0.1 | No Exit from Deception ✓

0.38 | Keys Are Gone With The Tides

"Nice shoes, by the way. Did she notice?"

"Who?" Joseph canted his head at him.

"Tell me clearly if there is any other girl in your life besides Ruby?"

Joseph rolled his eyes as he deserted on the same spot, blatantly unconvinced with the thunderclouds and storms ensuing in his chest.

"One has to learn underwater diving to understand her." He stared down at the dark lines carved on the plains of his palm. "And I like to distance myself from water; it's dangerous."

"Just choose a way to express your feelings to her?" Anshuman fixated his gaze on him after he had quaffed sourly. "Remember, there are many lanes you could pick to reach home, but there is only one shortest route. So, decide who's your home."

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, I've missed you so much. I even told Joseph to deliver the message that I missed your hundred-on-hundred-rated cheese sandwiches like crazy. Once I ordered the kitchen cooks to make the same sandwich. But, but, but, they couldn't beat your score," she spoke breathlessly and choked on the saliva. Sarah giggled and patted her back.

"Easy, easy. Ruby, I'm not going anywhere."

"How is Joseph's mother? Are you giving her the medicines? She's not locked herself up in the room again, tell me? Is Joseph taking good care of her?"

Sarah raised a hand and simultaneously placed it on her chest. "For starters, take a deep breath in and then release it out like this."

Ruby tilted her head back as though, she had just realized how far her concern for his family lies. She was not only in love with Joseph but his family which only comprised his mother also had been an integral part of her life. Ruby pushed her with both the hands just like how best friends tease when one rants about their boyfriend. Sarah just happened to regain her position.

"What?"

"Speak up Sarah," Ruby whined.

"Okay. Stephanie is not on medicines that's good news for sure. But there is something you'd be amazed to know. She's going out for grocery shopping and also very active these days."

"That's good to hear. You don't know how badly I want to meet her. But frankly speaking, I don't miss her that much. I have met someone who's nearly as old as her." Ruby pressed her lips with a slight frown.

"Who?"

"Katherine Warner─ I mean my so-called mother." Ruby corrected the introductory line, pointing at herself.

"Oh. That's good then."

"Sarah! It's not like how you are perceiving things. Joseph wants me to..." At that moment as her hands filled the pockets of her cardigan, it brushed against the bunch of those burdensome keys that Mrs. Warner gave her as a reward. "...he wants these keys."

Sarah inspected it. "They don't look like car keys──"

"Sarah, these are Mrs Warner's locker keys. Joseph had burned his sweat and blood for me to get these keys one day." Ruby changed her position and sat in a way that her knees sunk into the moist sand. Her uneasiness was breaking through her fumbling hand movements.

"W-Why do you think Joseph wants them?" She asked horrified.

"He lured me because of the money we could get after this embezzlement, and of course took straight advantage of my mirroring looks with that of Elizabeth's. But never disclosed his interest in this game." She nudged Sarah. Ruby muttered surreptitiously, pushing back her tears, "I know he's not a bad guy, rather he's intensely private and mysterious."