma's she didn't care. She thought they were going to bake cookies all day. Until her mother didn't come back.