lemonade | ethan

twenty nine

throughout the entire next day, ruby made sure i spent some girl time with her and away from the guys for once. it honestly felt nice to be able to hang around a girl for once.

"you lack the stench of girl." she claimed. i had been spending time with the guys throughout the entire school year. and though i loved them, sometimes it felt nice to finally be with a girl. "so, you've been hanging around those south siders recently. you must like one of them." she says, nudging me in the shoulder.

"well..."

"i knew it!" she laughs. "which one is it, your plus one maybe? does he know you like him? you should totally tell him if he doesn't."

"it's not raymond." i chuckle. "it's ethan. he makes me happy." i say, finding myself smile without thinking.

she gasps. "does he know?"

ruby and i sit in the hot tub as we viewed the snowy mountains in the distance. i shrug my shoulders. "it's just hard. i don't wanna ruin anything."

she nods. "completely understandable. but sometimes you gotta do something if you want something to happen."

"that's kind of how things work?" she adds.

i nod, furrowing my eyebrows. "i know!" i state. "i'm just nervous. i've never made the first move before."

"listen. i don't know a single thing about south siders, but i'm pretty sure they like a girl who takes charge." she shrugged. "it just seems like they would."

"i don't know. everyone's different." i say.

she nods before sighing. "it's getting hot, no?" she claims before stepping out of the hot tub. she wraps her robe around her, slipping her shoes on. "i'll be back."

"okay." i look around, seeing inches of snow covering the floor. the steam on the surface of the water was super visible.

getting bored, i take snow and melt it in the hot tub, being completely fascinated and distracted by it. so distracted, i didn't even realize how long ruby had been gone.

i sighed, rubbing my eyes. "so much for girl time." i, myself, step out of the hot tub before wrapping the robe around my body.

i notice the robe having gold embroidered letters reading RB for ruby brooks. huh, how elegant.

after sliding the door open and stepping inside, i come in to a quiet house. hm, everyone must be downstairs.

well, the tips of my hair are frozen so into the shower we go. i wonder if ruby decided to take a shower also.

as i walk down the hallway, i hear the shower turn on in one of the bathrooms. instinctively, i find myself saying, "ruby? is that you?"

i hear her shush someone after giggling before opening the door and peeking her head out. "hey! sorry i dipped, i really wasn't feeling the jacuzzi anymore, you know?"

i nod with my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. is someone in there with her? "yeah, no. i totally get it. my hair was starting to get hard." i say, chuckling.

she laughs along, looking behind her for the second time. "is someone in there with you?" i ask.

she laughs it off. "what? no."

slowly, i push the door open wider. and what's weirder is that she let me, almost like she had nothing to hide.

"it's not what it looks like!" ruby exclaims after she notices the look on my face when i see a shirtless ethan in the bathroom with her.

truly, i'm not sure how i'm supposed to feel. it's not like he's my boyfriend so i have no reason to be openly jealous. do i?

"dev—" ethan says, before i'm already gone and speeding away. i'm out of hearing range after hearing ruby tell him to not run after me.

what am i supposed to assume? the shower was on! his shirt was off! ugh, fuck!

"woah, woah. you okay?" sonny bumps into me, noticing the look of distraught smeared on my face.

LEMONADE

"he'd never do that, trust me." sonny explains. "just calm down." he adds as he sits on the edge of the bed watching as i paced back and fourth in the middle of the room.

"yeah, plus i heard he's not really into redheads." raymond adds, scrolling through his phone as he lay in the bed next to us.

we were currently locked in their bedroom while everyone else was out there. and i was nervous because i didn't want to go back out there with ruby and ethan. i just wanted to go home.

i sighed, shaking my head. "you didn't see them. the shower–"

"i know, i know. the shower was on and his shirt was off." sonny says, repeating what i had told him earlier. "it could be a complete misunderstanding."

"you should talk to them." raymond suggests. "start with the redhead. she is your friend, isn't she?"

i shrug. "i guess."

sonny stands up from off the bed. "you should do it now. we go home tomorrow. who knows when you'll see ruby again." he unlocks the door, opening it wide for me to leave. i scoff, groaning. i really didn't want to do this.

but even if i didn't want to, i forced myself to leave anyway. looking down the end of the hallway, i notice ruby's door is closed shut.

so much for her open door rule. well, to be fair we did break that many times.

i knock on the door softly. "ruby? can i come in?"

quickly the door swings open. "oh, gosh. devon! i'm so glad you're here. i thought you were mad at me or something!"

"i'm just here to clear things up." i explain. "what happened in that bathroom?"

she sighs, sitting herself down on the bed. she pats the seat next to her, and instinctively, i sit down. "devon, i'm sorry. i know you like ethan. in fact, everyone knows you do. but i can't choose who i like and who i don't."

"...what're you saying?" i ask.

she breaks eye contact with me, staring hard at the floor before sighing. "i like ethan. and my feelings can't change even if i wanted them to." she explains.

"remember in the hot tub when i said if you want something you have to actually do something?" she adds. "well... i did something. and though i understand you like him, i just can't help how i feel."

"i'm sorry devon. but... i think he likes me too." she says, smiling as she pushed her fallen hair behind her ear. "i really hope this doesn't get in the way of our friendship. because i wouldn't want that at all."

END OF CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

hi y'all!!

i just got disney + and i am soooo stoked!
currently watching wizards of waverly place!

anyway, wow ruby. what just happened?