There’s nothing new there and when I check my emails, I see nothing from the detective in charge of Ray’s case either. Letting out another breath, I re-open Google and instead type in a search for jobs near the Hawthorn campus, knowing eventually I’m going to have to try and get my life back to normal.
Whatever the fuck that looks like.
I scroll through the list and see plenty of positions in the various bars that surround the campus. They’re the type of jobs I could do in my sleep and even though Reid has suggested on a few occasions I should consider going back to school, I know that’s not going to happen now.
School feels like a dream from my old life. A life that took place before all the secrets and lies that contaminated our family were finally revealed. I’m not sure I can go back to that version of me; not now.
I make a note of a couple of possibilities, but until I get this cast off, there’s not much I can do. Thankfully, it’s only another couple of weeks until that happens.
Suddenly, the kitchen light flicks on, bathing the room in brightness. “Shit,” I half shout, my eyes closing as I practically jump out of my seat.
“Fuck!” a female voice calls out. “Oh my god, what…who…”
I shake my head rubbing a hand over my face as my eyes try to adjust to the sudden brightness. By the time they do, I see Ruby over by the fridge, standing behind the now open door.
“Holy shit,” she exhales. “I’m sorry, I totally forgot—”
“No, it’s my fault,” I tell her, my voice shaking just a little. “I shouldn’t sit here in the dark in the middle of the night like a weirdo.”
She giggles and if I didn’t know better, I’d say she was still a little drunk. She’d been drunk when we got back to Hawthorn only eight hours ago, stopping briefly to say hello before heading over to Reid’s place to continue drinking. I hadn’t even heard her come home, which is weird, but evidently, she had.
“Well, I’m also a middle of the night weirdo, obviously,” she says, shrugging. “I just turn on the light.”
I feel myself smiling at her, liking that she’s acting like this is all totally normal. Then again, she is drunk so maybe to her it is. “Couldn’t sleep?” I ask. “Or just getting home?”
She giggles again, hiccupping a little. “Just getting in,” she says. “Haven’t been to sleep yet.”
“Good night?”
“Mmmm,” she says, reaching into the fridge and pulling out an apple. “The usual to be honest.”
I nod, not sure what she means by the usual. Having never been to college, let alone a college party, I have no idea what goes on. And despite living in a college town and working close to Brown University, I was always too busy trying to save our bar to venture out. Fuck, that makes me sound like such a loser.
“How’s that couch?” Ruby suddenly asks, motioning to the living room with her apple. “Comfy?”
“I’ve slept on worse,” I say, giving her a small smile.
Ruby nods, hiccupping again. “Good. Sorry about the two bedroom situation though. Sorta sucks you move out here and you’re forced to sleep on the couch.”
I hold my hand up. “Don’t be, I’m just grateful for somewhere to stay,” I tell her. “And I promise, as soon as I get some work lined up, I’ll move out so you guys have your living room back.”
Ruby takes a bite of her apple before waving it in the air, swaying a little. “All good,” she says.
“Thank you.”
Ruby tilts her head, her arms out as she gives what I’m guessing is a little curtsey behind the still open fridge door. “You’re welcome,” she says, giggling again. “Besides,” she adds, her eyes flicking in the direction of Sienna’s bedroom, “with those two pathetic loved up fools now living here,” she pauses, pointing to Sienna’s bedroom as she mimes throwing up, “it might be nice to have someone to actually talk to.”
I chuckle, shaking my head a little. “You think this is bad,” I say, waving my hand around the room. “Try being stuck in a car with them on a four-day road trip.”
Ruby laughs, letting out another hiccup. “Touché.”
I chuckle. “You still a little drunk there, Ruby?” I ask, my eyes meeting hers. She’s basically hidden behind the fridge door she doesn’t seem to want to shut, but what I can see of her is pretty fucking adorable. Her hair is all pulled into a messy knot on her head and as I continue to watch her, she blushes a little and fuck me if that doesn’t make my heart skip a beat.
“Maybe,” she eventually answers.
Her response and reaction makes me laugh…and my heart skip another beat.
What is it with this girl?
When I’d first met her earlier, she’d thrown herself into my arms, hugging me as though we’d known each other for years. It had felt both strange and totally normal all at the same time. And as much as I didn’t want to think about what it meant, I’d loved the feeling of her warm body against mine, the smell of coconuts that filled my nose as she wrapped herself around me.
Neither of us says anything now as a peaceful silence falls between us, as though neither of us feels the need to fill the empty space. I risk another glance at Ruby, who’s still standing behind the open fridge door, quietly eating her apple as though this is all completely normal.
“Anyway,” I eventually say, finishing off my water as I stand from my stool.
I watch as Ruby freezes, the apple that’s in her hand stalling out halfway to her open mouth as she stands there, wide-eyed and staring at me, not even bothering to hide her reaction. I want to glance down, try to figure out what she’s staring at, but I don’t look away. I know the bruising on my ribcage has faded a lot, so it can’t be that.
“I’m gonna head back to the couch,” I say, jerking my thumb over my shoulder.
Ruby nods, still not saying anything as I walk around the counter and put my glass in the sink. I can feel her eyes on me though, tracking my every move as I walk back to the counter. It feels strangely intoxicating, whatever this feeling is, my heart skipping another couple of beats.
Just before I walk back to the living room, I pause, looking up at her. “Goodnight,” I say, offering her a small smile.
Ruby swallows hard, letting out another hiccup as she whispers, “Goodnight.”
Then I turn and walk back into the darkened living room. Just as I’m about to lie down on the couch though, I hear the fridge door close, the sound of footsteps padding across the kitchen floor.
Without moving a muscle, I stop, watching as I wait for Ruby to pass by the open archway that separates the kitchen from the living area. It’s dark enough in here that she won’t notice me, not with the light still on in the kitchen.
And when she eventually walks past, I have to swallow hard as my heart now starts to tap out a hard beat against my ribs that’s got nothing to do with my nightmares. Because as she walks past, I finally get a look at what was hiding behind that fridge door.
Ruby, dressed in nothing but a tight black tank that clings to her body, showing off her amazing tits and flat stomach. Underneath it, I spy tiny red panties that barely cover her ass and give way to a spectacular set of lean, toned legs.