Chapter 17
Arabella
“Since you never brought me cookies, I thought I’d make some instead. Made too many. Here,” Ruth says as she hands me an absolutely massive container full of them.
“Are you sure these are for me and not a small village?” I snort as I open the door further.
Ruth doesn’t wait for an invite, just pushes inside and heads for Suki. She leans down to give her pets, cooing at her quietly before straightening back up to look over at me.
“I think the words you’re looking for are ‘thank’ and ‘you’.”
“Thank you.” I shake my head as I place the cookies on my kitchen counter.
“You can share them with all the alphas that have been coming around lately.” She wiggles her brows at me, and I roll my eyes.
“All the alphas?” I scoff, shaking my head. “I’ll be sure to share these with Reid and let him know you think his appetite warranted several dozen cookies.”
“Reid, huh? Hmm. Alright. Well, how's that going?”
“Good.” I smile, thinking of the handsome alpha.
Once again, I find myself absently rubbing my chest, though. My thoughts drift to the two alphas I have been fighting like hell not to think about constantly. It feels like a losing battle.
Their scents haunt me. Their memory fills my dreams.
“Good? That's it? That's all I get? Boo.” She sticks her tongue out and makes a noise, protesting my lack of details.
“Fine, things are going really well, and as much as I like him, he seems to like me just as much!” I chuckle as she glares at me. “Tea?” I offer before she tells me how rude I am for failing to ask sooner.
She huffs but doesn’t press for more information.
“Ice water.” She pauses before looking over at me. “Please,” she adds, and I can’t help but smile at her.
By the time I’ve got a glass for her, it’s clear she’s snooping through my flat. Fair enough. I’m sure she’s curious, and I owe her for looking after Suki.
“Touch-Me-Not,” Ruth says gently as I step up beside her, holding the water out for her. The framed photo of my Aunt Cara rests just beside it, along with a candle from her funeral. “Beautiful,” she adds.
I don’t know whether she means the plant or Cara. Either way, I nod. “She was.”
“My daughter Melody liked tulips.” Ruth lifts the left sleeve of her cardigan, revealing a watercolour tulip tattoo on her forearm. “Forever seventeen.”
The weight of her words fills the air with a heavy grief that I feel deep in my bones. Suki also senses the shift, and in moments she’s at Ruth’s feet, nudging her with her nose.
“Oh, relax, fluffball. I’ll be alright,” Ruth huffs at my four-legged soulmate.
“Aunt Cara would have liked you.”
“And Melody would have tried to kidnap your pup.” Ruth snorts, breaking the tension. “How long has she been gone?”
“Six years. I was eighteen. She’s buried in Ashridge, ten minutes from where we lived.”
“Melody would have been forty-three this year. Buried her dad beside her five years later. It’s odd. I met him when I was just seventeen myself. I knew him longer than my girl, but when he passed, all I felt was relief.”
I swallow hard as Ruth focuses her attention on Suki, which is for the best. I don’t want her to see me crying like the tender heart I am. Not when I’ve spent so long keeping up the facade of being cold and uninterested in others.
“Relief?” I ask, barely keeping my voice even.
“Melody was alone, but now she has her dad.” When he passed, I know she was the first person he ran to. They’ll be there waiting when it’s my time. Until then…” Ruth shrugs as I swipe at my tears, fighting the lump in my throat.
Well, fuck.
Ruth doesn’t seem like a hugger, something I can usually relate to.
However, Cara was a hugger, and the urge to reach out to Ruth is strong.
She reminds me so much of her sometimes, and it feels like someone is crushing my heart, only loosening their grip as I give in to the feeling and wrap my arms around the woman.
“Oh, don’t get all sappy on me too,” she grumbles, but gives me a tight squeeze when I move to release her from the hug.
“You’re basically my only friend,” I confess, sniffing as I step away from her. Suki woofs as if she takes great offence to that, and we both laugh as I reach down to scratch behind her ears. “Other than my fluffy princess, of course.”
“No wonder you suck at gossip. Come sit with me, and I’ll show you how it’s done. You know Beth in number eight? Well, I saw a beta sneaking out last week who was definitely not her husband.”
“No fucking way!” I gasp, eyes wide, as we take a seat at the dining table.
We dig into the cookies while Ruth spills the secrets of the other tenants. She seems to know everything about everyone in the building and relishes in sharing all of it. The conversation feels effortless and light.
It’s comfortable. Familiar.
It makes me miss Cara, even as it fills a void in my heart.
I’ve been deeply lonely for so long that I got used to it. I stopped noticing the emptiness. Touch-starved omegas tend to be needy, but I didn’t realise how starved for platonic connection I was until this moment.
I smile as she begins to tell me about Tim and John from number eleven’s wedding two years ago and all the drama that came along with it. Apparently, Tim’s ex had all but camped outside of the building for the days leading up to it.
I ask questions and make encouraging noises, hoping she’ll carry on talking, that she won’t go back to her flat anytime soon. Warmth continues to spread through my chest, and I hope Ruth knows I’m never letting her leave me.