I'm your Calico cat, here to see you
Love me now, touch me now
Ruby Pov-part 1
When you and your buddies returned to your dorms, you were relieved.
You were startled and unsettled by Greg's encounter, but you've moved on with your life. You may genuinely say you've had it with him, and he no longer has any influence over you. You don't give a rat's butt about him dating the entire student body.
Tonight is the elimination round of the Miss Freshette competition. You're exhausted, and your little finger is stinging all the time. You couldn't figure out what it was, and perhaps you knocked it somewhere in haste.
Your entire emotional state is unsettled. You feel so empty within as if a hole has been dug in your heart.
Greg believes you've been waiting for him since his cruel betrayal of you. Your best friend may be moving next year. Your family is about to get out of debt. Your mother texted you to let you know that the bank had approved a second mortgage. You don't want her to go further into debt. At the very least, you'll have somewhere to live for the time being. Becky still needs to apply to colleges, and she is considering studying abroad. Fortunately, your brother, Bryant, is pursuing his medical degree with the assistance of a scholarship.
You've been thinking about getting your hands on your "acting" check, which your mother has reinvested in to help your mom get out of debt.
As you enter the elevator to your floor, you greet your two buddies. The commons area is deserted. The majority of the girls on this floor are probably attending class or in their rooms. occupied with duties or simply resting
You sat down on one of the dark grey sofas to calm your nerves. You placed your bag next to you as you grabbed the remote to see what was on TV.
Samantha texted you to let you know that she and Brendon will be back around 6 p.m. He will also take her to see a movie.
You sign, suddenly exhausted, and decide to go to your apartment dorm. You turned off the television and walked grudgingly to your and Samantha's shared apartment.
When you arrived at your dorm, you took a quick and refreshing shower before making yourself a cup of tea and a chocolate-covered croissant.
After your snack, you tidied up the kitchen and strolled to the lounge to concentrate on your newest assignment for one of your minor courses. You're hoping that you and the girls receive the internships, and that will be the beginning of a new life.
You don't want to attend the contest. Greg and his obnoxious friends will undoubtedly be watching, and it will awaken plenty of unwelcome and painful memories. You'd instead participate in the finals.
Your door was knocked on. You furrow your brow and hope there aren't any problems with the taps and such. You are not a member of the floor's steering committee. You sat out this year, and there are too many responsibilities and stressors. You walk up to the door and open it. It was one of your senior floormates.
"G'day Sarah, how are you?"You grin at her with a gentle smile. Sarah has always been pleasant to you since the beginning. Her dark green eyes twinkled with delight. Her blond hair was rolled up in curlers. A large bouquet was in her hands. You gaze at her with a curious expression on your face.
"You received a delivery. Here... it arrived a few minutes ago, you have an admirer, "She smiles and hands you the flowers as you stare at them with wide eyes and arched brows. You are having trouble figuring out who sent the letter.
Sarah grins, "Got a lil' note in that small envelope. Oh, and choccies came with it." She hands over the package, but your expression remains stunned. She eyes your unimpressed look, and everyone who spotted you with Greg thinks you've patched things up. No chance.
"Cheers, Sarah... but I won't make it tonight. Got another assignment to wrap up. Thanks for dropping' this off." You acknowledge her as she giggles and waves, while you just shake your head and head back to your apartment.
You grabbed the card and set the flowers on the kitchen counter. The white flowers were presented in an immaculate white gift bag, together with a box of chocolates.
You opened the card and instantly recognized Greg's handwriting. Courting you back into a relationship.
You sneer, and he thinks that after the stunt he pulled two years ago, you'll fall into his lap like a desperate girl. You're not going to be that easily swayed again.
Your heart is still captured by that "stud muffin" whom you may or may not ever see again. What is the purpose of FATE acting against you?
You removed the flowers from the bag and threw them away, then you opened the chocolates and ate them. Greg was already well on your favorite candies, as well as the most expensive ones. Samantha likes it as well, but you bite on one, cover the rest, and place it on Samantha's dresser. Greg isn't important to you.
You sighed and returned to your cozy room. You did some work on your project and checked on your internship application. Nothing but an e-mail informing you that a cheque from your gaming review "side job" had been deposited. You haven't applied for a coffee shop job since returning to university. Your working schedule was too chaotic, so you had to cancel.
Your phone rang, and you sighed as you picked it up and saw the ID caller. It's your mother. You exhale deeply, hoping it's not your dad.
"G'day, Mum," you cheerfully greet her. It's been ages since you've been back .
"Hello, love! I'm sorry about your dad; he's been keen as to see you. Don't you reckon it's about time to let bygones be bygones? He's realized the hurt he's caused you. He was your hero and someone you really wanted to spend time with. What he did can't be undone, but sweetie... he's still your dad. Just catch up with him and give him a chance to explain. I'm not saying you have to be best mates, but give it a go. He's been missing you. You've been avoiding him for almost fourteen years, and now that he's here, he's missed out on a lot of your growing up. He misses you."
Your eyes welled up with unshed tears. You're sick of being hurt by the men you care about. You were a daddy's girl, but when he started spending less time with you and was always on business trips and started to neglect you and your sibling without knowing that he was spending more time with his soulmate away from home, the betrayal was too much for you to stomach.
You sniffle and quickly grab a tissue from the side table to wipe your eyes and nose. "Mum, I'm not even sure what to say to him. He's been absent for years... I'm a grown-up now, and I don't need him. He ditched us to fend for ourselves... He's just a selfish bloke, Mum!"
On the other end, your mother lets out a heavy sigh. "Sweetheart... holding onto resentment will only lock you up. You won't find happiness or freedom that way. Let go of all that baggage and the heavy stuff. Please, give it a shot with him; he cares about you."
"How did you nail it, Mum?" you chuckle awkwardly. "Everything's just too much right now, and I can't deal with all this inner chaos. Greg's back at uni, and he's after me."
"Wait, what? He's back and wants to rekindle things? What about Willow?" Your mum's annoyed; she knows the tough time you went through after your breakup with Greg. You were head over heels for him.
"They're not soulmates. Remember, he's Tarnished and she's got a soulmark. So, I reckon she's found her match and dumped him. She's a year ahead, so their thing ended. Now he's coming after me," you whine.
"Do you still have feelings for him, Ruby?" your mum probes cautiously.
You sneer, disgusted. "Nah, Mum, I'm completely over him. He won't ever get me back. I don't trust him, Mum."
"Are... are you still hung up on that Nick bloke?" your mother asks gently. "Is he the reason you don't wanna date again? Not every fella is like your dad or Greg, Ruby. For the past two years, you've never seemed truly happy. You laugh with your mates, but it sounds distant, like an echo in the wind. We need you to rediscover your zest for life. It's like you've lost touch with the world... like an empty shell on the shore."
You chuckle a bit. "Mum, have you started reading those soppy romance novels again? And, to answer your question finally... No, Mum, I'm not interested in tying the knot with anyone. But I'd like to chat about something. I'm thinking of coming home this weekend."
Your mother bursts into laughter. "Alright, you got me there. Can't wait to see you. Your brother will be around too, and I'd like a word with you both. Nothing major, just need your blessing before I make a call."
"Sure thing. I'll be there on Friday. Tell Becky... We'll be there... planning a sib hangout on Friday night. She can't make other plans with her mates. Mum, I miss you. Thanks for always being there for me, loving and supporting me. I know I let you down and broke your trust after the incident two years back." You chuckle as you hear your mum grumble, "I'll promise to be a better daughter and ditch the 'lonely spinster' routine."
"Oh, my dear! You're the best daughter any mum could wish for. That was just a minor hiccup, a life lesson, and you've come out stronger. Never doubt my love for you, okay? No matter what happens, I'm here for you."
"Will you still stand by me even if I cause more drama?" You test the waters, knowing something's about to hit the fan in a week or two. You hope your holiday break starts before the news breaks, keeping you behind closed doors. Unsure if you'll face the world outside.
"I'll always be there for you, no matter what scandals come up, Ruby. I'll get ready for your visit, so I won't have any work shifts for the weekend." She seems thrilled at the thought of having her kids back home.
You smiled, chatted for a few minutes, then said your cheerios.
You're hoping your mother doesn't blow another gasket. This may be significant, and this might turn out to be huge. This can be enormous. If your family finds out you have linked with a celebrity responsible for your condition a few years ago, they will faint. You can't get away from the inevitable. It will be featured in the magazine. With BTS on the cover, the magazine will sell like hotcakes.
You're hoping your face won't be too recognizable to the ARMY. However, your name will undoubtedly get the attention of the Uni-community. Why can't you just take a break? What will your reaction be in Jimin's presence? You will break. He has evolved into a very mature and handsome young man. You know you'll fall in love with him again, not that you've fallen out of love with him. Even if you wish to deny that it is over, You love him still.
You will come clean to your family this weekend, and today you must come clean to Samantha. You really hope she isn't too upset with you. But you couldn't mention anything to her.
You can hear the girls' excitement in their rooms as they prepare to compete in the elimination contest. You're hoping that your four freshmen girls will make it.
Samantha and Brendon were not home, so you ordered a pizza from Frankies. for Dinner at your and Samantha's favorite restaurant. You want to go to bed as soon as possible. You are delighted that your assignment is complete, and your internship will take place during your extended vacation. You're ecstatic that you'll be graduating early, in August or September.
Your pizza delivery arrived a few mins later. You inhaled your pizza with glee. You're going to have a fantastic evening with yourself, along with a Bundaberg blood orange flavour drink.
You smile as you recall going to the food markets with Jimin and drinking Bundaberg ginger beer, and he liked it so much that he ordered many of your favorite flavors for your final night together.
After a big meal of at least three slices, you were choc a block full and watching "Playing for keeps" on television. You decided to take a refreshing shower. You put the rest of the pizza in the fridge, and Samantha might enjoy a slice after the competition.
Samantha arrived at 18h30, anxious and hurried. She came almost too late for the competition.
"Whoa, Holy Dooley..running late today. Glad my girls are sorted. Sorry 'bout that, Ruby. Traffic was bonkers tonight! I'll skip the shower for now; I'll have one when I'm back." She glanced at you, dressed in denim shorts, a sports bra, and fluffy flip-flops. "Why aren't you all set?"
"Nah, not keen on going. I'll fill you in later. If I'm awake, let me know the results." You smirked at her puzzled look.
"But why? We were looking forward to the betting sesh, and Floor Six put bets on us losing." She whimpered as she stripped down her clothes and changed into a flowy floral summer dress with high heeled pink sandals. She looked amazing. She hurriedly brushed her hair loose over her shoulders and dabbed a little red rose gloss on her lips.
Samantha has the beauty of an actual ramp model and will make it big one day; however, her love of games has prevented her from pursuing a full-time modeling career.
"If I'm still up, I'll give you the whole rundown on what went down today. Maybe Janice and Melissa can fill you in. Hurry off now. The girls might be worried, and I reckon they'll be hanging in the commons. Best of luck".
"Cheers...and thanks for the chocolates...catch you later...hope you'll still be up," She blew a kiss and dashed to the door. You just shook your head. Samantha's got some energy today.
After she left, you quickly showered, changed into a nice sleep shirt, and wore your hair in a messy bun. You wonder if you can't cut it all off in a bob, but you dismiss the idea, possibly because Jimin admired your long curly locks. Your hair was one of his favorite features. You recall his fingers getting tangled in your hair during one of your make-out sessions.
You immediately reprimand yourself for having such thoughts. You wish to erase the memories, but you can't quit thinking about him since that Esquire call. The vital need for him resurfaced, and your heart began to ache, especially when you remember that their agency confirmed that at least five of the Bangtan Boys met their soulmates, but no ARMY can figure out who they are. All you know is that they're known as the Bells. Perhaps Jimin has already met his. The thought nearly took your breath away with its agony.
You'll have to get on with your life. It hurt you just thinking about your soulmate status. You don't even believe in the concept of "happily ever after."
If Janice can deal with rejection, you can certainly get over anything with time. Janice, your friend, was matched with a well-known businessman who is a few years her senior. When he found out about her, he rejected her right away. They had two strings, one blue and one yellow. Although it pained her, Janice handled it rather well, but she learned to live with her loss. He is now engaged to the woman he rejected Janice for. Janice had two previous boyfriends who cheated on her, so she stopped dating and is now looking forward to hearing about her Tarnished status.
You choose to lie in your bed and relax. Your body was exhausted. You played several games, and after an hour of playing mystery games, you received notifications on your phone, which made you smirk because it was from your friendship group chat.
Janice: Mate, where on earth did you disappear to? This place is terrific, and the setup by the organizers is unreal.
Melissa: Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!! We've been left stranded. We're missing your company. Your gals are tops.
Janice: You're missing heaps. They're all in jeans and a comp t-shirt with the floor number printed on the back. It's so cute. I'll snap heaps of photos.
Melissa: I'll going to get you some tees. Oh, and Mr Ex, Greg was upset... he's looking for you. He asked for your phone numbers from the girls on our floor, and they all chose to ignore him. Samantha is the ice queen, and she gave him the stinkiest looks he'd ever seen.
Samantha: Okay, fine. He's only interested in Ruby because the blond slag dumped him for her soulmate.
You: lol. I'm relaxed at home, and all of the drama has worn me out. Have you told Sam about what happened at the cafeteria?
Janice: Yeah, she told him he needed to back off from you. You've changed.
Melissa: Oh my, we accidentally informed him you're dating someone off campus.
Janice: He was furious. I can't believe someone stole you from him.
You didn't respond to any of their rants about Greg and your alleged boyfriend.
Melissa: Excuse me, guys...the results will be read soon. The number of girls has been reduced from forty to twelve.
Janice. Only one person made it from floor six. Erin is her name."
Samantha: Oh my gosh...all four of the floor eight girls made the top twelve. Wow. One of our shortest contestants made it to the top. Congratulations!!!! yooowheeee. I'm a fantastic couch.
You: Oh my goodness...Our enemy must have been taken aback.
Samantha: She's already given me the " eye" We also won the bet. The money came mainly from the guy's dorms, and Sarah accepted the money.
You: Which floors' first-year students made it?
Samantha: on the first floor. Floor 2 had one girl, Floors 3 and 4 had two, Floors 5 and 6 had one each, and Floor 7 had one. All four of us made it to the top—floor 9:1 vs Floor 10:1. Floors 1 and 10 are angry. Their girls are pretty tall. However, the judges informed them that it is not about model looks but rather about the freshmen girls' freshness, sweetness, and vibrancy. The face of a typical college girl. Their girls were caked in make-up and posed in far too many seductive poses.
Janice: At the very least, we made it even with only one girl. It's no big deal.
Samantha: I'm going upstairs right now. Are you still up?
You: I spent the entire time on my phone. Yes. See you later.
You log off and sigh, knowing you have to come clean. You hope that Sam will not flip, and she is very savaged when crossed.
Samantha sighed as she entered your room with a floral bouquet she found in the bin.
"And what about this?"She raised her brows and gazed at you with curious eyes, and you simply shrugged.
"Oh, it's from Greg... I dislike those flowers because they remind me of my grandfather's funeral. As a result, I discard it. There are too many memories." You shrugged casually.
"Holy Dooley, you're a low-key savage. Why am I so pleased that the raging furnace has returned?" As she smells the flowers, she smirks.
"It's a shame it's such a beaut (Beautiful). Let me give a few stems of the flowers to each of our girls. Let me quickly take it out because it can't go to waste." She removed her high heels and slipped on her fluffy slippers before walking to the door.
"I'll congratulate them tomorrow and possibly buy them something." You shout out to her as you rise from your bed and make your way to the lounge room to close the curtains and turn on the lights.
"No worries, we'll have a barbie (BBQ) on the terrace tomorrow evening, and it's going to be a lot of fun." She hollered through the kitchen door. You crack a grin.
The floor 8 barbies are fantastic. Last year, you were a part of the events management team, but this year, despite their requests, you withdrew from all leadership positions and committees. You desired to concentrate on completing your degree with additional majors. Each floor eight can only invite one friend, and Samantha has already asked Melissa and Janice.
Samantha returned and found you on the sofa, a worried expression on your face.
"Are you all right?"She is looking at you with concern.
You motioned for Sam to join you on the sofa, sighed deeply, and hoped her heart was strong.
She sat down next to you, keeping a close eye on you. When she senses your apprehension, she furrows her brows.
"But first, Samantha, can you promise me something? ...you're going to be open to what I'm about to tell you." You lick your lips and put part of your hair behind your ears with trembling hands.
"Is this about Greg? I already know he wants you back, and you handed him the highway exit? 'She smiles. You gave a nervous chuckle. You couldn't sit still and jumped as Samantha looked confused.
"No...I'd like to clear the air regarding " Nick"?" You state hesitantly as you notice her eyes widen in surprise.
"THE NICK...Who left you alone with the little bun in the oven...that Nick!!"Her jaw almost dropped on the group for the past two years as she puzzled on who this Nick was who had left her friend devastated."Did he call you two years later...o Holy Dooley.Ruby"
You notice that your eyes are starting to sting. You don't want to reveal all of your secrets, but you must. If that magazine is published, you have a good chance of getting Samantha's support. But it will be determined by how she reacts to it tonight. Will she murder you?
"Yes, Nick...but he hasn't been in touch with me or anything. It's ended between us for good, and he has no knowledge of our child, and I would never tell him. Because " Nick " doesn't exist, you couldn't find out anything about him at the hotel." You squint at her as she narrows her eyes and twists her head sideways in thought.
"What? Although he does not exist, you were pregnant Ruby... I'm confused. It's no surprise Lawrence couldn't locate any hotel guests with that name. "She looks at your apprehensive demeanor with interest.
"Yes...because there was no Nick as a guest...When you saw the hickeys, I made up the name. It was meant to be a private thing." You look a little exasperated by the amount of pressure you in to tell her the full story.
"Why? Is he bonded or not? Ruby...you know that's a no-go zone, girl!" She appeared to be disappointed.
"Samantha!!! I'll never have an affair with a bonded guy deliberately. So, no...but he exists, just not as "Nick." I lied to all of you, my mother, my siblings, and...to you, and I'm sorry, okay...so it's complicated. Gosh." When she noticed you starting to whimper, she became alarmed. What's making you so emotional? This Nick-saga appears to have more to it.
Samantha appeared concerned."What exactly is it Ruby? I wouldn't make a judgment on you. Are you still smitten with him? We understand Ruby he was your first, but did you receive a moral code summons after all these years? Your mother and I both thought it was odd that you missed the fines..."
Your messy bun was heaving heavily in your neck, bursting to come loose as you shook your head. " I'm not sure how. However, I believe the punishment was the loss of our baby, Samantha. And you're right, although I don't want to get married or even date. I couldn't help but fall deeply in love with him. And I have to tell you this because certain issues have arisen that I am unwilling to deal with. It's too heavy to bear."
"Ruby, please tell me...I'm losing my mind right now." What issues." She handed you a tissue as she noticed your tears pouring freely down your cheeks.
You sniffed deeply and breathed loudly, "Nick is not your average guy... Samantha...remember the week of BTS's one-day concert?"
"Yeah, you met him that time," she added, nodding.
You paced up and down the little lounge, nervously playing with your hands.
"I was working a shift at the Executive Lounge on the night I met him for the first time. Let us refer to him as "Nick" for the time being. He came in with some friends, and as we locked eyes for the first time, I felt strange. It was love at first sight...oh, Sam, I've never had such an instant attraction to a guy before. He was the epitome of sexiness. I couldn't take a breath, Sam...he tipped my universe on its axis. He was the focal point. Holy Dooley...I was captivated, Sam."
Samantha's eyes widened as you described your first meeting in a daze, and Sam recognized right away that this Nick was re-awakening love into your cold...wounded heart."Oh my gosh, Ruby, you fell head over heels in love with him."
You lowered your gaze to your hands. "I loved him, Sam, and I still have feelings for him. We talked and swapped numbers that night, and since then, we've spent four glorious and blissful days together till he had to leave...he even asked me to be his official girlfriend, and I knew it was just a holiday romance, but I agreed. But in those four days, we realized how much we love each other...he wanted to pursue a long-distance relationship despite knowing how difficult it would be. Still, I refused...because he was also a registered Tarnished, and I don't want to lose him if he gets a late whisperer mark. I couldn't take the chance, Samantha...losing like my mom lost my old-timer...I just couldn't take the risk. He knew about Greg, and he didn't care...He wanted me..."
"He could've been your true love, Holy Dooley Ruby. I'm depressed right now. Why didn't you tell me about your love story earlier? I despised him for no apparent reason. You could've dated each other and possibly raised your baby together if you hadn't been so depressed and sad for a month after the miscarriage. Why are you finally telling me this after all this time?" She appeared to be saddened by the fact. You took a deep breath.
"Samantha, I couldn't do it...Nick is...Oh, Samantha, this was meant to be a secret...Nick is, in fact, a member of...BTS!!!' You drew a hesitant breath. Waiting.
The bomb was dropped.
Samantha appeared baffled at first, her expressions displaying a range of emotions...until she realized what was going on. Realization struck.
"whaaaaaatttttt!!!! Oh my Goodness!!!" Her open lips made a strangled sound, and her eyes bulged almost out of their sockets.
Samantha's eyes rolled backward unceremoniously as a result of the shock.
and then...
she just passed out...
A/n. I hope you guys like the chapter. Thank you for all your support thus far by not abandoning Serendipity. The 6th book has reached 4.4k reads; a big shout-out to all of you. Thank you so much!!!
Kindly vote, read, and spam me with comments. You don't need to be an English major and a native speaker, and it's not my first language either, but I try. So give it a shot.
Thanks to all the new readers, voters, commentators, and those who added the book to their readers' list or even followed me. Thanks, guys.
@Ditzy14 @Mia232 @iloveminsuga123 @liyalydua @Aliana560 @Sabrinastrong952 tweetyking15 @kimoralasalle12
@andyjhope @peache02000
Question 1: How would your mother react if she learned about "Nick"?
Question 2: Do you believe Nick will finally give up?
Question 3: Is Samantha going to believe you?
Question 4: If you were Samantha, who would you think you hooked up with and why? Are there any hints?