I nodded. Claire knew how to play probably every instrument in the book. I felt my load lighten considerably to know she'd play in my stead. "That'd be awesome, thanks." It was coming together. Everything finally felt under control.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ruby
My day started with my car door frozen shut and went right downhill from there.
Not one, but two of my kindergartners vomited in the classroom, one all over the toys during indoor recess. The smart board broke and three kids got in a knockdown, screaming deathmatch over the favored pair of headphones for computer time. I'd worked right through my lunch preparing reports for a conference, then the parent had called and cancelled, and I spilled tomato soup down my blouse.
The few minutes of silence before rehearsal started was the first moment of peace I had felt all day.
I leaned over and collapsed onto the cool, polished wood of the piano and let out a long, shuddery breath. I could only imagine what Claire was going to say when she saw me like this. She'd probably drag me out for drinks after rehearsal. And I'd let myself be dragged.
I sighed, expecting to hear her calling out for me to stop sleeping on the job.
But she didn't call out.
She was late.
Frowning, I stood back up and fumbled through my purse. I grabbed my phone, intending to send her a "where you at?" text.
There on my screen hovered a message notification from her. From five hours ago.
It had been that kind of day.
I swiped the message open and her breathless apology took up nearly half the screen. I could just imagine her dictating it as she drove to her next client appointment.
Claire: Roo OMG so they fucked up my schedule today. Turns out I have a stupid client dinner starting at 5:30 and it's way over in Reckless Falls so I have to leave at like 4:15 but I have a shitton of work to do before that because did I mention these clients are stupid anyway don't hate me but I can't make it but don't worry I got you covered okay I'm sending help let me know if he gives you problems, he's on official baby-sister notice.
I barely had time to register what she was saying help? He? On official baby sister notice? before the auditorium door swung open. I turned, crossing my fingers it was the kids arriving.
It was not the kids.
It was Jonah.
Upon seeing him, it was like my body tried to feel every feeling at once while at the same time my brain tried to think every thought at once and the end result was that I just stood there, staring at him as he turned in a slow circle, taking in the auditorium with a long, low whistle. "Wow," he said. "This place hasn't changed a bit."
He seemed impossible in this space. I knew there was a time when Jonah King was just a normal kid who sat here in these seats during assemblies. I knew that he'd played a few talent shows right up on this stage, but what I knew to be true and what I felt to be true were two different things. This space was huge, but somehow Jonah was bigger. He was forty feet away from me, but I could feel the electric hum in the air around him. There was no way I should be able to feel his warmth, but that was exactly what my body insisted was happening. There was no way I should feel the ghost of his lips against mine, but that's exactly what I felt.
Hastily, I turned and grabbed my purse, unnecessarily setting it on the floor and closing it just to buy myself some time. My reaction made no goddamned sense. The last time I had seen him was when I was shouting and rushing away, furious with him. I'd been mulling that lunch over in my head, over and over again, playing it on repeat. At this point, I could tell you exactly when he smirked, exactly when he exhaled, exactly when he leaned in and tried to make nice. And somewhere in that obsessive replaying I'd become...obsessed.
I shook my head. No. There was no way this was happening. I straightened back up again. "Jonah," I said, and congratulated myself for how calm my voice sounded. "So Claire sent you?"
He turned and grinned, and goddamn that dimple to hell and back again. "Hey Ruby," he said, much softer than I was expecting. "Good to see you."
I swallowed. We were still very far apart, but I had the urge to step backwards anyway. "You too," I said automatically.
He pressed his lips together and looked down. I blew a breath of air out of my lungs. Both of us shifted on our feet and he opened his mouth to say "You were right about -" at the same time I started to say, "About the lunch -"
And then thirty-three grade schoolers streamed in through the doors and anything we wanted to say was swallowed up in the din.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jonah
I still pictured my baby sister as wearing pigtailed braids, but she was clearly a full-grown adult. Especially when she called my phone six times to wake me up and yell at me about turning lazy.
"You're serious?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. "You're calling me lazy?"
"You're hanging around the house doing fuck-all!" she shouted through the static on the wires. "Honestly, what are you even doing here?"
The fact that I still had no real answer to this question was driving me towards the brink. I'd even tried knitting, of all things, like Ruby had suggested. Something to soothe myself. But after a few stitches I'd thrown the fucking nightmare against the wall, pissed that it wasn't doing what it was supposed to. "I don't know," I said, slow and steady. "But I'm thinking of leaving right the fuck now, I'll tell you that much."
But instead of backing off, Claire just laughed. I was reminded again at how with the four of us gone all those years she had essentially grown up and only child. She'd gotten very used to having her own way. "Well instead of sitting here on the phone, you should go do something for me."
I smacked my forehead and then dragged my hand down my face. "This was your plan all along," I sighed. "Shaming me into doing your bidding."
"And it's working too, right?" she chirped. "Come on Jonah, it's not even really a favor for me. It's for Ruby."
I sat up straighter. "What's wrong with Ruby?" I asked, a little too quickly.
"She needs help," Claire had said and now, five hours of watching the clock later I was finally here in the auditorium, all set to get right in there and help Ruby with whatever she needed - and hoping what she needed involved minimal clothing. But I couldn't hear a word she was saying because there were a million kids screaming all at once.
She widened her eyes for a moment. And then I watched her square her shoulders. She seemed to grow several inches in height as she whipped around to glare at the screaming kids.
Every single one of them shut up instantly.
It was pretty fucking sexy.
"Okay then!" she said, suddenly smiling as she clapped her hands. "I want you all to say hi to Mr. King. He's here to help us with the music today."
I blinked. When Claire had asked me - not, more told me - to come help Ruby, I'd just agreed without question. Now the pieces were sliding into place. "Is this the Spring Play?" I asked.
She turned and nodded. "Yeah," she said softly. "Gid was supposed to direct."