|Crazy love, Best love | ✔️

XLIV

*Tobias's POV*

I drive to my house after leaving Ruby sleeping tightly in her bed. I can't believe that she was scared of me for a second. I can never hurt her. She also think helping the police catch my father is a good thing. Just like Elite. But, I can't risk Ruby getting hurt. I just can't. I park my car in front of our house. I enter the house, that's filled up with the smell of cigarettes and drugs. I enter the kitchen. They are all seated around the table, that's resting in the middle of the kitchen. They are playing poker, smoking and drinking. I grab a beer from the fridge and walk out of the kitchen. I go upstairs. I knock on Tessa's room. I enter as I hear her give me an approval to do so. I enter her room. It is bigger than mine. Tessa was born before out father joined the gang. Before he started dealing. He started just after I was born. He had lost his job by then. My mother begged him to stop. He did and tried to find another job. Tessa was getting married then. He got fired again so he started dealing once more. I sometimes envy Tessa. She had the chance to have a normal life. I sometimes think maybe I am the reason our family is so fucked up. There is a suitcase laying open on her bed. She's stuffing her clothes along with her daughter's into the suitcase. "What are you doing?" Anne is sleeping on the bed. She's all dressed up. "I am leaving this mess." She says as she keeps on stuffing more stuff into the suitcase. "Where are you going to go?" I ask. "I rented an apartment in the middle of California. I will live there along with Anne. I can't keep on making her watch this mess happening downstairs. Those people have guns for god's sake Tobias." She says in such an intense tone. I flinch as she says my name. I sit by Anne's sleeping body. I take a big sip from the bottle of beer. She closes the suitcase. "I suggest you leave as well. Don't be like him, Tobias." She says in a sad tone as she pick up her daughter. She walks downstairs while holding her daughter in a hand and the other hand is holding there big filled up suitcase. One of the things I envy Tessa about is that she's strong. She's all grown up. She can take control of her emotions. I am never like this. I lose control most of the time. Maybe having a daughter and losing her mother made her stronger. Just for Anne's sake. I have no one to be strong for. Except Ruby. She's what makes me strong now. I walk downstairs after here. I walk outside. She's placing her sleeping daughter into the passenger's seat. She closes the door. I walk up to her. "You can visit us whenever you want." She says as she throws her arms around me. I hug her back. "Please take care of yourself." She says as a tear escapes her eyes. I wipe it off with my fingertips. "You, too." I say smiling. I am glad she's leaving. Now she's save. I don't have to worry about her anymore. Besides our father loves her. He loves Anne. He may not show it, but, I know that my father misses my mother. He doesn't show. But, I don't think he deserved her.

I enter the house again. I sit in the living room. A couple are making out in a corner. I roll my eyes as I take the last sip from my beer, before it is all empty. I place it on the coffee table that has guns along with other empty bottles of vodka, whisky and beer. I rest my head to the back. I close my eyes as I take a deep breath. I feel a hand on my knee. I open my eyes. A girl with a stripper's dress is sitting next to me. Her hair is loose on her shoulders. It is platinum blonde. A red shining lipstick is coloring her lips. There is a lot of make up on her eyes. A lot of her skin is visible. "What's wrong, pretty boy?" She asks. Her voice is so girly and sweet. "Nothing." I say as I remove her hand from my knee. "I can listen to your problems. Maybe help you solve them." She says as she moves closer to me. Our thighs are touching. Her hands travel to my face. "I said no thank you." I say as I push her arms away. I stand up. She stands up with me. "I am in the kitchen, if you change your mind." She leans in a plants a kiss, that I know will leave a trace of her red lips, on my neck. She winks at me and walks away to the kitchen. I wipe my neck in annoyance. "Why did you push her away? Thought you liked ladies?" He says as he sits down on the couch. I look down at him, as he lights up a cigarette. "Sit down." He says as he pats the place next to him. I sit down with a sight. "Cigar?" He asks as he offers me one. I shake my head in disapproval. I don't smoke. I never did. I just never wanted to try it. But, I drink. Not that much. But, I do. "How's your little girlfriend?" He says. My head turns to him as he mentions her. "We are not going to talk about her!" I say fiercely. "Okay, okay. I just need a favor from you." He says as he breaths out the smoke coming from the cigarette. "What is it?" I ask. "I need money. I need you to give out something." He says. "I am not delivering shit." I say as I remember Elite's words about going to jail. "Careful, boy! I know who's your girlfriend!" He says as he grabs my arm hard. I start to feel some pain within my arm. "Don't you dare touch her!" I say, full of anger. He gives out a little laugh of sarcasm. "Don't make threats, boy. You know I can hurt her. You have seen it yourself." He says. I try to contain my anger as strong as possible. "She will be under my eye until you deliver my stuff for me." He says as lets go off my arm. I stand up to leave. "Don't be stupid and try to call the police. I will then hurt your lovely girl." He says. I leave his side , to my car. I drive away from my stupid house.

I find myself stopping in front of her house. I need her. I get out of the car. I walk to her room's window. I find the ladder she used to go to Shane's party. I climb up to her room. It is late, so she must be still sleeping. I go into the room through the already open window. The room is dark. I find my way to her bed through the dark. I lay down next to her. Even though it is dark, but I can still see her. She's sleeping. I listen to her breathing rhythm. I watch her chest as it goes up and down due to her breath. Her eyes open slowly. She looks at me. "Tobias?" She asks in a sleepy voice. "Mind if I stay the night?" I ask her. "Of course not." She says smiling. I place my head on her chest. I feel her hand into my fingers. I lay there between her arms, until sleep took advantage.