She is my other half, my twin, and I will protect her to the day I die, no matter what it costs me.
“You wanna maybe come and see Liz with me sometime?” I ask, brushing the tears from her cheeks.
She looks up at me, her eyes full of hope now. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
I smile, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead as my phone vibrates with a text message in my pocket. “So would I,” I tell her, meaning it.
I pull my phone from my pocket, feeling relieved that Sie and I have had this chance to talk, knowing that there’s still more to come, but this is at least a start. When I turn the screen, I see a bunch of missed calls that must have come through during my session with Liz and one text.
All from Ed.
Not bothering to listen to the voicemails, I open the text he’s sent, my stomach falling and my heart pounding in my chest as I read the words that fill my screen. I can’t help but smile and turn my phone for Sienna to see.
Ed: 17 charges – assault, rape, stalking, intimidation, bribery, falsifying reports. He’s toast. Call me. ASAP.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ruby
Caleb comes hauling in the front door with Sienna following closely behind. He tosses my car keys on the kitchen table and then grabs me from behind as I’m washing dishes. His arms slip around my waist and he presses his mouth to the side of my neck making me smile. I hear Sienna calling out for Reid, the excitement in her voice as she rushes to her bedroom, obviously excited about something.
This is a different Caleb than the last few weeks. He’s always been deeply affectionate and needing to be near me, but sometimes after a visit with his therapist he can be withdrawn. It’s understandable with how he’s been digging deeply into his past and all the trauma he’s been trying to cope with for the last few years.
“What’s up?” I ask, turning in his arms so I’m facing him. He’s smiling when I look up at him, beaming actually and in his eyes, I see relief and peace and a relaxation that hasn’t been there since he arrived in California. “What’s going on?” I now ask, feeling the excitement pushing up into my throat and out in my words.
“I just got off the phone with Ed and it’s good news, Ruby. There’s no way Keller is getting off. He’s been charged with at least ten felonies and a bunch of misdemeanors.”
I have no idea if he’s done speaking, but I don’t care. I can’t hold my excitement in, cutting him off as I start talking immediately. Unable to hold still, I move away from him, bouncing on my toes, practically jumping out of my skin with excitement.
“So does this mean the civil suit is gone? How long will he be in prison? Did Ed call Meagan and Kate? Oh my god, Caleb! We did this! Who would have thought two college students could take down a serial rapist?” The smile on my face is so big my cheeks begin to sting, and I suddenly want to clap my hands and dance in our kitchen.
“It was all you, Ruby. You pushed me, you researched and fought for me when I just wanted to lay down and die.” He pulls me tightly against him, lifting me off the ground and swinging me around. I’m laughing, deep belly laughs that pull from within me and it’s been so long since I’ve felt this free, this validated and confident.
“I wouldn’t take it that far. We did this together because I knew all along you weren’t guilty of anything but protecting me.” I smile up at him, my hand resting on his cheek.
“And I knew all along that guy was a fucking creep. Turns out it was way worse than I could’ve ever imagined,” Caleb says, biting out his words, still holding onto his hatred for Professor Keller.
“So you never answered my questions...” I move away from him, leaning against the counter behind me and he does the same on the island behind him.
“As for Meagan and Kate, I don’t know if Ed called them. I imagine he did, but you may want to follow up with them and see how they’re doing. I know a great therapist if they need her number.” He winks at me and I giggle a little. I love how playful he is despite everything.
“And the civil suit?” I roll my hand to get him moving along. Every question I asked is important, but what fully affects us is the civil suit.
“Well, it hasn’t been formally dropped, but Ed filed a motion to have it dropped based on all the new information that has come to light. Also, Keller’s big-wig lawyers quit on him, so I can’t imagine that’s any good for him.”
Caleb chuckles at the last part, and I know he’s thinking about how Keller had all this coming. He should’ve never pushed it this far because it all came back to bite him in the ass big time. It was only a matter of time before Keller fucked up and people stopped staying quiet.
“Do you think there are other girls?” I ask, and even though I’m excited this is all coming to a close for us, there are other people whose life has been uprooted by all this. My heart breaks for them and the battle they’ve been fighting alone.
“There are. Ed looked into a few things and found two settlements that went through several years back when Keller was a professor at a private university in Michigan. The details were all sealed, but I’m guessing that won’t be the case much longer.”
“I hope for their sake, they get the closure they need. A settlement isn’t closure.”
“No, it isn’t.” Caleb nods in agreement and I see him processing it all. This has to be exciting but also overwhelming. He’s spent so much time doubting himself, doubting that what he did was right. But more than that, he worried he’d never recover from this. The money, his reputation, his life, all of it felt so far out of his reach.
“I’m gonna take a quick shower and then I gotta get over to the bar. There are a couple of deliveries coming in and I guess I should show my worth with this whole bar being up for sale thing.” He shrugs and starts to walk away, but I reach out and grab his hand, pulling him back.
“I’m going to bring it up again, and as always, it’s just a suggestion. Have you talked with Reid and Sie about buying the bar? Without the civil suit, you have some money to invest in it now.”
He pauses, smirking at me and rolling his eyes, but nothing about it is condescending or dismissive. He loves how optimistic I am about everything and I hope it’s rubbing off on him. He regards me with a quiet glance, his blue eyes shining just a little.
“I like the way you called it investing rather than spending a ridiculous amount of money,” he teases. “You’re pretty slick, Ruby Collins.”
“I think it’s all those psychology classes,” I joke back.
“All those classes have come in handy quite a few times. Remember when you were my therapist for a bit?” He sneaks over to where I’m standing, sliding his hands under my shirt, his warm hands connecting with my bare skin. “You’re truly amazing,” he whispers, his lips now next to my ear. “Someday you’re going to help so many people the way you helped me.”
“I love you,” I say, not knowing what more I can say. He has no idea how much he’s helped me, too.
“And I love you.”
We’re still standing in each other’s arms when Reid and Sienna come out of her bedroom, both beaming and it’s clear they know the news. It’s the best news we’ve all gotten in what feels like forever and I’m sure they want to congratulate Caleb.