Untouchable

Chapter 24

Alyssa sat opposite Evie on her bed. Evie was slowly threw chucking hair slides onto the bed as she extracted them from her hair. It was gone 11pm, but both girls were too tipsy to care, as were their parents.

                “I can’t believe Ruth got married. Before me!” Alyssa giggled as she undid the plaits in her hair before slowly brushing her brunette mess of hair.

                “You haven’t even got a boyfriend yet.” Evie teased.

                “I always thought it would be Abbie who got married first.” Alyssa sighed. “Abbie and Ryan.”

                “As perfect as they seem, I don’t think they’re that perfect.”

                “Are we talking Abbie and Ryan, or Ruth and Noah?”

                “Abbie and Ryan.”    

                “How do you mean?”

                “They seem to have a lot of arguments about tiny insignificant little things. There are reasons why Ryan didn’t come to the wedding.”

                “I thought it was just because he couldn’t.”

                “No, that was just what Abbie was saying.”

                “Not good.” Evie stood up and walked into her own room. Alyssa sighed and lay down in her own bed and began texting one of the boys from university, Connor. She was the closest thing she had to a boyfriend, only her parents knew nothing about him, and he lived in Leeds, nearly 300 miles away.

                “Hey there.” Alyssa texted.

                “So, how drunk are you, Lyss?” Connor replied.

                “I’m tipsy.”

                “Suuure.”

                “I am!”

                “How was the wedding?”

                “Really good. Noah and Ruth have a very good choice and taste in cake and icing. Got our old food tech teacher to make it.”

                “Now that’s a very nice way to say thanks to a teacher.”

                “I know, right!”

                “You sound like you have a really awesome family. Better than mine.”

                “You’re an only child though. Bet that’s peaceful.”

                “I’d trade anything for siblings.”

                “I’ll trade Evie?”

                “I don’t think Evie would like to come up to Leeds.”

                “She’s looking at the university there.”

                “Which?”

                “University of Leeds.”

                “Wicked, if you come with her you guys can stay at mine.”

                “Wicked.”

                “I need to sleep, honey, please sleep well and I hope your heads okay in the morning.”

                “Night!” Alyssa placed her phone on charge and lay down in her covers, and slowly, unconsciously, drifted into a restful sleep.

Ruth woke up early the next morning, lying naked across her husband’s bare chest. He opened his eyes slowly, blissfully, and smiled at Ruth as her hair covered most of what their duvet didn’t.

                “You ready to go on our honeymoon, sweetheart?” Noah asked. Ruth giggled a little, smiling,

                “Yeah, three weeks with you, how could I resist?” She giggled.

                “Quite easily, I imagine.” Noah chuckled, kissing Ruth gently. They both giggled and smiled. Ruth rolled over, stood up, and walked into the bathroom, locking the door just to peeve Noah a little. He chuckled as he heard the door lock, but stood up and pulled his old, tatty, dressing gown on, walked downstairs and made two mugs of coffee as he heard the shower switch off. He smiled as he sipped his own coffee. The bathroom door opened, Ruth scuttled into the bedroom, brushed her long hair. She eventually walked downstairs and tipped her coffee over her cereal. Noah chuckled as he watched her eat coffee and cereal.

                “I still see that as gross.” He remarked,

                “Yeah, well, you’re disgusting, and I married you.” Ruth giggled. Noah beamed and laughed, humour and happiness shining in his hazel eyes.

                “You did, and you can’t ever escape me now. I got a ring on you.” They both laughed.

                “Stuck together forever.”

                “I guess it was always gonna be like this.”

                “How so?”

                “I always loved you, Ruth, ever since we were those three-year-olds at nursery.”

                “You are so adorable. It’s a shame I had to learn to love, not like everyone else.”

                “But you did, and we’ll learn how to work everything out now, like we always did at school.”

                “Yeah, we will.” Ruth giggled. “Because you’re stuck with me whether you like it or not, forever.”

                “Forever, is that right?” Noah teased.

                “That’s what I promised. And I don’t break promises.”

                “You never have, not once.” Noah chuckled.

                “And I never will either. I stick to my words.” Ruth smiled before lifting the bowl to her mouth and drinking the remaining liquid in the bottom of the bowl, something she knew she couldn’t get away with on holiday.