"I can't believe this..." My mate grumbles from the kitchen while I change the dirty plates on the garden table for some clean, we've eaten a delicious potato and leek cold cream with caramelized pear chunks and now we're going to enjoy my favourite veggie lasagne.. We'll do if Iselen brings it, finally. "She had to choose that precise moment..." My mate keeps growling while she bends forward to take the lasagne from the oven with great care so she doesn't burn her fingers and leaves it on the island counter. The mixed smell of food and my girl makes my mouth water. "The worst moment of them all..."
I can't help chuckling, leaning my shoulder casually on the frame of the French doors and Iselen scowls at me with disapproval like she wants to stab me with the knife she holds in her hand. Luckily for me, she seems to think of it and starts cutting the lasagne while my dogs watch her closely despite they've already eaten the content in their bowls. She's so funny when she's angry... Because she's furious with me, actually, I can feel it through our bond, and in addition to that she's been growling quietly the entire morning, threatening not to bake cookies anymore, she's jumped from the bed directly to the shower without kissing me good morning and has been shooting me killer looks from the kitchen while she was making breakfast and lunch. I should be worried and trying to calm her down but the problem is that, due to the reason why she's boiling with rage, I don't know how to do that... I can't travel back in time to fix it.
"Baby..." Iselen walks right by me, hissing like a cat, and leaves the lasagne on the garden table before serving me a piece she takes from the corner of the tray, with the pasta edge curled and crispy, my favourite... I smile delighted while sitting up, I think there's hope for a reconciliation after all.
"I can't believe this..." she repeats before serving her piece of lasagne and flopping down next to me. "Have you really realized that you love me after watching me throwing an ice cube to your enemy's face?" I nod while gesturing with my mouth full of very hot lasagne for a few seconds till I manage to swallow it without burning my oesophagus.
"That's true, babe, you stole my heart at that very moment..."
"Ruby!" Charlie barks nervously when he hears my mate's outraged cry and I decide that this joke has gone too far, I drop my fork and take a deep breath.
"Listen, Iselen, I'm sorry... It was sort of a spur of the moment, I just told you what I was thinking at that second. I admit I could've waited and looked for a more romantic opportunity, or at least a more private place, but the point is that I was honest. I really love you, I'm not telling you this because it's what you expect to hear like I did with my former partners, for the first time in my life I'm absolutely sure of what I'm feeling... I love you, I trust you, I can't live without you..."
"Okay, I understand... thank you." My mate smiles holding back her tears, her eyes shining beautifully, and she leans forward in order to graze my lips in a sweet kiss. "Eat your lasagne before it gets cold... I bought a pineapple for dessert, or do you prefer anything else?" I shake my head while eating enthusiastically, this is delicious.
"I want to have a second helping of lasagne, does this have nutmeg in it?" Iselen nods while my phone starts ringing on the coffee table of the living room but I ignore it, whoever is calling can do it again later. "This is perfect. Can you make it everywhere? Whatever oven or whatever kitchen..."
"Yes, of course, as long as there is a market close where I can buy ingredients..." My phone rings again, echoing through the room, but I shake my head ignoring it again while I collect the creamy sauce from the bottom of the tray with a spoon.
"Yum... so good. My holidays are almost over so next time you make lasagne it'll be in Vancouver, my lawyers are working already to obtain your residence and working permits but it won't be a problem since you're my assistant, and you'll love the kitchen, it's fully equipped... Baby..." I drop the spoon and take her hand, entwining our fingers when I feel her distress through our bond. "I know it's the third time you move in a few months and you're tired but it'll be the last one, I promise, we'll stay in Canada for almost a year."
"It's okay, Ruby, I'll go wherever you want, even the North Pole... we'll live with Inuit..." My phone rings again and I can't help rolling my eyes angrily. "I've talked to my family about you... Don't worry, I never talked about who you're and what you're but I explained them that I've met someone and we're getting serious, they haven't seen a picture in a Spanish tabloid yet, but I don't want them to be caught off guard if it happens."
"Well done, love...Damn it!" I get up furious when my phone rings for the umpteenth time and stomp through the living room, it better be bloody important or whoever is calling will learn a new list of curses and rude words I'm about to yell at their ear. "Riawna? What's wrong? Are you okay?" I ask confused and a bit worried holding the device tight.
"Turn on your TV, NBC channel... Access Hollywood..." I rush to obey her but I don't understand why I should care about gossip news in this city: the few occasions when they talked about me in this program, they always lied. Iselen has followed me and is standing next to me while I look for the remote. "Oh, fuck! Riawna? I'll call you later... thanks for the heads up."
"That's your..." my mate whispers in disbelief.
"Yes..." I answer turning up the volume.
"And what is You Know Who doing in a TV program?" I shrug while keeping my eyes fixed on the screen. The hostess opens her mouth, pretending to be in shock, and the camera focus on my father, sitting on a couch, smartly dressed with a designer suit.
"The story is not how they told us, apparently..."
"I admit my mistake, honestly... I was young and had an official girlfriend, I got married to her later and even had a child together, but Katia was a beautiful woman and we had a short but very passionate affair. She got pregnant then and told me that I must leave my girlfriend in order to marry her, I refused but assured her that I'd take care of the baby, of course. But she had different plans and ran away, telling to anyone who would listen that I was abusive and trying to ruin my life out of spite... Fortunately, my family and friends didn't believe her despite she's been telling the same lie for years."
"What the hell is this asshole saying?" I yell in disbelief, throwing the remote to the floor and my dogs crawl under the couch, scared.
"I tried to reach her for years, I begged her to let me see my daughter, I sent her money through mutual friends, even asked a lawyer if I could get custody of the child when I had my son Tony because I wanted her to be able to meet her brother... Katia didn't let me set foot in the hospital when she was hit on her head..."
"That's a lie! You abandoned us and forgot that we existed! Your friends' children hit me on my head while laughing nonstop!" Tears of sorrow and rage run down my cheeks while I remember my childhood, the fear, my classmates bullying me, the wolves of his pack laughing at my clothes borrowed from the parish, my mum pacing up and down the kitchen while trying to find out where to earn more money to buy me food, my bedroom full of toys made of cardboard because I couldn't buy new ones... "I'll kill you, do you hear me? How dare you...?" I spit pointing at the screen, livid while I sob.
"Ruby..." Iselen gets closer and puts her arms around my waist but I'm too angry to pay attention to her, I try to move away and push her but she doesn't let me go and, despite my heart is breaking due to pain and rage, my wolf still keeps her sanity a little and recognizes our mate's scent: I'm not using all my strength because I don't want to hurt her.
"And why are you telling us this right now, after all these years?"
"I've been trying to reach Ruby Rose to explain her my side of the story but she's poisoned by her mother's lies and never answers the phone, never texts me back, her manager and agent refuse to talk to me, her girlfriend insulted me when I ran into her at a supermarket and left in a rush, cutting me off... This is the only way I've found for her to listen to me..."
"Son of the...! What are you doing?" I yell outraged and shocked when my mate turns off the TV and jumps on my body, enclosing my waist with her legs and holding onto my shoulders, literally. "Iselen, let me go! Have you gone mad too?"
"Ruby, stop it!"
"Let me go I've said!" I shake and twist hard, trying to make her fall on the floor but not putting too much effort actually, there's a piece of me that doesn't want her to land on her ass against the floor and get hurt.
"Babe, calm down, breathe..." My girl hugs me tighter. "You're about losing control and giving him what he wants... Please, they'll take you away from me if you go to fight him like a fool..." I stop, surprised by her words, and she looks right into my eyes while sobbing. I realize that I'm shaking, bathed in sweat, my side vision is getting dark and my skin tingles because I want to release my wolf. "Breathe, Ruby... with me..." I obey her, keeping my eyes fixed on my mate's face, breathing at the same pace while my hands stop pushing her and my arms enclose her torso, I hold her tight against my body and listen to my heartbeat calming down till it's beating in sync with hers.
"I'm sorry..." I whisper falling on my knees, dragging her with me still hugging her, and I hide my face on her neck, enjoying her perfume and the sense of security. "I'm sorry, I never meant to scare you... I love you."
"It's okay, honey, it's over..." I feel my mate's lips leaning on my neck for a second, she runs her fingers through my hair and my muscles get relaxed definitely... I feel exhausted, suddenly. "You had powerful reasons to be livid, that jerk knows where to hit to hurt you badly... We'll get our revenge, I swear, he'll pay for all this but we must outsmart him, all right? Do you feel better?" I nod and sigh, actually I feel very comfortable kneeled on the thick carpet, with my girl straddling my lap, hugging her and leaning my head on her shoulder while she strokes my hair and rubs my nape. "You have to call your mother, you need to tell her before she finds out in the media..."
"It's too late in Australia..." I whisper not wanting to move from this position.
"It doesn't matter, Ruby, you have to wake her up today..."
*****
My mum took it better than I thought, this isn't the first time he tells some lies trying to smear her reputation, apparently, and luckily she lives in a country house far from Melbourne, her neighbours know her well and they appreciate her too much to believe all this nonsense. Maybe one or two won't talk to her anymore and a journalist will try to bother her with questions but her life won't change that much... Instead, she was worried about me. I told her I'd be fine, my mate was by my side and we'd go through this together, but she insisted on talking to Iselen who swore she'd take good care of me and listened carefully to my mum's advices. They haven't met in person yet but they team up to keep me in my place... not that I complain because there's a group of wonderful women worried about me but sometimes they're too dramatic.
"What are we going to do, Charlie? They hold our leashes tight..." I smile while petting Ru who's stuck to me since this morning. My pets are really sensitive and they always notice when I'm a little depressed but they can't do anything to fix me besides showing me love. "Wow... you look beautiful," I whisper getting up from the couch.
"Do you think I look all right?" Iselen touches the fabric of her black silk dress with a golden rose printed on one side of her pencil skirt, getting rid of imaginary wrinkles since it fits her like a glove. Her high-heeled shoes make her legs look interminable and she holds a golden purse, she's even highlighted her eyes with some smoky makeup. "I've found how to do this in YouTube..." she mumbles when noticing my eyes fixed on her.
"It's perfect, seriously, I'll be holding the arm of the prettiest girl of the party, I'm really lucky..."
"Quite the contrary, Ruby Rose, the prettiest girl of the party is my mate." Iselen smiles pointing at my black pant suit with sequins.
"No way, you're the star tonight, you took my breath away..." I grab the car keys and open the door that leads to the garage, I'm not drinking today because I'm expecting a new dirty trick from my father's pack and I want to be able to go back home whenever we want without asking a driver.
"That's because I got dressed tonight..." My mate chuckles while sitting down cautiously so the dress doesn't get wrinkles.
"Do you walk undressed during the day? I like the idea, by the way..."
"I usually cover my body with the first garment I find in the closet..." I nod while turning on the engine, she's right but also looks perfect to my eyes so, who cares?
I manage to drive to the Roosevelt Hotel in less than 15 minutes avoiding the insane traffic of Mulholland Drive, several TV producers will gather tonight around the famous swimming pool to drink cocktails and, even if I try to avoid Hollywood parties that aren't related to my job, the truth is that I pulled some strings to get invitations to this one. Iselen must know these people since they're the key of the success of the future series and movies that will come from her books, the ones who have the money are the ones who approve or not a project in the end, no matter how famous the cast is, how talented the scriptwriter is or how important the director is. My mate is terribly nervous tonight and my wolf remains alert because I don't want that stupid Dominic and his minions to disturb her again, she doesn't need more tension. We walk slowly the few yards between us and the main door of the hotel since she's unable to run because of her stilettos and the narrow pencil skirt, holding hands.
"Ruby! Do you have an answer to your father's accusations?"
"Do you think this scandal will make you lose some jobs? That's why you're here? Is your future as Batwoman in danger?"
"Iselen! Is it true that you've insulted Ruby's father?"
My wolf gets up and howls furious inside me while a swarm of paparazzi surround us and the flashes of cameras blind us, journalists are yelling in front of our faces and blocking our way to the hotel, the sidewalk turns into a chaos... My girl's stomach turns due to fear and anxiety, I can feel it through our bond, and she tries to hide behind me unsuccessfully: journalists keep asking their stupid questions and cameras aim at our faces while the security guys of the hotel try to open a corridor for us. Iselen trips over her heels and my arm darts to enclose her by her waist and hold her against my side, the wolf growls and saliva drips from her muzzle, looking for a target to bite and kill while I frown and do my best to control her: I can't change here, I can't give my father what he wants, they'll take me away from her, I'll lose everything I fought for...
After five tensed minutes, the most difficult of my life probably, making our way with our elbows while trying to keep our poises, we manage to walk in the famous lobby decorated in a Spanish style and I guide Iselen towards a column where she can lean her back while I catch my breath, I'm exhausted after fighting the animal inside me. My girl's dress doesn't look impeccable anymore, her shoes are stained because she tripped over paparazzi's feet and tries to hold back her sobs to save her makeup from getting ruined by her tears. And she's still the prettiest woman of the party and I'm the luckiest.
"Shhh..." I stroke her hair, fixing the locks again to frame her precious face and clean her cheeks with my thumbs. "It's over, everything will be okay, my love, we won't let my father win this war..." My mate nods and takes a deep breath.
"Can you kiss me?" She asks shyly, taking a look around cautiously and a naughty idea makes its way through my mind. I smile mischievously, hugging her waist and squeezing her against my body, moving her away from the column: paparazzi start yelling like crazy again and stick their cameras to the glass door from which we're clearly visible. My lips meet hers in a kiss that starts gently but it turns into something different when I shove my tongue in her mouth and cup her cheek with my hand, Iselen's purse falls on the floor and she puts her arms around my shoulders when I change the angle and deepen the kiss. Outside, journalists are about storming into the hotel in order to get the best picture of us but I ignore their cries while focusing on my mate's perfume and taste, the wolf purrs delighted inside me... This is a true movie kiss.
"They should give us an Academy Award for this scene..." I whisper against her lips and she laughs amused.