* * *
I wasn’t going to get much sleep and that wasn’t a problem at all.
Ruby curled right up in the bed with me and was almost on top of me. Her left leg hooked around my legs, her left arm around me. Her head on my chest, tucked down. She looked so damn cozy and I had no intention of wasting a second of this.
I had been waiting for so long to do this with her.
We had officially completely tired ourselves out.
The relaxing shower left Ruby almost unable to walk. She managed to dry her body and hair the best she could. I gave her one of my favorite long sleeved shirts to wear and that was her new pajamas. She already warned me she planned on stealing the shirt. I figured that. And it made me happy.
Happy.
What a fucking word.
Everyone always just assumed I was happy. Growing up rich. Having power in BFH. Knowing I could throw someone like Porter through a mirror and not have a thing happen to me. Surfing whenever the fuck I wanted.
And, of course, the girls.
But that wasn’t happiness at all.
That was just chasing a high.
Which was something Ruby understood.
Maybe we were complete opposites to anyone who saw us together. Our lives. Time. Distance. Whatever else.
But in reality, we were a lot alike.
And it worked.
I kissed her head and whispered, “Goodnight, girl.”
Ruby didn’t respond back to me.
I liked that though.
She was cuddled up and sound asleep.
And I was wide awake in the dark, just holding her.
Hanging onto everything I ever wanted in life.
Knowing that this could make all that other shit go away for good…
‘I’m stealing this shirt.’
‘That’s my favorite shirt.’
‘Are you going to stop me from taking it?’
I smile. ‘No.’
‘Because you love me, right?’
‘Of course I do. Take anything you want out of here.’
‘I’m kind of excited to move to the guesthouse. Makes me feel… I don’t know. Like I have things together.’
‘Good. You should feel excited. It’ll be amazing. And you won’t be around here so much. You kind of get on my nerves, Kait.’
‘Oh, shut up, Kip. You couldn’t live without me.’
‘I know. Same for you. You and me… we need each other.’
Kait swallows hard. ‘Kip…’
‘I know. You’re always worried about it. Whatever everyone thinks.’
‘It’s not that. I don’t want to cause any more problems. Any trouble. I do that enough.’
‘You’re no trouble at all. My life has been so much better since you showed up.’
She laughs.
I love when she laughs for real like that.
‘I really fucked up everything. Your parents thought they were getting off easy with me. Oops.’
‘Who cares about them? Pretend they don’t exist. It’s just us.’
‘Maybe… someday…’
‘Right now, Kait,’ I say. ‘Right now. I love you. I mean it. I’m not just saying it. I really mean it. You think I care about noise? I don’t. I care about you. I can take care of you. I can take care of us.’
Kait hands me my shirt back. ‘I have to go, Kip.’
‘Take the shirt.’
‘It’s your favorite. I can’t ruin anything else for you.’
‘You haven’t ruined anything at all.’
‘Look, I just have to go. I remembered… something… I have to do.’
Kait blinks fast and runs out of my room.
She could have taken the shirt. She could have it. Keep it forever.
I’d give her anything of mine to make her happy.
* * *
I took one of my famous sleep-slash-naps and was up for good.
Ruby was still sleeping heavily and she was curled up tight with every blanket and pillow she could find. I made a mental note that she was a total bed hog. I’d need to get her fifty blankets and two hundred pillows then.
Which I would gladly do.
I walked to the front of the guesthouse and opened the door to the surprise of Tinsley, Pres, and Barr.
“Told you he’d be here,” Barr said.
“Where else would I be?” I asked.
“Here, take these,” Tinsley said as she handed me a tray with five large coffees on it.
Pres held up two bags of food. “I cooked breakfast for everyone.”
“How sweet of you,” I said.
“Where’s Ruby?” Tinsley asked.
“She’s still sleeping.”
“Nice,” Barr said. “You wore her out, huh?”
“We wore each other out,” I said.
“In the bed I used to sleep in,” Tinsley said.
“It was always my bed first, girl,” I said.
“He’s got a point there, sugar,” Pres said to Tinsley.
She shivered. “I feel gross now.”
“That makes you feel gross?” Barr asked. “You had the three of us chasing your ass for how long? You were kissing all of us behind each other’s backs. And now you feel gross?”
“Did you just call me a slut?” Tinsley asked. She looked at me. “Did he just call me a slut?”
“He called you a slut,” I said.
“I’ll kill him,” Pres said.
Barr just laughed and pushed by all of us.
He jumped up on the counter and clapped his hands together. “Give me one of those bags, Pres. I’m starving.”
Pres tossed one of the bags.
Barr dug inside.
Tinsley slapped his hand away. “Wait for Ruby.”
“How long’s that going to take?” Barr asked.
“Might be a while,” I said. “We were going at it for a long time. I’m talking crazy stuff.”
“Stop,” Tinsley said. “That’s my best friend you’re talking about.”
“No, keep going,” Barr said. “I don’t mind.”
“Show respect,” Pres said.
“Look at Pres over here,” I said. “All proper and worried about respect.”
Barr and I laughed.
“So what’d you two do?” Barr asked me.
“If I tell you, are you going to need a minute alone?” I asked.
“Nah, I’m good right here on the counter,” Barr said.
“Gross,” Tinsley said. “You’re all gross.”
“I agree with that.”
“Hey, there she is,” Barr said.
“Morning, girl,” I said, ditching Barr for Ruby.
I hugged her and kissed the top of her head.
“Thank you for waking up,” Barr said. “Now I can eat.”
“And now I don’t have to hear about your crazy night,” Tinsley said.
“What crazy night?” Ruby asked.
“Kip’s been telling stories, sugar,” Pres said.
“Oh, please,” Ruby said, pushing away from me. She grabbed one of the coffees. “Let me put it this way… I just slept for ten hours. We went into the bedroom ten hours and three minutes ago…”
“Ouch,” Barr said.
“Seems about right,” Pres said.
“Wait,” Tinsley said. “Ten hours and three minutes ago? And you slept ten hours? And you slept with Kip? What did you do with your free two minutes?”
“Oh, that’s so fucking funny!” I yelled. I fake laughed. “Oh, I can’t get enough of it. You’re killing me!”
“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Pres said.
“Not me,” Ruby said.
“That’s because you hog all the covers and pillows, girl,” I said.
“Do not,” Ruby said.
“You do,” I said. “You’re the worst to sleep with.”
Barr coughed on his sandwich. “Shit…”
“I’m the worst to sleep with?” Ruby asked.
&nb
sp; “Sorry, Kip,” Tinsley said. “It was nice knowing you.”
Ruby put her coffee down.
I curled my lip. “What?”
“Hey, Barr,” Ruby said.
“What’s up, love?” Barr asked.
She turned and faced him, touching his knees. “Wanna go fool around? So you can tell Kip the truth about me?”
Barr put his sandwich down and wiped his hands on his jeans. “Let’s go.”
“Fuck off,” I growled.
I moved in and picked Ruby up and hugged her.
“Someone’s jealous,” she whispered in my ear.
“No fucking shit, girl,” I whispered back.
Ruby laugh-snorted.
I carried her to the counter and sat her down.
I made sure she was far away from Barr.
Tinsley slid the other bag of food to her and Ruby sat there and grinned as she ate a sandwich and drank her coffee.
I stood with a hand on the counter on each side of her.
“Take a bite,” Ruby said to me.
She stuffed the sandwich to my face.
I took a bite and she smiled.
This was it.
This was the moment.
This had to be the beginning of what forever really felt like.
Tinsley, Pres, and Barr were lost in their own conversation.
And it was just me and Ruby.
Staring each other down.
Falling in love more and more with each second that ticked by.
Chapter 15
“Hey, throw your garbage out.” Ruby ordered Barr and Pres.
“Excuse me, love?” Barr asked.
“Fucking spoiled rich kids,” Ruby said. “You think you can just leave a mess everywhere you go, right? Because someone hired will come clean it up.”
“Ruby,” Tinsley said.
Ruby pointed to Tinsley. “You’re one to talk. You remember how we grew up, right? Having a clean room was a big deal to us. It was our peace. At least our version of it.”
“I think she’s right,” I said.
“Of course you do,” Pres said. “You’ll agree with anyone who sleeps with you.”
“So are you implying I’m stupid or a whore or what?” Ruby challenged Pres.
“Wow,” Barr said. “Look at this side of her…”
He reached for the empty bag and grabbed the sandwich wrappers.
Ruby stood with her arms folded like she was seven foot tall and could lift a car like nothing.
I had never seen Barr really listen to someone before.
Except Tinsley.
“Thank you,” Ruby said.
Barr then inched toward her. “You know, love, if we didn’t leave our messes behind, people wouldn’t have jobs.”
Ruby inched closer to him. “You know, love, if you quit smoking, took a shower, and weren’t such a poser, you’d actually be a decent guy.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I don’t want to be decent,” Barr said.
“And now I understand why you and Kip are friends,” Ruby said.
“Boom,” Tinsley said. “I kind of like this. Having someone around here who gets it.”
“I know what you get,” Ruby said. “And you’re totally different because of it.”
“Just wait and see what happens to you,” Tinsley said with a grin.
I jumped forward and wrapped my arms around Ruby. “I’m corrupting you by the second, girl. Soon you’ll be one of us.”
Ruby laughed. “Not going to happen. Unless some long lost family shows up with a seven figure bank account.”
“Seven figures,” Pres said. “That’s it?”
“Oh, fuck you, dude,” Ruby said.
Pres laughed.
Tinsley punched him in the arm. “That’s not a good look on you, Pres. Don’t talk about money like that.”
“Says the girl who enjoys it all,” Pres said. “Weren’t you the one just last night asking about buying a baby tiger?”
“A baby tiger?” Ruby asked. “Like the animal?”
“No, sugar,” Pres said. “A stuffed animal. Swinging that twenty bucks is a lot.”
Barr cackled and clapped his hands together. “You’re all fucking funny. I’m going for a smoke.”
“Tinsley,” Ruby said. “A baby tiger? For real?”
“There’s a story behind it,” Tinsley said. “Pres’s… friend of the family… she has this place. Where she has animals. She already has a baby tiger.”
“But Tinsley wants her own,” Pres said. “And you know what, Ruby? I’m going to get her one. I’ll buy her a fucking zoo if it makes her smile. And it has nothing to do with money. It’s because I can and want to.”
“Rich people,” Ruby said.
She stuck her tongue out.
Tinsley stuck her tongue out too.
Pres took Tinsley’s hand and led the way out of the guesthouse.
Ruby slowly turned and looked up at me. “What about you?”
“What about?”
“Is seven figures too little for you, Kip?”
“Nope. Fuck those guys. And Tinsley. Pompous assholes.”
Ruby lifted her eyebrow. “Would you buy me a baby tiger?”
I brushed my lips to hers. “I’d buy you a zoo bigger than the one Pres buys for Tinsley.”
“Of course you’d say that,” Ruby said. “Pathetic.”
“But you’re still here, girl,” I said.
“Only because I need a ride home.”
“One more ride, huh?”
Ruby faked laughed. “Your bedroom fun is over.”
“You said that last time.”
“And I decided I wanted more. So I got it.”
“That’s right,” I said. “You’re using me. Almost forgot.”
Ruby slapped my face. “Don’t forget that ever.”
She then curled her fingers and jumped to her toes so she could kiss me.
She walked out of the guesthouse and my eyes stared at her ass the entire time.
When she was gone, I turned and faced the counter.
I grabbed the edges to keep from falling.
I didn’t want to deal with anymore goodbyes with her… I couldn’t just let her go…
* * *
“So how do we handle all your new stuff, girl?” I asked.
“What? The camera?”
I laughed. “The camera. The paint stuff. The bike. The surfboard.”
Ruby bit her lip. “Not sure. I can put the camera in my bag. But if Gram sees me with it… shit.”
“What?”
“She’ll probably think I stole it.”
“Have you ever stolen anything before?”
“Not a camera, Kip. Tinsley and I stole stuff from stores before. Food. Or cheap jewelry. Dumb kid stuff.”
“Why would Gram accuse you then?”
“Because that’s what messed up people like me do,” Ruby said.
I reached for her hand. I stopped the SUV right in the middle of the road.
“Ruby. You have to stop calling yourself that. Messed up. Or whatever else. Don’t fall into that trap. Don’t lean on it.”
“I thought you weren’t going to tell me what to do in all of this?”
I nodded. “Yeah. You’re right. But hearing you say that… after all I’ve seen…”
Ruby looked at me. “And what exactly have you seen, Kip?”
“How real you are, girl. The look on your face when you take pictures. How fucking serious you are. Or when you painted that picture. How much it meant to you. Running. Bike riding. Trying to surf. Showing a stubborn attitude. Oh, and the way you eat your pizza…”
“Pizza? What?”
“You twirl your finger around the extra cheese that hangs from the slice. Like hair. And then you pull it away and secretly eat it.”
“Seriously?”
“It’s all real to me, Ruby. And not for a second were you worried about anything else. So I don’t think you’re messed up. I think you got m
essed up because you knew where you were wasn’t real. And if you can’t have real then you need to escape. And that’s why you did what you did.”
Ruby’s chin quivered.
She took two deep breaths and moved faster than I ever saw her move.
She unbuckled her seat belt and jumped toward me at the same time.
I caught her, the top half of my body turned sideways. My foot was still on the brake pedal as I held her.
She kissed me over and over.
Then she stopped and lowered her head.
“Ruby…”
She lifted her gaze and kissed me again.
Our tongues met and the kiss became that kind of kiss in a hurry.
She broke that kiss though and put her face to my shoulder.
I swore she was crying.
I didn’t know what to say.
I licked my lips and tasted her.
“I… Kip…”
“I’m in love with you, girl,” I said without thinking. “I don’t give a shit what that means or what that changes. I’m in love with you. It’s fucking crazy and stupid and we probably don’t know each other enough to say that shit but…”
Ruby looked at me again. “But you love me?”
“Yeah,” I said. “And I want you to take a million pictures. And paint a million paintings. And I want you to have someplace to call home and a place that makes you feel as beautiful as you look to me.”
Ruby hurried and put her hand over my mouth.
She shut her eyes and shook her head.
“Stop,” she said. “Just stop, Kip. Drive me back to Gram’s.”
And by back to Gram’s she meant our secret spot.
I hated that we had a secret spot.
And I hated that she was probably not going to take the camera with her. She couldn’t live hidden for the rest of her life. Under the shadow of anything her mother had ever done. Under the black cloud of a few bad decisions.
That wasn’t how life was supposed to be lived.
I thought about how to explain that to Ruby without causing an argument between us. Not to mention the fact that I told her I loved her and she told me to shut up.
All thoughts were erased when I saw the back of a car sticking out from our secret spot.
“Shit, girl,” I said. “Looks like someone stole our spot. I’ll have to find-”
“Kip,” Ruby said.
“What’s up?”
Ruby’s face looked pale white.
I looked at the car again.
KIP: a bay falls high novel Page 15
