Ruby Dominguez knew all about how her father treated her mother. If she stepped in to help, she would get the same treatment. They couldn't leave. They were trapped in a reality no one would ever want to be apart of. Ruby looked forward to her vacat...
"She's Ruby?" Angela laughed and called someone over. "Chantel, she's Ruby."
"Ruby?" Chantel frowned.
"Yes, Ruby. Rob always talked about her. You know...the Ruby with the booty?"
Chantel grinned and hit Roberto's arm. I took a not so subtle look at my butt and rolled my eyes. I didn't have anything anymore. When you sit on your butt all the time for two years, it just leaves you. I can't say the same for my chest.
"I guess there's no need to introduce myself," I said. "It's nice to meet the both of you."
"Ruby, I'll be right back. Angela and Chantel will keep you company while I'm away," Roberto said and planted a kiss on my temple. The girls nearly swooned. I waved him away like it happened all the time. "Later, babe."
After he was no longer in earshot, Angela and Chantel grabbed me and dragged me over to wherever they'd come from. The photographers glared at them, but they pretended they didn't see anything.
"How'd you do it?" Chantel asked.
"Do what?" I asked.
"How'd you get Roberto to stay friends with you? Two and a half years away from your best friend...it's got to be hard to pick up where you left off."
"I didn't do anything. He just sort of welcomed me back with open arms. It would have been hard to avoid him, anyway. He and my cousins are friends."
"I don't have any cousins down here. Even if I did, he wouldn't want to know them. They're known for being...them." Angela frowned. "But, it is what it is."
"Angela, here, dated Roberto for a year," Chantel said. "It's only natural they have a special relationship. But...I can say he's moved on. You're back."
"I have a boyfriend," I pointed out.
Our little group grew quiet. Yeah, it's out there now. Roberto knows, so he has no reason to pretend we're dating or anything. Or make irrelevant comments about my butt. Nothing was said in the seconds leading up to my phone ringing.
I looked at my phone and sighed. Him again. "I have to take this." They nodded and walked away. "Yes, Marcus."
"We're breaking up," he said.
"What!"
"We're breaking up."
"I-I-I know what you said. Why? What did I do?"
Marcus sighed like that was the dumbest thing I'd ever asked him. "You didn't do anything. I'm not wasting any time on explaining anything. I just don't want to be with you. We should start seeing other people."
"Two years down the drain and you want to...leave it all behind? Drop me like I'm nothing?"
"Ruby, it's not that hard to wrap your head around. I don't want to be with you anymore."
"Are you seeing someone?"
I feared for his answer, but I might as well know. If he admits to this, then I know his little project friend might be the girl he's seeing. Who goes out with a girl late at night when you're dating someone? Only cheaters do that.
"As a matter of fact, I am," Marcus admitted. "And you should start seeing someone else, too."
"It's not that easy," I snapped. "...You know what, never mind." I hung up without another word.
"So?" Chantel looked at me expectantly as I approached them.
"What?"
"What happened? You seemed pretty upset."
"Oh...I guess I'm single now."
Chantel's eyebrows raised in question. Angela's jaw ticked, but I didn't think anything of it. It's normal to be jealous. If she is jealous. I would be jealous if my ex was friends with someone like me. But, what does she have to be jealous of? I'm nobody. I don't look anything like her.
"I needed to let go of him. He was...holding me down."
"An anchor," Chantel said.
"Agreed." Angela forced a smile. She was definitely jealous.
Roberto came back with an envelope in his hands. Angela and Chantel backed down and bid us farewell. I guess they didn't want to talk longer than they had to. Roberto led me outside back to his car without a word. When we had settled down, my phone rang again. I looked at the caller ID and sighed. I wasn't about to answer it this time.
"Who's it?" Roberto asked.
"...My ex," I muttered.
"Ex? I thought you only dated once?"
"I did. He had just broken up with me before you came back." I tossed my phone onto the dash. Roberto grabbed it, and before I could say anything, he answered it.
"Yeah, hi," he said. "Who am I? I'm Ruby's boyfriend. Who are you?"
I sighed. Men. You can never do anything normal with them.
"Mhm, whatever you say. I can assure you that you cheated and I just claimed her. Don't call her again. If I hear you have, I'll make it my life's work to come after you and make sure you pay for wasting her time."
"Roberto!" I exclaimed when he hung up. "What the heck!"
"...It is what it is. He won't waste your time anymore, Ruby. Trust me, you're better off without that jerk. You deserve someone better."
"Like you?" I snatched my phone back. "No way. I can't just rush into another relationship and we're best--"
Roberto shut me up with a kiss. I was stunned for a solid three seconds before pulling myself away. This was never supposed to happen. Now today's going to be more awkward than it already was. Curse men and all their impulsive actions.
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