Chapter 59 First heartbreak
CHAPTER 59
First heartbreak
The next morning Ruby woke up, and still, she wasn't able to move, her body still wrapped in the warmth of the sheets, but her mind felt restless. For a few seconds, she simply stared at the ceiling, trying to gather herself, but the memory of the previous night returned too quickly. Leo’s voice, his calm expression, the words he had chosen and the ones he hadn’t settled quietly in her chest again.
She exhaled softly and turned to the side, pulling the duvet closer around her. There was no excitement in her movements, no urgency to get up and prepare for the day. Instead, she felt a strange reluctance, as though stepping out of bed meant facing something she wasn’t ready to deal with yet.
Ruby realized she didn’t want to go to school. It wasn’t because she was physically unwell, but something inside her felt off balance. She couldn’t fully name it, but it lingered in her thoughts like a dull ache. She lay there longer than usual, staring blankly, her mind drifting back to Leo again. She replayed the moment in the garden, analyzing it from different angles, questioning herself more than him.
Had she expected too much? Was she reading too deeply into something that wasn’t meant to be more? The questions circled her mind without answers, leaving her feeling even more unsettled.
When Leo came to check on her, she had already made up her mind. She sat up slightly, adjusting her expression, trying to look convincing enough.
“I’m not feeling well today,” she said quietly.
Leo’s reaction was immediate. His brows furrowed slightly as he stepped closer to the bed, concern evident in his posture.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Ruby avoided his gaze for a brief moment before answering, “I think I’m coming down with something… I just feel tired.”.
He studied her face carefully, as if trying to determine whether it was serious. Then, without hesitation, he reached for his phone.
“I’ll have Carl and Alex take you to the doctor,” he said firmly.
Ruby blinked, caught off guard by how quickly he acted. She hadn’t expected him to take it that seriously. For a second, she considered stopping him, but the words didn’t come out.
“You should get checked,” he added. “And let me know how it goes.”
She nodded, forcing a small, reassuring smile.
“I will.”
Leo lingered for a moment longer, as if reluctant to leave, before finally turning away. Once he was gone, the room fell quiet again.
Ruby slowly sank back onto the bed. Her eyes remained open, but her thoughts were distant.
She wasn’t sick. Not in the way he thought. But as she lay there, she began to wonder if what she was feeling had a different kind of cause. There was a subtle discomfort in her chest, a heaviness that didn’t quite hurt but refused to go away.
She stared at her hands, her fingers lightly curled against the fabric. Was this what heartbreak felt like? The thought surprised her.
It felt too dramatic, too soon, yet she couldn’t completely dismiss it. What unsettled her more was the realization that she didn’t even have the right to feel that way. Their relationship wasn’t real, not in the way it was supposed to be. It was built on an agreement, a contract she had willingly accepted. So why did it feel like something real had been affected?
Ruby let out a quiet breath and turned onto her side, trying to push the thoughts away. She stayed like that for a long time, doing nothing, her mind drifting between confusion and quiet denial.
Eventually, her phone rang. The sound broke through the silence, pulling her attention back. She reached for it slowly and glanced at the screen.
It was Jane. Ruby hesitated for a second before answering.
“Hey,” she said softly.
Jane’s voice came through immediately, bright and energetic as always. She asked why Ruby wasn’t in school, her tone filled with curiosity and mild concern.
Ruby paused briefly, then replied, “I’m not feeling well today.”
Jane didn’t sound fully convinced, but she didn’t press too much. Instead, she suggested coming over to keep her company.
Ruby agreed. She didn’t want to be alone.
Some time later, Jane arrived, bringing her usual lively presence into the quiet room. The contrast between them was noticeable. While Jane moved around with ease, talking freely, Ruby remained more subdued, her energy low and her responses quiet than usual.
They sat together and began sorting through the items Ruby had bought for Leo’s birthday. The gifts were carefully chosen, each one holding a thoughtful intention, but Ruby’s focus wasn’t fully there.
She picked things up, moved them around, but her mind kept drifting elsewhere.
Jane noticed. “You’re really quiet today,” she commented, glancing at Ruby.
“I told you, I’m not feeling well,” Ruby replied lightly.
Jane studied her for a moment but didn’t push too hard. Instead, she shifted the conversation, occasionally making comments about the gifts, trying to lighten the mood.
At one point, she smiled slightly and said, “I kind of wish I could see Leo’s reaction when he gets all this.”
Ruby stared briefly. The mention of his name stirred something again, but she kept her expression neutral.
“Yeah… maybe,” she said.
Jane leaned back slightly, her curiosity growing. “You and Leo… you’ve gotten really close.”
Ruby didn’t respond immediately.
There was a brief silence as she continued arranging the items in front of her.
She thought about everything: the contract, the arrangement, the reality behind what everyone else saw. Jane didn’t know. No one did.
And Ruby intended to keep it that way. She wasn’t ready to explain it or make it complicated.
“It’s nothing like that,” Ruby said finally, her tone calm but distant.
Jane raised a brow slightly, unconvinced, but she let it go for the moment.
The conversation shifted again, but Ruby remained only partially engaged. Her thoughts continued to wander back to Leo, to the quiet moment in the garden, and to the growing confusion she didn’t yet know how to resolve.
Even surrounded by company, she felt distant.
And for the first time, she realized that whatever she was feeling wasn’t something she could easily ignore.