In Ruins (A Black Falls High Novel Book 1)

by K. G. Reuss

  He took notice of my move and grinned down at me. “We can skip this party right now, Rosebud, and take it upstairs.”

  “And miss all the hard work you put into this?” I gestured around to all the people with their drinks as they danced and laughed. “I’d never forgive myself.”

  Cole squeezed me to him, shaking his head, and then led me to the kitchen where he was quick to get me a drink.

  “Why didn’t you come to the game?” Enzo asked, wrapping me in a hug. “I looked in the stands, hoping you’d be there, but I got nothing.”

  “You didn’t tell me I had to go.”

  He shook his head in disappointment. “Sunshine, don’t play those games with me. I think you know the dynamic here is changing. We’d love for you to show up and support us. Right, Ethan?”

  Ethan stopped in front of me. “You know you’re missed when you’re not around, right?”

  I shrugged, feeling bashful. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it all. The fact these beautiful creatures had a thing for me made my heart pitter-patter.

  “Well, you are.” It was Ethan’s turn to hug me. When he released me, he was quick to keep his arm around my waist.

  “Fox played great tonight,” Cole cut in, handing me a drink. “You should’ve been there, Rosebud. You’d have been proud.”

  I sipped my drink and nodded. I’d heard Fox was incredible, but I’d never witnessed him firsthand.

  “You should go talk to him,” Enzo urged, nodding behind us to the living room. I followed his gesture and spotted Fox talking to Juliet. Or maybe talking wasn’t the right word. It looked like they were fighting because she was waving her hands and pointing at him, and his face was red. I could tell from where I stood that he was beyond frustrated.

  “I think I’ll pass.”

  “Go,” Cole instructed, pulling me from Ethan and shoving me forward. “Take this.” He handed me another drink.

  I looked behind me at the guys, wondering why they wanted me to go to Fox so badly. The only positive thing was Juliet had stormed away, so now, he was alone.

  Sighing, I went over and stood awkwardly beside him, not sure what to even say. A moment later, he noticed me and straightened up.

  “You look like you could use a drink.” I held out the cup. He took it and slammed it back, his eyes locked on mine. I shuffled from foot to foot.

  “Thanks.”

  “Welcome.”

  We were both quiet for a moment.

  “I heard you guys won.”

  “Yeah. It’ll guarantee we make playoffs.”

  “Oh, cool.” I didn’t follow it enough, but I was sure I recalled something about that. I guessed that was why the celebration seemed so rowdy compared to last time.

  “Well, good talking to you—”

  “Rosie, wait,” Fox called out. I turned back to him, waiting for him to say more. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked away. “Never mind.”

  I spun away from him with a frown and went back to the guys.

  “How’d it go?” Cole asked, looking at me over his cup of beer.

  “Not terrible. We didn’t really talk.”

  “Damnit,” Enzo grunted, his dark eyes trained on Fox in the living room, who was now talking to some of the football guys.

  “Why is it such a big deal? No offense, but having everything let go would be nice.”

  “What are you talking about?” Enzo looked between the guys.

  “Fox told me he was thinking about deleting the video and letting me go last night. If he does, I’m free, and you guys can be my friends for real if you want, instead of just some... sick game where I have to do what you want to protect myself.”

  Cole slammed his beer down, his mouth twisted into a deep scowl.

  “Come on, Rosalie.” Ethan took me by the hand and gave me a gentle tug away from Cole who looked pissed.

  “What’s wrong with Cole?”

  “It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

  We stopped in the living room where people danced to the DJ. I looped my arms around Ethan’s neck, enjoying the moment with him.

  Confused, I squinted up at him.

  Sighing heavily, Ethan said, “We’re not doing all this because we have to in order to keep you in line. This isn’t a game. At least, not for me. Not for the others either, I don’t think. We think a lot of you.” Sincerity filled his eyes.

  “You guys really do like me?” I asked, going up on my tip-toes and speaking into Ethan’s ear.

  He nodded, his hands tightening on my waist.

  “How in the world would it ever work?” My heart rate skyrocketed in my chest as he pulled me flush with him.

  “Use your imagination, Rosalie. Believe me, I have.”

  Tingles rushed through my body at his words.

  “You’d...share me?”

  “Mm, I like the way you think.” Ethan nuzzled his face into my neck. This was a whole other side of him. If I thought Enzo and Cole were intense, it couldn’t compare to the surprise Ethan was. Each hot breath against my skin left me gasping for air.

  “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for a moment with you?” he continued.

  I shivered against him. “Tell me.”

  He let out a soft laugh. “Since the morning of April twenty-fifth. You dropped your trig book in the hallway and bent to pick it up. You were wearing that gray hoodie and had it pulled over your head. All I could see was your red braid hanging out. I bent down when you did and grabbed your book for you.”

  “Oh, my god. Ethan, that was last year.” I’d forgotten about it. My anxiety had been at an all time high. Juliet had tripped me on my way out of the classroom. Her cackle rang in my ears. I hadn’t been watching where I was going after and had bumped into him, sending my books cascading to the floor.

  “Do you remember what I said to you?”

  We swayed to the fast beat playing, lost in our own world.

  I swallowed hard. “You said, ‘Those eyes could get you into trouble.’ I remember it because I thought it was a joke.”

  “Not a joke, silly girl. I meant it. You have the most beautiful green eyes.” He pressed a kiss to my jaw. “I never thought I’d get a chance with you.”

  “What?” I pulled away and stared up at him. “You do realize who you are, right?”

  He grinned down at me and shrugged. “We’re not all as confident as we pretend to be.”

  “I heard you and Cole were with Mona—”

  He pressed a finger to my lips to silence me. “Stop talking. I want to kiss you.”

  I clamped my lips together as I stared up at him, anticipation cording through my guts. He leaned down, his eyes closing. My breath stuttered in my chest.

  “Ethan,” Cole called out. Ethan stopped halfway to me and let out a groan of frustration before pulling away.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Now?” Ethan looked at me with what could only be longing before looking back to Cole.

  “Yes. Now. It’s missing.”

  “What?” Ethan froze. I looked between the two curiously. “How?”

  Cole narrowed his eyes at me and moved between me and Ethan. “Rosebud, why don’t you go say hi to your friend. I saw her here.”

  “She’s mad at me—”

  “Then tell her to take her piece of shit boy toy out of my house. Deliver that message,” Cole snapped.

  I flinched away from him, wondering what the hell his problem was.

  “Cole,” Ethan warned.

  A muscle popped along Cole’s jaw as his eyes darkened. “Do it, Rosebud. You know the rules.”

  I flipped him off and turned on my heel and walked away, not in the mood for whatever the hell was the matter with him. He blew so hot and cold it drove me nuts. He’d never outright given me a cruel task to complete. That in itself pissed me off, but I knew I didn’t have much of a choice.

  Or maybe he’d upset me to the point that I’d like to push his buttons.

  Instead of goi
ng to find Jamie, I went back to the kitchen, grabbed a bottled water, and leaned against the counter, watching sullenly as Enzo and Fox joined Cole and Ethan. I had to admit, they all looked distraught as they huddled together.

  I wonder what the hell is missing.

  “Rosalie, right?” a voice called out. I tore my gaze away from the guys and looked over at the girl talking to me.

  Mona Edwards. The girl in the middle of the Cole and Ethan rumors.

  “Mona.” I gave her a quick smile, wondering what she wanted.

  She cleared her throat, her own smile shaky. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  I glanced back at the guys to find them still talking. Sighing, I nodded my head at Mona and followed her out to Cole’s patio where it was a lot quieter.

  “I’m surprised you know who I am,” Mona said as I leaned against the patio railing and turned to her, waiting for whatever she had to tell me.

  I shrugged. “I don’t really, I guess.”

  She nodded. “True, but I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors.”

  I shifted awkwardly.

  “They’re true mostly. I did make out with Ethan and Cole. In fact, I had it really bad for both of them. I did things with them I shouldn’t have done.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” I frowned, anxiety kicking in.

  “Because I was you once, Rosalie. I don’t want you to get hurt. They’re not the guys you think they are.”

  I pushed off the patio and looked around. “What do you mean?”

  “They’re gorgeous and popular. But they don’t fall for girls like us.” Her voice held a sad, desperate tone as her brown eyes swept over me.

  I swallowed hard and nodded. She wasn’t wrong. Mona wasn’t popular by a long shot, nor was I.

  “It’s a game to them,” her words came out in a rush as she stepped closer. “They don’t care about any of us.”

  I frowned at her and started to open my mouth to interject, but she shook her head at me.

  “Look at their track record, Rosalie. Sure, you see them with the popular girls from time to time, but you see them messing around with girls like us more.” She widened her eyes at me, pleading for me to understand where she was coming from.

  I bit my bottom lip, rifling through my memories of the guys. I knew they had their share of girls like me. I’d been pushing the why out of my mind for a while.

  “We’re a way to pass the time. That includes you. They’re going to hurt you. Everything they say is a lie. None of them care the way they say they do.”

  “Mona—”

  She grasped my hand and squeezed it. “Do they have cute nicknames for you? Do they each kiss you and try for more? Are they protective and sweet? Do they know how to get you with their words every single time, even when you’re angry with them? Do they have dirt on you?”

  I frowned, my heart thudding unevenly in my chest.

  Nausea twisted my insides. It had to be a coincidence.

  “They’re perfect, Rosalie, but they’re not perfect for girls like us. They ruin girls like us. Just...stay safe, OK?” She released my hand and backed away. “Ask the other girls like us. It’s happened to them too.”

  “I think it’s different with me,” I argued weakly.

  She gave me a sympathetic look. “I thought the same thing too. I told you we’re a game to them. Our emotions are the prize. I’m almost positive of it. I gave in. Don’t let them hurt you like they did me. Recovering from their brand of heartbreak is like fighting a war where there are no winners. And please, Rosalie. Don’t tell them I tipped you off.”

  She turned and left me standing there, her words ringing in my ears.

  I hated the nagging little voice shouting in the back of mind that maybe Mona was right.

  Twenty-Five

  I didn’t return to the party. I got in my car and drove home, opting to crawl into bed and stream my favorite show. I couldn’t shake Mona’s words from my mind. The guys had the cute nicknames for me—Rosebud, Sunshine, Sweetheart, Rosie. They tried for more. Hell, they’d beaten up Ian for me. They were protective. They were… perfect… except for the video. The bargaining chip.

  My phone buzzing pulled me from my morose thoughts.

  Fox: Are you OK?

  I chewed my cheek for a moment before shooting off a reply.

  Rosalie: Yes.

  A moment later my phone buzzed again with a call from Fox.

  “Hello?” I answered softly after a moment of contemplation. The prospect of not answering tempted me. At the end, curiosity and sheer desire had me hitting the TALK button.

  “Rosalie, where are you?” Fox demanded, the distant sounds of the party in the background making him hard to hear. He must have realized that because a moment later, it got quieter.

  “I’m tired and decided to go home.”

  “What’s wrong?” The concern in his voice made my heart skip.

  “Fox, can I ask you something?”

  “Yes,” his voice was breathless, making my heart kick up its pace in my chest.

  “If I asked you to tell me the truth about why you guys are really doing this, would you tell me?”

  “Something’s wrong. Tell me.”

  I fiddled with my blanket for a moment before blowing out a breath. “I just feel overwhelmed. I know you don’t owe me any answers, considering what you’re holding over my head—”

  “Meet me tomorrow.”

  I stared down at my lap, dumbfounded.

  “What? Why?” I squeaked out.

  “I haven’t spent any time with you. We probably should.”

  “Are you drunk?”

  Fox let out a soft laugh. “Maybe. Doesn’t matter. Tomorrow. My place, OK? My dad’s going out of town to work on a construction job. And we still haven’t practiced your song.”

  “OK,” I murmured. “Tomorrow.”

  “Good,” he answered. “Sweet dreams, Rosalie.”

  “Bye, Fox,” I whispered in the phone before I heard the click of him hanging up. I looked to his darkened window, wondering what the hell I was going to do.

  Fox’s dad didn’t leave until after five the following evening. When I heard the crunch of gravel signaling his departure, I hauled in a deep breath and made my way over to Fox’s house.

  I hadn’t been in his house since the day his mom died.

  “Fox, have you seen Mom?” Kurt asked, poking his head into Fox’s bedroom.

  We sat on the bed, munching on popcorn and watching a scary movie.

  “She said she had to run to the store,” Fox answered, tearing his focus from the TV to look at his dad.

  His dad frowned. “That was a few hours ago now. She’s not answering her phone.”

  Fox shrugged. “Maybe she doesn’t have service.”

  Kurt shook his head and backed out of the room. “If she calls, will you let me know?”

  “Sure, Dad,” Fox said, turning back to the TV. Kurt left the room.

  “It’s weird your mom isn’t home,” I commented, reaching for a handful of popcorn.

  Fox shrugged. “Mom always takes a long time when she shops. It’s why I hate going.”

  I chuckled.

  An hour later, we made our way downstairs to the kitchen. Amy still wasn’t home. Kurt was on the phone to someone sounding frustrated.

  I was just about to comment my worry when there was a knock on the front door. I watched Kurt go to it and pull it open.

  “Fox,” I whispered as two large cops filled the doorway. Fox’s eyes widened. He wordlessly moved to stand behind his dad. I inched closer, my heart clenching.

  “Mr. Evans?” one of the large officers asked in a gruff voice. “I’m Officer Bennett, and this is Officer Mills.”

  “Yes?” Kurt asked, his voice shaking.

  “Sir, there’s been an accident,” Officer Bennett said. Kurt visibly paled, and I moved closer still, worry eating at my guts.

  “My wife?” Kurt choked out.

  “Maybe you
should sit down,” Officer Mills offered gently.

  Kurt shook his head, his knuckles white as he clutched the door. “Is she OK?”

  The officers exchanged looks before Officer Bennett cleared his throat.

  “Mr. Evans, there was an accident. A drunk driver was going the wrong way on the highway. Your wife was traveling southbound when she was hit head on. I’m sorry.”

  “S-she’s dead?” Kurt’s voice cracked. Fox took a step forward, his face white as a ghost, his blue eyes wide.

  “We’re sorry. She passed on the scene,” Officer Mills murmured, reaching out for Kurt as his knees buckled.

  “Rosie,” Fox choked out. “Rosie.”

  In an instant, my arms were around him as he collapsed to his knees, a low wail trembling on his lips as he clung to me.

  “Rosie.” He repeated my name over and over as tears streamed down his pale cheeks. “Rosie.”

  “I’m here.” I wept, holding him tightly. “Fox, I’m here.”

  He openly sobbed as his dad tried tearing him away from me. Fox clung harder, shaking his head. Instead of pulling him off me, Kurt wrapped us both in a bone-crushing hug, sobbing.

  “Don’t leave me, Rosie,” Fox choked out through his tears. “Don’t leave me.”

  “I won’t,” I vowed, his tears soaking through my t-shirt. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  * * *

  Going back tore open a whole host of old, painful memories. I shoved them aside, wanting to focus on having a decent day with Fox.

  He answered before I even had a chance to knock.

  “Hey.” His blue eyes swept over me, taking in my black t-shirt and jean skirt.

  I fixed a nervous smile on my face. “Hey. Am I too early?”

  “No.” He moved aside and gestured for me to come in.

  I followed him into the foyer, noting everything had changed since the last time I’d been there, right down to the new hardwood floors.

  He strode past me, and I scurried to follow him. I was surprised when he led me to his bedroom. Even that had changed. I guess I expected it. He wasn’t a kid anymore. The Spider-Man posters and comic books were gone. His walls were bare now, and no longer the baby blue I remembered. Now, they were a deep navy blue. His large bed was made, the rest of his room ridiculously clean.