Ulysses Paradox (a Will Lenney fanfiction.)

chapter twenty

Alex graciously pretended that he didn't want to go to The Coupe after dinner, in order to avoid any more run ins for Will and Ruby.

"There's a new spot I've been wanting to check out," he told everyone. "It's just a bit further down the block. Why don't we head over there?" Ruby was incredibly grateful for this. Becky had immediately come to her side, distracting her with surface level gossip and curated disdain for Jake, though she didn't know the reason why.

"You're too pretty for all of these men," she said. "They're all going wild because they know you're out of their league— even Will." They both glanced across the table, and Will offered them a wide smile. Over-compensating.

"I suppose you might be right." Ruby didn't want to speak to Will right now, and it was evident that he wasn't receiving that message in her near-constant conversation with Becky, and the way she avoided eye contact, even when she could see him staring her down out of the corner of her eye.

"We should talk." Will said. They were in a cab on the way home, sober.

"Okay, sure." Ruby stared out the window.

"What's that s'posed to mean?"

Ruby answered with a shrug, and let the vibration of the window pulse through her forehead until her lips and nose felt numb. Jake's words circled through her head. She didn't want to be hurt by them, it was her own choices that forced them into such a predicament. Still, she felt the weight of it all. She shrugged.

"I don't know." She knew exactly what type of reaction this would warrant, and felt at peace with his harsh sigh, and the heavy silence that followed. He didn't like that answer, neither of them did. The rest of the cab ride was silent.

Ruby hoped that Will would forget about seeing Jake at the club and climb on top of her when she got in bed. The impending conversation could wait, everything could wait. She didn't want to think right now. When she walked out of the bathroom in her pajamas he was sitting at the edge of the bed deliberating. Ruby ignored him and climbed in bed. It was late. She told him that.

"Ruby, what he said to you..."

"Don't make it a big deal, Will. It's not."

"The way he grabbed your arm, I got nervous."

"He wouldn't hurt me."

"Are you sure, Ruby? I saw the way he looked at you."

"You don't get to decide what hurts me and what doesn't." She clenched and unclenched her jaw and her chest was flooded with white hot anger. Here in her bedroom it was quiet and peaceful and Will's presence barely hindered the loathing whirlwind of thoughts that battered at Ruby's resolve.

She laid down and Will didn't try to speak to her, but he did lay down with her after a few minutes and wrapped his arms around her waist, and she stared at the clock on her nightstand and wondered how long it would be until she was alone.

Will made coffee in the morning, and sat at her small kitchen table to eat a piece of toast. Ruby got dressed and sat on the couch with her laptop to begin answering emails.

"You just not gonna talk to me?" Will mumbled, staring into his coffee cup.

"I mean, we can talk. I just don't want to talk about last night."

"Okay, fine. That's fine."

"Oh, it's fine, huh?" Ruby joked, hoping to lighten the mood. It worked.

"Yeah," Will said, coming to sit down with her. "It's fine."

Will went home while Ruby was still sifting through emails and advised her that she shouldn't work on Sundays, and instead she should enjoy her weekend. She laughed and explained that as much as she dreaded opening up her inbox every day, putting it off for more than two days was worse. He shook his head, exasperated, but didn't offer any push back. He had a video to film tonight.