“Mom, I didn’t. Jesus, I’m a virgin for Christ’s sake.” I have no idea if she hears me as she thunders down the stairs, but I don’t think it really matters. She’s pegged me as guilty already.
A tingle of awareness runs down my spine, telling me that although Mom might not have just heard my parting words, someone else didn’t miss them.
“Virgin, huh?”
His deep voice rumbles through me and my teeth grind as I try to refrain from flying at him and gouging his eyes out.
“You think this is f-funny?” I shout, turning to look at him. I want to appear strong but the second my eyes land on inches of toned naked skin once again my words falter a little.
Fucking hell, Ruby, get it together. You are better than this asshole.
A wicked smile pulls at his lips. “Yeah, actually. It is kinda funny, even more so now I know the truth. Am I the only one who’s gotten between your legs, little one?” His brow rises as his smirk grows.
“I’m not having this conversation with you.”
“No? Too busy tidying up your mess.”
“It’s not my mess,” I seethe.
“Funny, because it looks like your underwear in their bed.”
“Yeah, that you stole from me.”
“That I stripped from you,” he corrects me, pushing from the doorframe and stalking toward me. “That I stripped from you when you were begging me to touch you.”
I don’t move, refusing to be bullied into submission by this asshole. Instead, all I do is lift my chin so I can keep eye contact with him as he crowds my small body with his huge one.
“I never begged for anything,” I spit.
“Hmm... maybe I was imagining that part. I do, however, know that you were fucking soaked for me, little one. One touch, and you were like putty in my hands.”
“I was drunk,” I argue.
“Are you drunk now?” His hand wraps around my throat and my back collides with our parents’ doorframe.
“No, and all I want you to do is leave me alone.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Fucking positive.” My eyes narrow at him but all he does is laugh.
“You’re such a shit liar, Ruby.”
“I fucking hate you,” I seethe.
“Doesn’t stop you wanting me though, does it?” He takes a step back from me. “Now, tidy up your mess. It makes you look like a slut.”
“Says the one who had Krissy between his legs last night,” I mutter, but when his eyes light up with amusement and his smile widens, I know I made a mistake.
He cups his junk as he continues walking backward to his room.
“Yeah, and she fucking loved it.”
He nods his chin at me once in dismissal before he disappears into his room, slams the door, and cranks his music up once more.
“You’re a fucking asshole, Ashton Fury.”
11
Ruby
Once I’ve tidied up Mom and Stephen’s bedroom, complete with changing the sheets—despite the fact it’s totally unnecessary—I lock myself in my bedroom and don’t leave again.
Mom must be really pissed because she doesn’t even come to offer me any dinner, despite the fact I smell it cooking. I have no idea if Ashton goes down to eat and I tell myself over and over that I don’t care.
I get all my homework done before having a two-hour-long video chat with Harley where she tells me how amazing her date with Nathan was and I refrain from telling her anything that’s happened over the past few hours. I don’t want to think about it, let alone talk about it. I just want to focus on school and cheer and forget that anything else exists right now. He’ll be heading back to Seattle in a few days and I’ll get a little reprieve. Hopefully, that’ll be the time he needs to get his head on straight and come back ready to start school, and more importantly, leave me alone. He needs his own life that doesn’t revolve around tormenting me. As much as I hate the thought of him starting at Rosewood High and potentially trying out for the team, at least it should distract him.
I’m ready to go at the crack of dawn Monday morning, my need to get away from him and out of the house means I almost jump out of bed when my alarm goes off.
I throw myself into practice and then school, forgetting about the fact I’m going to have to face the music at some point. Mom can’t exactly avoid me forever.
Her car is already in the drive when I pull up after our afternoon practice, something that doesn’t happen very often.
“Hey,” I say, somewhat awkwardly as I step into the kitchen.
“Good day?” she asks like normal, but there’s a harshness to her tone that’s not usually there. A huge part of me wants to plead my innocence, but that’s going to lead to explaining why Ashton had my underwear in the first place and I am not going there. The less I say, the less Mom and Stephen will need to have a look closer at Ash’s and my relationship, the better.
“Yeah, it was okay. You finish work early?” I ask, grabbing a soda from the refrigerator.
“I’ve got the week off for the funeral, actually.”
“Ah, makes sense,” I mutter. “When are you going?”
“Our flight is at six a.m. Shouldn’t be an issue for you as you’re used to getting up that early, but it’ll be a shock for the rest of us.”
“M-me?” I stutter, not liking where this is going.
“Yeah. You’re coming to Seattle too.”
“I-I can’t. I’ve got cheer. Nationals are the weekend after next. I can’t miss practice.”
“This isn’t up for discussion, Ruby. We’re going as a family to support Ashton. I’ve already informed school that you’ll be missing the rest of the week.”
“But—”
“His mom died, Ruby. I expected more of you.”
My lips part to argue more, but what can I say to that. She’s right. No matter how I might feel about my stepbrother. He’s just lost his mom and he deserves the support of his family.
Letting out a sigh, I spin and head out of the kitchen. “I’m going out.”
“I’ll plate up dinner and you can warm it when you’re back.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
I don’t even bother taking my bags up to my room, instead, I dump them back into my car and drop down into the driver’s seat.
Resting my head back, I close my eyes and blow out a calming breath.
I don’t want to miss practice so close to nationals. I don’t want to go to Seattle, and I certainly don’t want to spend any more time with Ashton than necessary, but it seems I have little choice in any of it.
Pulling my eyes open, I intend on starting my car and getting out of here, but the second I open my eyes, they find his in the window I was standing at the day he arrived.
Jesus, how was that only a few days ago? It feels like he’s been here forever, terrorizing me.
Ripping my eyes from his haunting stare, I put my car in reverse and fly from the house.
I don’t really have a destination in mind. I could go to Harley’s, but I don’t really want to talk, I just want silence. Something that’s been eluding me since he arrived.