Love You To Life ✓

Here's The Deal

"I searched everywhere for you," Ruth had told me, when she stepped foot into the gym that day.

But she did not sound reproachful.

I tried to form a smile for her sake, as I caught the ball that had bounced off of the basketball hoop. "Well, you've found me."

"Oh but don't fake smiles around me," she told me, shaking her head. "You're not fine, and that's fine. You'll certainly get there."

With her there was no hiding. She wouldn't let anything slide. I always tried to keep my cool in front of others, because someone needed to.

I rested both hands on my head, letting out a sigh.

"Ethan isn't getting any better, Seth is after us, I - I don't know what to do, Ruth," I admitted.

"See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

I watched her move closer towards me. She snatched the basketball, which was lying next to my feet, away and tried to throw it in the hoop. But she failed.

"Shit!" she muttered, not even bothering to catch the ball.

That, ladies and gentlemen, was the first time I had heard Ruth swear. And it made me chuckle in surprise.

A smile remained on my lips.

Ruth started to get restless at nights. She was calling for her parents in her sleep.
So I would just hold her.

Spring-break rolled around and we said our goodbyes for now. Ethan was staying with his parents. They found a psychologist for him. His sister Dakota was staying at her boyfriend's house, and I was taking Ruth with me.

"It was lit with you, man," Colton told me, shaking his fist, as we stood in the hall of the dormitories.

"Please don't."

He made a dramatic sniffing sound, turning his head a little to the side. "It's cool..."

That's when someone bumped into my shoulder. I faced the person, only to see that it had been that fucking no good.

Seth smirked at me and gave me a quick pat on the shoulder, as he walked past me. But not without slipping a note into my hand.

I watched him walk away until he disappeared into his stinkin' doormroom.

"What's with him?" Colton wondered.

"Fuckface can't get laid."

"So he's handing his number out to you? He's so desperate that he's changing sides now?" Colton's bedroom eyes got huge. "Man, life's tough when you don't get any pussy!"

I grinned, "You would know."

"What'chu sayin'? I get all the honey," Colton explained, showing me his perfect teeth.

But at the back of my mind, I felt more than sick about that note and what it would say.

The first thing I did upon entering my dorm, was reading it with almost shaky hands.

Gonna tell you more about our deal after spring-break. It won't be pretty for you. In fact, it'll be deadly... Enjoy your holidays! You won't enjoy much afterwards.