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Chapter 43
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Reckless Hearts Chapter 44
Ruby stammered, “I-I… umm…” “What are you doing in my grandson’s bed?” The old woman raised an eyebrow at her, but her lips twitched as though she was holding back a smile. It dawned upon her that the woman was Caden’s grandma. The matter had become worse. “Grandma?” Caden’s shocked voice suddenly fell on her ears. Ruby gasped in response, kicking off the sheets from her. He appeared behind the woman, his eyes widened in panic. “When did you come home?” “Well, thanks for the warm welcome, Caden. Now tell me who that is,” the woman urged, now smirking. Caden’s gaze locked onto Ruby’s face, and she saw him hesitate. Then he said in an easy voice, “I see you’ve already met Ruby.” He paused, the silence seeming to stretch for hours before he mumbled, “my girlfriend.” Ruby clamped her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming in protest. What was this guy going on about? Caden’s grandmother didn’t buy it; Ruby knew that from the way the woman scrutinised her. She leaned cl
Reckless Hearts Chapter 45
Ruby stifled the burp that surged from her throat, discreetly using the back of her hand, while her eyes darted helplessly towards Caden. He, however, remained unmoved by her silent plea, a smirk playing on his lips as he observed his grandmother bringing in more food. "Don’t like the food?" Caden's grandmother inquired, a hint of concern lacing her voice as she arranged the bowls on the table, her brow furrowing slightly. Ruby momentarily froze, managing to swallow the food before responding, "It's absolutely delicious, Mrs. Miller," she replied, her voice betraying a hint of breathlessness, which elicited a chuckle from Caden. "She's just a bit shy," he interjected, though there was more mischief in his tone than sincerity. While Ruby shot him a pointed glare, it seemed that every little thing she did only served to amuse him further. "I'm just pulling your leg," the old woman chuckled, her laughter echoing in the room. "I'm accustomed to these two devouring everything in sight."
Reckless Hearts Chapter 46
Florence manoeuvred her car to the familiar street, the engine humming softly as she drove out of Caden’s driveway. Although she had managed to seem chill to her friends, on the inside her conversation with Daniel was suffocating her. The heavy silence that settled between the three as she drove didn’t help either. So she put on some music and blasted it, loud enough to cast out any of the gloom in the car. As they drove, Florence stole glances at Ruby, her mind swirling with thoughts of what had transpired with Daniel at the party. She couldn't bring herself to voice her concerns, the weight of her own confusion and guilt pressing down on her. While Ruby sat beside her, lost in her thoughts, trying to piece together the fragments of memories from the previous night. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at her, the gaps in her memory leaving her feeling unsettled and vulnerable. Caden’s words haunted her, but she was sure he was only bluffing. There was no truth to
Reckless Hearts Chapter 47
Ruby was glad to be back in the comfort of her own house. She wasted no time, throwing herself on the bed as soon as she opened the door to her bedroom. “Now I can scream as much as I want,” she blurted out, realising a moment too late that Florence was right behind her. “Come in, Florence,” she told her, her voice muffled as she buried her head in a pillow. Riley called out from downstairs, “Are you sure you guys don’t want anything to eat or drink?” “No! We’re fine,” Ruby answered, her voice loud enough to reach her sister. “Pretend like it’s your house. Get comfortable,” Ruby offered. In response, she received a smile that clearly showed just how nervous Florence was in the moment. Ruby sat up straight, although she wanted to sleep the day away. She had to do this for her friend. “I’m listening. Tell me what’s bothering you,” she said in a soft voice. “Even if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. We can do something. Watch a movie? Or I’ll let you paint my nails. Ril
Reckless Hearts Chapter 48
Long after Florence had left, Ruby laid on her bed staring at the ceiling above her in deep thought. She had imagined a hundred different ways the previous night had probably ended. There were some that were less embarrassing—but all of them were embarrassing nonetheless. Someone had spiked her drink at the party, and she had ended up being completely out of her senses so much that she couldn’t recall anything. It was so hard to believe that her mind didn’t even register Luke showing up to the party. Caden deciding to bring her into his house was something she just couldn't understand. It was him being too nice. And that was something she couldn’t wrap her mind around. The thought of likely having done something similar to Florence made her nearly want to bury herself deep inside the ground. Had she fessed up something that was best kept hidden?Caden’s teasing behavior was unusual. And the fact that he introduced her as his girlfriend to his grandma? Couldn’t he come up with a bet
Reckless Hearts Chapter 49
The next morning Luke showed up at Ruby’s door. The moment their eyes met, Ruby knew he had been worried sick about her. How had she forgotten to respond to his texts?She expected him to be mad at her. She expected him to scold her. She expected him to be furious about her not responding to his numerous texts. But all he really did, before saying anything, was embrace her into a tight and protective hug. “Burn down your phone,” he whispered into her ears, breathless as if he’d been running for a long time. From the way he was sweating, she was sure he had run up to her front door. “You’re being very cheesy, Luke. Hugging me like this, being all worried,” she replied, but hugged him back. They didn’t hug often, but everytime Luke had hugged her, she’d felt safe and protected. “Well, aren’t you gonna come in?” Riley called out from the kitchen, her head peeking out from the doorframe, staring at them. Luke let her go almost too quickly, as if he was embarrassed by the fact that Ril
Reckless Hearts Chapter 50
Florence tapped her feet impatiently against the gravel road. It had been a while since she was waiting outside her favorite waffle shop. Waiting for Daniel to show up. She pulled out her cell phone and refreshed their chat screen. There were no new messages from him, and the last one still said, ‘I’ll be there.’ She had asked him to meet her there at four o’clock. But now it was twenty minutes past four and he was nowhere in sight. Maybe he wasn’t going to come. Why would he, after all, when she had avoided him for two days, not picking up even one of his 56 calls and responding only after he sent 426 messages? In her defense, she had needed the time to come to terms with what happened, and what it meant, and how it could go from there. She had learnt that being by herself was no help—her brain was constantly thinking of Daniel—and she had to meet him to sort this out. She licked her lips, thinking hard on how she would greet him. How would she even begin addressing the topic? Sh
Reckless Hearts Chapter 51
Luke had never felt worse. He tossed and turned on his dorm bed, the numbness of his chest only increasing in intensity. He wasn’t sure if he was breathing properly. He wasn’t sure if he was breathing at all. Everything was strange—the way the air felt in the room, the way it touched his skin, the way his feet tingled, and the way the pit of his stomach rumbled—but not in hunger. Ruby didn’t remember anything he had said. Of course, she wouldn’t. He had expected that—that being partly the reason he decided to confess in the first place. But it still hurt him, knowing she’d never know his feelings. Because he would never ever gather the courage to speak his heart out again. He could try, perhaps, but what was the point? She liked Caden, and now, after talking to her, he was sure it was more than just a mere crush. She had said so herself. He was to her as he always had been. Her best friend. Luke could be nothing more. He had known it for a long time, and yet every time he reminded
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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
