down for you- ruel vandijk *NOT COMPLETED- i gave up for now*

Chapter Seventeen

On the way back, Coco convinces me to stop for ice cream (it's not like it was a hard decision), and when we walk into the shop, everyone looks at us strangely. I start giggling, and a mom pulls her kid further into the booth they're sitting in as if I'm a psychopath. 

Honestly, I get that.

Coco's pissed (at Ruel), and she's angry-walking. Meanwhile, I'm in hysterics and sobbing, and my makeup's everywhere. I look like I belong in a mental institution.

Oh, and I forgot we're wearing our concert outfits too. We both look at each other and laugh, and then Coco continues seething, and I continue sobbing. 

"Rough night?" the cashier asks when I bring over an XXL cup of frozen yogurt piled with every topping they have. 

I nod and try to smile. "You can't imagine." The sweet old lady smiles and tells us she'll cover the cost since we clearly have bigger things to worry about. She gives us hugs and tells us boys aren't worth our tears and I smile as we walk back to the hotel and the ache in my chest lightens, if only for a moment.

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I'm feeling somewhat better now. Coco and I turned our phones off (since everyone was texting us) and watched some movies and played Uno, which it turns out she's annoyingly good at playing. 

Coco just offered to let me stay the night, so I don't have to go back to Ruel and I's room tonight. My stuff's still in there, which is a problem, but I'm not going to deal with that now. She grabs the pajamas the hotel provides and tosses them to me.

I glance at the clock hanging above the TV. It's eleven-thirty, and I'm exhausted from today, so I climb on the right side of the bed and turn the light off. We've just started to doze off when someone knocks loudly on the door. We wait for them to go away. 

Someone knocks again, and Coco sighs and gets up. I can't hear what they're saying, but when I hear Coco angrily talking to someone and a frustrated Ruel angrily talking back, I groan and try to bury myself in the covers. Maybe if I get deep enough in them, I can just disappear. 

Coco told me we could talk to Nate tomorrow about getting me a flight home, but she wants me to talk to Ruel first. I know she's right, but it's the last thing I want to do.

My thoughts are interrupted when he loudly slurs, "I just want to know if she's safe!" and a chorus of "shh!'s" are heard from the surrounding rooms.

Is he... drunk?

"She's fine. She wants to stay here tonight since you've obviously fucked up." 

She starts to argue back and she cuts him off. "Just shut up. She needs space and so help me, if you don't leave..." Coco sighs. "I'm mad at you, and it would do you best if you went back to your room."

He clearly didn't move, because I hear a door slam and Coco walks back into the room. "I'm sorry, Cassandra."

"What happened?" I ask.

"He showed up drunk off his ass demanding to see you. That was obviously a terrible idea, so I told him to leave and stay out of trouble and give you space."

So he was drunk. "Thanks. I feel so bad because I've totally fucked things up between you two." She shakes her head, reassuring me that this was her decision.

"Even though he's my brother, he's acting horrible, and I have to admit you're super chill and you're fun to have around," she says, smiling at me as she climbs back in bed.

I smile at her, then pause as a question forms in my brain. "Does Ruel normally drink?" I ask her, confused.

She shakes her head. "He's clearly really sad, but I've never seen him like this. He's normally too scared about his reputation, and I don't know where he even got the alcohol."

She looks up at me. "I'm in no way saying what he did was okay, but he knows he screwed up. I can tell from the way he looked at you as you ran out of the venue that he cares, and I'm super confused as to why he did this. He's clearly in love with you. Plus, blondes aren't even his type."

There's that word again. Love. 

He couldn't really love me. It's been only a month.

"Stop overthinking everything!" Coco says, laughing, and I roll my eyes even though I know she's right.

"I know," I say, "I just don't get why he did it. If he likes me, why'd he do it? And if not, why would he date me in the first place?"

She shakes her head. "You should talk to him tomorrow. Go to bed, though! I can see how tired you are, and staying up thinking out 'what if'  isn't gonna help you. You and I both know you need to sleep this off." she says.

She's right. Again. My heart feels heavy and I'm so exhausted from today, so I nod and turn the light off.  "Goodnight!"

"Night, Cass." She replies, and I drift off quicker than I had expected.

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okay this was only 850 words bc I'm splitting a super long chapter

posting the next part soon!

hope everyone's doing well during quarantine (or not if you're out of quarantine)

remember that if you want to talk, just message me!