Chapter 7
…
He couldn't find her. He even searched anew after his emotional breakdown, yet still couldn't find even a single clue. Regretfully and unwillingly, yet also definitively he had to accept the truth.
Ruby was gone. And him searching aimlessly for her would bear no desirable result.
Defeated, he slumbered back to his house. By the time he reached it, it was a late evening and dark outside. Slowly, he pulled down on the door-handle, and allowed himself in. Inside the house was just as dark as outside, if not even more so, and he was really thankful for it.
'Cause I totally look like crap.
He knew it, and absolutely did not want anyone to see him this miserable.
Kicking off his boots, he lumbered forward with his hand trailing the wooden wall beside him. His lips slightly open, he licked them, and realized how thirsty he actually was. With that in mind, he moved himself to the kitchen, and just as he entered it, he stopped dead in his tracks and froze.
Standing next to what he guessed was a kitchen sink, he saw a shadowy figure, which seemed to be staring back at him.
"…"
A moment of dead silence with Tai fearing it was Yang who stood there. Fortunately, after blinking just once, he realized it couldn't be. The shadowy figure was a head too tall and had both hands.
"…I came down to drink some water." It, he spoke and Tai finally clued on in who it was.
Covering his face with his hand, he turned himself perpendicular to Jaune and quietly exhaled.
"Sure…You go ahead, and I'll just, well, stay here for a while," He said, and sincerely wished to be alone.
Jaune thought to himself just briefly, and then nodded and said, "Okay."
Walking by him, Jaune gave Tai a brief glance, but in the dark, he couldn't see much and so he looked away. And just as he was about to exit the kitchen, he stopped.
A lapse in thinking, sharp whispers from his conscience, and he then opened his lips.
"You didn't find her, did you?"
Tai almost snapped. He sharply inhaled, and wanted to beat the boy within an inch of his life. Before he did, he realized what he was thinking and stopped himself short. And let out a shaky breath.
"No. No, I didn't." Maybe he really doesn't know.
"Are you going to look for her again?"
"Listen, kid. I just really want to be alone right now. I've had quite a rough day and I…I need some time to myself," He said with a tired, exhausted voice, but also one with some edge to it.
"Okay."
His conscience silenced, he exited the kitchen for good and walked up the stairs.
Tai sighed, closed his eyes and massaged his face. Then, after a couple of failed attempts, he found a chair and unceremoniously fell onto it. The rest of the late evening, night spent wishing his exhaustion could overcome his misery.
So he could fall asleep.