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The opportunity to ht, but I wasn’t going to let it happen again Ruby was my safe space; oddly, after only a handful of days I felt we knew each other better than I knew Portia after nearly eleven years of ive Ruby what she needed

I hit record again Picking uponce,

My heart is beating so hard

twice,

Do this, Niall Do this

and then she answered, clearing her throat before saying, "Niall?"

"Hello, Ruby"

Pausing, she whispered, "Is everything okay?"

My heart thudded inin the middle ofis fine," Ito the recording of what I’d done, and then realizing I called her just after S, I said, "I just wanted to confirht thirty?"

Another pause, and when she answered, she sounded slightly disappointed "Of course I’ll lanced at the clock It was nearly ht Only a ht," I said "Perfect"

"Good night"

"Good night, darling"

I hung up, and reached over to hit stop on the recording

Nine