The driver’s door opened…
“Oh, fuck,” I whispered.
Gram was waiting for us.
* * *
“I’ve gotta go,” Ruby said.
“Wait a second,” I said. “Let me-”
“Kip, look at me,” Ruby said.
I looked at her.
Her eyes filled with tears. “You are such a fucking asshole for everything you’ve done for me. And everything you’ve said. And you are perfect. I can’t stand admitting it. But everything about you is perfect. And I know the timing is bad… but I’m in love with you too.”
Ruby opened the door and jumped out.
I turned my head and let out a scream when I saw Gram standing at my door.
Now you have to picture it, girl, to appreciate it.
Gram was standing on the running boards on my SUV so she could reach the window.
She was a tough looking older lady, that was for sure.
I smiled and waved.
“Put this goddamn window down right now,” she ordered me.
I listened.
I showed my hands.
“Who are you?” Gram asked.
“I’m Kip, ma’am.”
“Ma’am… you’ve never said that in your life I bet.”
“Not true,” I said. “I called my elementary school principal ma’am when she threatened to suspend me.”
“Figures,” Gram said. “You’re the one I hit with the wooden spoon.”
“Yes I am.”
“That was my sauce spoon. One of my favorites.”
“I’m sorry about that. I’ll get you a new one.”
“With your drug money?”
“No, ma’am. I have nothing to do with that stuff. Ever. I swear on my life.”
“Then what the hell are you doing with my granddaughter?”
“Falling in love with her.”
Gram rolled her eyes. “Not going to happen, Skippy.”
“Kip.”
“I don’t care what your name is,” Gram said.
“I was there, ma’am,” I said. “When we found Ruby… sick.”
“You mean high.”
“Right. High. We helped her. Tinsley…”
“I don’t know about her.”
“You can trust me, ma’am.”
“What were you and my granddaughter doing?”
“Taking pictures.”
Gram gasped. “What kind of pictures? Do you have her in some kind of… oh jeez… is she taking pictures of herself to sell to pay for her drug debt?”
“Whoa,” I said. “Gram… please… I think you’ve watched too many cop shows…”
“Gram?” she growled. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“Kip,” I said. “And I’m in love with Ruby. And forgive me for saying this, but while you have been so busy worried about her problems, you’ve missed out on the most special person I’ve ever met. I bought her a camera and you should see the pictures she’s taken. They’re amazing. I think she can become a professional photographer.”
“Bought her a camera? Why?”
“Because I love her.”
“Ever think of just getting her flowers?” Gram asked.
“Flowers die, ma’am… but a picture lasts forever.”
Gram stared at me. “If I take her home you’re going to wait here, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You’re going to sneak to the house to check up on her.”
“Correct.”
“If I take her phone, she’ll take off.”
“Probably.”
“Follow us to the house then. But when we get there, I’m searching you for drugs.”
“Is it a strip search?” I asked with a grin.
Gram stepped down and almost disappeared.
She was short.
But she was fierce.
She walked back to her car.
Ruby stood outside the passenger door, tears running down her cheeks.
I blew her a kiss.
She swallowed hard.
Gram yelled at her to get in the car.
She listened.
I slowly followed Gram down the road, my heart stuck in my throat, racing.
‘I’ll be back tomorrow, Kip.’
‘Don’t get in the car, girl. I’ll beg. I swear I’ll fucking beg.’
‘Stop it,’ she says with a laugh.
I’m not laughing though.
That car out front is not the kind of car she should be getting into.
Her eyes are already a mess.
She’s been… taking stuff… all day so far.
‘Kait, I’ll go out there,’ I say.
‘Don’t,’ she says in a mean voice.
She swings at me.
She misses.
I hate to say it, but as she stumbles I’m happy.
I dart out of the room and start to run through the house to get outside.
As soon as I’m out front, I make a line for the car.
All black. The windows tinted black. Nothing about the car says ‘good news’ to me.
I punched the driver’s window.
The prick of a driver doesn’t even bother to put the window down.
‘I know you’re in there!’ I yell. ‘You fucking touch her and I’ll kill you. I’ll fucking find you and kill you!’
‘What the hell is wrong with you, Kip?’ Kait yells as she catches up.
I spin around and touch her face. ‘Don’t do it, girl. You’re worth more than this. I’ll leave right now with you. Just you and me. We’ll each pack a bag and go. I’ll give up everything to be with you.’
‘We can’t be together, Kip. Not now. Not ever. You know that. Stop fighting it. Stop being such an asshole about it. You only want me because I’m living in the house. I’m close. I’m easy.’
‘No, that’s not it at all. From the second I saw you…’
‘I’m not interested,’ Kait says. ‘And if you threaten him again he’s going to hurt me. Do you want that?’
I shake my head.
Kait backs up. She wipes under her eyes.
‘Just let me go,’ she said,. ‘Pretend I never existed. That’s what I’d do.’
My hands held the steering wheel tight as I saw Gram’s house begin to appear.
I had no idea what was going to happen next with this messed up love story Ruby and I had stumbled into together.
But there was one thing I knew for sure.
She wasn’t going to just slip away from me without every ounce of my heart being offered first.
Chapter 16
Ruby looked terrified when she got out of the car and looked at me and then looked at Gram.
“I told him to follow,” Gram said. “Both of you, inside. Now.” She wiggled a finger at me. “No hugs or holding hands.”
“What about making out for a few seconds?” I asked.
Ruby’s eyes went wide.
Gram didn’t answer me.
I opened the back of the SUV and grabbed the camera and the painting Ruby had done.
It really hit me what I was doing for her.
What I was doing for love.
That it all had been building and was finally bubbling over.
But not in the way I thought.
I carried the stuff to the house and Gram met me at the door.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Something I want to show you,” I said.
Gram held the door for me.
The little beach house had the smell of the ocean, old wood, and last night’s dinner. It was crammed yet cozy. There were hundreds of shelves with little items filling each shelf. There were no pictures though. That caught my attention for some reason.
Gram led the way to the kitchen where Ruby sat on the counter with her feet dangling.
She was still confused by me being there.
“Hey, girl,” I said.
What the fuck? Ruby mouthed to me.
I
opened my mouth to respond and caught the quick and last second sight of a bright yellow object coming for my mouth.
Gram shoved a bar of soap into my mouth and I froze in place, looking at her, tasting the disgusting taste as the soap melted in my mouth.
I shook my head and she ripped the bar out of my mouth.
I started to cough and shake my head.
“That’ll teach you for talking that way to me,” Gram said.
“Gram!” Ruby yelled. “What did he say?”
“He wanted me to strip search him for drugs,” Gram said in a straight and honest voice.
Ruby gasped and laugh-snorted.
She covered her mouth.
I coughed again. “Whoa…”
“That’s what we call discipline,” Gram said.
I nodded to Gram. “Fair enough, ma’am.”
She walked to the sink and turned on the water. She nodded. “Come rinse your mouth out. And I guess you could call me Gram.”
“Deal,” I said.
I rinsed my mouth out with the sink water.
That helped a little.
Holy shit did that soap taste gross.
“Now, are we all ready to talk here?” Gram asked.
“My mouth has never been so clean,” I said.
Ruby was still in shock. “What’s happening here?”
“This,” I said.
I grabbed the camera again and handed it to Gram.
“What do I do with this thing?” she asked.
“Here, I’ll show you,” Ruby said.
She stood next to her grandmother and showed her how to click through the pictures.
“Ruby said something to me about taking pictures of the ocean,” I said. “So I got her a camera.”
Gram lifted her eyes to me. “At what cost?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Not for me.”
“So you just randomly buy things for people? Out of the goodness of your heart?”
“No,” I said. “I’m actually not the best person in the world. But when I met Ruby I just felt something for her. I knew she wasn’t the person everyone thought. And I kept in touch with her. Just text messages. Checking up on her. And if I could just say so, Gram, since we’re all close here now…”
Gram scoffed.
Ruby’s eyes went wide again.
“Hey,” I said. “You stuffed soap into my mouth. We’re practically family now.”
Gram scoffed even louder.
“Kip,” Ruby said.
“Sorry,” I said. “Like I was about to say… Ruby deserves this. And more. She’s good at taking pictures. And if you really cared for her to feel better or get better or whatever it is you think is wrong, then this helps.”
Gram pursed her lips tight. She looked back down at the camera.
“You took these, Ruby?” she asked.
“Yeah. They’re not very good. But I took the camera out of the box and just took a few pictures. I mean, I need to figure out the lenses and do a little research. And practice.”
“These are very good,” Gram said. “I like how it looks like the wave is moving when you click through… oh.”
Ruby gasped.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Gram lifted her eyes to me again.
Ruby cringed as Gram turned the camera around.
The first picture Ruby took was on the screen.
Of me. Looking dumb. Throwing the middle finger.
“Oh,” I said. “Uh… she was just working on getting… the focus… right.”
“It’s focused,” Gram said. “Very focused.”
Gram handed the camera to Ruby.
“Look at this too,” I said.
I lifted the painting off the counter. “Ruby painted this.”
Gram held the painting at arms length.
“It was my first time in a long time,” Ruby said.
“Was it now?” I asked with a grin.
Ruby looked at me and her cheeks turned red.
She mouthed Fuck off to me.
“This is amazing,” Gram said. “I mean…” She looked at Ruby. “You painted this?”
“Yeah,” Ruby said.
“Ask her how she knows all this?” I asked.
“Kip,” Ruby said.
“Wait,” Gram said. “What other surprises are there?”
“Ruby and I are engaged,” I said.
“What?” both Gram and Ruby yelled.
Gram lifted the painting like she wanted to hit me over the head like a steel chair in pro wrestling.
I put my hand out. “I’m kidding. Bad joke.”
“Terrible joke,” Gram said.
“Could have been worse,” I said. “I could have told you she was pregnant.”
“Kip, eat more soap,” Ruby said.
I laughed. “Sorry. I’ll stop telling jokes.”
“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said so far,” Gram said. “So, Ruby, how do you know how to do this?”
Ruby swallowed hard. She got really nervous.
I hated that she was nervous around Gram.
I walked toward Ruby and took her hand.
Gram scowled.
“She’s amazing, Gram,” I said. “Ruby is so amazing. You just have to look past everything that happened. She told me about her mother. Your daughter. I’m so sorry about all that.”
“You don’t know anything,” Gram snapped. She put the painting down. “You know what? Get out of here. I don’t know what this is. Some guy buying my granddaughter all these things. It looks wrong. It feels wrong. I don’t trust a thing you’ve said.”
“But look at what Ruby did,” I said.
“Gram, please,” Ruby said. “There was someone I knew when I was younger who taught me how to do this. And, yes, it was a bad situation. I grew up in a bad situation. And then I put myself in bad situations too. I know that. You know that. But Kip is right. I like this stuff. I like taking pictures. I like painting. I’m not saying I’m going to be rich and famous…”
“But what does he get out of this?” Gram asked.
Ruby looked at me. “Good question.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think you two would understand.”
“Give it a shot, Kip,” Gram said.
She walked to the sink and picked up the bar of soap.
Dammit… she knew how to make me talk…
* * *
The dining room was just as cluttered as the rest of the house. But in some way it was a comfortable clutter. The table was in the middle of the room and at the back of the room there were two doors that went outside to a deck that overlooked the ocean.
Gram made coffee and tea.
She had coffee.
Ruby had tea.
I didn’t drink anything.
“Not sure what you want to know about me,” I said.
“I have lots of questions,” Ruby said.
“I’m listening,” Gram said.
“I already told you everything. How I feel about Ruby. And why. I see her differently. I understand you’re worried because of her mother. I know you and Ruby hadn’t talked in a while. When she told me she was a little bored here… I mean, no offense, there’s not much to do here…”
“Which is a good thing,” Gram said.
“But not really,” Ruby said. “I feel punished. I came here to get away from that life. I’m not going back.”
“Those people are bad people, Ruby,” Gram said. She side eyed me. “Not sure about the new ones yet.”
“I don’t blame you,” I said.
“Hush,” Gram said.
“Gram, I’m being honest with you. I like to take pictures. And I like to paint. I’m not a disaster like my mother. I know you love me. I know you’re just trying to make sure I don’t end up like her.”
Gram turned her head and looked at me. “And you?”
“Me?”
“You better give me something good, Kip.”
I slowly stood up. “You want something good? Fine. When Tinsley got word that Ruby might have been in trouble we went to get her. It was me, Pres, and Barr. You’ve seen us all. We look like rich boy assholes and we are. And I apologize for the language. I’ll gladly eat ten bars of soap to tell you the truth, Gram.”
“I have plenty under the sink,” she said. “So go on.”
“When Ruby lifted her head that day on the steps-”
“Steps?” Gram asked.
“Kip,” Ruby said.
“Screw it,” I said. “It’s the truth. Ruby was on the steps. She was trying to get away. So we saved her. And we went into the apartment and beat the hell out of those who had tried to hurt Ruby.”
Gram shuddered. “Okay…”
“And you know what? I went back there again. And I did it again.”
“What?” Gram asked.
“I will do whatever it takes to keep Ruby safe. I can promise you those guys will never be around her again. Aside from that, every time I talked to her or saw her, I knew something was there. So, Gram, I stand by what I said before. I love her. I’m in love with her. And I bought her a camera. And I bought her painting stuff. And who cares? I don’t expect a thing in return. But if Ruby can take something from the messed up part of her life and turn it into something amazing, why the hell not?”
Gram lifted her coffee mug to her lips and sipped it loudly.
Then she stood up.
“I’m going to take my coffee outside for a moment.”
“Gram,” Ruby said. “I’m not a bad person.”
“Of course you aren’t,” she said. “I never thought you were. I just couldn’t stand the idea of losing you. For good.”
Gram walked along the table and I stepped back to open the door for her.
She looked up at me. “When I was your age, there was a gentleman named Peter. He was from the other side of town. Very rough and tough. Always in trouble. But near me, he was happy. My family hated him. They did everything they could to get me to love someone else. And you know what happened?”
“You told your family to eat dirt and you went with your heart,” I said.
“No, Kip,” Gram said. “No. I listened to my family. I broke Peter’s heart. And I broke my own heart in the process. I moved. I moved on. I lived. I married Ruby’s grandfather and I loved him dearly. And after he passed, I tried to find Peter. Only to find out he had passed too. His life of trouble caught up to him very early. And part of me will always wonder if that could have been different.”
KIP: a bay falls high novel Page 16
