by Claire Raye
“Asshole!” I yell out, tossing a middle finger in the air and committing the car to memory. I’m sure it was nothing, just someone either lost or late for work who clearly didn’t give a fuck that I was about to jog in front of their car. Never mind the striped crosswalk lines that grace where the street and alleyway meet. Guess that dick doesn’t realize pedestrians have the right of way in California.
I finish up my run, the incident with the silver car still weighing heavy on my mind when I jog up the front steps to the house. Reid is on the porch drinking a cup of coffee and I stop for a second to say hi, but then instead of just greeting him, I sit down on the chair next to him. My heart is still pounding and my breathing is labored, and for a few seconds I just sit, wondering if I should tell him what happened.
This could have something to do with Caleb, Sie and him and what happened in Rhode Island. It wasn’t all that long ago, only a month or so and just because there wasn’t a trial doesn’t mean there aren’t still a ton of moving pieces in the case.
“How was your run?” Reid asks as I stupidly sit here in silence.
“It was okay,” I reply, despite knowing it really wasn’t. I’m all worked up over this and it was all I thought about during my run.
“Sienna left for class already. Wanted to get there early to study. She claims studying in the room where you actually take the exam is known to improve your score.” The way he says this makes it sound like he doesn’t believe it for a second, letting out a breathy laugh. He’s trying to make conversation because I’ve made things awkward by sitting down and not saying a damn thing.
“Caleb still sleeping?” I ask as I look back at the house.
“No, he woke up and went to the gym. I told him I’d go with him if he gave me some time, but he said he wanted to get moving early today.” Reid pauses a second, looking over at me. “He’s doing really well, Ruby and it’s because of you.”
“Yeah, he is doing well, but I’m not sure it’s entirely my influence. He’s still struggling, obviously, look at the party, but he’s working through things.”
I stop again, tugging my hair free from the hair tie that’s holding it up as I think about how I want to tell Reid about what happened on my run. There’s a weird charge that’s passing between us, almost like he has something more to say and so do I, something neither of us wants to admit.
The silence lingers between each of our sentences, hanging heavy in the air even though the substance isn’t anything of serious value.
I bite the bullet, my heart beating a little faster and it’s not because of the run as I now decide to just tell Reid what happened and get his thoughts on it.
“This morning while I was running, I was almost run over by a car in the alleyway.”
“Shit, Ruby. Are you okay?” he immediately asks, but I can see the questioning look in his eyes. He’s wondering if it isn’t something more. And again that silence between us returns as we both look for the right words to say, words that don’t accuse or worry the other.
“Yeah, I’m fine, but I do think the person was targeting me. Does that sound stupid? It wasn’t just an accident. They saw me in the alley and followed me as I ran toward the street, and when I tried to cross in front of them, they nearly hit me.”
Reid nods his head, chewing on his bottom lip as he processes what I just told him. I want to beg him not to tell Caleb because the last thing he needs is more worry, more concern about what happened in his past is coming back to haunt him.
“So…” Reid starts, but his thought is left hanging. He drags a hand through his hair and lets out a hard exhale, his eyes focused on the street in front of us.
“What do you think?” I ask, not waiting for him to continue.
“I didn’t want to tell Sie or Caleb about this, so I’d appreciate it if you kept it between us,” Reid says, his words firm but there’s also an air of compassion in them and I nod in agreement. “About a week ago I got a call from the detective we worked with on my dad’s case. One of the guys who worked with my dad got off. They couldn’t really trace anything back to him. It was a guy who worked with my dad back in the eighties but had kinda dropped off. He’s old now too, like in his late seventies and in super bad health. The detective didn’t think he was a threat…” he trails off now, his thoughts consumed with wondering if this guy is a threat and now so am I.
“Do you think he’s a threat?” I ask, just coming right out with what we’re both thinking.
“I didn’t, but now I don’t know what to think. I’m going to follow up with the detective and let him know what happened to you and see what he thinks.”
Reid’s teeth tug at his lip some more, deep in thought and all I can think about is Caleb out and about, none the wiser to any of this. It’s going to be hard not to show my concern for him every time he leaves the house.
“The guy can’t be a threat,” he adds, confidence in his words as he shakes his head. “I don’t even remember hearing about this guy as a kid or anything. I think the reason they couldn’t pin anything on him is because he has nothing to do with it. And anyway, the whole outfit fell apart. There’s no way anyone is stupid enough to keep this up knowing the police are all over it.”
It’s like he’s trying to convince himself that we’re all safe, that this is nothing more than a mistake, and as much as I want to believe his words, he wasn’t the one who was nearly run down.
“Sorry, Ruby. I’m acting like what you told me isn’t true. I believe you and I’m going to call the detective just to be safe. Just to make sure it’s on his radar and he can follow up on things.”
“Okay, thanks. And Reid,” I say as I stand up, looking down at him, “can we keep this between us?”
“Of course, Ruby. I don’t want Caleb or Sie finding out because they don’t need anymore on their plates right now.”
“Thanks,” I reply, understanding exactly what he’s saying as I lean down and kiss his cheek.
As I walk away, I hope like hell it’s nothing. That we aren’t about to deal with this all over again.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Caleb
The bar is dead tonight, which is hardly surprising given finals have now started. Reid, Sie and Ruby are all busy with studying and I’m trying to stay out of their way. In a couple of weeks, it will all be over and they’ll be on break.
And because it is so dead, I manage to finish up early, eager to get back home and see Ruby. For so many reasons.
I still can’t believe what a difference she makes to my life and I’m quickly coming to realize that I’m pretty sure I can’t live without her. And it’s not just the obvious connection we share or the crazy attraction I feel toward her.
It’s the way I can talk to her, too. About everything. Without fear of judgment or pity or anything else negative. Which is what makes it so easy to talk to her about what’s going on with me, and all the messed up shit in my head.
Because she isn’t afraid of it and she’s not afraid to call me out on stuff or give it to me straight either. And I love that. I love that she’s honest and tells me the things I need to hear. I love that she’s so accepting of the things that have happened to me and instead of walking away or looking at me with guilt, she wants to help me.
Fuck, I just love her.
My mind turns over this sudden revelation as I walk home from the bar, the night quiet and cool. I still haven’t bought myself a car, despite having the money for it now, but I’m honestly not that interested yet.
I enjoy this part of my night, the peace and the quiet, the time to myself just to think and process whatever shit has gone through my head today. Next to being with Ruby, it’s my favorite thing.
When I reach the house, I take the path up the side like I usually do and once again notice the trash cans have all been knocked over, garbage surrounding them.
“Fuck’s sake,” I mutter, as I stop to pick it up, wondering again if this is some kind of animal getting into the can, look
ing for food. But as I do, I notice the unmistakable shape of footprints in the dirt, men’s footprints surrounding the space, as though someone has stood here and rummaged through the garbage.
I immediately feel my body go tense as I straighten and look around, my eyes scanning the darkness. The street is quiet though, no one about, only a couple of cars parked along the curb. My thoughts go to Providence and what happened, as though someone from my past is doing this, to look for something or to fuck with me. I don’t know.
But then I remember that no one gives a shit anymore, because it’s over. Ray Bowen is in jail and everyone else has disappeared. This isn’t happening.
Shaking my head, I move back to the trash, picking it up as I clean up the mess. Surely these are mine or Reid’s footprints from when we took the garbage out.
When I’m done, I move toward the back door, but just before I walk inside, I turn and glance toward the street again, focusing on the cars, searching for one that stands out, that doesn’t quite fit. Like the one I saw a couple of weeks ago and haven’t been able to get out of my head.
But there’s nothing there and exhaling, I tell myself to relax as I unlock the back door and step inside.
Reid, Sie and Ruby are all in the living room, lying on the couch, watching TV.
“Hey,” I say as I walk in, stopping behind the couch where Ruby sits. “How were finals?”
“Nailed it,” Reid says, without looking up from the TV.
Sienna pinches his side as she rolls her eyes and looks up at me. “Okay. How was work?”
“Okay,” I reply, before turning to Ruby. I lean down as she looks up at me and I press a kiss to her lips. “And you?”
She exhales, her eyes closing briefly before her hand moves to my cheek. “Okay,” she says, sounding tired.
“You alright?” I whisper, brushing my lips against hers again.
“Yeah, just tired.”
I nod, knowing she got up earlier than usual this morning. “I’m just gonna take a shower. Maybe you need an early night?”
“Yeah, maybe,” she says and I kiss her once more before straightening. I head back to her bedroom to grab some fresh clothes before taking a quick shower, a little worried that there’s something more going on with Ruby.
After I’m done, I head back to the living room and see a fresh beer sitting on the coffee table, waiting for me.
“Thanks,” I murmur, as I take a seat beside Ruby, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.
She rests her head on my shoulder, her arm falling across my stomach as she continues to watch TV. Reid and Sie are sitting together on the other end of the couch, so I don’t ask Ruby if she’s okay again, preferring to wait until we are alone.
“How was the bar, dude?” Reid asks, glancing at me over the top of Sie’s head.
“Pretty dead,” I tell him.
He nods as though that’s the answer he expected. “You think you’ll be able to get time off over break?”
I glance at Sie now, who lifts her head at Reid’s question. I know he’s asking for her anyway, because she’s the one that wants this more than anything. And I do get it, given everything that’s happened.
“Yeah, should be able to swing it,” I tell him, smiling. “Bar will likely be dead with everyone out of town for the holidays, so we will probably close the week between Christmas and New Year’s.”
Reid and Sie both smile, Reid giving me a quick nod before turning back to the TV. Ruby lifts her head now, a soft smile on her face. “Yeah?” she whispers. “You want to come to Lake Tahoe?”
“Of course,” I whisper back, leaning down to kiss her, even though a part of me is super nervous at the idea of meeting her parents.
Everything between us still feels so new and unfamiliar and while I’m not questioning how I feel about her and whether I want this, because I know without a doubt that I absolutely do, there is a part of me that worries what her parents will think of me. Whether they’ll think I’m good enough for their daughter.
And I also can’t help but wonder if they know about me and Sie and our family, about what happened to us back in Providence? It was all over the news and I know it reached California, but did it reach them too?
“Thank you,” Ruby whispers, leaning up to kiss me. “I’m excited to show you around.”
After the movie finishes, we all pack up and head to bed. As Ruby and I slide between the sheets, I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her.
“You sure you’re okay?” I whisper in the darkness, my hand moving up and down the warm skin of her back.
She sighs. “Yeah.”
Her answer, the way she says it, tells me she’s anything but okay. “Did your exam go okay?” I ask.
She shrugs, her arm wrapping around me as she rests her head on my chest. “I think so.”
“Ruby,” I whisper, smoothing her hair back as I gently tilt her face to mine. “What’s wrong?”
She shifts a little, moving so she’s lying beside me, our heads sharing the same pillow. I roll onto my side so we are facing each other, keeping our bodies close and my arms still wrapped around her. “Nothing really,” she says.
“Doesn’t sound like nothing,” I say, my palm flattening against her back.
Ruby takes a deep breath, letting it out on a long, slow exhale. “I’m okay. I’m just tired.”
I feel like there’s more to it than that, but I don’t push it, partly because I’m too afraid to ask if it’s something to do with me, to the nightmares that have started showing up again. Instead, I lean in and kiss her again, lingering this time. “We need to start going to bed earlier,” I murmur, my mouth against hers. “I feel like I’m corrupting you by coming home so late, by keeping you awake.”
I feel her smile now, her lips still against mine. “You’re so sweet to me,” she whispers. “But I’m okay, really. I always get like this around finals time. I’m sorry I’m being grumpy.”
I pull her closer, deepening the kiss a little. I feel her body melt against mine, her warm skin as it presses against me, heating my whole body and blanketing me in a way that feels unbelievably calming. “You don’t ever have to apologize to me, Ruby,” I whisper. “And you know this whole talking to each other thing is a two-way street, don’t you?”
She smiles again, her hand sliding down my back to my ass. “I know,” she murmurs.
I let out a low groan, pulling her even closer. Ruby rolls onto her back, pulling me with her so I wind up half lying on her. I pull back at little, see her smiling face as she looks up at me, her hand against my cheek. “Are you sure you’re okay with coming home with me over Christmas?” she asks, now switching the conversation to me.
“I’m totally okay with it,” I tell her, leaning down to kiss her again.
“Even with meeting my parents?”
“Of course,” I say, shrugging as if it’s no big deal, even though inside my chest, I feel as my heartbeat kicks up a notch or two, a tiny prickle of anxiety dancing over my skin. “Parents love me anyway.”
Ruby laughs, her eyes shining now. “Oh, they do, do they?” she teases. “And exactly how many parents have you met then?”
I’m smiling as I look down at her, wondering if my answer is going to freak her out. “None actually,” I admit, actually having avoided it the few times I had a girlfriend who wanted to make it happen.
“No?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Does that worry you?”
She narrows her brow. “That you haven’t ever met a previous girlfriend’s parents? Why would that worry me?”
“I don’t know,” I exhale, knowing that’s not even really what I’m asking. “But does it worry you about me meeting your parents, given…you know, everything?” I wave my hand around my head in explanation.
Ruby rolls her eyes, her hand sliding to the back of my neck as she pulls me closer. “Caleb, I thought we were past this. There’s nothing wrong with you, you’re—”
“Yeah, I
know,” I say, cutting her off. “But what if…what if I have a…or what if something happens while your parents are there?”
She leans up and puts her lips against mine. “Nothing’s going to happen,” she whispers. “But even if it does, it won’t matter. It doesn’t matter.”
She presses her lips against mine again, before pulling back, but I don’t let her go, kissing her again as I follow her head back to the pillow. “I think it’s you who’s sweet to me,” I murmur, my mouth against hers still and knowing it’s so much more than that.
“Oh yeah?” she asks, and I can tell she’s smiling, and that whatever was bothering her when I came home tonight is apparently forgotten now.
“Yes,” I whisper. “Sweet, beautiful and oh so fucking sexy,” I add.
Ruby lets out an adorable giggle-moan combination as her hands slide down my back. “How sexy?” she questions, a teasing quality to her voice.
I grin and leaning down, I whisper the words to her again, each of them punctuated by a soft kiss. “So. Fucking. Sexy.”
“God, Caleb,” she murmurs, her arms tightening around me as she pulls me closer, our bodies fusing together as we both push aside all the things running through our heads, all the things we don’t want to talk about tonight and instead get lost in each other.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ruby
Being with Caleb feels like home, like nothing bad can ever happen to us. If we just stay here in bed, wrapped up in each other, maybe time will heal all of Caleb’s wounds.
“Ruby,” Caleb murmurs, my name a desperate plea, a cry to soothe him, to be closer to me. “You’re everything to me.”
I take in what he says, basking in his words as he pushes inside me, slow and deliberate. The day’s events melt away, forgetting all the awfulness that somehow seems to plague the relationship we’ve started. Keeping secrets is not ideal, but in the end, keeping this from Caleb isn’t about trying to hurt him.
