Hey, guys. Big Diesel here. It has been about a few days since my last story. I just got out of the hospital from my surgery. I am doing well, just a bit medicated. Correction, heavily medicated but blessed to be alive. My girlfriend is being such a wonderful help to me. Taking care of her man. Also, her mother and my mother have been with me round-the-clock to be sure I am recovering well. I am due for another procedure in a few days so my upcoming stories are going to be a bit 'scattered.'
This story actually came into a dream I had when I was 'under the knife.' I am a bit rusty, but going to attempt this story anyway. Once I fully recovered from my next surgery, I will be back writing again. Thank you guys for your undying support of my works. Strive and prosper! God bless!
It was a knock at the door that interrupted Jaune's slumber. It was a very distinctive knock. Two loud taps followed by three lights taps. He groaned as he recognized those taps. He took his time getting out of bed. He wasn't in any hurry. He put on his slippers and took the familiar twenty paces to the front door. He had to maneuver through the boxes that were specifically for this said person. She wasn't a guest. She wasn't here for a social call. This person had one reason here and one reason alone. She needed to get her things and she was out of there.
The knocks were getting louder. That didn't faze Jaune. Honestly, he would rather have her sister come for the items instead. Or better yet the police. The latter wouldn't work. Thanks to the multitude of men who garnered the distrust from the police, they wouldn't believe him.
He opened the door. "What?" It was blunt and unwelcoming. A sting to the tongue as he saw the redhead that he once loved and cherish. Ruby Rose was her name. A woman that was the apple of Jaune's eye for the past few months. It wasn't even two months when the couple moved in together. It wasn't even a month when the couple talked about getting a puppy for their new apartment. It wasn't even a week ago when he had filed a restraining order against her. As he mentioned before, there was a lack of evidence and she wasn't perceived as a threat. A woman was too sweet, too agile, too fragile to be considered as a threat, according to the police. The law was on her side and there was nothing more he could do. Especially since both of them shared an apartment. However, Jaune found a loophole. With his name on the lease, he had the right to throw her out. And just two days ago, he made it clear to the landlord that Ruby was no longer welcomed to the apartment.
She made had the cops to pity her, but he had litigation on his side. So, her departure from the apartment was the best he could do. Also since then, he even made plans to return back to his parents until he found other living arrangements.
"Don't look at me like that." Ruby was teary-eyed. Seeing the disgruntled, disdain look on her boyfriend's, about to be ex-boyfriend's face was frightening. She saw her name on those boxes, written in red, in the living room.
"Don't worry," said Jaune, eyeing the same thing that Ruby was looking at. "Everything is yours. You don't have to inspect any further. I am sure of you that you won't any reason to think I am a thief." He let go of the door handle and walked into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a water bottle. He pointed to the boxes. "I hope you have your friends or the cops to take your things." He took another sip. "For I am not helping you."
She held on to the hems of her white blouse. "Don't talk to me like that," she said. "I said I am sorry."
"Sorry doesn't mean being paranoid when you think I have cheated," he barked. "Sorry doesn't mean anything anymore. You may have fooled the cops and those who love you, but I see the real you, Ruby. A scary you."
She closed the door. She reached her hand to Jaune but he pushed away. Jaune was standoffish, but he wanted her to be gone.
"If I were you, I would call Yang or Taiyang to help you with your things," he told her.
"No, that is okay. I have a pulley." Ruby walked slowly to her boxes. With her beady eyes, she looked at her former boyfriend-to-be. "Can you at least give me a hand with it, please?"
The quicker, the better, Jaune thought furiously. Honestly, the blonde had a deadline for the former girlfriend. Jaune in the past wasn't as hostile to Ruby. In fact, the pair were inseparable. There was a time when Jaune did the oldfashioned way of attracting her attention. Passing notes, guitar playing, and making mixtapes on CD garnered the love and the affection of Ruby. The thirst and the hunger the duo had when they were together. Lancaster was the name they officially called their relationship. Phone calls, movie dates, texting love messages, the way of expressing love with one another.
However, as time went on, Jaune began noticing a change in Ruby's affection for him. She told him that he was her greatest treasure, scared and only for her. He didn't understand it at that time, but from the point on, the spirit of discernment rose within him.
Jaune gathered her things and placed them on the pulley. The things that can be easily carried like backpacks and bags, he left it for her.
"Thanks." Ruby didn't look at Jaune. She looked embarrassed. Better yet, she looked ashamed. And rightfully so, the blonde thought. The incident that permanently severed their relationship proved to be his final straw.
Who in the hell was she, Jaune?
She was a friend of mine from work.
That's not the point! Why is your 'friend' a girl? What is she doing talking to you?
We are partners. We have to work together, baby.
The hell you are, Jaune. You are my sacred treasure. Noone else's.
Ruby, this jealousy of yours is getting out of hand.
'Out of hand?' My love for you isn't 'out of hand.' It's forever clutch within, kept where it belongs.
Ruby, you are creeping me out.
Jaune, I love you. You know that. That bitch will never have her hands on you.
She is a friend. We are partners. And please don't come to my job acting like...what are you doing?
He is mine, skank.
Ruby, what are you….Oh, my Oum! Somebody call the police. Ruby! Stop, Ruby!
He is mine, damn it! Fucking mine, damn it!
Stop it, Ruby. Stop it!
MINE!
Jaune took the pulley and rolled it out of the apartment. A storm was coming as the clouds were turning dark. It reminded him of an overly erased blackboard. He felt the chill in the air, quite eerie for a summer day. He saw that Ruby was borrowing her father's car, an old family station wagon. He didn't think anything concluding that it was nothing more to carry her things.
He opened the trunk and helped Ruby put her things inside of it. It wasn't because of generosity. As he mentioned to himself earlier in the apartment, the quicker the better. Ruby stood timid, still holding to the sweater that Jaune bought for her on her last birthday. He found it peculiar to wear on such a muggy day. He shrugged his shoulder in that disregard and closed the door.
"Thank you," said Ruby quietly. "Jaune…" She was interrupted when he raised his hand. His eyes didn't meet hers. His was red as the blood he saw on the day Ruby attacked the girl from his job. She was nothing more than his business partner. A lesbian, may he add. But the rage filled in Ruby's eyes as she forced the woman to taste concrete made it clear to Jaune that nobody was going to have him.
"Ruby." He paused. Seeing her gentle face, the paleness of her cracked lips. The tenseness of his stomach, the void of knowing that this girl was once his beloved. And now, she was a few moments away from leaving. Moments of the past came into his mind. Back when they were lovers, best friends, soulmates. The days when they were carefree. Those Lancaster days. Days he wouldn't mind having again. "Ruby."
"Yes?"
He took deep breaths to approach the young, timid redhead brunette. He hugged her tightly. He inhaled her invigorating scent of lavender. A hint of cookies was a part of her scent. A tear dropped from his eye. He excused it as allergies. She embedded her face into his neck. The hug lasted a few moments before he broke the embrace.
"Jaune. Jaune, I…"
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
"Can you at least hear me out?"
"We have tried that and it resulted in an injured girl." He took a breath. "Let's be grateful that she didn't press charges."
"She was trying to harm you. To taint you."
"No, she wasn't, Rubes. I don't want to get angry. Go on and go. A storm is coming and I don't want you to get caught up in the rain."
Ruby complied. She walked to the car and opened the door. Jaune helped her closed it. He bowed to her as a farewell. As he began to walk back to his apartment, Ruby called his name. He turned around and saw that she had something for him.
"It is one more thing to remind you of me." In her hand was a bag of her cookies. He can smell the faintness of her oatmeal raisin cookies. "I know you were a fan of my sweets. I made these for you!"
"Thank you, Ruby. That was sweet of you."
"I just wanted to show you that I am sorry for the things that led to this." She let out a smile. "For all it is worth, my love for you hasn't changed. I hope in some way, there can be a change." She gave him the bag of her cookies. "Goodbye, Jaune."
She put the car into motion and drove out of the parking lot. In his hand were a bag of cookies and a
broken heart.
He returned to his apartment and closed the door. Frustration was in his voice. He wanted it to be easier, but she made it difficult. The feelings that he still had for her. But the jealousy. That day when he saw the look in her eyes, those pupils turning into darkness. It was as if Ruby wasn't there.
He opened the refrigerator door to get a glass of milk. He took a couple of cooks and warmed them in the microwave. A bit hungry, he decided to watch television and eat her sweets. He came to the couch and turned on Elementary. He took a cookie from the plate. Their aromatic fragrance overpowered every other scent that lingered in the room. Its delectable aroma pervaded the air- a melange of honeydew, raisins, and dabs of crackling nuts. So very tempting to grab and simply indulge in this decadent pleasure, or to merely inhale the gorgeous scent it emanated from its baked, warm depths. Taking the first bite, a delightful flavor flooded his mouth, and his senses basked in its luscious taste. There was a friable crunch, tangs of zest, pangs of acidity, all to coalesce to form a truly delicious dish.
Tears filled each bite, knowing that the moment he finished those cookies, Ruby was no more.
Suddenly, his heart rate accelerated in his chest as if it would explode. He became hot and stumbled out into the couch and onto the floor, sweating and sluggish. He staggered, crawling to the kitchen. He was scared, never felt this kind of sensation.
You should have known better to think about leaving me.
The familiar voice returned to him. Standing at the foot of the door was his once beloved. Her eyes were pale. Her arms were crossed. Her face was emotionless. She stared onto the stunned Jaune as he stretched out his arm. "What...what...did..y-y-y-you do?"
She giggled tenderly. She arched her back as she placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, Jaune. I knew you can never resist eating my sweets."
"W-W-What did you d-d-d-d-do?"
She displayed a Cheshire Cat grin as she kneeled to the floor. "I made it with my tender, love, and care." She coughed. "And propofol."
"Y-y-you drugged m-m-m-me?"
"Your expression. It's beautiful. I love it when you eat my sweets. And seeing you like this makes me love you more and more again."
"Are you crazy?"
"There, show it to me. That expression that excites me." Ruby saw Jaune becoming motionless. The medicine was taking effect. "You see Jaune, you will no longer treat me as an ex-girlfriend. Oh no! In fact, I am going to be your wife, forever."
To be continued….
