Chapter Sixteen - The Pretence of Zante
Winter, 2018, Enough is Enough!
I have to find him. It's too much now. I cannot go on living my life without him. I'm thirty-two now, not a mere in love sixteen year old. My mature self wants nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with him.
Apperently that was too much to ask for years ago, but now. Now! It's not too much. I'll give up everything if it means I'll be able have him.
I phoned Emily this morning. We spoke casually until I urged for her to put Mr. Radcliffe on. Apprehensively, she did so. Mr. Radcliffe said he was alone, and I begged him to help me. I need to find him, I sobbed. Please, can't you get me his number?
"I can, yes." He replied. "After all, I am his cousin. But he's not that hard to find, Ruby. He lives in Leeds right now."
I choked on the air for a moment, before screaming, "LEEDS! But no! He lives in Zante. He told me so. That's why he left, because he had to go home and arrange his father's funeral. He said he'd most likely not return!"
There was a long pause before the man on the other line spoke, and when he did, his voice was full of guilt. "Yes, he did go back. And he did sort his personal life out. My uncle died and left everything to Leo. Humph! But it only took a few weeks of preperation before he came back. I picked him up from the airport myself." I sobbed and he stopped. "Aw, come on Ruby! Surely you didn't think dealing with my uncles funeral was going to take ten years?"
"No... But I.... I... Can you give me his number please?"
"He'll be shocked. In fact, I swore that if you came interogating me - even if it was twenty years later - I wasn't to tell you. He just wants you to be happy, Ruby. To be happy and move on from him. That's all he's ever wanted for you, so he said."
I knew if I continued to speak, I'd break down in tears. "PLEASE!"
Finally, I was given his mobile number. "Look, don't tell him that I gave you his number OK, but if you mention his ad - the one he's been hanging up the in Bookies - then he'll never know I was the one to betray him. His ad said something about renting out his fathers house back in Zante."
"Yes... I'm... I can't talk..." I tried to pull myself together. I rushed over to the other side of my frozen-cold study, and sat down. "Thank you, Alex. Honest to God you've no idea how much this means to me."
Then I hung up. I had sliced the digits into my palm by using my sharp pen. I bled, but the numbers were still legible. I began to, shakily, punch the numbers into my mobile.
It wasn't much rings later, when I knew he wasn't going to answer. So I left a message.
"Hello, my name is Leah Lonsdayle. I'm phoning regarding your ad in the news-angents. If you could please ring me back as soon as you get this, that would be much appreciated."
Heartache tying around my ribs and choking me, I put down my phone and went downstairs to join Adam for dinner.
And dinner wasn't nice that night. The food was adequate, but Adam's behaviour and manners towards me, was not adequate.
Over the years, Adam really grew to hate me. Or so I told myself. Maybe it was I who grew to hate him. Yes, that's it. Of course! I not only hated Adam, I loathed him, and this caused him to hate me back because of that very distinct reason. Why I married him all those years ago, I'll never know!
"Did you finish your colum, then?" he muttered, taking bites of dinner.
"Yeah, I did. Did you have a good day at work?"
"It was OK. Some tosser attacked one of my lads. So me and Paul went 'round to his house an' sorted him out. Safe to say he'll never walk again." Adam laughed, but then was quiet.
My phone began to vibrate. His loathsome eyes glared up from his plate and into my own eyes. I jerked my head a little to the left and looked down my nose, to where I could see my phone resting upon my lap. An unknown number? I wiped around my mouth with my napkin before I stood up and quickly made my way towards the door.
Gritting my teeth, I muttered, "Thanks for the dinner. I'll be back in five minutes."
"Don't bother! I'm gawn out anyway. See ya t'night, babe!"
If looks could kill, we'd both be long dead by now. Quickly, I closed the door and ran into my study.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Sorry but is this Leah Lons-dayle? You left a message on my machine earlier on, regarding my ad, no?"
I choked on the piece of meat I was trying to still swallow. "Yes! That was me! I'm Leah!"
"Ahhh, I am glad. So, what do you think? Are you interesting...? I hope I've not caught you at bad time, Miss."
I closed my eyes; his accent hadn't changed much in ten years. Slowly, I breathed in, then composed myself, and said, trying to sound different: "No, you never caught me at a bad time. As good a time as any, ha, ha! But yeah, umm, you said something about a cottage you had in Zante? You were planning on renting it out?"
"Yes! You stand correct. Are you definitely interested? I don't want any time-wasters... Did you see the pictures?"
I did what any writer would do; I picked the first idea straight out my head and rolled it off my tongue.
"I am, yeah. And I did see the picture. You see, I'm planning on retiring to Greece in a few years, and I wanted to ready myself for it. Just by luck I saw your ad. I was wondering if I'd be able to rent it out for a short while... However, may I enquire if it would be big enough for two? It's just, you see, I'm planning on bringing someone over with me also. Hopefully he'll not be too reluctant. After all, I did teach him how to horse ride. And he did save me from drowning years ago... So I don't see why coming with me would be a problem."
"Is that really you, Ruby?!" he rushed. "Ruby? Miss Ruby Ander-sone? My Ruby?"
"Yes! It's me! Who else would it be, silly?" I wiped a few tears away from my eyes and went on. "Leo..." I sighed. "Please, take me back? I can't do it anymore. I just can't live without you! I know! I know how pathetic I sound right now, but you've no idea what it's like. What my life is like! There's so many missing parts in my life, and my heart is the main one. You've got it! I need it back! Please! I know I shouldn't beg you right now," I closed my eyes again and bit my lip hard. "I told myself not to beg! All these years of writing I thought I could've made myself sound so impressively composed that you'd agree straight away, but I can't. I can't let you go!" I stood up. "I don't care where you are. I don't care that you've been living on the same island as me for the past ten years! I JUST DON'T CARE ANYMORE! I need you. I -"
"Ruby!" Leo broke in. "Ruby, I love you! Please, calm down. I know... I know how you feel. I've tried to get in contact with you for years! As soon as I returned from Zante I came looking for you, but someone answered the phone and said that you were married now and you were his. He said that if I ever came looking for you ever again, then he'd slit your throat in your sleep. I feared for that, Ruby! I did. So I stayed away. I hated to..."
So much unnatural anger riddled through me that I became superflous for a second. The silence was suddenly broken with my last sob.
"Let's just run away. I know, it sounds so crazy. Like some fairy-tale dream, but lets just do it! ASDA carpark, Whiteston, midnight? I feel so tired of fighting now. Adam's made my life utter hell. He blames me for not being able to carry his kids, but it's not me. I know it's not me. I can prove to you..." I stopped myself from confessing about Leonie. "But not tonight. Say you'll meet me? We'll fly to Zante?"
It took a lot of strength to scream into my phone for him to reply, but in the end he finally said something. He said yes.
It was sorted!
Weird how such a phone call can change ones life. Can change my life. I had to keep pinching myself to prove that I wasn't sleeping.
* * *
The storm broke around ten tonight. I'm currently in my study, like always, writing to you. Adam's not in, like he said he wouldn't be. I'm guessing he's at Paul's house, but I'm not completely sure. Thank God though! My bags are packed, my cars ready, I've said my farewells to the house. I'm just off the phone to Emily. I didn't tell her; not just yet. Now's still not the the time.
Can you hear that? That's the rain. She's so mad tonight. The sky is completely black outside, the snow still remains to cover the Earth, and the moon is directly shining through my window. Two hours. Two hours and I'll be within the arms of the man I love. Can you believe it? After twenty-one years of loving him, I'm finally going to actually be with him. I amn't entirely sure how this will work out, but like I keep telling myself, I don't care. I'm too exhausted of fighting against everyone. I'm burning my bridges. And I'm not looking back.
* * *
That's me, all ready to go.
'Emily, this will be for you. I want you to know of everything; of my entire life. I've not kept many secrets from you, have I? I love you. You and Leo... and Leonie... are the only ones I've ever let my heart mourn for. Please, forgive me. I want you to read this book, and smile. Smile for me, and for Leo.
If there will ever anyone who knows what it's like to not be with the one you love, it will be you. Tell no-one.
And, like I said, smile, Emz. Love your and only, Rubz.'
Ok, finished. I guess I should say goodbye to you, too book. You're the only one who has watched me cry and not laughed. Thank you.'
Emily put down the book and held it close to her chest. That was it. Finished. She had just read the last page. And Ruby's last entry was dated just over one week ago. It was then when everything hit Emily, and she cried. She cried and cried repeatedly. She never knew! And it was true - you never do know what you've got until it's gone. She had just lost the greatest person in the world. Ruby.
* * *
The storm was heavy that night; the night Ruby left to meet Leo. Ruby found it almost impossible to drive through the heavy rain and thick sleets. But drive she must! She pushed her car through the mushiness, her car fought back the tears of nature and eventually she arrived at ASDA carpark, back in her home-town.
Luckily, Ruby didn't live far from her old town. She moved up from England a few years back. Or should she say that Adam forced her to move, due to work regulations.
~ ~ ~
Leo drummed his fingers nervously upon his dashboard. He checked himself in his rear view mirror a few times, just in case. His blue eyes were popping out from his long forehead due to lack of sleep. His short, blonde hair was unstyled, yet they were accenturated by his white T-shirt that he wore. He felt horrible. He just drove up to Scotland - all the way from down England - stopping at nothing to reach ASDA in time. Leo chuckled. Trust ASDA to be the place for them to meet once more. It is, indeed, always ASDA.
The carpark was completely abandoned, and the 24/7 supermarket was closing for the change over. At the bottom of the carpark - right where the zebra-crossing was - a pair of lights caught Leo's immediate attention. She was here. He stepped out of his car - never even closed his door - and moved forward to meet her. She stopped her car and got out too, she too left her door open.
Though it was raining, and the snow surrounded them, they could still make out eachother. Neither of them had changed, they both thought. Ruby was as he once remembered, and Leo was as she once remembered. Though Ruby got taller, pointed out Leo. And Leo's hair was shorter, Ruby smiled.
Their distance was of about ten feet apart. Ruby stopped herself from running to him. So did he.
"Leo..." she whispered.
"Ruby!" Leo shouted, moving a little closer.
A gust of wind caught at both of their throats. Then, suddenly, something screached through their heads. It was the sounding of tires skidding against the Earth.
What happened next, Leo will never forget until the day he dies.
Out of nowhere, out came a machine from the darkness. It's speed was almost impecable to distinquish, but it was fast. Too fast. It was driving down against the wind towards Leo. Ruby, half turned, looked forward, and suddenly her eyes widened with outright fear. No time to think of what to do. She knew who that was, and the driver was here for one purpose. And one purpose only.
Ruby ran forward and launched Leo out of the way. Leo, though quite tall and strong, fell backwards, and his body fell sideways to safey beside his navy car. Ruby, however, did not fall to safety. Her body fell to the sky, and then fell back to the ground again. The noise this all created caused Leo to scrunch up his expression in agony, only to open up to complete and utter horror.
There was Ruby, lying alone in the snow, with the colour red surrounding her. As one would do when enduring a nightmare, Leo stared. Then he got up, and ran towards her. Realisation was sinking in. The car stayed put. Leo was going to grab the driver out and slit his throat - if it weren't for the fact that Ruby was dead. Her mangled body was all twisted. Her eyes were wide open with fear, her face already turning a little pale. Leo held her in his arms, silently. He looked down at her beautiful face and noticed how blood was now gushing out of her mouth, ears and nose; hiding her beauty. The only thing he could still identify of her was her bright green eyes. Those eyes were once so full of life. Those eyes were the ones which held his hearts attention for all these God damn years.
His blood-covered fingers closed her eyes. Then, abruptly, he screamed. He let it all out. His shock.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! RUBY! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT YOU!!!!!!!!"
It was a scream no man will ever be able to put a name too. It was non-descriptive. But his scream, however, was overpowered by the sounding of the car driving away back into the darkness, taking Ruby's soul with it.
Gone.
(What do you think? I've just written it there the now. I'll fix it all later (spelling etc) But I want to know what YOU ALL think? x])