Chapter 2 Dumb Ugly Bitch

ELOISE

My heart shredded like it had been dropped into a blender the moment he said the word "little." My problem wasn't him saying it, it was the way he said it, like I wasn't an eighteen-year-old standing in front of him now.

His hand slowly slid from around my waist, gently pushing me back from his chest, and it wasn't until my heel touched the ground that I realised I'd been on my tiptoes. I immediately missed his warmth, and how good it'd felt to have his huge arm around me.

"Yeah, that's her." Oliver confirmed with a sigh from behind me. He handed me my glasses and I put them back on.

My eyes stayed on the floor and the music seemed to halt for a second. I think my heart did too.

I felt his eyes drilling into the top of my head. "Ruby?" The way he said that nickname I hated made my stomach twist in a sweet, uncomfortable way, but there was disbelief in his voice. Like he couldn't believe it was me.

I finally looked up. His ash T-shirt hugged his muscular chest and broad shoulders, his braided hair fell on both sides of his face, and those striking dark eyes looked down at me in a way that made my stomach flutter.

Stop it, stupid butterflies.

"Hi." That was it. Staring at the guy I'd had a crush on since I learnt how to say my name, after six years of him being away, all I could say was hi.

Dammit, Eloise. Say something. Anything.

"Wow." He beat me to it. "You've grown so much."

Well, the Ruby you remember was a kid, I wanted to say, but I bit my tongue and smiled wide.

"You're back," I cheered, and before I could register what I was doing, my arms were around him. Too late to pull back now, it'd only look weird.

I relaxed when his hands came up my back, though I kind of wished they'd gone a little lower. "I missed you," I murmured into his chest, and he chuckled, a low, gravelly sound that made me want to clench my thighs.

He stroked my hair. "I missed you too, love."

Love. He always called me love, but it felt good hearing it after so long.

"Nonso." A little birdy chirped beside us, and he gently pulled me back. "Where were you?"

I didn't know who the ugly bitch was, but I hated her for separating me and my Nonso.

"I need to talk to you now." She whined, pouting with her arms folded across her chest. So pick-me-ish.

"Ruby." Nonso drew my attention back and I blinked innocently. "Listen to your brother and go do your homework. We'll catch up later, okay?"

I nodded like a good little girl, which I was far from, but it was Nonso. "Promise?"

He bent and placed a brief kiss on my forehead, just like he used to. "Promise. Now go."

The heat on that spot followed me into my bedroom, where I dropped onto my bed, blushing like a fool. My Nonso was back.

He'd left Charlotte for Georgia six years ago after his parents' divorce, and Nonso had always seen me as the little sister he never had. He'd carry me to bed when I fell asleep beside him, sometimes faked, and kiss my forehead goodnight. I knew he was only being a caring big brother, but I'd let that affection get so deep into my head.

Now I was an adult. I wanted him to see Eloise, not the little Ruby he'd left behind. I wanted more than his affection. I'd always wanted him.

Knock. Knock.

I shot up. "Ruby, it's me. Are you in there?"

Nonso.

"Coming!" I tossed the laundry into the cupboard, flung my bra under the bed, and opened the door with a smile. "Come in."

He walked inside, looking around. His build was even more magnificent than I'd imagined. What did I expect from Kensington College's star athlete and finest boxing champion.

"Everything looks so different," he said.

"It's been six years," I reminded him. "I'm not twelve anymore." I don't know what prompted me to say that, but he needed to know.

He smiled and stretched his arms out. "Come here." I jumped into them and he lifted me like I weighed nothing, making me giggle. "I missed you so much."

When he put me down my cheeks were flushed. "How've you been, my little Ruby?"

My smile threatened to slip at the name, but I held it up. "I'm alright. I'm just glad you're back."

"Me too." He ruffled my hair until it fell messy around my face, one of his many habits I wasn't fond of.

"Do you need help with the homework?" He just had to ask.

Before I could answer he was walking to my desk and picking up the notebook. "Come show me," he pressed, his tone leaving no room for argument. The moment his hand reached for my laptop I dashed over and snatched it away.

"It's uhm, the laptop's not working," I lied, shoving it into my bag. "This is the homework." I opened the book with the leaked questions and pointed.

"Remind me to get you a new one."

The butterflies multiplied. These were the little things that made him so attractive. "Okay," I whispered.

He leaned in beside me and his scent was intoxicating. "Calculus?"

I nodded and handed him my pen. Our fingers brushed and I felt a spark, but he didn't seem to feel anything. Unlike Oliver, Nonso was a genius. Hell, he was good at everything. That's why I fell for him in the first place.

"The question was twisted to make it seem hard," he explained, filling the page with workings. "Find the third derivative and input the given values. So the answer is twelve. Do you need me to attempt another one?"

Such a gentleman.

"No, I got—" A sharp, disrespectful knock cut me off, and the door opened without my permission.

I was going to kill Oliver when this was over.

My mouth fell open as that ugly bitch from downstairs walked in wearing only a red thong and a scrap of lace that barely covered her breasts. She didn't look all that ugly. My heart shattered when I saw the way Nonso was staring at her.

"I got the condoms, let's go." She waved them at him with two fingers, ignoring my presence entirely.

Nonso cleared his throat. "Lucy, there's a kid in here, go wait outside."

He just called me a kid? A flipping kid?!

My blood was boiling and I could see red. Lucy looked me over and rolled her eyes. "You know where to find me." She winked at him and walked out.

Nonso seemed hypnotized, then he ran his tongue over his lower lip. His eyes snapped back to me the moment she was gone.

"Sorry about that." His apologetic look only pissed me off. I was too angry to speak. "I have to go."

With a kiss on my forehead, he left me to chase after some dumb ugly bitch.