Chapter 31: Stay Focused
Ruby finally gasped at the cake that had crashed to the ground, along with the other items she had brought. And that had happened because she was stunned to have seen Shane.
She quickly moved to grab them, muttering, "Shoot" under her breath as she surveyed the mess.
The vanilla cake she had baked herself to surprise her best friend was now ruined. But was it really all her fault? Who wouldn’t lose their composure when faced with Shawn Thorne?
She shifted her gaze from the wrecked cake to Shane, who stared down at her with a nonchalant expression, biting into an apple with a loud crunch. "Can I at least come inside?" Ruby asked him.
Shane raised an eyebrow.
"I’ll wait for her here... She should be back by night, right?" Ruby inquired.
Despite her curiosity, Shane had no idea when Ezra and Evie planned to return.
He shrugged and opened the door, allowing Ruby to step inside, the cake clutched in one hand and her bag in the other.
As she entered the massive, luxurious mansion, she reminded herself that she had work to do. She set the cake on the table, peeling off the box to reveal the unsightly mess. The icing had smeared, a consequence of not having frozen it before she brought it. "Crap," Ruby muttered.
"You might want to redo that," Shane suggested, eyeing the disheveled cake with its butter icing.
"Can I use the kitchen?" Ruby asked, looking at him expectantly.
"Sure" Shane agreed, and added,"The house isn’t mine anyway,"
Ruby headed for the kitchen, hoping to redo the ruined cake, and to find the necessary equipments for it.
She carefully removed the decorations from the cake, and once the new ingredients arrived, she dove into her work. "Just do me a favor and try not to make a mess... The owner of the house won’t be happy if he notices," Said Shane as he headed for the fridge.
"Where did they go?" Ruby asked, wanting to know when Evie and Ezra would return.
"Paris," Shane replied casually.
"Paris!?" Ruby gasped, pivoting to face him.
He shot her a bored look. "Yeah."
Paris... Ruby thought. She knew how much Evie loved that city and how long she had dreamed of going there. It was hard to believe that Ezra had made her dream come true, especially on her birthday. Evie must be having the time of her life, but why hadn’t she mentioned anything to Ruby?
Why did it feel like they were drifting apart?
Ruby felt as though she was the only one making an effort in their friendship.
Did that mean her efforts with the cake were pointless?
She had come here to celebrate with Evie, only to find out that her best friend had traveled abroad without telling her, leaving her texts unanswered.
"Watch where you’re pressing the icing," Shane said, snapping her back to reality.
"Huh?" Ruby glanced down, realizing she was pressing icing onto the table. She quickly wiped it off with a tissue. "I’ll focus more," she assured Shane, who nodded and then stepped away.
Once Ruby finished redecorating the cake, she couldn’t help but admire her work. While it had started as just pink and cream, it now boasted a touch of red and looked better than before, thanks to the superior equipment in Ezra’s kitchen.
After several hours of waiting, Ruby sat on the couch while Shane entertained her in the grand space. "You two must be really close... You won’t stop waiting until you see her?" he inquired, handing her snacks to tide her over.
"Yes, we are best friends," Ruby replied confidently, relishing the fact that she was so close to her idol.
Inside, she wanted to scream, but she needed to keep her cool. "We have a long history together," she added, eager to keep the conversation flowing.
Shane nodded but kept his attention elsewhere. "You’re waiting a long time without knowing if she’ll show up today. That’s impressive," he remarked dryly.
Ruby studied him before replying, "You don’t have a best friend you’d wait for? Or anyone at all?"
Shane finally looked at her. "I do. I’d wait for Ezra, he’s my best friend," he said, allowing a slight smile to cross his face.
"Great," Ruby said, pressing her lips together. "So, are you actually the famous Shane Thorne? You look just like him, but I can’t be sure it’s really you." She feigned uncertainty, playing it cool.
"Glad you finally brought that up," Shane replied with a confident smirk.
As they continued their conversation, Ruby was taken aback by how easy it was to connect with him. "I was surprised at how easygoing he was. I honestly thought he wouldn’t engage much, but he was completely different from what I expected."
Ruby turned to Evie. "He was such a great entertainer, making me feel welcome until you all arrived. To be honest, I was trying my hardest not to freak out around him. My heart was racing the entire time, and you know how it feels, Evie," she exclaimed, excitement bubbling over.
"Did you two exchange contact, at least?" Evie asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Umm... no, we didn’t. Do you think I should ask? Do you think he’d actually give it to me?" Ruby pondered, feeling uncertain. Despite their conversation and even the playful kiss in the game, she questioned if she should reach out.
"You won’t know unless you try. Shane is really sweet. I doubt he’d say no," Evie reassured her.
Ruby nodded, understanding. "So, how about showing me the souvenirs you brought back from Paris?" she teased, a playful grin forming on her face. Evie’s smile widened as she went to the cupboard, retrieving the gift packages Ezra had bought for her.
"You can have this," Evie declared, handing Ruby a beautiful hat.
"Wow! This is gorgeous. Thank you, Evie!" Ruby’s excitement was evident in her eyes.
"And this, and this," Evie continued, passing her more gifts.
"I’m really glad you thought of me," Ruby said, her voice thick with emotion.
Evie met her gaze. "I would never forget you, Ruby," she replied.
"I doubt that. It feels like we’re drifting apart and no longer best friends," Ruby said, an edge to her voice.
Evie paused, then said, "I’m sorry you feel that way. I promise to make things better between us." She sat beside Ruby, wrapping her arms around her while Ruby rested her head on Evie’s shoulder.
"These things must’ve cost a lot, Evie," Ruby remarked, eyeing the perfume and other gifts.
"Mhm," Evie hummed, waving it off. "But it’s fine; Ezra’s the one who made payments anyway."
Ruby sighed and looked at her. "He must really adore you to spend so much. You’re definitely the happiest girlfriend on earth right now," she said, looking back at the gifts.
Evie raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting. She remained silent for a moment before narrowing her eyes. Happiest girlfriend? She wasn’t even a real girlfriend, and Ezra had made sure she understood it was all fake, despite everything they shared in Paris.
She shook her head, determined not to let herself dwell on it.
Fake it was, and she needed to stay focused. After this month, there were just four months left until everything would be over.