"This one man," Billy declared, "has a gun." He aimed the firearm at the bigger man, and though you weren't well-versed in gun-slinging, his form seemed remarkable – straight, arm stretched out, head held high. The moonlight in the dim alley turned into a makeshift spotlight, casting a dramatic glow on Billy as if he were the lead actor in a Wild West drama.
The skinnier man instantly shrieked at the sight of the gun and promptly fell to the ground beside you. Both of you exchanged shocked glances as if he hadn't been attempting to rob you just a minute ago.
"...Do you even know how to use that, kid?" The bigger man's overconfidence faltered away, his hand extended to show he was unarmed.
"H-hey, you said this was going to be easy. I don't want to die!" The skinnier man's voice pitched up in panic.
"He's not going to do anything," the bigger man whispered to his companion, but you could hear it due to the proximity. "You want to catch a murder charge, kid?" he asked Billy with a nasty quivering grin.
As he finished speaking, a shot rang out, hitting the back of the brick wall. It was the first time you heard a gunshot at such close range, and you involuntarily jumped. You were right, and Jackie was wrong, the sound Jackie had made before did not resemble a gunshot at all.
The bigger man dropped to the floor with a loud grunt, clutching his right ear. From his reaction, you thought maybe the shot had hit, but he looked at his hand and touched his face, surprised that everything was still intact. If the aim had been one more inch or even a few centimeters to the left, the bigger man's brain would have hit that brick wall.
Billy approached; the gun still pointed toward the man. All three of you were huddled together on the floor now, and as Billy came closer, you caught a glimpse of his smirk. Now scared yourself, unsure if Billy was here to save you or here to rob you himself.
"Leave." Billy flicked his revolver in the direction of the street behind the alley, prompting the skinny guy to immediately jump up and dart out. The bigger man, still reeling from the shot, realized the danger he narrowly avoided. His overconfident facade crumbled.
The bigger man's mouth hung open as he watched his partner sprint away with unexpected speed. "...fuck," he muttered, pushing himself up and following his partner. "Next time I see you, you're dead!" he bellowed as he ran.
Billy looked out on the street making sure they were gone and not seen anymore before bringing his attention to you, "what are you doing here?" he smiled.
"Um," you hesitated, contemplating your response. Although Billy's revolver was no longer aimed, he still held it in his hand. "Just heading out," you replied, standing up and preparing to leave, wary of becoming a potential victim again.
As you began to leave Billy caught your hands, turning you back to face him. "Not even a thank you?" he teased. Noting your shocked reaction as his gaze followed yours to the revolver, he quickly tucked it back into his holster and released your hands. "Sorry, love," he reassured with a smile, patting off the dirt collected from your skirt.
Taking hold of both of your hands, he examined them, following the lines of your palms, and began dusting the dirt off them as well. The touch lingered for a couple of seconds too long, making you wonder if the dusting was just an excuse.
"Must be scary for a lady, I apologize," he said, his thumb grazing your hands before lifting it to his lips for a slight kiss. Your cheeks turned pink, and your mouth gasped at his action, prompting a small laugh from him. "You're expressive," he noted, letting go of your hands. "You're not going to tell me why you were in an alley by yourself?" He asks again.
"I..." you pause, trying to think of an answer that doesn't make you sound dumb or crazy. "I got lost," you finally settled on.
"Where were you trying to go?"
"I, I wasn't sure. How did you find me?" you asked, bewildered by the coincidence of encountering him again after hours of aimless wandering.
"I saw them following you," Billy answered. "After you left the restaurant, they trailed you. Seemed like trouble."
After the restaurant? That was like three hours ago! "Wait," you scrambled to piece together the timeline. "They followed me, and you followed them, for three hours?!"
"Three and a half," he corrected. "They didn't seem experienced and kept hesitating. Glad I was able to stop them." He smiled, though, given the circumstances, it was a smile that sent shivers down your spine.
"You followed them till now? Why?"
"Well, I was planning to follow after you, but then I saw them and stayed around to make sure they didn't cause problems," Billy explained, causing your eyes to widen as he essentially admitted to stalking you. Seeing your reaction, Billy's smile faltered. "Sorry, did I do something to make you uncomfortable?"
Your heart wavered at his expression; it was challenging to stay angry at him, but being followed without one's knowledge was not usually something looked upon favorably. "Why did you want to follow me?"
"Well, I wasn't planning to follow you for this long," he reasoned, taking off his hat and placing it on his chest. "I just saw them following you, and I wanted to make sure they wouldn't do anything to you. I couldn't confront them without much evidence and in front of everyone."
You couldn't control your facial expression, not sure what Billy was seeing on your face, as you thought about how his answer didn't answer why he wanted to follow you initially.
He looked up at you, unsure if he should say anything else. "You're beautiful," he finally said. "I haven't seen you around town and I didn't know where you were going," he straightened his posture and looked you in your eyes, "I just wanted to make sure I would see you again."
At that your lips turned into an uncontrollable smile; your vanity could excuse anything. "You say I'm beautiful?" giggling as you tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear.
Billy smiled formed again seeing your tone relaxed, "very," he said. In that moonlit alley, the world around you seemed to slow, leaving just the two of you in the quiet aftermath of the confrontation. "What's your name? I didn't get the chance to ask."
"It's," you thought for a moment, contemplating whether adopting a Wild West identity might be a wise move. Your eyes scanned the surroundings, and they landed on Billy's holster, adorned with faded traces of decorated red lines. "Ru...By."
"Ruby?" he asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity. You nodded; uncertain if it was a common name in these times. "Well Ruby, where are you staying? I'll walk you back."
Billy's question brought your attention back to the dilemma that you were in. "Um," you planned to leave this town and find a signal or any traces of modern society, but you must get through the night first. This time it was your turn to turn on the puppy eyes, "I don't have a place to stay..."
"What? Where have you been staying?" He asked.
"I just woke up and I was here," you answered, Billy was the only person you interacted with more than once, and you somewhat trusted him after he saved you, so you saw no reason to lie to him. Though you didn't want to mention the time-traveling explanation that you came up with, just in case you were wrong, and he laughs at you for being crazy and believing it just because everyone in this town was a good actor, or you were right, but he doesn't believe it and he still thinks you're crazy. "But I will go back home in the morning!" You immediately followed, so you didn't seem completely hopeless,
Billy's gaze lingered on you, a complex mix of pity, caution, and genuine interest playing across his features. Your dress, a bright light pink, stood out conspicuously in this era where browns dominated the color palette. It was an odd yet luxurious choice, a hue that whispered of extravagance and exclusivity. To him, it resembled something performers and slideshow attractions might wear. Brown was the norm; your vivid dress made you a target, and the notion of leaving you alone in this place, with its share of criminals and creeps, didn't sit well with him.
But there was more than just the color of your attire that intrigued him. Your "Iphone," a device unknown to him, added another layer of mystery. Technology might be advancing, but this device was beyond his comprehension, he also wanted to get one himself.
Your behavior, too, sets you apart. You didn't conform to the patterns of everyone he had encountered. The lack of familiarity with your surroundings, your apparent disorientation, raised questions he was compelled to find answers to.
You seemed like trouble yourself, but he couldn't leave you. Was it your beauty and weird charm, or because of the questions that surrounded you? In the end, he couldn't bring himself to leave a nice, perhaps a bit mentally unsteady, woman alone and still call himself a gentleman.
"It isn't much," he sighed, "I live with my ma and brother, occasionally my ma's husband is home. If you want, you could stay there for the night."
You almost leaped for joy, "I'm in your care, handsome!" As you hooked onto his arm, "lead the way!" Billy chuckled, enjoying your impulse, and the fact that you were the one leading the way instead of him.
"A bit eager with a stranger, don't you think so?" He laughed, but there was warmth in his eyes that matched the dim glow of the lanterns in the streets.
"It's either staying with a handsome man like you or sleeping on the streets with who knows what creatures."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you arrived at Billy's house, or more of a small cabin you started getting nervous, preparing yourself just in case you meet his ma or step-pa.
Billy looked at your reaction and got embarrassed. "I know it ain't much, and for a grown man to not have his own place- "
"What?" You cut him off, "Oh Billy, your place is a gem. Much cozier than my apartment, and I bet the rent is much friendlier too."
"Oh, yeah?" Billy smiled, still a bit puzzled about this notion of an apartment, but your assurance put him at ease. He'd thought you came from wealth, and he was relieved you weren't looking down on him.
Billy quietly opened the door, his floorboards creaking with each step you both took. He nudged you into a dimly lit room and closed the door with a gentle click.
"Billy?" A voice from within the room caused you to jump and instinctively grab Billy's arm. Billy took a lantern, hung it on the wall, and lit it up, revealing the small room with two twin beds and a little boy nestled in one of them.
"You haven't slept yet?" Billy asked.
"You woke me up," the kid replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Then, his gaze shifted to you. "Your girlfriend?"
"You can say that," Billy's response caused you to stare at him, a mix of surprise and amusement evident on your face. Having dealt with modern boys and their commitment issues, you were astonished to find yourself at the "girlfriend and boyfriend" relationship stage already. You felt a tad offended that he didn't ask but decided for himself. Billy noticed your expression, "are you not my girlfriend?"
You got embarrassed as you realized he probably meant a girl who's a friend, "...I guess I am. Then you're my boyfriend?" Billy nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. You let go of his arm, and as you turned your attention back to the boy, you waved awkwardly.
"That's my brother, Joseph," Billy said, but before the boy could offer a greeting, he succumbed to a raging coughing fit. Billy swiftly moved to his side, fetching a glass of water from the drawer for him. "Go back to sleep now, you need it," he gently tapped his brother's back to soothe him and carefully tucked him back into bed.
Observing the slender and fragile appearance of the boy, coupled with the distressing sounds of coughing and wheezing, it was evident that he was gravely ill. As you witnessed Billy's expression of genuine concern, a wave of admiration swept over you. Causing you to wonder if your siblings would display the same level of care and concern for you if you had any.
Turning his attention back to you, Billy offered a sad smile, "you can sleep on my bed tonight."
Curious, you asked, "What about you?"
"I'll sleep with my brother," Billy replied, studying your face with a playful glint in his eyes, "you didn't think we would spend the night on the same bed, right?" he teased.
Unfazed, you shrugged and replied, "I wouldn't mind it."
Billy was momentarily stunned by your candid response before breaking into a soft chuckle. "An honest girl you are, Ruby."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N
Thank you to everyone who showed support for the first chapter! Despite my busy final week, I love checking this fanfic every day to see the comments and kudos <3 I have one more final before I can start writing more, so please enjoy this chapter until then.