Martin watched as Ruthie dropped her bags by the back door. She had just returned from college and was home for the summer, Martin noticed how she walked right by him to greet her family and even his before heading upstairs to her room to unpack.
"I'll be right back" he stated to the Camden family as he followed her up the stairs.
Ruthie opened her bags and looked around her room, noting that everything was in its rightful place. She heard someone come up the stairs and she sat down knowing exactly who it was.
"What's up Martin?"
"You"
She looked at him confused.
"You must be high if you think I'm gonna let you avoid me this summer"
"Look just because we're in the same place at the same time doesn't mean we're going back to being best friends"
"You can't be seriously thinking that I'm not gonna see you this summer"
"No I know we're gonna see each other just don't think that we're back to being best friends cause we're not I have a best friend and I now always make sure that I don't become best friends with hot guys…" Martin stared at her "Because in the end all they wanna be is either friends or worse… family"
Ruthie turned back around and saw some pictures of her and Martin hanging out; she pushed them face down and carried on unpacking her bags. Martin turned back around and walked out of Ruthie's room.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Everyone was gathered in the kitchen as Martin came down. He briefly said goodbye to everyone before leaving the house. Ruthie came down and walked straight out after him.
"What do you think that was about?" Simon asked.
Everyone mumbled something incomprehensible but everyone knew what the others were talking about.
"Do you think they're talking or hitting each other?" Annie asked.
"I think she's hitting him and he's trying to talk" Kevin answered.
"Okay" Annie said meekly.
……………………………………………………………………………………...
Ruthie followed Martin to his house and stopped him from closing the door on her. Martin allowed her to come in.
"If you're gonna scream at me go right ahead." Martin stated.
Ruthie walked toward him and kissed him passionately on the mouth, she pried his lips open with her tongue and kissed him deeply as he picked her up she wrapped her legs around his waist. She pulled back and jumped down from him.
"What was that?" Martin asked breathlessly.
"I wanted to see if it was worth it"
"What was worth what?"
"Pining over you… just wanted to see why I did it for so long"
"And…"
"I don't know, it's not there anymore… like my feelings for you"
With that Ruthie spun on her heel and left the house as abruptly as she entered it. Martin fell back onto the sofa behind him and touched his lips.
"wow"
………………………………………………………………………………………….
Ruthie stood outside and exhaled.
'Okay you are officially crazy now… you just kissed Martin Brewer' she thought
'You practically jumped him, what were you thinking?'
'That you wanna do it again!' her conscience stated.
'Go away, I don't wanna do it again, I am over him. I got over him months ago. He's gonna be my friend that's all like always just a friend'
'But you want more…and so does he! You felt it!'
Ruthie began walking home pondering whether Martin cared for her or not. She eventually got home and told her parents she was going up to finish unpacking.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Everyone looked at each other as Ruthie shut her bedroom door.
"There was no blood so I guess both of them are okay" Rev. Camden stated
"Yeah, but shouldn't she be… and he be…" Lucy drifted.
"They'll realise it sooner or later" Simon said simply.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Martin stayed sat on the same spot Ruthie had left him in, he looked up as he heard the front door shut.
"Hey, I thought you'd be over at the Camden's" His father, Bill, said.
"I was… Ruthie's home"
"Is she? How is she? I haven't seen her since she left last year."
"Yeah" Martin drifted "Ruthie's home"
"You said that already"
"Oh really, well okay, I'm going up to bed. I'll see you later."
Martin made his way upstairs while his father looked at his watch. He waited until he heard the door shut.
"3.52pm… wow she's really done a number on you kid"
………………………………………………………………………...
Martin has been in his room since about 4pm and with it now coming up to 10pm, he's feeling a few hunger pangs. He stands up from his desk chair and crosses the room only to look out the window for a second. However that second seemed enough time to give Martin the shock of his life as he sees Ruthie trying to climb into a car.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
"Will you stop?" Ruthie complains as the driver of the car continues to accelerate when she tries to get into the car, leaving her standing there like a fool.
"I don't think so" Ruthie tries again, causing her to be left behind as the driver accelerates again.
"Luke"
"Ruthie" He teases as she tries again, car accelerates.
"Just let her in" the passenger says hitting, Luke, the driver in the chest.
"Fine…" Luke says Ruthie tries again and the car accelerates "but no!"
"Oooookay, for fucks sake get in" Luke shouts as the girl in the passengers seat glares at him.
Ruthie gets in the car and sits forward.
"Thanks Amanda, where are we going tonight?"
"How about 'The Purple Turtle'" Amanda answers
"Lets go" Ruthie responds with a smile.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Martin rushes down the stairs only to bump into his father about to walk up with a sandwich. He explains to his dad that he's going out to meet Mac, which wasn't a complete lie, he was gonna call Mac and invite him to spy on Ruthie. Martin got into his car and closely follows the car to wherever it was taking Ruthie. He wasn't going to leave her.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Ruthie and her friends pulled up to an abandoned warehouse, that didn't seem so abandoned with music pounding, the lights all on and people hanging out by the front. Martin pulled up a bit further away from the front as Ruthie and her friends did. He saw Ruthie climb out of the car and walk inside. Martin pulled out his phone and dialled a number; he waited for the person on the other end to pick up.
"Hello"
"Mac, hey I need your help" Martin said quickly
"Dude, no how are you, wassupp? I get nothing"
"Mac Come on"
"Martin man you need to chill like I was telling Erica here…"
"Martin cut him off "Ruthie's in trouble"
"I'm coming. Where are you?"
"Some warehouse, just before the freeway"
"'The Purple Turtle'"
"What are you talking about?"
"The warehouse, it's called 'The Purple Turtle'"
"Why? And how do you know that?"
Mac looks for an answer.
"Well with the stuff that goes on there, you begin to see them" Mac whispered the second part.
"I'm going in"
"Wait for me first… Martin I mean it."
Martin waited after he put the phone down on Mac. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel until he saw Mac's cart pull up closer to the entrance. He quickly got out and ran over to him, jumping over a girl who had just fallen down drunk. Mac got out of the car as soon as he cut the engine and walked with Martin to the doors.
"So what goes on here?" Martin asks worried for Ruthie.
"Let's see, pissed off teenagers with access to drugs, alcohol and sex, what do you think?" Mac answers as he pushes through a door.
"We have to get her out of here?"
"Yep" Mac replies as they look around the room which is lit completely by candles.
Mac and Martin pause staring at the room filled with people before them. There were bottles everywhere and smoke filling the room so much that Martin felt as though he would gag. Mac spots Ruthie sitting on a couch on the other side of the room and points her out to Martin. She's sitting between two guys with a girl sitting next to her legs; she has a bottle between her legs and a joint sticking out of her mouth. Martin walks over and takes the joint out of her mouth, he throws it away. She stands up in protest, holding her drink about ready to scream at him. Instead she looks from him to Mac and walks away taking a swig of her drink. Martin follows her, who motions for Mac to follow them. All three of them head outside.
"What are you doing here?" Ruthie screams as she turns around after leaving the warehouse "Both of you"
"We came to save you" Mac shouts back at her.
"Why, I made the choice of coming here… it's my life not yours" She looks from Mac to Martin "And definitely not yours". She takes another drink from her bottle as Martin stares.
"Why here?" he asks quietly.
"I've been to worse"
"When? Where?" Mac screams at her.
"It doesn't matter now that he's home." The guys looked at each other then back at her "I'm gonna enjoy it while I can… you guys coming"
Ruthie began walking back towards the doors of the warehouse. Mac grabbed her arm and stopped her. This brought Martin enough time to pick her up in a fireman's hold with her pounding on his back. He carried her to his car and threw her in the backseat. Mac sat beside her as Martin got into the front seat. Ruthie composed herself and screamed at Mac.
"What is your problem?"
Ruthie began kicking and punching Mac until Martin grabbed her wrists in a vice like grip.
"We aren't letting you go until you calm down" Mac shouted over her screams of protest.
Ruthie began breathing slowly as she calmed down.
"Why are you doing this to me?" She breathed. "Isn't it punishment enough that I have to see you" She looked Martin in the eyes.
"Am I that terrible to look at?" Martin said jokingly.
"No…and that's the problem because I'm never gonna stop loving you" Martin and Mac let her go "And you're just gonna leave again… and I can't go through that, not again."
Ruthie looked out of the window at the warehouse and wondered why she was really there. It wasn't because she was getting over him; it was so that he would do this and rescue her like he always did. She really did still love him and she would never forget it as he was her first love, her true love.
"Just take me home" she quietly asked.
Martin turned back around and started the car.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
The next morning Ruthie woke up with barely any memory of the night before. She did however remember spilling her guts to not only Martin but to Mac as well. She went downstairs and sat at the table, she waited until she was sure that no one was in the house, and picked up her phone. She dialled a number she knew all to well.
"Hello" The person on other line answered
"Hey, listen sorry about last night, I just had to bail. Things were getting too intense."
Don't worry, things were getting too intense for me, you bailed me out by saying you wanted to go home."
"Mac," Ruthie began "you became my best friend when he left and you're a better friend than him anyway."
"Why…? How…?" Mac asked speechless.
"You wouldn't bail without saying bye first!"
"You can't blame him for that you know"
"Really he didn't call; he never emailed me or anything. It was his decision to bail not only from Glen Oak but from my life."
"Okay okay calm down, so what happened yesterday?"
"I jumped him." Ruthie said ashamed.
"YOU DID WHAT?" Mac screamed Ruthie remained silent until he continued in a calm voice. "So are you officially over T-Bone now?"
Ruthie chuckled "Yeah… but umm there's another problem"
"What now?"
"My feelings for Martin are coming back!"
Mac remained silent as he contemplated whether this was a good thing or a bad one. Mac loved Ruthie, as a sister, but she will always love Martin and he was best friends with Martin but he wasn't sure whether Martin would stick around long enough to deserve Ruthie's love.
"Oh Mac, don't worry about me I'll handle this… How did you know I was at 'The Purple Turtle'?"
"I didn't, Martin rang me and told me to meet him there"
"How did he get there?"
"My guess, he followed you."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because he still cares…"
Ruthie cut him off "Yeah right"
"Look he cares enough to go all hero on you Ruth"
"Whatever"
"Really… Who took you to 'TPT' last night?"
"Amanda… I think… yeah her and Luke"
"You know sometimes I wish I hadn't taken you there, and introduced you to them two. They're a couple of trouble makers."
"Oh my God!" Mac heard behind him.
Mac turned around to see…
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Mac turned around to see… Martin
"Err Ruthie I gotta go" Mac said suddenly on the phone while staring Martin in the face.
"Umm okay, I'll speak to you later" Ruthie said unknowing of what exactly was going on at Mac's
"Sure"
Mac hung up the phone and stood up to face Martin.
"Martin look I…"
Mac was cut off when Martin punched him the face causing Mac to fall backwards and take the chair he was sitting on with him.
"I can't believe this… you took her there… you introduced her to them, them druggies."
Mac slowly stood back up, fearing that Martin was gonna hit him again,
"Yes I did, but I told her to never go there without me"
"Mac this is Ruthie when we say something she… she…" Martin drifted out.
Mac stared at his friend as he spaced out.
"She kissed you didn't she"
Martin snapped back to reality. He looked up at Mac and stared into his eyes. Mac nodded as though he understood Martin's silence.
"She has that effect"
"I'm not the first" Martin looked at the ground.
"You're the first she loved," Martin looked at his friend "Consider it an honour, I know a lot of people who would jump at the chance to be you right now"
"I know" Martin mumbled.
"So how do you feel about her?"
"I don't know…" Martin started, he looked up at Mac and continued "When she kissed me, I don't know, it was like she… we were… are perfect."
"Yeah you are, what you felt is called love," Mac turned around "And maybe a smidge of destiny" he whispered.
"What do you mean by destiny?" Martin asked curiously.
"Well I spoke to Rev. Camden when you told me that you were coming home and he told me that he, his wife and practically the entire Camden family thought that you and Ruthie would marry one day." Mac said as he sat down "you're dad too."
"My dad and the entire Camden family, that's not exactly destiny"
"Well too be honest I did too." Mac added quietly.
"Okay."
"Yeah, pretty crazy, huh"
"Yeah" Martin remained completely silent as did Mac, as they both contemplated what had just been said.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Ruthie sat in the kitchen wondering why Mac had rushed her off the phone. She got up and began making herself some breakfast. As she sat down to eat, Kevin walked through the door.
"Hey Ruthie, have you seen Lucy today?"
"No but I can call her"
"I already tried that, no answer"
"Maybe she's screening your calls"
"Why would she do that?"
"I don't know… how come you don't know where he is?"
"We had a bit of an argument…"
Ruthie jumped in before he could continue "Ah ha that's why she's screening your calls"
Kevin looked down at his sister in law as she swallowed some pancakes. He saw her grow up from the spy she once was to the spy she now is. And he had to say he loved her that way, she was now a beautiful woman with her whole future ahead of her.
'What is Martin thinking letting her go?' Kevin thought as he stared at her.
"Do I have something on my face?" Ruthie asked as she wiped her mouth.
"No, but you're right. I should head home and wait for Lucy to come home in her own time." He turned and walked straight out the door.
"But I didn't say that." Ruthie said to the empty room. She shrugged her shoulders and went back to eating her pancakes.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Martin left Mac's in a daze. First there was the realisation that everyone he cared about thought that he and his best friend were soul mates. Secondly, there was Ruthie and the kiss that haunted him; there was her friendship with Mac, which he had to admit he was jealous of. Martin carried on walking, not really going anywhere in particular. When he finally snapped out of his thoughts, he was at the Promenade. He walked over to a bench so he could sit down and get his thoughts into order before marching to Ruthie and telling her flat out that he wasn't sure of his feelings for her and where they were headed and that she and everyone else would have to wait for him to come to some conclusion.
'Isn't that' Martin thought 'the girl from the warehouse'
She turned around. It was, so he walked over to confront her, when she walked into a shop he followed her. Not realising that it was a lingerie shop he followed her straight to the back and to the changing rooms. She sat in one of the sofas and waited.
'What's she waiting for? There are rooms free'
He walked over and sat on one of the sofas next to hers.
"Waiting for your girlfriend?" She asked politely
"Not really"
"Who then? Cause you can't be back here"
"I was looking for you"
"Me…Why?"
"Me… what did I do?"
"Was you at 'The Purple Turtle' last night?"
"Who are you?"
"You don't need to answer. I already know, I'm a friend of Ruthie's"
"What's up?" Someone said from behind a curtain, as the curtain opened it revealed Ruthie in a lacy pink bra and panties set. Ruthie acknowledged Martin and quickly shut the curtain.
"What are you doing here?" Ruthie shouted over the closed curtain. A girl walked out of one of the other rooms and looked Martin over before flashing him a flirty smile.
"I saw…" Martin looked toward the girl he followed in
"Amanda" She provided.
"Amanda, and followed her in here to see why she took you to…"
Ruthie cut him up "That's none of your business"
"Yes it is" he walked over to the curtain and began whispering "Ruthie, you're my best friend and I love you"
Ruthie reached through and pulled him into the changing room. He looked down at what she is wearing and saw that she now wore a denim miniskirt and a white button through shirt that wasn't completely buttoned.
"Really, you didn't love me when you left… not even as a sister or a friend"
"What?"
"Well you didn't care enough to say bye… or even call me to say you'd left."
"Ruthie…"
"No Martin, where were you when I got my cell phone, or when I left for Scotland, or when T-Bone and I broke up or even when I lost my virginity."
"You did what?"
"That's not the point, where were you? That's right you were proposing to someone else, kissing someone else, being someone else's best friend. You weren't here so this" pointing to both her and Martin "And what I do is none of your concern, Mac's my best friend now, not you. I erased you from my memory; you're no longer here with any effect on me what so ever"
"Really" Martin challenged.
"Yes really and another thing…"
Ruthie's rant was cut short by Martin kissing her. He brought his hands up to and stroked her face. She wrapped her arms around Martin's waist as he continued to kiss her. He kissed her softly, the exact opposite to her kiss but it seemed just as effective as she began to kiss him back. She went up onto her toes to kiss him back. She gently pushed him onto the chair behind him and straddled him with one leg on either side of his. They continued kissing until they realised that air was necessary especially at this moment. Martin stared at Ruthie's flush face as she paused for air.
"Are you okay?" he asked the petite brunette in his lap.
"We can't do this, can we?" She asked looking into his eyes
"I think we already are, we're just denying ourselves if we don't"
"No I mean we really can't"
"Why not?" he asked seriously
"Cause you don't love me and I said I wouldn't do this again until I was in love and I was certain he was too" she replied breathless
"Do what?"
"This…" she gestured to the both of them "a relationship…sex"
"What if I said I did love you or was beginning to fall?"
She tried to get off of his lap but instead of letting her he pulled her back down on top of him.
"Martin don't lie to me!"
"I'm not… I hit Mac because of you, I followed you to that warehouse and after you kissed me I sat in my room for almost six hours wondering whether I should have enjoyed that kiss as much as I did. And the truth is the kiss we just had proves that I should have. And that I do."
Ruthie looked into his eyes and smiled she leant down and kissed him once more.
Martin pulled away.
"Who did you lose your virginity to?" he asked quietly
"It doesn't matter because it didn't matter. The person I live for is my hero"
"who's that?"
"You"
Martin looked back at her and smiled.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..