She couldn't run far enough, fast enough.
At least, that was how it felt as the treadmill whirred under her feet. Her legs ached. Her lungs burned. Perspiration had long ago broken out along her brow. Yet no amount of physical exertion distracted her from the hole in her chest, which ached and ached no matter what she did.
Huffing in frustration, she jabbed the off button and let her legs come to a rest. She quickly toweled off before grabbing her water bottle. After taking a small sip, she slammed the top closed and resisted the urge to chuck it into the glass wall in front of her. The dreary, gray ocean reflected the storm settled over her mind, making her angry and irritable at even the smallest offenses.
She squeezed the bottle tightly in her hand as she hopped off the treadmill and left the gym, whipping the used towel toward the dirty hamper as she went. The silent action didn't put a dent in her acrid mood. Nothing made her feel better. No amount of miles run, or magazines emptied into hapless paper targets, or clothes purchased, or dumb movies watched with Whitley dragged her out of the darkness. She returned to her bedroom in the same state she had left it, except now in need of a shower.
Abandoning the water bottle on her dresser, she grabbed a change of clothes and went to shower. She pushed the temperature just past scalding before getting in, wishing the water would erase any traces of Ruby on her skin and that the steam would vaporize the memories.
It never worked, no matter how long she let the blistering water pelt her back. She left the bathroom cleaner but just as angry and broken. Her gaze darted to her bed, but she scolded herself for even considering going back to sleep. She forced herself into a respectable outfit and out of her room instead, determined to prove to the world - and herself - that she was fine.
She didn't feel fine as she listlessly made her way downstairs. What used to be boredom had become melancholy. Ruby showed her what existed outside of this prison. Ruby showed her what life could be like. Less polished, less sparkly, but bright, warm, and full of joy. It was cruel then, in a way, to be shoved back behind the walls, now knowing what she must live without. She was better off before, when this was all she knew and all she expected.
Hearing her mom's voice drifting from the kitchen, she ducked into the library instead. In the airy room, she picked up the novel that she had been trying and failing to read for several days, settled into one of the oversized chairs, and let the book fall open in her lap. Her eyes instantly glassed over when confronted by a page filled with words, so she sighed and pulled out her phone instead.
She didn't unlock it. She just set it on top of the book and willed it to ring.
It wouldn't.
And she was too proud to call. Too scared of what she might do when Ruby didn't answer. Too ashamed of what she might leave in a message.
It felt wrong to miss someone so much. Weak. Her father would be so ashamed of her.
Quick, confident footsteps matching the man captured her attention then, and she looked up just as her father strode across the doorway and glanced into the room. He paused when he saw her, then said, "Weiss," and motioned her to him. A sigh nearly escaped, but she clamped her mouth shut and joined him at the doorway. His heavy hand settled on her shoulder as he guided her to his office.
"I need you to go out with Henry today -" As soon as she opened her mouth, he raised a hand to silence her. "The Marigolds might be up to something. I need you to figure out what it is so we can get ahead of them. Do you understand?"
The last thing she wanted was to be anywhere near Henry Marigold right now, but what other choice did she have? And, honestly, why bother trying to fight it anymore? So, rather than protest, she nodded and said, "I'll do my best."
"Good."
He patted her shoulder and entered his office without her, oblivious to her turbulent emotions. Meanwhile, she ground her jaw back and forth before spinning around and marching away. Her phone returned to her hand but, instead of dialing Ruby's number, she called Henry.
Any hope that he might not answer, thereby granting her a reprieve, evaporated when the call connected on the second ring.
"Hey there, princess," he drawled. "Need another knight to rescue you?"
"Sure. If you know one, get me their information." The insult slipped out, so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before adding, "Let's get lunch. Pick me up in fifteen."
Before he accepted, she hung up, glanced at her outfit, then grabbed her bag and waited in the courtyard. Not even the offensively loud fountain could drown out her thoughts, which rolled over each other while fighting for attention.
She spent so much time crafting the perfect outfits for Ruby, yet she didn't give a fuck what Henry thought about her appearance. Ruby's arrival had filled her with excitement and anticipation; Henry's filled her with anger and resentment.
Why couldn't Ruby be a part of this world? Then they could be together without any lies or secrets. They could be happy. And Weiss would be anxiously waiting for Ruby versus scowling at the black SUV stopping in front of her.
"Do you even know how to drive?" she snapped as soon as Henry hopped out of the backseat, replacing his grin with confusion tinged in shame, followed quickly by indignation.
"Of course I can. But my dad said if I get in another accident he'd bury me in the backyard." When she frowned, he shook his head, sauntered over, and threw on a 'charming' smile. "Forget that. What changed your tune?"
Digging deep into her patience, she forced a pleasant smile and said, "I just thought you'd want to catch up."
Her smile disappeared when he laughed. Her patience disappeared when he laughed long enough to strike a nerve.
"Don't tell me - you got dumped."
"Do you want to get lunch or not?" she hissed through clenched teeth.
"Oh, I definitely want to get lunch. Rebounds are my specialty." Brushing off her ice-cold glare, he grinned and extended an arm to the SUV.
"Weiss!"
Weiss turned around at her name. Whitley, with his long strides swiftly carrying him across the courtyard, motioned for her to wait.
"Hey, Champ!"
Henry raised his hand for a high-five, which Whitley ignored in favor of looking at Weiss.
"Where're you going?"
"Grabbing lunch."
Whitley's gaze flitted to Henry and Weiss could almost hear him thinking, 'With him?' Instead of saying that aloud, however, he asked, "Want company?"
She could have hugged him for the offer, but she patted his arm and said, "Don't worry. I'll be fine." He still searched her eyes for several seconds but, when she smiled, relaxed.
"Ok. Call me if you need anything."
Only after she nodded did he walk away. "See you later, Champ!" Henry called after him before grinning at Weiss, completely missing Whitley turning around and flipping him off with both hands. She bit back a smile, but Henry noticed and turned around. He only watched Whitley hop into his car and drive away though, off to school or wherever he needed to go.
"We'll be best friends someday," Henry mused to himself before waving Weiss to the SUV. The bodyguards opened and closed the doors for them, sealing them into the luxurious interior before the vehicle left the sprawling estate.
"Not surprised you called," he added while Weiss rested an elbow on the windowsill and stared outside. "My dad said you guys can't handle waiting."
Weiss side-eyed him, surprised that he picked up on that much but determined not to let it show. Unfortunately, her silence encouraged him to keep talking.
"Doesn't it bother you though? First sign of trouble and daddy's pimping you out like a little whore."
"Watch what you say to me," she snapped, shooting him a deadly glare. He raised his hands and chuckled.
"Just saying…you're like a - a pretty puppet."
He was lucky that she was unarmed. Otherwise, she would have murdered him in his own fucking car. Instead, she drew a long, slow breath through her lips and reminded herself that she was already aware that she blindly followed her dad's orders. Why else would she be sitting here instead of wallowing at home? Her dad needed something from Henry, so she couldn't kill him…yet.
But imagining the brutal ways that he could die kept her sane as they drove through Vale. Eventually, the SUV stopped and the doors opened, releasing her to the sidewalk in an unfamiliar neighborhood. The green awning in front of her filled her with disbelief, yet she still searched for another restaurant in the area.
"Where are we?" she asked upon finding none.
"Charley's! Don't tell me you've never been. It's the hottest new bar in town!"
She scoffed at the neon 'open' sign and the tacky chalkboard advertising '2 for 1' Thursdays.
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Damn. Language, girl."
Unperturbed, Henry strode to the door and held it for her. Against her better judgment, she entered. Her eyes needed several seconds to adjust to the dim light, then she breathed a sigh of relief that the interior wasn't as seedy as it could have been.
A polished wood counter stretched along one side of the bar, where an array of colorful bottles lined mirrored shelves and a bartender served several patrons perched on barstools. The worn, wooden floor creaked underfoot, but the furniture looked relatively new. For it being mid-day, a surprising amount of people huddled around the tables. Oddly, the faint buzz of conversation paused when Henry entered the room.
"Henryyy!" a gruff old man at the bar greeted the boy, who lit up and walked over for a handshake. The other men soon joined in, giving Henry a hero's welcome for accomplishing the miraculous feat of stepping through the door. Weiss, meanwhile, rolled her eyes when he returned to her sporting an enormous grin.
"Don't tell me," she drawled while he led her to a table that two people quickly vacated for them. "This is where your dealers hang out?"
"This is where awesome people hang out to have awesome beer and awesome wings."
Weiss sincerely doubted anything about this place was awesome, but Henry waved over the cute young woman who appeared to be the only waitress. She quickly ended her conversation with another table and hurried over.
"Hey Henry," she greeted him with a bashful smile, brushing her blonde hair behind one ear and none-too-subtly batting her eyes.
"Hey Maggie! I'll have the usual, but why don't you double it for this gorgeous girl right here." He winked at Weiss despite her scowl, and despite thoroughly deflating Maggie's obvious hopes.
"Oh, ok. I'll put that right in."
"Thanks, Mags. You're the best." She brightened slightly at the praise, but Henry's attention had already returned to Weiss. "Don't worry. I only order the best stuff."
"It never occurred to you that I might want to order for myself?" Weiss shot back at him.
"But I saved your pretty little self the effort."
"Call me that again and I'll rip your tongue out."
"Vicious," he said, chuckling while she crossed her arms over her chest and hoped that his order came with a drink that she could throw in his face.
As fortune had it, two towering pints of beer arrived first, but they had been so overfilled that streams of the amber beverage spilled down the sides of the glass. She wouldn't be touching it with a ten-foot pole. A basket of fries so greasy that the wax paper beneath them had already turned translucent arrived next, accompanied by two baskets of chicken wings drenched in a sticky brown glaze.
"Oh, fuck yeah," Henry mumbled, grabbing one of the wings with his bare hands and shoving it in his mouth like a caveman. Weiss scowled at him but made no motion to touch the food. She wasn't hungry anyway, and she would starve to death before eating anything he ordered for her. Besides, she was an unwilling participant in this lunch, and she would make sure that everyone knew it.
He dragged her here to show off to his 'boys' like she was some sort of trophy that he could parade around however he saw fit. If she didn't have a very specific reason for sitting at this table, and the weight of her dad's disappointment lurking just out of view, she would emasculate him in front of everyone. She would humiliate him so thoroughly that he would never be able to set foot in here again. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to ignore the sound of him chewing with his mouth open.
"Don't worry," he said with his mouth full. "We're adding more to the menu soon. I'm thinking those little pizzas and maybe something crazy like…burritos that taste like pizzas. We'll call them 'burrizzas.'"
"Wait…you own this place?"
"Yup! Been saving for some upgrades. The deal with your dad really helped." He chuckled and slurped one of the chicken bones in the most disgusting manner before pointing it at her. "You have to try the wings. They're amazing."
"No, thanks." She wrinkled her nose at the idea of even touching them, but he just shrugged. Fortunately, he had presented an opening to broach the only reason why she was here. "How's that going, by the way?" she asked, dismissively waving a hand when he glanced at her. "That whole deal you're putting together. Sounds like the first part went well."
"Whore," he repeated, laughing as he shoved his entire hand into the basket of fries. If Weiss had a knife in front of her - or any silverware at all - she would have stabbed him with it. "You guys think you're so smart. The big, bad Schnees always in control of everything. Now look at you."
While he stuffed too many fries into his mouth, she took a deep breath and searched for some semblance of calm. She used to be better at this. She used to be great at this. She used to have an edge that flared up naturally, easily. Today, she was just…angry.
"Since you're so smart," she got out through clenched teeth. "Why don't you enlighten me?"
"You're right - I am smart." When her expression remained unchanged, he brushed off his hands and leaned forward. "Alright, it's like kissing -"
"You're really going to use kissing to describe a business deal with my dad?" she interrupted. "That's the gayest fucking shit ever."
"Do you want the example or not?" he shot back, so she bit her tongue and motioned for him to continue.
"It's like kissing. You lean in, they lean in. Then, just when your lips are about to touch, you lean away. What happens next?"
"They slap you and thank god they didn't actually kiss you?"
"They chase you!" he crowed, overjoyed by his 'genius.' "So we dangle the drugs, they lean in, we lean out, and boom - deal closed."
He snapped his fingers before returning to being the world's most annoying eater. Meanwhile, she sat in simmering disbelief that her dad forced her to be here for that. The Marigolds were leading them on but had no intention of backing out - you don't invite the prettiest girl to the dance and not try to take her home. They just wanted better terms, so they were acting as if they would walk away - and her dad fell for it.
Annoyed but having accomplished what she needed to do, she decided that it was past time to vent some frustration.
"Were you raised by wolves or have the drugs destroyed your ability to eat like a normal person?" When he stopped inhaling his food and frowned, she motioned to his mouth. "Seriously, you're going at those like some girl's pussy. It's all over your face."
When he grabbed a napkin to clean off his mouth, she rolled her eyes and felt her lips twitch with a small smile.
"I doubt they compare," she mused. "But you probably have nothing to go by, so…" She shrugged before shooting him a glance. "Honest question though - do you want to fuck my dad?"
When his face contorted in disbelief, she laughed. It sounded foreign to her - too bitter, somehow - but she laughed at the thought of this idiot boy trying to sleep with her father.
"I mean, I won't try to stop you. Doubt my mom would either. Maybe he'd be in a better mood if he had a pretty little boy toy…"
"I don't want to fuck your dad," Henry finally spit out.
"What if he paid you?" When Henry froze for a split second, she laughed harder. "You'd be his little bitch for money?" she goaded him. "How much? Maybe I'll pay you."
"You're the bitch," he snapped, but she just shrugged and kept chuckling over the idiocy of the idea.
She was still smiling when the bar's atmosphere suddenly changed. Conversations stopped. Beer glasses stopped clinking against the tables and countertops. Everyone's attention shifted to the door.
The moment Henry smirked, she knew.
Yet she still turned around and suffered the gut punch when she found Ruby standing there, in uniform, staring at her. The smile disappeared from her lips - from her vocabulary, even - but Ruby's silver eyes had already flashed between her and Henry before settling on her.
Ruby wasn't alone - Yang stood beside her. Tall, blonde, and glaring daggers from across the room. Weiss didn't care about daggers; she could handle daggers. What she couldn't handle was the hurt in Ruby's eyes, or Ruby's stiff posture, or how much she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but in the same room with Weiss.
"Welcome, officers!" Henry greeted them, scooting his chair closer to Weiss. "What brings two of Vale's finest in today? Want some wings? A beer? On the house, of course."
He grinned and dropped his arm around Weiss' shoulders, prompting Ruby's frown.
"Don't touch me," Weiss hissed, denting his smile.
"Come on, Weiss…don't be shy. You're the one who invited me out, remember?"
Weiss suddenly understood what it meant to see red, as the color clouded her vision in rage. When he smirked at her, sitting too close, and she vacillated between shoving him off of her or slapping the smirk right off of his face, Ruby stepped forward.
"She said not to touch her, sir," she said, her voice short and clipped. "So I'd advise you to remove your arm."
"Sorry, officer, but it's my bar. I'll do whatever I want."
"No, you'll do whatever she wants." Ruby jerked her head in Weiss' direction. "And she told you not to touch her. So remove your arm."
The tension in the air sizzled near a boiling point while Ruby and Henry glowered at each other. Her and Yang's rigid postures showed that they understood their precarious situation, surrounded by some of Marigold's most loyal goons. And Weiss suddenly worried that Henry was actually dumb enough to initiate an altercation.
"Just do it, you idiot," she snapped at him while throwing his arm off of her. He begrudgingly leaned away, scowling as the two officers slowly relaxed. Yang's hand inched away from her holster, and she nudged Ruby's elbow before motioning to the bar. Ruby nodded and, without another glance at Weiss, followed her sister to the bartop.
Somehow, being ignored was worse than being yelled at. Weiss clung to her anger only to be left raw and heartbroken when it slipped away in Ruby's presence. She clenched her jaw and tried not to stare while Ruby and Yang spoke to the bartender, who nodded and led them to one of the back rooms. After several minutes, they emerged, exchanged several more words with the bartender, and left. Ruby kept her gaze forward the entire time, never looking away from the door. Yang was the one who turned back, saving a scowl for Weiss before disappearing outside.
"How'd you know they'd be here?" Weiss asked as soon as the door closed, her eyes not yet moving away.
"Huh?"
"I said how did you know they'd be here?" she snarled at Henry, but he chuckled and grabbed another handful of fries.
"Called in a drug tip and hoped they'd send her. What luck, huh? Figured you'd want to see how she's doing."
That was the last thing she wanted, but she clenched her fists and restrained herself from tearing out his jugular. Her heart hurt too much to reprimand him. It felt as if the wound had been ripped back open, free to bleed and guaranteeing that it would leave a scar.
Without thinking, she shoved herself to her feet and raced out the door.
"Ruby!" she called out just as Ruby was reaching for the police car's passenger door.
Ruby froze, and Yang sternly shook her head from the other side of the vehicle, but Ruby looked down at the ground before slowly turning around. Tension returned to her shoulders as Weiss approached her, but she straightened her posture and hid her feelings behind a polite mask.
"Can I help you with something?"
"Can't I say hi?" Weiss replied. Ruby worked her jaw back and forth before dipping her chin.
"Hi."
The single syllable illuminated the gulf between them. A chasm that grew with each passing second, causing Weiss to panic as it forced them into different hemispheres.
"How have you been?" she forced out, desperately trying to reach out before it was too late. But Ruby glanced at Yang, who had set her arms on the roof of the car while watching, and sighed.
"Nothing's changed, Weiss." Ruby paused as her gaze returned to the bar. "Not for me, at least…" she mumbled under her breath.
"It's not what it looks like."
"What does it look like?"
The pain in Ruby's eyes took Weiss' breath away, but she still struggled for a response. For anything to bring back what they once had.
"It - it looks like we're on a date," she admitted even though it caused more hurt to flash through Ruby's eyes. "But we're not," she insisted, grabbing Ruby's arm when Ruby tried to turn away. "You know I hate him. I'm only here because my dad -"
"Always your dad," Ruby interrupted, sighing the words as if a great weight squeezed them out of her. She then gently removed her arm from Weiss' grasp and smiled sadly. "Have a good day, Miss."
If Weiss thought that she was miserable before, that single word crushed any last shred of happiness. She couldn't even respond. She could only stand there, eyes burning with tears, and watch them get into the car before driving away. A strangled gasp slipped through her lips then, so she raised one trembling hand to cover her mouth and turned away from the street.
It took too long to compose herself, to focus on why she should be angry when all she felt was heartbreak. But she did it, somehow. And, once she did, she stormed back into the bar.
"Take me home," she ordered Henry, not bothering to sit back down.
"But I'm not finished!"
"I don't care," she snapped, barely holding back a snarl. "I want to go home, and you're taking me now."
"It went well, I take it."
Before another smirk landed on his lips, she spun on her heel and marched outside. As soon as the black SUV returned, she bundled herself into the passenger seat and came up with even more gruesome ways for Henry to meet his demise. In a remarkable display of self-preservation, he left her to silently steam all the way home. He didn't even bother trying to say goodbye when she got out and slammed the door in his face.
She slammed the front door, too, then clenched her fists and resisted the urge to scream or cry or break every piece of expensive glass she could get her hands on. She kept her fingers curled into tight fists and stalked to her dad's office instead. Before storming inside and saying something impulsive, she took two deep breaths to collect herself. Only then did she knock and wait for a curt, "Enter," before opening the door. Her father looked up from his desk and, upon seeing her, set down his pen.
"They're playing hard to get," she said before he asked. "They're making you think they'll back out so they can wring more money out of us."
"I see." After mulling over the explanation, he nodded. "You know…your mother played hard to get." His mustache twitched up with a smirk. "But I convinced her that no one would be better for her than me."
"...how'd you do that?"
"I made sure I was her only option." He huffed, pleased by the memory, before motioning Weiss out of the room with a curt, "Excellent job."
She left the office as quickly as she entered, but she paused outside and frowned at the sour feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Even absent elaboration, she understood what he did. He lied, manipulated, and rigged the situation in his favor. He wanted access to the Schnee family wealth, and he did whatever he had to do to get it.
She was more like him than she had ever thought. On top of that foul realization, however, a layer of pity formed for her mother. Her poor drunk mother, who probably deserved better. Just like Ruby deserved better.
Unlike him, Weiss wouldn't force Ruby to be with her. And, after today, Ruby would probably never want to see or speak to her again.
Reminded of that horrible episode, she briefly closed her eyes before rushing upstairs. She was just crossing the foyer when Whitley opened the front door, which he quickly closed before jogging to catch up with her on the stairs.
"Hey, you ok?" he asked, gently touching her arm.
"I'm fine, Whitley. Don't worry about me."
Despite the reassurance, he followed her all the way to her room. She almost snapped at him to leave her alone but didn't have the heart to hurt his feelings, too. She ignored him instead, kicking off her shoes and throwing herself face-first onto her bed while he shut the door and plopped himself onto the sofa.
He never said anything when she was upset or angry. He was just…there. Hanging around. Waiting for her to feel better but refusing to let her brood alone. He would help if she told him how to, but she had no solutions for the mess she got herself into.
The anger that had burned so hotly at the bar had left hardly a trace for her to cling to. In its place, grief, regret, and anguish spread like poison. It stained her thoughts black and tainted her memories with sorrow. She buried her face into a pillow when the first tear slipped out, followed by a second and third before she squeezed her eyes shut to prevent more from escaping.
"Be right back," Whitley said after a while, but she didn't look up or acknowledge him as he left. All she could think about was how hurt Ruby looked. As if Weiss had betrayed her by getting caught on what, on the surface, looked like a date.
How could Weiss betray Ruby when Ruby was the one who ended things? Was there some agreed-upon waiting period before she was allowed to be seen with another person? If Ruby didn't want to be with her, then why did it matter?
Huffing at the cascade of increasingly painful thoughts, she forced herself to sit up and threw her pillow onto the other side of the bed. It fell onto the floor, making her scoff again before scooting back against the headboard, drawing her legs up to her chest, and wrapping her arms around them. She rested her chin on her knees for a minute but lifted her head when Whitley returned sporting a grin.
"I brought cookies!" He jumped onto the bed and dropped a stack of cookies onto the bedspread before tossing one to her. She caught it, barely, and frowned.
"...why?"
"Because you're always stealing them?"
"Oh." Heartbreak renewed, she sighed at the chocolate chip cookie in her hands. "I was giving them to…my friend," she admitted. "Her name is Ruby."
"Oh…"
Whitley looked crestfallen by his failed attempt to cheer her up, so she broke off a small piece of the cookie and ate it. Then she sighed again.
"These are really good."
"Right?" Beaming now, he sat cross-legged on her bed and grabbed one for himself. "I don't know how they get that texture…"
"You should ask Shelly how she does it."
"Who's Shelly?"
"One of the maids."
"You know the maids by name?"
"Just one." She should probably make an effort to know more, but she shook her head and added, "Shelly runs a home bakery. I had this stupid idea to invest in it so she wouldn't have to work here anymore, but now…"
"'But now' what?" When she shook her head, Whitley frowned at her. "Just because you aren't dating Ruby anymore doesn't mean you have to stop doing nice things."
"It's not nice. It's an investment opportunity."
"In a bakery." Whitley waited for her to argue but, when she didn't, said, "I'm not dumb, you know. You've changed -" As soon as she scoffed, he nudged her foot. "And that's not a bad thing. You're still a badass bitch, but you're…softer sometimes. It's nice. You're nice."
"I'm not nice. I'm just…" Searching for words but finding none, she sighed and hung her head. The chocolate chips were melting all over her hands, but that annoyance was nothing compared to the turmoil in her mind. "I wish I wasn't me…" she admitted softly. "Then I could be with her."
"But maybe she wouldn't want the not-you version of you."
"Of course she would," Weiss huffed, then licked the melted chocolate off of her finger and broke off another piece of cookie.
"You're right. You'd still be pretty cool." Whitley tapped his fingers on his leg for several seconds before glancing at her. "But, you know, maybe you wouldn't be the type of cool that caught her attention in the first place."
"She caught my attention, Whitley. She tried to arrest me over a fucking speeding ticket."
"Shut up."
"She did." Weiss actually chuckled remembering it - her first real laughter in weeks. "Didn't stick, of course. Then I humiliated her in front of her boss, bought her attention, abused 9-1-1, and forced her to spend time with me."
"That sounds like something you'd do." When Weiss hung her head in shame, however, he tapped her knee. "But then things changed, and what you had became real."
He said that as if he was there. Which…she supposed that he had been, in a way. He watched her come and go. He saw her mood change. He heard her gushing about Ruby even though no names were ever used.
"When'd you get to be so observant?" she asked, but he just shrugged and stuffed an entire cookie into his mouth. "Gross," she said, but she still laughed while he struggled to chew, swallow, and breathe at the same time. In the midst of his antics, someone quietly knocked on the door and, a second later, Winter poked her head inside.
"The princess finally comes out of hiding!" Whitley greeted her, grinning widely even as the comment forced Winter's gaze to the floor.
"Hey Whitley, can Weiss and I talk for a second?"
A thoughtful expression replaced his grin, but he glanced at Weiss before popping to his feet with a quick, "Sure." He grabbed another cookie for himself, and tossed another one at Weiss, before waving on his way out. Weiss sat up and moved to the edge of the bed so that Winter could sit beside her - her sister's perfect posture always reminded her to stop slouching.
"Great. Another pep talk?"
"You look like you could use one."
"Fuck you," she whispered while leaning her head on Winter's shoulder. "How are you?" she asked before Winter said anything. "You haven't been around much."
"I know," Winter sighed, and that perfect posture relaxed. "I've been…processing, I guess. And honestly? I'm relieved. No matter how prepared I thought I was…nothing prepares you for actually being the one to pull the trigger." As soon as the words slipped out, she grimaced. "Sorry. I didn't mean -"
"It's ok. I understand." Reflecting on that moment, which felt like it happened in another lifetime, Weiss frowned at her hands in her lap. "It made me feel powerful though," she admitted before dryly laughing. "I'm just like Dad."
"You're nothing like him. You protected yourself - it was self-defense."
"And when one of them put his hands in the air but I shot him anyway? Was that self-defense?" Winter's brow rose at the secret that Weiss had hoped never to tell, so Weiss sighed and leaned against Winter's shoulder again. "I'm a horrible person…"
"You're not a horrible person, Weiss. You have a kind heart. It's just…all of this -"
Winter motioned to the bedroom walls before falling silent. Meanwhile, Weiss leaned on her for support and grappled with one of the biggest questions that Ruby left her with: was she a bad person capable of good things or a good person capable of bad things? For a brief time, she thought that she was good. Now…she wasn't so sure.
"Did something happen with your…cop friend?" Winter eventually asked, so Weiss sighed again.
"She broke up with me after I warned you about the Flint deal. She said…she said she can't be with someone she can't trust." Weiss' voice wavered, so she stared at her hands and blinked back tears. "I don't blame her, but now I just…miss her. So much…"
The moment Weiss' voice cracked, Winter set a hand on her back.
"I know," Winter said softly. "But you're tougher than any of us. You'll get through this."
"I don't want to 'get through' this. I want to…I want to change things. Fix them so that she can trust me and I don't have to feel like this."
Weiss clenched her fists in front of her heart, which still festered like an open wound, while Winter studied her.
"You must really like her." When Weiss made a soft sound but didn't voice just how much she liked Ruby, Winter pursed her lips. "Have you tried talking to her? Finding a compromise?"
"How can I even compromise?" Weiss asked, throwing her hands in the air at the unsolvable problem. "Change my identity and run away with her?"
"Well, you can't do that," Winter replied, chuckling softly. "You're supposed to take over the family."
"I don't fucking care about the fucking family," Weiss shot back. "I care about my family. You. Whitley. Mom when she's not plastered. I only wanted to keep us together, and if that meant I had to take over then fine. Whatever. I'd deal with it. But now I just…wish there was another way."
A poignant silence followed the confession that she could only ever tell Winter or Whitley. Whitley would immediately ask questions - lots of questions - but Winter ruminated over it before glancing at the door.
"Robyn didn't trust me at first either." When Weiss looked over, Winter nodded. "She knew who I was, who Dad was. She wouldn't let me get close."
"What'd you do?"
"Trust is built over time, Weiss. Little moments add up and create something wonderful."
"That's not an answer," Weiss pointed out, so Winter sighed and looked at her hands.
"I suppose it's not," she muttered before meeting Weiss' gaze. "I…I was honest with her. Every time I missed a date, or showed up disheveled, or just had a rough day, I told her the truth."
At first blush, that answer meant nothing. In their family, that answer meant Weiss' eyes widened.
"You mean…you told her about Dad? And the business? About everything?"
"I did." Weiss could hardly fathom the response, but Winter patted her leg. "Because that was me trusting her. It's a two-way street, Weiss. How can they trust us if we don't trust them?"
"Because Dad -"
"Will never know. Robyn could turn me and it'd be over for everyone, but she hasn't done that and she never will. Because…she really loves me, I guess. As unbelievable as that seems."
Winter smiled softly at the thought, leaving Weiss with too much to sort out.
"But what if it was her job to lock you up?" she eventually asked.
"She still wouldn't." Weiss' brow furrowed, but Winter shook her head. "She wouldn't," she insisted. "A job's just a job, Weiss. If you want Ruby to trust you, then you need to trust that she's not out to arrest you or us. Trust that she just wants to be with you, but she needs to know that you'll be honest with her no matter what. Everything else - all of this -" Winter motioned to the walls of the Weiss' room. "It's just a problem that needs a solution, and working together is the easiest way to find that solution."
It all sounded good, but Weiss stared at Winter before shaking her head and muttering, "I don't know…"
Only Winter and Whitley had ever received that kind of honesty from her, and only then because they shared the same burdens. Ruby was an outsider…and a cop. Opening up to Ruby put Weiss and the family she loved in a vulnerable position. That terrified her.
On the other hand…confiding in Ruby, removing the last barriers between them, might be incredible and liberating. Like breaking free of the prison built up in her mind just as much as the walls around her.
"You won't tell Dad?" she eventually asked, peering at Winter for an answer.
"Are you going to tell him about Robyn?"
"Of course not."
"Of course not," Winter repeated, smiling softly before ducking down to meet Weiss' gaze. "I'll always support you, Weiss. No matter what."
Suddenly feeling lighter than she had in weeks, Weiss threw her arms about Winter's neck for a hug.
"Thank you," she said as soon as she let go. "Hopefully, she'll listen to me."
"If you're this hung up over her, I imagine she's in an even worse state." With a parting smile and one last pat of Weiss' knee, Winter stood and motioned to the door. "You know where to find me if you need me."
Weiss nodded and, before the door even closed, stared at her phone. She told herself not to get her hopes up, but it was already too late. She never let herself consider this option - it felt like betraying her family - but Winter was right. She had to trust Ruby, and she knew that Ruby wouldn't immediately arrest them. How she knew that, she wasn't quite sure, but she knew.
Ruby had earned Weiss' trust through little moments that made it clear that she was only interested in Weiss for Weiss, not for anything else.
Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe Ruby would forgive her. Take her back. Understand that this would be difficult and went against everything she had been taught since she was a little girl, but that she would try her hardest to do this right.
She took a deep breath but, just as she unlocked her phone, a text arrived. She immediately scowled at the contact name, but the message stopped her breathing.
'Ran into your girlfriend again,' Henry had sent, followed by three emojis: a police officer, a gun, and a laughing face.
"No…" she breathed out before calling Ruby in a panic. The instant the call went to voicemail, she was on her feet, grabbing her keys, and racing out the door.