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Chapter 35
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Reckless Hearts Chapter 36
That morning Ruby had a bizarre dream that ended right when Caden began kissing her. She woke up with a jolt and wiped off the drool that covered her cheek, feeling disgust at what she had just experienced. How did she even end up having such a stupid dream? She knew the answer—lately Caden haunted her thoughts. Wherever she went, the thought of him followed because she had been spending a lot of time with him. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she patted her bedsheets in search of her phone and let out a shriek upon seeing the time that flashed across the screen. Kicking off the sheets, she sprinted to the bathroom. Finally, the day was here---Ruby would know if Caden’s tutoring was having any impact on her ability to understand Math or that she was simply wasting her time. However, once she was in the shower, her mind replayed the dream sequence, hyper-focusing on the part where Caden would hook his arm around her waist to pull her close before sealing her lips with a kiss. The ti
Reckless Hearts Chapter 37
Caden was equally surprised at the sudden change the weather had made—evident from the way he cursed at the sky as they sprinted to get cover from the rain. He used her book to shield himself from the downpour, prompting Ruby to smack his arm, but she withdrew the thought before she could take action on it. Ruby’s cheeks flushed all of a sudden as the dream flooded her mind once again, slowing her pace. Caden turned to look at her, as if sensing her thoughts. He was a few steps away from her, standing beneath the cafeteria shed. “What are you doing? Come on, run!” he yelled. Shaking her head, Ruby made herself cover the distance between them. Surprisingly, the place was deserted. Not a single soul was in view and the air smelled of fresh paint. “Don’t you know?” Caden asked. “It’s being renovated.” ‘Did he just read my mind?’ Ruby thought to herself, feeling alarmed. She made sure to keep her eyes everywhere but on his face. She nodded at his words, realizing it had been a while
Reckless Hearts Chapter 38
Chapter 38 Two weeks had passed by since Caden had left Ruby outside her house without a word, and she could not tell if it had felt like two days or two years. She hadn’t spoken to him since. He didn’t seem eager to strike a conversation either—and she was fine with that. Yes, she was absolutely fine with not speaking to the guy she had almost ended up kissing in the rain. The good thing was, their term exams were over. And for the first time Ruby was satisfied with how she had answered her Math exam. She knew she had to thank Caden for that, but it was not in her priority list at the moment. “Who the hell decided Math had to be the last one?” Luke complained, appearing from a corner. Ruby had seen little of him for the last few days, having buried her head in the pile of notebooks she owned. “At least it's over,” Olivia snapped. She did not look relieved. “Now we don’t have to worry about it until the results are out. After that… Well, Ruby, do you have a spare room in your h
Reckless Hearts Chapter 39
The party roared on, but Luke never made an appearance. Ruby had been dancing and laughing with her friends, and as the night wore on, she found herself letting go and having a good time. She found herself gaining confidence and she was almost certain it was due to the dim lighting. The music was loud, the atmosphere electric, and the drinks flowed freely. It was easy to forget the recent tension with Caden, at least for a while. “I’m parched,” Olivia said, fanning herself with her hands as she emerged from the pool of glistening bodies she had just vanished into. Only then did Ruby notice the liner that covered her eyelids. “Do you want something to drink?” “Uh, yeah,” Ruby replied, trying to remember if she had ever seen Olivia wearing makeup before. It really brought out the beauty of her eyes that always almost closed whenever she was laughing. “Anything without alcohol.” A minute later Olivia was back with a pink coloured drink. “Some fruit mix,” she guessed as she passed her t
Reckless Hearts Chapter 40
Ruby tried to protest, but her words came out slurred and incoherent. Caden guided her through the crowd and out of the house. It was a relief to be out in the cool night air, but Ruby's legs gave way again, and she nearly fell. Caden sighed and, with more gentleness than he'd shown lately, helped her stay on her feet. "Were you supposed to stay at Liv’s tonight?” Ruby sighed, licking her lips. Still holding onto his arm for dear life, she said rudely, “Why do you care?” Caden pushed aside the strands of hair that covered half her vision, before he let out a sigh too. “You’re so difficult.” She could kick him at that moment. But she knew it would only result in her falling face first into the grass covered ground. Was the grass cool? The air had suddenly become too hot and she could surely use a cool touch. “What are you trying to do?” Caden asked her, his voice still coming out concerned. “Let me go! I just want to lie down… right here. Mmm, you smell good,” she blurted out, l
Reckless Hearts Chapter 41
As Caden's car sped through the night, Ruby's consciousness fluctuated in a hazy dance between awareness and intoxication. The cool breeze flowing through the open windows seemed to help clear her mind, at least momentarily. Caden's grip on the steering wheel was firm, his concentration wavering as he navigated the empty streets. Olivia's warning words echoed in his mind – "Just for one night, be the decent guy you've always been." That was the first time she had spoken to him in a while. He had realised just how much he had missed her in that moment as she looked at him—helpless yet desperate. Not like her usual, bubbly self. And he had not said more. He could have had so much more than he had. He could’ve apologised. He could’ve… But the thought of being alone with Ruby in his house had invaded his mind completely. Undoubtedly, her condition concerned him. He couldn’t believe someone had spiked her drink. Now he bore the responsibility of making sure she was safe. He looked thr
Reckless Hearts Chapter 42
Caden held his breath. What could he possibly say to Ruby? She was probably not even going to remember any of this the next day. She continued looking into his eyes, and the more she looked, the faster his heart paced. All of this time he had never believed it to be real. He never thought she truly like him. It could be mere attraction—maybe due to the attention he showered her. But this was more than that. He could see it on her face. He could feel it in her words. Now, she sat in front of him, her soul bared and speaking her heart out. Ruby would never tell him any of that if she was sober. She’d rather fail a hundred tests. But now that the words were out, he felt happy and sad. Both at the same time. Was his mind conflicting with his heart? He knew he had fucked up that moment when they had almost kissed. The only reason why he’d pulled back was because he wasn’t sure if he wanted to do that out of his attraction for her, or simply because he wanted to make himself believe h
Reckless Hearts Chapter 43
Back at Florence’s house,Florence moaned, tossing on the soft mattress of her bed. Her body ached from all the dancing and running around — she had done all she could to make sure her party was the best. After all, she didn’t get many chances of having her house grandma-free. It was now time to wake up and clean the mess that awaited her. But she didn’t want to get up just yet. Maybe she could stretch in, get some more z’s. That’d feel good. So, she turned around, and reached out to her bed, hoping to grab the stuffed teddy she always slept with. But instead, her hand came in contact with something warm. And not plush. Definitely not. It was skin. Bare skin. Florence gasped, her eyes flying open. When she looked down at herself, she found her body covered with just a blanket. She wasn’t wearing any clothes. She tried preparing herself for the next revelation, but nothing could have truly prepared her. She glanced at the naked guy sleeping on the bed. He was lying on his stomach,
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Reckless Hearts Chapter 62
Ruby woke up to the persistent buzz of her phone vibrating on her nightstand. She groaned, annoyed by the interruption to her sleep, and reached out to silence it. Her vision was blurred from sleep, and her mind was still foggy. As she squinted at the screen, she saw a flurry of texts and missed calls from various contacts. Her heart rate quickened with an undefined sense of dread, but her groggy mind couldn’t piece together what might have caused such urgency.Before she could delve into the messages, her bedroom door creaked open. The sound was eerily loud in the early morning silence, and Ruby looked up to see her sister, Riley, standing in the doorway. Riley's face was pale, her eyes wide with fear.“Ruby… are you up?” asked Riley, her voice too quiet, too held back.“Yeah, just,” Ruby answered hesitantly, dread filling the air. Ruby knew everything wasn't okay but she still put forward the question, “Is everything okay?” “Something bad has happened,” Riley revealed, her voice tre
Reckless Hearts Chapter 61
An hour later, Caden drove Ruby to Florence's house, the car humming softly beneath the weight of their shared silence. They had spent the past hour talking about everything and nothing at the same time. After their kiss, they had wandered through Willowbrook High, finding a quiet park bench where they sat. Caden had even shared stories from his childhood, making Ruby laugh more than she had in days. Caden told Ruby about the time he had gotten detention for sneaking a frog into the teacher's lounge as a prank. Ruby recounted her own mischief, like the time she accidentally set off the fire alarm trying to make popcorn in the science lab microwave.Every now and then, there was a comfortable silence where they simply enjoyed each other's company. As they pulled up outside Florence's house, Ruby turned to Caden. “Do you want to come in?” she asked, her voice soft.Caden shook his head gently. “I think it’s best not to overwhelm her. Besides, I have to go to a party hosted by one of my
Reckless Hearts Chapter 60
“Break her heart and you’re dead, grumpy boy,” Olivia told Caden, jabbing a finger at his chest before she walked away.For what seemed like a whole minute Ruby stood in her place, her heart pounding in her chest. She had her eyes glued on Caden who had his back to her as he watched Olivia walk away, out of their sight. What did Olivia mean? Why would she say that to Caden? Did Caden plan on asking her out?Ruby shook her head slowly, exhaling. This was not real. She subtly pinched herself, hissing as the pain reverberated through her arm. This was real. Caden Miller was here in front of her and he had sent Olivia away so he could talk to her. “Ruby?” Caden called out her name, nudging her arm gently. “Where did you get lost?” he asked as she shook herself back to reality. “No. Nowhere,” she answered, fumbling. “Walk with me?” he prompted, his voice careful. Was he nervous?Ruby nodded, gulping. As Ruby retraced her path, falling in footsteps beside Caden, she thought of how they
Reckless Hearts Chapter 59
Olivia had done her best to maintain her giggly, I-am-absolutely-okay-now facade. But the more she looked at Luke, the harder she found it to keep herself from breaking apart. He had outright rejected her. He hadn’t given her a chance to explain herself, although she was sure there was no explanation she could have given him. There’s never an explanation for crushing on someone. But whatever she felt for him had been more than just infatuation. Luke had been nice to her; he had been playful. He had made her so happy in such a short time. Maybe her subconscious couldn’t let her be that way and decided to ruin it. She wasn’t even sure how he had figured it out. Was that how obvious it was? Did she have it tattooed on her forehead? It had hurt so much when he’d said that it would never work. That she and him couldn’t be together. He wasn’t even ready to give it a chance. He had already made up his mind. And here Olivia was, begging to God to let him give her a single glance. As the d
Reckless Hearts Chapter 58
Ruby was a different person—she knew it the moment she stepped inside her classroom after the long-term break. Or maybe that was an exaggeration. Arguably, at least one-sixteenth of her was different. She had not given much thought to who had spiked her fruit punch at Florence’s house party over the break. She had spent it reasonably—mending her sistership with Riley over TV shows, hanging out at Olivia’s to help her with babysitting/the daycare, and, of course, daydreaming of being with Caden. That guy was always there, in some way. In some corner of her mind, he had found a place and he liked to remind her of it every now and then. But now, feeling the first wave of her classmates’ chatter pass through her, she suddenly found herself trying to discover who among them had done that to her. It could’ve ended horribly. Ruby wasn’t stupid. She knew why people spike drinks at a party. But to think it was random and not carefully selected was not something she could wrap her head around.
Reckless Hearts Chapter 57
Olivia was cheering, her voice piercing through the chilly evening air like a beacon. Her hands were raised high as she screamed, “Come on, Caden!” just as the football soared toward him. He was distracted—momentarily—but then, in the blink of an eye, his focus was back on the field.Luke sprinted forward, their eyes meeting for the briefest of seconds. Caden noticed the slightest nod from him. It was the signal. And he did exactly as they had planned.Anyone who blinked missed it—a clever maneuver they had practiced countless times. It was a strategy to confuse the opponent, and it worked perfectly. The ball was passed with precision, a deceptive flick to the side that sent the defenders scrambling. After two seconds, the sound of the whistle resounded across the field.Willowbrook had just kicked in the winning goal.The next few minutes were a blur for Caden. It wasn’t just him screaming for their victory but likely everyone else. The roar of the crowd, the crush of jubilant teammat
Reckless Hearts Chapter 56
Daniel’s mother opened the front door of the house. Her eyes widened the moment she saw Florence’s distraught face, but she quickly bit her lip and offered a smile. “Oh, hello, dear. Come inside. Dinner’s ready.”Florence tried her best to stretch her lips into a smile, but she failed terribly and could only cry. Daniel was supportive, guiding her in, his arm still protectively wrapped around her. He told his mom, “Can you bring our food upstairs?”“Of course,” his mother said, nodding. “Give me just a minute.”He guided Florence up the stairs, although she didn’t need it. Florence had been frequently visiting Daniel’s house ever since she was a baby. They had been playschool mates because their mothers had been childhood friends. However, the stark change in Florence’s mother’s behavior over the last few years had clearly affected her relationship with Daniel’s mother as well. The moment Florence stepped inside Daniel’s room, a question struck her mind. “Does your mom know that we’r
Reckless Hearts Chapter 55
Florence smiled against Daniel’s lips as he leaned in across his seat to kiss her. Something that started off as a soft peck on her lips made her heart flutter in a way that she found herself, pulling him closer by grabbing the collar of his shirt. “Woah,” he voiced, giving into the kiss. When Florence pulled apart, she was just fine, but Daniel was breathing hard. He blinked slowly twice, and from the look on his face, Florence knew she had sent him back to heaven and brought him right back into her car. They had been on their way back from Willowbrook’s second football match in the inter school championship. This one had ended on a high note—everyone had been holding their breath up until the last few seconds when Luke had thrown in the winning goal. Somewhere along the way, she had found herself unable to hold back—Daniel had been looking way too cute lately and all she wanted to do was kiss his face all day. Now as they sat staring at each other, the night quiet outside, an exci
Reckless Hearts Chapter 54
Six days into the term break, Ruby had started to feel restless. She had never spent so much of her time inside the house, not since she had first left for her boarding school. Riley had kept her company in the evenings upon returning from work. They watched teen dramas together, getting stuffed on popcorn as Riley gossiped about her co-workers. While Ruby’s days were spent immersed in the pile of books she owned—reading about bad boys that turned good for the girls they fell in love with; grey characters that struggled with making decisions; and why the stars were something to be fascinated about endlessly. The feeling was odd because she had always believed she enjoyed her own company. She’d never felt the need to be around other humans. It was because she missed school. She missed being on her toes with all the homework and classwork and assignments and presentations. She missed being surrounded by Olivia, Luke, Florence… and Caden. Although she had made up her mind to speak to C
