Chapter 35: Chapter 35

As we're driving back to the warehouse, I remain silent, thinking about my parents and their whereabouts. I can't help but picture them hurt, the image of the blood in their bedroom stained inside my mind. I don't think I'll ever be rid of that image and the feeling of fear that followed it right after.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Woody says softly, turning to look at me. I shuffle in the passenger seat, rotating my body slowly to look at him.

"I'm thinking about my parents. . . The kind of life they lived before I was born. They experienced danger twice the amount that I have in the last few weeks and that must be terrifying." I say quietly, turning to focus my gaze on the streets whizzing past me in the window.

"It's left an impression on you, hasn't it? Everything you've been through lately." Woody states, his words spoken in a low tone. A silence settles upon us, the only sounds of the soft clicking and whirring of the car as Woody drives.

"It's enough to leave an impression on anyone." I respond eventually. Multiple trees pass my vision, the green of them merging until it appears to be one big blur of greenery. I feel Woody's hand rest on my leg and I drop my eyes down to it.

"You're the daughter of two very strong minded people. You have bravery and a kind heart Melvin. . . You're going to be okay." Woody murmurs. I turn to look at him and his eyes remain trained on the road, his jaw tensed to accentuate his jaw line. A smile flickers across my face at his words and the same warmth spreads through my chest.

"Two good things have come out of this situation, believe it or not." I tell him, keeping my eyes trained on his handsome features. He briefly turns to look at me before turning his attention back to the road, his hand still resting on my leg —

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Woody responds casually.

"The first thing is I was reunited with Tobias. He's like a third parent to me so his disappearance left me angry and broken hearted for a long time." I explain. I now know the reason for Uncle Tobias leaving and after hours of thinking through everything with a fine comb, I don't blame him anymore.

There's always two sides to every story.

Always a reason for someone's actions.

"And the second good thing?" Woody asks me slowly. I bite down on my lower lip, a silence settling upon us. I find myself hesitating for a moment before I push the hard faced Ruby to one side. I slowly lift my hand and place it over Woody's that's resting on my leg. He turns to look at me in surprise but doesn't say anything as I intertwine our fingers together.

His hand in mine simply feels right.

I breathe in sharply, my stomach a bundle of nerves as I attempt to open myself up to him. Beside me, Woody remains completely silent, eyes flickering between the road and I. When I look at him, I can't deny the feeling that fills my entire body. I've ignored it for long enough and it's time I sucked it up and allowed myself to be happy —

"I found you."

The atmosphere between us grows thick and a lump lodges itself in my throat, making me feel vulnerable. After what feels like forever, Woody squeezes my hand gently, his fingers caressing the bare skin.

"Thank you Ruby." He murmurs, his words almost a hushed whisper. He shuffles in the drivers seat, readjusting himself. I breathe in, reminding myself to breathe. It's okay to talk about my feelings . . .

It's more than okay. It's healthy.

"What for?" I ask him. He turns to look at me, a smile lighting up his dark eyes —

"For opening up to me. I know how much courage it takes you but I want you to know it means the world to me." Woody responds, lifting our intertwined fingers up and placing a kiss on the back of my hand. I feel butterflies erupt in my stomach and a smile flickers across my face that turns into a full blown grin. A happiness I've never experienced before fills me and I bite back my smile, glancing out of the window.

"Do you honestly believe in things happening for a reason?" Woody suddenly asks me, breaking the silence. I nod my head —

"Yes, I do. No matter how disastrous or scary it is, I believe there's a reason for everything even if it isn't obvious to start off with." I tell him. He nods his head as I talk, absorbing my opinion on it.

I make a mental note that Woody's ability to listen to me and value my opinion is another reason I'm falling for him. He doesn't treat me like a child, when I'm around him, I feel equal. Woody exhales deeply, blowing out a deep breath.

"I guess it's a good job that Tobias gave me up as a child otherwise you and I would be family Melvin." Woody smirks, the glint returning to his eyes. I mimic gagging, shaking my head in protest —

"Please don't remind me. The thought that in another lifetime I would have fancied my cousin grosses me out completely." I laugh, leaning back in the seat. Woody's chuckle joins in with me.

"As much as I like you, I don't think I'd be willing to commit incest Cowboy." I laugh. Woody turns to grin at me, eyes sparkling at me.

"I guess things worked out in the end." Woody responds. I nod my head, holding eye contact with him for a second before he turns back to the road.

"Yeah. . . I guess they did." I tell him. I continue watching him as he drives through the dark deserted roads, the street lights illuminating the beautiful features on his face. The sound of an incoming call pulls me out of the Woody induced state I'm in and he answers it by the screen on his dashboard —

"Yeah?"

Uncle Tobias' voice fills the air in the car, relief dripping from his every word.

"Is Ruby there?" Uncle Tobias first asks.

"I'm here." I tell him, sitting up straighter. He sounds out of breath but his words are spoken in a rushed tone, almost as if he has something to tell me.

"We've found them Ruby, we know where your parents are."

Chills appear all over my body and I release a pent up sob of relief I didn't know was building up inside of me. I slap a hand over my mouth in disbelief, unable to believe his words.

"Where are they?" I ask him, tears filling my eyes. Woody also sits up straighter, his eyebrows knitted together as he awaits Tobias' response.

"On the other side of town, we don't want to leave without you. How far away are you both?" Tobias asks, the sound of voices in the background filling the line. Woody glances at the dashboard of the car, putting his foot down on the gas pedal.

"Ten minutes away. We'll be there in five." He says firmly. Uncle Tobias ends the call and I picture seeing my parents again after all this time. I reach up and hastily wipe my eyes, struggling to hold it together.

"They're going to be okay, we're almost there." Woody re-assures me, speeding through the dark streets. I'm too overwhelmed with emotion to respond so I simply nod, my leg bouncing up and down. Every minute that passes feels like hours and a chilling thought plays on my mind . . .

Will my parents be alive when we find them?

Jasmine's mental health is definitely questionable so I can't help but question the damage she may have caused to my parents. My stomach churns with nausea and I continue to focus on breathing and not spilling my guts up everywhere.