Not The Teacher's Pet

27. Connections

"Again with that crap. I'm leaving, asshole" Stephen got up.

"Mr.Hayes isn't lying" Ruby turned to him, "Even though it sounds like a heartless joke, I saw his family with my own eyes"

"Really?" He scoffed and sat back down. "Give me one reason why millionaires like the Hayes family would hide one of their children from the public while glorifying the others?"

"My parents weren't very proud of me, Stephen" Hayes replied.

"Dude, you were amazing at literature. Better than any of us. The professors loved you, even girls love you. I don't see any reason for them to not be proud"

Hayes sighed, "It's stupid and silly but trust me, I wish it wasn't true as well. That's why I want to do this. I'm sick of my family looking down on me" He went on to talk about his childhood trauma, as Ruby called it. Hayes hesitated to tell most parts and she saw that he didn't go into too much detail as he had done with her, but all the same, she was glad that he was opening up to people and sharing his problems.

Stephen heard Ruby's side of the story too. She told him everything including how she was forced to kill her parents to how she met Jonas and killed her kidnappers.

Stephen quietly drank his wine taking a deep breath when Ruby stopped, "Let me get this clear, you killed four people including your parents, and watched your baby sister be choked in front of you?"

Ruby didn't reply, ashamed to even look up.

"Hayes, do you realize that you're letting a young serial killer be around you, right? I could call the police right now and get her off your hands"

"I know you won't do that" Hayes replied calmly.

"What makes you so confident?"

"You need the scoop"

This made Stephen laugh, "I regret letting you stick around me for too long"

"Alright Jeremy Hayes, you've thought this far. What is your next move?"

"I'll get Jonas arrested"

Ruby snapped her head in his direction, "What?"

"I thought about it a lot. He's tortured many innocent lives and I excused him by thinking he was mentally unstable. That could be the case but it's no excuse for his actions. If he stays behind bars, many people will be saved, including himself"

"Interesting" Stephen replied, "How will you do that?"

"I can't tell you the details now" Hayes replied, "But you can't write Ruby's story as it is. You'll alter a few parts"

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you when he gets arrested. There are certain things that I need to do first" he sighed, leaning back on his chair.

Ruby reached for his hand from under the table. She locked her fingers with his, knowing how much he was struggling for her. Hayes gazed back, his eyes taking in the warm and pretty view.

"She's just your student, huh?" Stephen cleared his throat.

The couple withdrew their hands, looking back at the suspicious journalist.

"Yes," Hayes replied, straightening himself.

"Just a student?" He repeated.

"Just a student"

"And she stays in your house?"

"Yes, because it's safer"

"And she's already met your family?"