🖤The Last Flame Of Ruby

🖤What She Saw

Ruby wasn’t looking for him.

That was the part that made it worse.

She had stayed back after school, her bag slung over her shoulder as she walked through one of the quieter parts of campus, her mind somewhere between exhaustion and overthinking.

Then she heard it.

A laugh.

Not just any laugh.

A familiar one.

Jake.

Ruby slowed down, her steps becoming quieter without her even realizing it, her eyes shifting toward the sound as she moved closer to the corner.

And then—

she saw them.

Jake.

And a girl.

Not Chloe.

Not Monica.

Someone else.

Tiffany.

Ruby froze.

Tiffany’s hands were resting lightly against his chest, her head tilted up slightly, her smile soft in a way that looked too comfortable… too practiced.

“Jake…” Tiffany said quietly.

“Hmm?” he responded, his voice low, distracted—but not pulling away.

“You’re trouble,” she teased.

Jake smirked slightly.

“You like trouble.”

Ruby’s chest tightened.

This wasn’t just talking.

This wasn’t just “not that deep.”

This was—

Before she could stop herself, before she could prepare, before she could turn away—

Jake leaned in.

And kissed her.

Not hesitantly.

Not accidentally.

Like it wasn’t new.

Like it had happened before.

Ruby felt something inside her drop.

Not c***k.

Not break slowly.

Drop.

“Jake.”

Her voice came out before she could hold it back.

Both of them pulled apart instantly.

Jake turned.

Saw her.

And for the first time since she met him—

he didn’t have anything to say immediately.

“Ruby…” he started.

She shook her head slowly, her eyes locked on him, her chest rising and falling faster than she wanted it to.

“No,” she said. “Don’t.”

Tiffany looked between them, clearly uncomfortable now.

“I should go—”

“Yeah,” Ruby cut in sharply, not even looking at her. “You should.”

Tiffany didn’t argue.

She left.

And just like that—

it was just them.

Silence.

Heavy.

Unavoidable.

Ruby let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to keep herself together.

“So this is what you meant by ‘it’s not that deep’?” she asked, her voice unsteady but sharp.

Jake ran a hand through his hair.

“It’s not what it looks like—”

Ruby let out a small, broken laugh.

“Really?” she said. “Because it looked pretty clear to me.”

“It just happened,” he said.

“That didn’t just happen!” Ruby snapped, her voice rising despite herself. “You don’t just end up kissing someone like that!”

Jake stepped closer.

“Ruby, calm down—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” she cut in, stepping back immediately. “Don’t do that.”

Her eyes were glossy now, her composure slipping in a way she had never allowed him to see before.

“I asked you,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “I asked you if there was something going on. I asked you why you were always around them—and you told me I was overthinking.”

Jake went quiet.

“And now I’m standing here,” she continued, her voice softer now but more painful, “watching you prove me right.”

“It didn’t mean anything,” he said again.

That was it.

That was the sentence that broke whatever was left.

Ruby stared at him.

Then shook her head slowly.

“That’s the problem,” she whispered. “You keep doing things that don’t mean anything… but they keep hurting me like they do.”

Jake didn’t respond.

Because there was nothing to say.

Ruby wiped at her face quickly, frustrated that the tears had finally slipped through.

“I trusted you,” she said quietly. “I actually trusted you.”

“Ruby—”

“No,” she cut him off again, her voice steadier now, but colder. “Don’t say my name like that.”

Silence.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then Ruby took a step back.

“We’re done,” she said.

Jake frowned slightly.

“Don’t do that.”

She let out a small, disbelieving laugh.

“Don’t do what? Leave?” she asked. “You should’ve thought about that before.”

“It’s not that serious—”

That was his mistake.

Ruby froze.

Then looked at him like she didn’t recognize him anymore.

“Not that serious?” she repeated slowly.

Jake didn’t answer.

Because now—

he knew he said the wrong thing.

Ruby nodded.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “You’re right.”

And that was worse than yelling.

Because now—

she was done explaining.

She turned.

And walked away.

This time—

she didn’t look back.

🖤 The Aftermath

By the next morning—

everyone knew.

Not details.

Not the full story.

But enough.

“They broke up.”

“He cheated.”

“I heard she caught him.”

“With Tiffany.”

“Of all people…”

The whispers spread faster than anything Ruby had experienced before.

This wasn’t jealousy anymore.

This was entertainment.

And Ruby—

was the main topic.

She walked into school like she always did.

Head high.

Expression calm.

Steps steady.

But this time—

it wasn’t because she was unaffected.

It was because she refused to let them see just how much it had affected her.

Across the hallway—

Jake stood with his friends.

For a brief moment—

their eyes met.

Then Ruby looked away first.

And kept walking.

Like he no longer existed.

But deep down—

something inside her had already changed.

Something that would never go back to the way it was before.