War of Hearts [Gang!Calum AU]

Part 9

this is the final part of War of Hearts! there's no epilogue or anything, so this is it. thank you for reading, and i hope you guys enjoyed this fic as much as i enjoyed writing it!!

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Part 9

"Are you sure you want to go? We don't mind having you here with us; you know that, right?"

Ruby let out a sigh with a drop of her shoulders, turning around to face her brother who was lingering in the doorway of his guest bedroom. Shooting him a mildly exasperated look, she said, "I need to get back to my own place, Mike." With a light laugh, she added, "Aren't you sick of me yet?"

Michael scoffed with a roll of his green eyes. "You've only been staying here for a week! If it were up to me, you'd be here for a whole year!"

Amusement lit up her own eyes, though her voice was flat as she snorted, "That's a bit excessive, don't you think?" She shook her head before turning back to the bed where she was packing up her clothes in her duffel bag. "I just want my own space back."

She could her her brother grumbling behind her, felt her movements freeze when she heard him mutter, "You just want your space back so you can openly screw Calum."

Blinking in surprise, Ruby stopped what she was doing as she lifted her head, gaze on the window on the other side of the bed as Michael's words rang through her head. For a second, she thought she had just imagined it, but Ruby knew better. And so her eyebrows drew together in a frown, turning around to look at Michael. He remained where he stood, arms crossed as he leaned his shoulder against the door frame, looking away from her with lips pursed, appearing almost like a petulant child.

Only, Ruby didn't find it amusing. Instead, she felt irritation clench at her jaw as she also crossed her arms over her chest, nails digging into her skin as raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Seriously, Michael? I thought you were okay with Calum and I being together."

"I am okay with it," he responded with an annoyed roll of his eyes, exhaling sharply when Ruby shot him a deadpanned look. "I am. What I'm not okay with is the fact that he's a lying asshole who kept everything that's happened a secret from me."

Ruby's jaw dropped slightly with an incredulous scoff. "He was trying to be a good friend!" she defended, frowning at her brother in disapproval when he pressed his tongue to the inside of his scruffy cheek as he looked away once more. She licked her lips absently before continuing, "What was the point in worrying you about things you had no control over?"

Michael's head snapped to look at her—to glare at her indignantly. "It's not a matter of me being able to do anything about it, Ruby. It's the matter of him not keeping me out of the loop in the first fucking place!" He straightened, stalking into the room with tense shoulders and angry eyes. "I had a right to know that we lost people and that my own sister was being threatened. Nobody fucking told me how bad it was until you were in danger and that's not okay. And you know why I wasn't told? By anyone?" he inquired with narrowed eyes, his question rhetoric and challenging.

Ruby stood there, lips pursed and throat working as she tried to keep her breathing even. Then, she reluctantly answered, practically forcing the words out in a whisper, "Because Calum said so."

Her brother leaned back, satisfied as he gave his head a single shake to push aside the blonde fringe falling over his eye. "Exactly." His words still carried anger, betrayal. His eyes which mirrored her own showed the hurt he was feeling but was transforming into anger when he spoke. "I would never question his decisions, Ruby, and I'm not starting now, either. He's a good leader and he knows it. But that—" Michael blinked, shaking his head slowly as he ran a hand down his mouth before pointing at Ruby. "That was not the right call."