Ruby Red

XVII

The walk along the river has stirred up many emotions, and even as we make our way back to the basement his words linger in my mind. Don't get hurt because of me. A simple request, which I had a hard time agreeing with. But I did. Ken looked more serious than ever, and the fact that he wanted direct eye contact made it even worse. So I promised.

There are no shoppers in the streets now, just a few people locking up their stores from the outside. The sun's orange glow reflects on the window displays, creating a serene environment. Sunsets have always captivated me. The different colors, the warmness of them... Ken puts his hand on my shoulder. At first I think he wants to say something, but when I see the expression on his face I gasp. "Ken? Are you okay?" He holds onto my shoulder to balance himself. He puts his other hand on his head and groans, making it obvious that something's not right.

With slow steps, he backs up against a display window, and slides down onto the floor. I kneel down in front of him, unsure of what to do. "Ken? What's going on?" His hands both move to his head, and he quietly mutters to himself, eyes squeezed shut. "No..."

I look around for help, but the street is empty now. My hands rummage through my pockets, only to come to the painful realization that I don't have a phone. For a moment I freeze, unable to think straight. But then Ken's hand pulls my attention back to him. "I'm okay... I'm okay."

"Was it... a vision?" I ask cautiously. He rubs his temple and sighs. "It wasn't." He grabs my hand as we walk, and tries to move on from the subject. "I'm fine now, okay?" "Okay." I say, pretending to forget about it as I give his hand a gentle squeeze. But of course, I can't and won't. If it wasn't a vision... then what could it be? More effects of the curse?

The street lanterns all flicker on at the same time, indicating it's already 9:00pm. We finally reach the end of the shopping street. The familiar route to the basement starts from here. I glance at the supermarket on the far left, and remember how Ken nearly killed the counter boy. That would have been his fifth strike. Now that I know that, I feel even more relieved. My terrible acting is good for something after all. But I also feel annoyed. Would Ken really get his fifth strike over something so stupid?

"Were you really going to do it?" I ask. Ken notices my glance directed at the supermarket, and purses his lips in thought. "Yes. He was an assho-" "Don't be so careless!" I snarl, letting go of his hand and hitting his shoulder. I feel angry, I can't help it. He looks at me, eyes widened as usual. Taken aback by my sudden outburst, we come to a stop in the alley. "What's wrong with you?"

I raise my voice, feeling all those stirred up emotions float back to the surface. "You're asking what's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?! Why would you risk it for something so petty? Would it really be worth it, huh?" A few drops fall onto my forehead and cheeks. Ken and I both look up at the dark sky and slowly but surely, rain starts to pour down on us. The cold rainwater can't cool us down from the heated conversation.

"Why are you so mad? He was a pervert! Didn't you see him? He was smiling at you like he was a hyena and you were his prey!" Ken raises his voice at me. "I DON'T CARE!" I finally yell.

My loud voice makes him take a step back. I see him raise an eyebrow through his wet fringe. "I don't care about some pervert! I don't want you to give up on your life because of something so stupid! The curse would have fulfilled itself right there! Your fifth fucking strike! Is that what you wanted?" I stop to catch my breath, staring at him. "I'm mad because I care about you, IDIOT!"

No time to think. Ken steps forward and presses his lips onto mine, making me stumble back against the cold brick wall. I wrap my arms around his neck and respond to the kiss angrily. His hands slide around my waist. Rain pours down on us harder than before, making my jeans feel sticky against my legs. He digs one hand into his pocket and fumbles the key into the lock of the basement door.

Our lips part as we stumble inside. He locks the door quickly, and puts the key back in his pocket. With a tight arm around my waist, he pushes my back against the staircase wall. I close the distance between our lips again, giving in to his touch. We make our way down the stairs clumsily, not letting go of each other once.

When we finally reach the basement floor, I push his coat off his shoulders. He unbuttons his pants, and I take my shirt off. Pieces of clothing drop to the floor one by one until we're vulnerably bare. I push him onto the bed and crawl onto his lap, pressing my longing lips against his. Wrapping his strong arms around me, he pulls me closer by my waist.

The further we go, the more it feels like our hearts beat as one.