| 010 | Ruby |

"Does he know, that he doesn't know about him?"

A nod, "Yes. Besides, I believed Hayes was his dad, I didn't want to force my son on him, because having no dad was better than having a horrible dad who would be both a terrible influence to him and would probably mistreat him because he was born out of an... accident. I didn't want to be labelled a gold digger who was trying to bring a brilliant Crowther down with me, with a teen pregnancy. The Crowther are more powerful than the Sinnott, and in the US, I was just... the Sinnott outcast who happened to be a genius in everything I did, the daughter my dad didn't want, I was nothing like I am here."

"Does anything changes now?" She asked.

What? "Why would anything change?"

"Because Rhyot had feelings for you?!"

The sheer idea of that made me restless, "He didn't, he wouldn't have done things the way he did if he had, Leah. His pride was just wounded that he had fucked me twice and I was still thinking he was his brother. Fighting out of hurt pride sounds more believable than fighting for my bloody honor or whatever the hell that bonfire fight was about, from his part."

"Ruby, he should know and,"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, Leah. I'm so stressed that I could end up having another seizure, and I don't want to worry Rhett more than I already did," I said firmly.

She halted on whatever she was about to say and nodded, "Alright."

We stayed silent for moment, until I broke you, "What's your Harvard major?" And I know it's an absurdly random topic, but it's a genuine curiosity.

Leah looked relieved to have something to talk about, "Business Management."

A nod, "Makes sense, your work is about management."

"When do you want the trip to take place?" She tilted her head softly.

"I was thinking about July 3rd, it's on a Friday, and I was planning on going in my car, but now that's were all going to go, we could go in both our cars, mine and yours. I'll go with mum and the boys, and you go with Neville and the girls. How about that?" I suggested.

"Sounds good. It's June 13th now, that gives me some good time to plan."

"I was also planning on staying there for around three weeks," I bit my bottom lip. "If we leave on Friday, July 3rd, in the morning, around 6 am or something, we'll be in the highlands by nightfall of July 4th, on the Saturday. Then we could comeback on the 25th of July, it'll fall on a Saturday, if we leave in the morning, we'll be back in London by the nightfall of July 26th, Sunday."

"Mum," I turned to Rhett who was descending the stairs with Lloyd, a big smile on, one that he puts on when he wants to ask me something.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Ask."

He blushed, "Can I sleep here?"

Well, that caught me by surprise. "Are you... sure?" I blinked.

A nod, "Mmhm. Can I?" He pouted.

I turned to Leah who was with a surprise smile on, "Will that be alright?"

"Of bloody course," she beamed, clapping her hands. "Lloyd never had any friend here for a sleepover, I'm just happy," she giggled. "I always dreamed with this moment," well, I feel the same way.

"Neither did Rhett," I said softly. "Good," I stood up as Neville joined us.

"Did you ask her?" He asked my son, messing his hair mischievously.

He nodded, "Yep. She said yes."

"We'll take good care of him," he assured me.

"Alright, when do I pick you up, love?"

"It's Saturday," Lloyd said and I turned to him, "can he sleep the rest of the weekend here, and you pick him up after school on Monday, auntie Ruby?"

What a little politician, "Sounds good. Is it okay with you, son?"

A nod, "Mmhm, it'll be good to play with him."

"Behave, yeah?" I narrowed my eyes at him and he blushed.

He came to me and hugged me tight, "I will. Anything I need I'll call you, mum."

"You better," I hugged him back, kissing the top of his forehead, then cleaning my lipstick from his tanned skin, something he got from... Rhyot, not me, seeing as I'm white as ghost. "I was already wanting to go back home, either way, my social battery ran out," I chuckled softly. "I'll go home, grab your stuff, and bring here to you, alright?"

"Thanks, mum, I love you."

"I love you more than yesterday but not as much as I will tomorrow," I told him, caressing his pretty face. "I'll bring your iphone charger, you better keep that phone of your charged, fully, at all times, understood, Rhett?" He nodded. "If you need anything, if you miss me, or if you just feel bored, call me, okay? I'll make that lemon pie that you love to wait for you on Monday."

He pouted, "You're the best mum, I'll miss you."

Smiling, I pinched his nose softly, a nose that he took from me, the only thing he took from me physically aside from the freckles and thinner waist, "I know you will, I'll miss you too. But don't worry about me, okay?"

"Don't overwork yourself without me there," he groaned, "promise, mum."

"I promise," I nodded. "I won't work, I'll just marathon Bridgertons, okay?"

"Avoid the lactose," he narrowed his eyes. "Only lactose free ice cream, mum."

"Okay, I promise I'll take care of myself."

"Hm," he hugged me one last time, taking me off the ground and making me laugh, then he put me down. "Ah, mum, can you bring the Hunger Games books together with my stuff when you comeback?"

"Weren't you in Mockingjay already?" I tilted my head.

A nod, "Yes, but Lloyd want to give it a try."

"Alright, I'll do that," grabbing my handbag, I turned to the couple. "Thank you for having me here tonight, and for having my son. Get my number with him, you can contact me if anything happens."

"Thank you for coming, auntie Ruby," Lloyd beamed.

"Thank you for having me, sweetheart," I winked at him and he blushed.

In two minutes I was out of their townhouse, finally in my car and driving through the night streets of London, I headed back to our place. When I got there, I parked my car outside and got inside, took my heels and ran up the stairs, going to Rhett's bedroom, which for some reason was unlocked.

"Weird," I blinked confused, "I thought I had locked all doors."

Rolling my eyes, I pushed it aside and strode inside it, grabbing his backpack, I put everything he will need for Monday class, together with his p.e. uniform and his art material, since he loves drawing and he's majestic at it. On the luggage, I put on twelve different pairs of clothes, because he's indecisive when picking them and likes to have more than once choice, his hair products, accessories and his two favorite perfumes, plus his iPad and laptop, his headphones, and his wallet. Lastly, I added the trilogy of books from the Hunger Games, plus Snow's backstory spin-off that Rhett was planning on reading next, before Haymitch's.

I can't even describe how happy I am that he inherited my love for books.

Putting my handbag across my body, I put his backpack on, grabbed his luggage with my right hand, and before I could leave his room, I grabbed his charger and his favorite Slytherin water bottle, same Harry Potter house as me, undoubtedly the same house as... his father as well.

With everything he would need in hand, I ran down the stairs, grabbed the key of my car and my heels in my hand, and left the house, locking the door behind me, then I put all of his things in the back seat and entered the front, putting my handbag on the passenger seat and my heels next to the pedals. Closing the door, I put on the seatbelt, and when I was turning the engine on, my eyes went to a gorgeous and luxurious black motorcycle in the other side of the street, right across my house, and though I felt strange about it, I ignored.

"It's probably a new neighbor," I brushed it off, turning the engine on and driving out of the street, back to the Reid's. "Ugh, my son is so grown up."