Capturing Chloe

9 - Ruby

RUBY

"So, you hate me?" Liv frowned. She struck her ultimate weapon, a pair of puppy eyes, which unfortunately, didn't work for me anymore.

"I will never hate you," I said. I sat on her couch and she followed. "It's just so hard for me, Liv. I'm moving out of the country. We can't be together."

She quickly hugged me. "No," she cried. "Don't leave me, Ruby. Take me with you."

Because she's crazy obsessed with you, Neil's words spun around my head.

Olivia Edwards always got what she wanted. I knew it when we met two years ago when I was working as her sister Rainie's private tutor. It wasn't until she got her own apartment that we often spent time alone together. It led to casual sex—but I never thought of her as a girlfriend, even though she loved me so much.

Maybe Neil was right. Maybe I only kept myself around her to sleep with her, which was the only thing I liked from her.

Did I hate her? No. To be honest, Liv deserved better. I didn't like clingy girlfriend, and Liv was exactly that if I had ever asked her to be one. Moreover, I would take Neil's exact words to describe her further.

Liv forced a kiss on me. As much as I wanted to kiss back, I just couldn't.

"Liv..." I said. "It's for our own good. I can't take you and—I'm being really honest—I need time before I got into a serious relationship."

"I love you, Ruby," Liv said in a quavering voice. "I always love you. No matter what."

No matter what, she said. Wait until she knew what I had been doing in the past three days.

"I'm sorry, Liv."

It was the last words before I left her apartment for good.

--

I could finally get out of Liv's grasps, but why did I still have this uneasy feeling?

It might be because of James Sanders sending the money that wasn't our initial deal and Neil kept threatening to hurt Chloe through the quick call he made to the Sanders. I never agreed to violence. My stupid brother wouldn't listen to me if he thought he was right.

Even so, he admitted that he was wrong when he accidentally told Liv that I lived in a cabin for now. It led me to finally break the ties with her, clarifying everything with another lie. At least, she was out of my life.

It messed my head up throughout the day. I could get away from clingy Liv, but at the same time, I couldn't get any pleasures that she constantly gave me anymore.

Ridiculous regret, I know, but it was the only thing that kept me around.

I'm such a jerk.

I brought a pizza for dinner to Chloe. I usually stayed, but seeing Chloe, I always reminded of her story with Alyssa—thus reminding me of Liv. Keeping my distance might be the best choice right now.

When I was taking Chloe to the toilet, Liv called me. So much for breaking ties. I ignored her, but she kept calling. I finally decided to answer, for the last time hopefully.

"Liv, I'm not exactly available right—"

"What did you do, Ruby?" Liv asked in a rush. There was a worry in her tone.

"What do you mean?"

"I-I was watching the news, and there was this photo of you as a suspect of a kidnapping," she explained messily. "You dyed your hair back—but I know that was you!"

Oh, my God.

"Ruby?! Please tell me it's just a misunderstanding?" Liv demanded.

I was too shocked to say anything right now. If Liv talked, the police would definitely track me down here.

Chloe opened the toilet door. I couldn't just tell Liv that I held a girl captive in exchange for a million dollars. For God's sake—I just wanted Olivia Edwards out of my life! Why did she have to hold something crucial to my life at this very time?

"I'll call you later, okay, Liv?" I hung up before letting her answer.

Right. I should only focus on this mission. Wait for the Sanders to send the full money, and return Chloe to them.

But that dream almost vanished as Chloe tried to escape—and she hit me before she ran away.

With the pain near my eye, I had a brief blur vision before I saw that Chloe worked her way through Neil too.

"What the fuck?!" Neil shouted.

I got on my feet and started to run after her. "You wait here!" I told Neil. "I'm gonna get her!"