The Ruels of My Heart

chapter eighteen - your perspective

Even though I'm pretty drunk, I can see Ruel beating up the weird guy who was offering me a drink. Why is Ruel doing this? Why did he knock the glass that guy gave me out of my hand?
"Let go of him," I repeat, more softly this time.
Ruel looks at me, and obediently lets go of the guy he has pinned against the wall. The guy scurries away.
"What was that for?" I question, putting my hand on his shoulder to steady myself, because I'm drunk. He scoops me up into his arms and starts carrying me outside. His emerald eyes are glowing from the moonlight.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Taking you home," he replies, his gaze not meeting mine.
"Why? I was having fun! You don't even know where I live!" I reply.
"That asshole was drugging you and was going to kidnap you," Ruel answers.
Suddenly I feel a lot less drunk. Ruel would do that for me? Beat up a guy because he was going to do who knows what to me?
"Oh," is all I manage to say.
A bright street lamp illuminates Ruel's face, and I gasp. It's completely bruised, and there's dried blood everywhere.
"Your face-" I stutter.
"Don't worry about it. Just shut your eyes, you need to sleep all this alcohol off," Ruel tells me. I can't believe it. He's looking after me.
"Oh yeah. I forgot about that. I'm going to have a deadly hangover tomorrow. So where are you taking me?" I ask. I feel slightly scared, because I know that Ruel could take me anywhere, but I feel safe. I think I trust him.
"To my place," he replies, "It's not far from here."

Ruel carefully lowers me down onto a bed and fetches me and large glass of soothing icy water and a bowl, just in case. Then he grabs some makeup remover from a room down the corridor that probably belongs to his sister or something. He sits down next to me and gently takes my makeup off.
"This dress is so uncomfortable!" I slur. I'm still a bit drunk so I don't even realise that I'm taking it off. Ruel is literally right next to me. I pull the blanket up to my chin so he can't see much though.
"Wow okay," Ruel says, raising an eyebrow, "Wouldn't mind if you kept the blanket off... Just kidding, I'll fetch you a hoodie."
I blush.
A minute later he comes back with a large grey hoodie. I snuggle into it and it is so soft, and it smells like Ruel. Before I know it my eyes are drooping and I'm drifting off to sleep.

I wake up and my head hurts. A lot. I don't really remember what happened last night, and I don't know where I am. This room doesn't look familiar. But when I squint my eyes open and see Ruel putting a fresh glass of water onto the bedside table beside me, and I remember everything.
"Oh my god," I sigh.
Ruel looks at me, "You're awake."
"Yeah, what time is it?" I ask.
"Half past eleven."
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Because you need as much sleep as you can get. How do you feel now?"
"Much better, just got a bit of a headache," I say as I take a big sip of the water and finish the glass quickly.
"I'll get you another," Ruel says, smiling warmly at me and taking my glass.

Ruel comes back soon and I take another big sip of water.
"Thank you for everything," I say, and I mean it. I hate to think what could've happened last night if Ruel hadn't saved me. I stare into his beautiful emerald eyes, at his messy brown curtains, his sharp jawline...
Before I know it, his lips are against mine. The same spark of electricity passes between us. This time there isn't a moment when I'm not kissing back.