DANGEROUS SIBLINGS (complete)

CHAPTER 7

She didn't have any time to return back to the house, she had to change her clothes back at her school office. Her parents were back and she had a dinner appointment with them. It was something she couldn't miss. She wondered whom they were meeting that they had to eat outside when they had a perfect chef at home. When she finished changing, she locked her office. Also everyone had left campus including her friends and brother. She walked towards the parking lot where she parked her car earlier. She unlocked her car, carefully put her bags in the boot and entered the car. She put on her seat belt and switched on the ignition. She took a deep breath and got ready to go. She just hoped the dinner won't be awkward for everyone.

She drove off from school for the hotel where they were having dinner. On her way Harvey called her and she told him that she will be arriving soon. Everyone seemed to have arrived except for herself. When she arrived she gave her car keys to the valet, entered the hotel lobby and took the elevator for the restaurants floor. 

The second she got out of the elevator she was welcomed by her ravishing sexy and hot brother and lover, Harvey. She smiled at him admiring the fine specimen she was looking at and he returned her smile.

'You look ravishing, big sis,' he said complimenting her and she blushed.

'You too lil bro,' she said as many obscene thoughts ran through her mind.

Harvey hooked her arm with his and she looked at him with worry and affection at the same time, they were in public after all.

'Don't worry i won't let you walk in there by yourself and don't overthink. I am just an overly affectionate brother escorting his sister inside,' he said and she beamed up. She didn't know what he was really up to but she felt at ease now.

Ruby let him lead her into the restaurant which was filled with people and the staff. The staff knew them well since their family owned the hotel.

'Where are we having this dinner?' she asked.

'In one of the private rooms,' Harvey answered and she nodded.

'So which family are we dining with tonight?' she asked out of curiosity since she still had no idea who they were until now.

'You will be surprised when you see them, lets go before they start to worry and wonder where we are,' Harvey said urging her further.

Ruby followed blindly and an employee opened the door for them and the two of them entered the room. For a second she froze as she saw the people that were seated at the table. The whole family was present excluding the older brother. It's been ages since she saw Helen but she was glad to see her looking so well. There was however some faces that felt familiar and yet she couldn't recall any of them at all.

'I'm sorry, I'm late,' Ruby apologized and Harvey prepared a seat for her.

'It's okay, we have heard you have many responsibilities at school. I am very proud to hear of your achievements,' the other older female said and she just smiled.

'Thank you,' Ruby said as she took her seat.

Her gaze suddenly stopped at this young, beautiful girl seated at the table. Why was she so familiar to her?

'Ruby, you might have forgotten but these are the Wilsons. You used to play with their daughter when you were in elementary school,' her mother said and she finally recalled upon hearing the family name.

'Oh, now i do remember. It's nice to meet you again Mr. and Mrs. Wilson,' she said with a smile.

'The pleasure is all ours. You still remember Janet, right?' Mrs. Wilson asked, her gaze at the young girl.

'I nearly forgot but now i remember her. She had grown up so big, i couldn't remember her,' she said pasting a smile on her face. It had been so long since she last saw her, how could she remember her so easily?

'It's been so long, so it's understandable,' Mr. Wilson said.

The food was brought into the room and the plates were served. There was too much food on the table but since they were many people, the food wasn't going to be wasted. 

She didn't say a word during the meal but she could feel Helen's eyes and Janet on her over the course of the meal. Something was being brewed in this room and she was sure it wasn't said yet. Helen was a sinister woman who always hated the idea of her being happy ever since she and her mother joined the family. She even refused to have dinner with her the previous Sunday and now here she was acting as if all was okay. She had always wondered what wrong she did to her but never got to hear the answer. Helen never allowed them to be alone for too long so she couldn't ask her what has been on her mind for a long time.

The elders spoke but her mind was somewhere else so she didn't hear a single word until Helen poked her and she choked on her food. Harvey gave her a glass of water and she drank it.

'What are you thinking?' her mother asked.

'I'm sorry about that. I thought i forgot something at school,' she lied.

'You can go and check it tomorrow. I guess it will be still there,' her mother said.

'I hope so,' she said with a smile.

'We were just talking about your brother just now,' her mother said and she looked at her with a raised brow.

'What was it about?' she asked wondering what was so important to be repeated again to her and besides it concerns her brother and lover so she really wanted to hear it.

'The parents have arranged a marriage for Janet and Harvey, what do you think lil sis?' Helen asked smirking fully knowing how much it affects her.

'Oh! That's sudden,' she whispered as she looked down in her plate shocked by what she had just heard. She wasn't really expecting to hear something like that.

'The two used to be friends back then and we all think they will get along just fine,' her mother added salt to her wound unknowingly.

To be honest she didn't know what to say at all. If she shows that she isn't happy with the arrangement it will make her look bad and if she agrees, it was the same as giving a green light for the person she loves to be with another.

She made sure she avoided participating in anything that is related to the marriage issue. Helen was happy seeing Ruby very uneasy. She that wanted to escape and she found a way. Her cell rang and she looked at it and then her mother.

'Take the call baby, it might be important,' her mother said.

Ruby smiled at her mother, she must know how uncomfortable she was at the moment.

'I will be back after i take the call,' she said and excused herself from the room.

She picked up the call and took a deep breath.

'Ruby, is everything okay?' Nancy asked on the other hand.

'I know i have always stopped you from calling me when i am on this dinner appointments but thank you for calling tonight,' she said feeling teary.

'I am glad that you feel that way. But what is wrong?'

'Can we meet and talk?'

'Aren't you having dinner now?'

'I just want to leave here.'

'Okay, i will wait for you and besides i have your assignment with me so it will be beneficial for both of us,' Nancy said and Ruby sighed.

'I will be there in less than twenty,' Ruby said and hung up.

She returned back into the room and looked at her parents.

'I have something that i need to attend to. I forgot my assignment and it's due soon,' Ruby lied through her teeth but they didn't even notice it.

'It's okay. We have done what is most important. You go and do what you must,' Mrs. Wilson said with a bright smile on her face.

'Thank you. I hope to see you again,' she said kindly at the guests and then back to her parents, 'i will see you back home.'

Ruby picked her clutch and left the room. As she waited for the elevator she saw him approaching.

'It's not what you think, i can explain,' Harvey said as he pushed his fingers through his hair.

'It doesn't matter what i think. I feel like a fool right now. I just need some space, so go back inside. I need to meet Nancy,' she said as she got into the elevator.

Ruby was hurt, mad and angry but she knew Harvey wasn't the problem but she had to direct her anger somewhere and Harvey happened to be there. She pressed the ground floor button and watched as the door closed. She could see his face, he didn't look so well at all. She wanted to go and hug him but she knew that she couldn't do it especially now.

The valet brought her car and she gave him a tip before she drove off. She drove as fast as she could until she arrived at Nancy's. When she arrived Nancy was waiting for her outside.

'Are you trying to kill yourself?' Nancy asked angrily at her the second she got out the car.

'I wish i could but that won't be possible for now. Do you have any cigarettes?' Ruby asked.

'No, didn't you quit smoking?' Nancy asked full of worry.

'I did but now i can do with a smoke. I am going crazy at the moment,' Ruby confessed.

'You have to tell me exactly what's going on with you first inside. Let's go inside and i will pour you some strong liquor,' Nancy said and she felt relieved.

The two friends were straight to the bar where Nancy poured herself a glass of scotch which she gulped down at one go before pouring another one for herself and another for Ruby.

'So can you tell me what's going on?' Nancy asked her friend once more.

Ruby drowned her glass first and narrated the whole story to her friend who laughed out loud as if she was narrating a joke of some kind.

'This was inevitable. Soon or later, it was going to happen,' Nancy said.

'I know but still this is early. It's not that long since we started to see each other and now he has to marry some childhood friend. I am so pissed and i can't do anything about it,' Ruby said sounding furious.

'I do understand you friend but there is nothing you can do except to confess about your relationship with Harvey,' Nancy said looking at her seriously.

'I know but i can't do this. I don't want to hurt my mom. She will break if she learns the truth,' Ruby said rubbing sweat from her forehead. The thought of her parents finding out just scares the s**t out of her.

'If it's like that then for now keep a distance from him if you don't want to be caught,' Nancy advised her.

'It will be hard but i will do it,' Ruby said taking another sip of her scotch.

Ruby understood what her friend was saying despite its difficulties. She was so used be near him and it was going to be so hard to be apart from him but she was willing to sacrifice. She just wanted to get drunk for now and forget everything. 

'You need to drive back home. I can't allow you to sleep here tonight no matter what. So go home and take a nice bath and go to bed. Can you do that for me?' Nancy pleaded.

'I will do it if you promise to bring me that pie tomorrow,' Ruby said batting her eyelashes at her like a puppy.

'Whatever you want baby girl as long as you get yourself a goodnight sleep,' Nancy promised 

'Okay, love you.'

Nancy escorted Ruby to her car, Ru by wasn't that drunk so she could manage to drive.

'Drive carefully,' Nancy said.

When Ruby arrived home, her family wasn't back get. She removed her clothes and soaked herself in the tub for a while. After that she put on her sleeping attire and crawled into bed. She had a tiring day and a complicated ending and she wondered how she was going to sleep that night.

Harvey looked at Ruby who was now sleeping in her room. He could tell she cried heavily before she slept and it was all his fault. He never wanted to cause her any pain and he had failed miserably. He never thought his parents would go to such lengths to arrange a marriage for him without consulting him first. It came to him as a surprise but it hit Ruby harder than him. He didn't know how to explain and clear things with her because he knew his lover. Once she gets angry it will be difficult to calm her down.

'Is she sleeping already?' Grace asked as she approached the bed.

'Yes, she is,' he said and stood up from the bed.

'I guess she is tired. Let's see her tomorrow,' Grace said and left.

Harvey followed behind his stepmom and closed the door. He went to his room where he took a cold shower first before retiring to bed.

When he woke up the next day and went down for breakfast, Ruby wasn't there.

'Have you seen my sis?' Harvey asked the chief maid.

'She didn't have breakfast today, she was in a hurry when she left,' she answered him.

'Okay, thank you,' he said and ate his breakfast with so much difficulty that morning.

It was going to take a long time to calm her down and it wasn't good for anyone to be in that condition. He was going to solve the issue.

He left the house and drove to school. When he arrived the first thing he did was to go in search of Ruby to her office but she wasn't there and that troubled him.

'I can call her if you want,' her secretary said.

'It's okay. I will come back and look for her again,' he said and left. He was going to use his own efforts in finding her.

Where did she went that early in the morning when lectures haven't even started yet?

He went to his class where he found his friends all there and Brian seemed to be in a daze.

'What happened to him?' Harvey asked Owen who laughed out loud upon thinking what his friend had told him.

'I screwed up big time. I don't think he will talk to me again,' Brian said looking so bad and detached. He might have murdered someone for all her cares.

'What did you do this time?' Harvey asked.

Brian began to narrate his story and Harvey was shocked by what he was hearing. He didn't know these two were so scheming like that but he would have done the same in his position too.

'You really screwed up big time. You shouldn't screw a drunk person in the first place. Do you think he will forgive you?' Harvey asked fully knowing that his sisters gang doesn't forgive easily.

'He is ignoring my calls. I even confessed and he did that to me,' Brian was really stressed.

'You need to find him and apologize. Did you find him this morning?' Harvey asked.

'I wish i did but i have no idea where those four ate hiding. I can't find any of them,' Brian complained.

'Now that you said it, i can't find Ruby too. I sort of messed up too last night and she isn't talking to me and i need to fix it,' Harvey confessed and drew his friends attention.

'Dude, among all the people i know. Ruby scares the s**t out of me. My problem is little than yours. What the hell did you do?' Brian asked, he didn't sound like someone who was grieving a few seconds ago.

Harvey narrated his story to his friends and this time they laughed at him.

'Dude, you are screwed. I don't even want to imagine how angry she is right now. I don't want to face her,' Brian joked.

'I know but i just have to see her. I don't care what she will do to me. I miss her,' Harvey said and all his emotions could be felt by his friends.

'We know dude. How about you two do something nice?' Owen suggested and they looked at him.

'What are you saying?' Brian asked.

'Flowers and chocolates, they do the trick. Try it,' Owen said and the two looked at each other.

'Let's do that. It might work,' Harvey said loving the idea.

He was going to do everything in his power to get his fiery girl back. He wasn't going to lose her soon after he got her.

Ruby couldn't stop laughing at all, she had forgotten about everything that was troubling her. She stomped on the cigarette butt she was smoking and looked at Jack who was fuming with anger. She had never seen him like that before.

'You shouldn't have slapped him like that. He really loves you and it's not a secret,' Ruby said looking at him.

'Even if he does, why did he took advantage of me when i was drunk? It's just too much for me.'

'You are the one to blame. You encouraged him by calling him at night. If you wanted a drink you could have called any one of us, why did you tempt the kid?' Nancy asked and Jack became speechless upon hearing all that.

'You have feelings for him but you just don't want to admit it since you are both guys and it is the first time you are being in this situation. I think you should give the child a chance and hear him out,' Alex spoke and the two girls nodded their heads in agreement.

'I think you should. I have never seen anyone sincere to you than Brian. All those girls were trash. Just try and see where it will go,' Ruby said as she lit another cigarette.

'I will think about it,' Jack finally gave in and they all cheered.

'I have a last question for you Jack. How is he in bed?' Nancy asked shamelessly.

'You really want to know?' Jack asked his face red from blushing. One could tell the answer before he even said it.

'He is great, i admit it,' Jack said and covered his face with his own hands as his friends burst out laughing.

'I am glad that it wasn't bad for your first time considering that you always slept with women,' Ruby said.

'But seriously Ruby, why are you smoking today? I thought you quit.'

'Harvey is getting married,' Nancy said and they all looked at Ruby.

'What the hell is going on? Getting married, to whom?' Jack asked full of shock, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

'To some childhood friend and Helen is so happy at the moment. I just feel like murdering someone,' Ruby confessed and her friends looked at her with sympathy.

'So have you spoken to Harvey yet about it?' Alex asked.

'I can't face him right now. I just want to be as far from him as i can at the moment when i cool down i will talk to him,' she answered.

'That is a good idea.'

The four of them were talking and laughing when Ruby's secretary suddenly showed up where they were.

'What are you doing here?' Ruby asked her.

'I just received these packages for you and i thought i should bring them to you,' she said and they say a group of kids coming holding flower bouquets and baskets. 

'What the hell is going on?' Ruby asked in confusion.

'They are for you and Jack,' she answered.

Ruby looked at Jack and then back at her secretary. She took the flowers and she inhaled the lovely scent. It's been ages since she received any flowers and they were her favorite. There was only one person in the picture who could have sent them to her. She took out the card that was inside and read the message.

"I am sorry, please talk to me and i will explain. Love you."

Ruby couldn't help herself but smile at that. Harvey was cute at some times. She received the basket and it was filled with chocolates. She was really going to have a feast. There was no way she was going to return it.

'Thanks for your hard work, you may return,' Ruby said dismissing the kids.

Ruby looked at Alex who was busy reading Jack's card.

'Brian is so sweet and romantic. He just earned himself some points. I like him already,' Alex said as he returned the card into the flower bouquet.

'You can see that they are friends. How can they apologize in the same way?' Nancy complained and they found it agreeable.

Ruby hold her flowers while Nancy had the chocolate basket. Ruby was happy with what Harvey had done, if it was someone else he wouldn't have done it so she was touched by it. Her heart was pounding over and over again. Just like that again she was falling deeper for her lover. She just hoped that she went end up hurt in the end since she was keen on not backing out from this new bliss she had found.