LUKE'S P.O.V
"Do you want something to drink?" Ruth asks appearing by the door.
"I'm good."
It was a slow day, slow because I spent most of it alone.
Every activity seemed like a haze, as if I wasn't physically present for them: classes, practice, lunch.
And this all happened because I decided to confess an ounce of my feelings to Dre.
One minute I confessed, the next one I found myself sort of taking it back.
What I said in the car...I didn't mean it like that.
Of course I meant it like that.
I want a girl like her, I want her.
Telling Dre that is the nearest I've gotten to a confession, but like the coward I am, I took it back.
It wasn't an actual confession, but it certainly was the biggest hint I could give her.
Dre got the hint, and what did she do? She turned it down immediately, made me promise her that things between us would always be the same.
I knew exactly what she meant; she didn't have to say it directly.
She wants nothing more than friendship from me. She broke my heart and rejected me immediately.
She made me promise nothing between us will change.
What Dre doesn't understand is nothing has to change.
I loved her yesterday, I love her now, and I'll always love her, no matter what she says.
Ruth climbs into the bed. My back straightens and my eyes scan over her room.
I brought her home, and she managed to get me to spend the night with her.
I don't have much of a choice, unless I spend the night at Dre's.
I can't do that.
It'll be torture for me and uncomfortable for her.
We hardly interacted today. She knows I'm upset and thought it best to give me space.
"What's up with you?" Ruth whispers in my ear.
I snap out of my thoughts as her fingers graze my brows.
"Nothing," I reply, I take her hand, "Can you let me be?"
Ruth pouts, "So what do you want us to do?"
I shake my head. I don't feel like doing anything.
"Is this about Dre?" She asks.
"You know it's always about her," I say.
"What happened this time?"
"Nothing happened." Nothing ever does.
"You can talk to me about anything," Ruth reminds me.
"I didn't come to talk or for anything Ruth. I just need a place to stay for the night."
But still, she persists.
Her hands plant on my chest.
They move over it, my torso and stop below my navel grasping my groin.
"Ruth stop," my voice is strained as she begins to press against the bulge in my pants.
"I can make you forget all about her. Just focus on the one good thing in front of you," she whispers.
Ruth inches forward, her tongue darts out, licking her lips as she applies more pressure on my groin.
"Ruth stop," I say, seizing her hand.
I get up and she slips off me.
"I think it's best we end this friends who fuck... I can't do it anymore," I say.
"Why?" Ruth asks disappointed.
"You know why."
"So what, you wanna stay loyal to her? She doesn't even like you," Ruth says. "We're not hurting anyone, you're single and so am I."
"I just don't want to, is that so hard to understand?"
"It is hard. Why do you have to complicate things?" Ruth asks angrily.
"I'm just saying I'm no longer interested anymore, get someone else to fuck you," I say, taking my car keys from the counter.
"But Luke —"
I cut her off.
"We said no emotional attachments, Ruth, remember?"
"I know," she replies.
"Good, so if I say, I don't want to go on with this, I expect you to be fine with it."
"Okay, but where are you going?" She asks.
"To my car, Ruth."
I put on my shoes and Ruth watches me.
"You'll be back, Luke," she says before I leave. "You know you will."
I ignore, heading out of her apartment, back to my truck.
I drive off, finding somewhere to park.
It's past one in the morning, some minutes till midnight and my eyes are already heavy with sleep.
I think of checking into a motel, but that's at the other end of town.
The local park comes to mind and I decide to go there, find a place to park and sleep.
I drive there quickly, managing to keep my eyes open.
I kill the engine as soon as I arrive, getting out of the truck to sleep in the back seat.
From a short distance, someone whistles sharply and the headlights of a car flash twice.
I know who it is, and every feeling of tiredness disappears.
For a brief moment, I think of driving away quickly.
But they're just going to follow till I can't run anymore.
I wait by my truck, watching as the two men approach me.
My father's men, his driver and his right hand DeVante.
The driver stops at a distance but DeVante proceeds to approach.
"Where are you off to Ford?" He asks, taking a pack of cigarettes from his front pocket.
"I'm going to see someone," I lie.
"Who?" He asks as he shakes a cigarette out of the pack.
"A friend."
DeVante hisses, searching his pocket then brings out a lighter.
"Your father is home, he wants to see you, Lucas."
"I have seen him," I say, even though I didn't intend to see him.
That evening he was home.
I was on my way to my room to pick up a few things.
He was there waiting for me.
Our conversation was brief; it always was. But what I said angered him. The next thing I knew, his fist came aiming for my left eye.
"Well he wants to see you again," DeVante says.
He lights up the end of the cigarette, then draws in breath, inhaling the contents.
I watch the smoke come out in swirls, from his mouth as he exhales.
"Three days is all he's giving you to see him. After that, I'll be forced to take you there myself," DeVante says, tapping his cigarette and watching the ashes fall.
I nod, getting into my truck wanting to drive away from here.
DeVante turns to leave with the driver.
"Three days, Lucas, don't make me come get you," DeVante warns.
I close the door, my hands grip the steering wheel angrily.
I wait for DeVante to drive off.
As soon as he does, I start the car, going in the opposite direction.
Three days is all I have.