Love in the Mix (Love in the Mix #1)

Chapter 46

forty-six

LUNA

I step out from behind Sebastian, meeting Ruby's fiery gaze head on as she shakes free from the guards’ hold. God, she looks like a stranger now. That beautiful face I used to know? It's twisted up with jealousy and hate. She's not my best friend anymore, just some narcissistic bitch out to take everything I love, again.

"You're right, Ruby. I'll never be perfect," I say, my voice soft but steady. "But at least I can say I'm not a fraud.”

I can feel my voice getting stronger as I go on. "You stole my fiancé, my money, and my music. You've built your whole career on lies, manipulation, and being a grade-A bully."

Ruby scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Please, do you think this little scene changes anything? You could’ve just stayed away. Let me have the spotlight. I deserve it! You don’t deserve anything, and you had the audacity to come back. Are you stupid? You should’ve known I would take it all again. It belongs to me!"

I can't help but laugh. It's not funny, but it's so ridiculous. "You're fucking delusional. You've spent so much time trying to take what's mine you don't even have anything original. How do you live with yourself?"

Ruby's face contorts into a sadistic smile, her eye hazy with a manic intensity. She throws her head back and lets out a shrill, unhinged laugh that echoes through the room. "You think I care about how I got here?" she sneers, oozing confidence. "All that matters is that I'm on top now. I'm the one everyone loves, the one they all want to be. I may have failed in taking these two dumbasses away from you, but exposing them was sweet. And it’s all your fault."

I'm not surprised she was behind it all, but damn, it still hurts. How could someone I loved like family for so long be so fucking cruel? But even from here I can smell the booze oozing from her pores, see the smudged mascara under her bloodshot eyes, her pupils so big they're drowning out the blue.

“I took what was rightfully mine. What I deserved. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Her voice drops to a menacing whisper. "You were never good enough for any of it. Not for the music, not for the fame, and Dylan should consider himself lucky. I saved him from you, you weak bitch. You two are just fucking stupid, but who wants to be with you anyways?” she seethes, pointing directly at Xavier and Sebastian.

I can feel the rage boiling up inside me, but I force myself to stay cool. No way I'm giving her the reaction she's dying for. "You didn't save anyone. I saved you! Time and time again because you destroy everything you touch. Look at yourself, Ruby. You're a mess. All the fame, all the success. It doesn't mean shit if you're too much of a heinous bitch to appreciate it. I would feel sorry for you, if you actually deserved it."

Ruby's eyes flash with fury and she lunges at me, struggling wildly against the guards' hold. "I don't need your fucking pity! I'm better than you, Luna! I always have been and I always will be! I’ll do whatever it takes to ruin you. I fucking promise you that, you fucking cunt."

I step back, shaking my head in disbelief. “You’re so blinded by your own fucking self to even realize you will be your own downfall.”

“Ruin myself? That’s an absolute joke. Let me tell you something: I am better than you. I always have been and I always will be.” As Ruby's tirade reaches its peak, her shrill voice no longer echoing through the room, a sudden hush falls over the room. Ruby, caught up in her own delusions, doesn't seem to notice. The silence around us stretches on, broken only by the sound of her own labored breathing.

I glance around, confused by the sudden change in atmosphere, then I see it. The microphone clutched in Ruby's hand, the one she exited the stage with, red light still on. A sinking feeling washes over me as I realize what’s happened.

Ruby follows my gaze, her eyes widening as she takes in the sight of the hot mic. She stands frozen, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly as the gravity of the situation sinks in.

"No," she whispers, her voice trembling. "No! Fuck! Look at what you made me do!” She throws the microphone down on the ground with so much force it splinters into pieces on impact. The sound of feedback echos loudly around all of us. Ruby's eyes dart around the room wildly before landing right back on me. "This is all your fault, Luna!" she screams, her voice dripping with disdain. "You’ve ruined everything!"

As she lunges at me again, the guards yank her back roughly. I don't flinch, my eyes locked on hers. I'm done being scared of her.

"You're pathetic," I spit out, my voice cold as ice. "You stand there, blaming me for your own fuck-ups, your own mistakes."

Ruby snarls, her teeth bared like a rabid animal. "You've always been holding me back!" Her voice is raw and grating. "You're nothing but a leech!"

I let out a harsh laugh, the sound devoid of any humor. "You've done this to yourself, Ruby. You've pushed away everyone who ever cared about you, all because you couldn't stand the thought of anyone else shining brighter than you."

The guards start dragging her away, her screams bouncing off the walls as she fights them. I watch her go, my heart turning to stone. She's not worth my thoughts, time, or energy anymore. She made her bed, she can die in it.

The crowd around us buzzes with excitement and shock, enticed to witness the drama unfolding. It all feels strange, as if I'm watching a scene from a movie rather than experiencing it firsthand.

“Don’t forget this piece of shite. I think the police would like to have a word or two with him.”

I turn to the sound of Mac’s voice as he struts by me, holding Dylan by the scruff of his neck. Dylan's bright blue eyes are wide with fear, his face pale and clammy. Beads of sweat form on his forehead, and I can see the constant motion of his Adam’s apple as he swallows hard. He knows he's in trouble, and there's nothing he can do to escape the consequences of his actions.

What kind of idiot actually sticks around?

“Did you hit her? You piece of shit!” Xavier’s loud booming voice silences the crowd. Mac stops in his tracks, holding Dylan close to him. Forcing him to face Xavier head-on. Dylan's gaze darts around frantically as he tries to maneuver out of Mac’s hold. Mac doesn’t waver, standing as still as possible.

Dylan licks his dry lips before stammering, "I... I didn't mean to... It was an accident!"

Xavier's nostrils flare, and I swear I can feel the heat of his anger from here. "An accident?" he spits out. "Your hand just accidentally slammed into her face?" The crowd voices their disgust.

Dylan’s face crumples, and the boy I once knew and loved was there. He was just too stupid of an adult for it to matter anymore.

"Please," he whimpers, "I'm sorry. I lost control. I didn't think?—”

“Of course you didn’t. Let me guess. That was her fault, too? You’re fucking pathetic, man.” He spits the words out as if they were poison. I watch as his body tenses, his arm pulling back slightly. For a second, I think he's gonna deck Dylan, and I'm not sure I'd stop him, but he surprises me. "Make sure the police know exactly what he did. I want him charged with assault," he says.

As Mac nods and begins to lead Dylan away, I catch Xavier's eye. The fire in his gaze softens slightly when he looks at me. He takes a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself before pulling me into his arms. Sebastian wraps around both of us, and I feel like I can finally breathe again.

Mac returns quickly, his expression a mix of exhaustion and frustration. "Well, that was a right mess." He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Look, we are going to send the crowd home. You need to go home. Luna, darling, there’s medics coming in for you now."

I pull my head away from Xavier's chest and catch Mac's eyes.

“No.”

Xavier, Sebastian, and I exchange glances. I can see how tired they are, how much this night has taken out of all of us. But underneath that, I see a spark of determination, a stubborn refusal to let Ruby and Dylan's chaos win. Fuck her, we're doing this.