Ruben Dias - One Shots

Set Me Free Part 1

Ruben and Carla have grown apart. With Ruben's career taking off he leaves Portugal to live the life of his dreams, breaking Carla's heart doing so. Years later, upon his return home, Ruben learns that Carla has moved on, happily engaged to another man, but not any man, Ruben's childhood bully João Mendes.

Enjoy!

Carla fell back on her bed, letting the mattress catch her fall. It was bad enough that she turned up to the family reunion without her boyfriend. It was one of those reunions where the parents found pleasure in bragging about their children's life achievements. That's why Carla's mother may never forgive her for ending her long term relationship on the day her boyfriend proposed to her.

"Maybe it's not that bad." Carla's cousin Maria, said.

"My mother started crying when I told her."

"Oh."

It was true, but saying yes to marry João Mendes would mean deceiving her heart and Carla could never.

"But why did you say no?" Maria was a curious one. Carla felt the dip in her bed and understood that her cousin wouldn't leave her alone until she told her the truth.

"Because I promised to marry someone else."

"Who?"

Carla sighed. "You know who."

Maria's face faltered and for a split second she could be mistaken for Carla's mother. They both shared the same expression of pity, especially when it came to anything Ruben Dias related.

"He's not coming back, you know." Maria reached out to caress Carla's hair that lay spread across the bed. "He's an asshole who doesn't deserve you, Carla."

"Following his dreams doesn't make him an asshole."

"No, but breaking your heart does."

Carla shut her eyes to prevent the tears from resurfacing. They always did at the thought of him, at the thought of what she and Ruben had.

"Where did you guys even meet, high school?"

Carla shook her head. "We were already together by then. We met earlier than that, when Ruben and his family were still living across the street from us."

"That's right." Maria nodded. "I remember now. He had a brother, right, Ivan?"

"Yes, why?"

"I think I blew him off at a party once."

"You think?" Carla rolled onto her stomach, eyes darting at her cousin.

"I dunno, I was pretty drunk and the bathroom was very dark. It could have been anyone, even Ruben. He was at the party too."

Carla sat up. "But you think it was Ruben's brother, right?"

"Wait, which ones which?"

"What do you mean?"

"Which ones, which of the brothers? I remember one of them being annoying, chasing us around with garden snails and so on, but the other one.....he was pretty shy, no?"

"It was Ruben." Carla hid her smile. "Ruben was the shy one."

"Right, then I'm pretty sure I blew his brother off at the party, not him."

Thank God.

"Either way. I still don't understand how the two of you ended up together, or worse, ended up engaged without telling anyone?"

"It's a long story." Carla sighed. "It's long and irrelevant now. Ruben and I haven't spoken in years."

"But you still have feelings for him, don't you?"

"No." Carla's voice carried no depth. Her cousin saw through the lies.

"Oh, Carla." She was pulled into a hug that almost crushed her bones. "Bless you my hopeless romantic cousin."

Carla groaned. "I'm neither a romantic or hopeless."

"Oh, I know, I know. You keep telling yourself that until the next prince charming comes around."

Carla rolled her eyes but surrendered to her cousin's smothering embrace. It was comforting considering that she was basically going through a break up. However, a promise was a promise. Carla still wore the ring that Ruben gave her just not around her finger. She wore it around her wrist as it was attached to her charm bracelet. There it allowed her to keep her promise with some dignity, knowing Ruben had probably broken his end of the bargain a long time ago. Nevertheless, a promise was a promise, she would never marry until Ruben asked for the ring back. After all, it did belong to his great great grandmother.

Part 2 and 3 are already out on my Patreon for Free! (Link below)

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